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Lessons From Today's Ride

Dr. Dolittle

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I spent most of today wandering around north Georgia and had several interesting encounters that taught me some things or reinforced what I already knew or had heard.

1) Riding in the fog is no fun - was riding on a road with increasing elevation when I noticed it was getting a bit misty and then, BAM, I'm in the fog or a real low cloud (pretty much the same thing) with visibility around 50 or 60 yards or so. I slowed down to 25-30 MPH and spent as much time looking in my mirrors as I did peering straight ahead for the turnoff I was looking for. All I could think about was some yahoo coming up from behind me at around 50 MPH and taking me out! Weird thing is 10 minutes later as I'm going back down in elevation I got out of it just as quick. Went from totally socked in to sunshine in about 5 seconds!

2) If you see a deer, there are more that you don't see - as I'm moseying along in the fog mentioned above, I spot a deer standing ahead and on the left shoulder - not really a factor at all. However, I remembered the "deer rule" and got on the brakes anyway, almost to a complete stop. Just then another one bolts out of the fog off to my right and bounds across the road to join his buddy. Would have been major damage to deer, bike, and myself if I'd continued on only focusing on the deer to my left.

3) Avoid pickup trucks on moving day - today must have been "National Move All Your Crap From One Place To Another Unsecured In The Bed Of A Pickup" day. Geesh, noone told me about it. I remember awhile back Smitty posted about never following a truck of any kind so I guess this falls into that catagory. Too many opportunities for stuff to fall off or out right into your path.

Well, despite all that I survived another day of riding!
 
3) Avoid pickup trucks on moving day - today must have been "National Move All Your Crap From One Place To Another Unsecured In The Bed Of A Pickup" day. Geesh, noone told me about it. I remember awhile back Smitty posted about never following a truck of any kind so I guess this falls into that catagory. Too many opportunities for stuff to fall off or out right into your path.

And this time of year leaves in the road falling of the tress are as bad as ICE.
As for you first note That why it is good to have a windsheild you can see over the top of.

I clipped the darn deer the other day dump the thing over

Guess it depends on where you live - no leaves in the road here in GA yet! Heck, fall won't arrive for another month still.

I'm with you on the windshield. I don't see how folks ride in the rain/mist or at night having to look THROUGH a windshield.
 
Deer..... PAH! Try six or seven foot tall Kangaroos! You always hit the one you don't see. Oh! and they'll freeze on the road just like a deer.
 
About deer. We drove up north in California last weekend and saw dead deer and blood stains all over the road, its that time of the year, rutting season I assume. I'm not a deer hunter but that's my guess. I out hiking a few weeks ago and was confronted by a buck who started walking toward me, then started running toward me. It was a little alarming to say the least and I had to yell and wave my arms a couple of times to get him to stop.
 
Moving like that is just a ploy for people to get rid of the couchs they have. The ones I see on the road are really ugly. Be funny to explain to your insurance agent you hit a couch or entertainment center.
 
Moving like that is just a ploy for people to get rid of the couchs they have. The ones I see on the road are really ugly. Be funny to explain to your insurance agent you hit a couch or entertainment center.

LOL!!

I had a hard time explaining to the insurance person how my canoe hit a new Dodge truck at a Flying J truck stop in Wyoming. Oh...and the "OPEN RANGE" signs mean "large fat red cow with entire family in middle of road around next sharp turn" as we found out on our way to the Bronze Ride in Joseph, Ore.

Ride safe
 
About deer. We drove up north in California last weekend and saw dead deer and blood stains all over the road, its that time of the year, rutting season I assume. I'm not a deer hunter but that's my guess. I out hiking a few weeks ago and was confronted by a buck who started walking toward me, then started running toward me. It was a little alarming to say the least and I had to yell and wave my arms a couple of times to get him to stop.

Maybe the buck thought of you as "dear"...:)

---------- NEWHD74FAN edit/added post 5 minutes and 58 seconds later ----------

I spent most of today wandering around north Georgia and had several interesting encounters that taught me some things or reinforced what I already knew or had heard.

1) Riding in the fog is no fun - was riding on a road with increasing elevation when I noticed it was getting a bit misty and then, BAM, I'm in the fog or a real low cloud (pretty much the same thing) with visibility around 50 or 60 yards or so. I slowed down to 25-30 MPH and spent as much time looking in my mirrors as I did peering straight ahead for the turnoff I was looking for. All I could think about was some yahoo coming up from behind me at around 50 MPH and taking me out! Weird thing is 10 minutes later as I'm going back down in elevation I got out of it just as quick. Went from totally socked in to sunshine in about 5 seconds!...

...Well, despite all that I survived another day of riding!

Hey Doc, had the same thing happen to me last weekend...hit a fogbank that seemed to last about an hour. Cagers would crowd in behind me with their EDIT hi beams on using me to run interference...and no I did not have a windshield, but by helmet faceshield fogged up just the same and had to use my left hand to constantly wipe it clear, I wear eye glasses and was fortunate to have put anti-fog on them before the ride...:s
 
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Try riding in the dominican republic.horses,cows you name it.
 
3) Avoid pickup trucks on moving day - today must have been "National Move All Your Crap From One Place To Another Unsecured In The Bed Of A Pickup" day. Geesh, noone told me about it. I remember awhile back Smitty posted about never following a truck of any kind so I guess this falls into that catagory. Too many opportunities for stuff to fall off or out right into your path.
No Joke! I was on 4 lane highway about 100 meters behind a queue of cars in the 3rd lane when I saw an umbrella sailing up and away into the blue yonder from the back of a 4 tonner laiden with rubbish, as it landed on the highway it set off a mexican wave with the cadgers, the second lane had come to a complete standstill as people were slamming on the anchors, I had to slow down pretty (edit) quick too as the umbrella which was infact a steel parabolic satellite dish came bouncing across my lane...:bigsmiley29:
 
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Moving like that is just a ploy for people to get rid of the couchs they have. The ones I see on the road are really ugly. Be funny to explain to your insurance agent you hit a couch or entertainment center.
A friend of mine did just that. Late at night, couch across the road, he went right through the thing! Messed up the front end bad. No major injuries though. I never did find out what the conversation with his insurance adjuster was like.
 
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