Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2.fluke 9/24/84; site vax4.fluke.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!fluke!marauder
From: marauder@fluke.UUCP (Bill Landsborough)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: Screeeech.....
Message-ID: <2944@vax4.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9-Dec-85 10:31:37 EST
Article-I.D.: vax4.2944
Posted: Mon Dec  9 10:31:37 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Dec-85 03:18:41 EST
References: <158@ingres.ARPA> <355@tekig5.UUCP>
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Lines: 43

In article <355@tekig5.UUCP> david@tekig5Hayes.UUCP (David Hayes) writes:
>Dear John,
>One other choice is to brake heavily, then try and miss the car in
>front to one side or the other.  Since you were in the fast lane,
>I would have tried for the guard rail side, again not too easy
>with a nice chrome bumper rapidly approaching your adams apple.
>
>Remember, it is always better to brake hard than to lay it over,
>since a sliding bike me develop around .3-.4 G's and up on the 
>tires it can approach 1 G of stopping force.  If you liken 
>yourself to James Bond you are allowed to slide UNDER those
>high trucks.
>
>dave


I agree with you dave about its better to brake hard than to lay it
over because in the old days men use to say, " I saw that I was goin'
to hit the barrier so I 'laid it down.'"  Thats real dumb because
crash bars or aluminum cases on pavement make excellent slide rails
and the bike will never stop. (By the way, crash bars have been
outlawed in some states for this reason).

What usually happens to cause a rider faced with a collision is the
rider panics and grabs a death grip on the front brake, locks the
wheel and at the same time tries to turn to avoid the collision.  The
result is the bike goes down and both the rider and bike go under the
car (or whatever).

I would recommend riders first learn to ALWAYS use the front brake,
even with the simple, no panic stops.  That way it becomes very
automatic to always use it and therefore automatic in an emergency.
Also everyone should practice quick stops in an empty school parking lot
or somewhere there is good pavement and no cars.  Once you have
learned what your brakes are capable of you are much better prepared
for the surprises. 

Bill Landsborough
----

"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not 
arrogant or rude... Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things."   1 Corinthians 13:4-7