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!
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!