After a crash or close call, rebuild your riding with a plan
Riding until the nerves fade leaves the cause as it was. MCrider's Kevin explains how to find what went wrong, keep the useful caution and drop the fear habits.
2 min readBy PitPin Desk
Many riders handle a crash or a near miss the same way: get back on and ride until it feels normal again. Kevin from MCrider says that never answers what caused it.
Find the cause
The quick story, such as "the car pulled out", usually has some truth in it. Most crashes have more than one cause. Go through it again: you, the bike, the road and the other driver. Where were you in the lane? How fast were you going? Was your hand covering the front brake? Did you see the car before it moved? On a wet slide, check the tyre tread and whether you were braking while leaned over. At least one answer usually points to something you control.
Spot the habits that crept in
Three are common: gripping the bars too hard, riding well below the flow of traffic, and staring at the edge of the lane in corners. Check for them on purpose. After a ride, are your forearms and shoulders sore? How does your speed compare with the cars around you? Where do your eyes go in corners?
Caution and fear
Keep a new habit if it answers the cause you found, like covering the brake when a car is waiting to pull out. Good caution is specific to a place or situation. Fear spreads everywhere, like a tight grip on an empty straight.
Build back one step at a time
Practise the skill linked to the cause in a car park first, such as emergency braking. Then ride in daylight, on dry roads you know, in light traffic. Add one thing at a time: more traffic, longer rides, similar roads, and finally the place where it happened.