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Caution?

Old 09-05-20, 02:54 PM
  #26  
Iride01 
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Perhaps I still throw caution to the wind to often. Particularly when I'm on the Natchez Trace and there is an oncoming car passing the car in front of it. I'll get out in the center of my lane on my bike and make myself as visible as possible. My hope is that it will encourage the car to pass the other car quickly instead of doing a slow pass and still being a factor by the time they get to me.

Seems to work so far. But if you don't see me posting around here for a while..................... <grin>
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Old 09-07-20, 04:27 PM
  #27  
Elbeinlaw
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Ugh

Originally Posted by Iride01
there is an oncoming car passing the car in front of it. I'll get out in the center of my lane on my bike and make myself as visible as possible.
Me? I'm getting off the road onto the shoulder or the verge. I don't think I'm big enough or fast enough for an oncoming car to judge my speed or fear hitting me. I would just want to be out of the situation.
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Old 09-07-20, 05:40 PM
  #28  
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“Caution” is relative. I’m riding better at 69 than over the recent past because I got back into cycling and ride the road 6 days most weeks with big climbs and descents. With better handling skills, some strength and confidence, I might be seen as less cautious but I feel I’m just riding within my abilities. I try to remove the riskier objective dangers by picking less travelled roads, avoiding rain slicked roads, staying clear of the wheels of herkyjerky riders etc. Stay upright fellow riders.
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Old 09-07-20, 05:50 PM
  #29  
Shamrock
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I'm very particular where I ride ,thought goes into the route time of day etc.When I mountain bike many are surprised to see I'm by myself.They advise me to join a club so I'm not on the trails by myself.It's hard to find someone to mtb with.Clubs not for me,So yes Im very cautious.
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Old 09-08-20, 02:31 PM
  #30  
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One day I was chatting with my mother towards the end of her life, and I said, "well, we get smarter with age." She replied, "No we don't. We just lose some of our dumb."
I'm not sure that I'm more cautious, but I do hope I'm less dumb.
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Old 09-08-20, 11:02 PM
  #31  
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I certainly don't want to compete with Nomadmax! I have definitely slowed way down over the last couple of decades. It used to be that every twisty descent was a challenge to see how fast I could get down it and how little I could use the brakes. Apex-to-apex was my standard cornering technique. Age and a few crashes have made me much wiser. I'm still way faster on a descent then any of my young riding partners, but my philosophy when approaching a turn these days is to always assume either loose gravel at the apex, or an oncoming pickup truck coming around the blind corner in my lane. That said, 2 of the last 3 mountain bike rides I've done have involved crashes...one requiring a helmet replacement and one involving an ambulance ride and face sutures.
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Old 09-14-20, 07:17 AM
  #32  
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I have been slowly adopting a more cautious approach to riding. Just as davester describes above, I now scrub some speed on the twisty descents, no need to push the edge of the envelope. Allowing a margin for error or the unexpected seems more prudent over the thrill of speed and risk. I would rather ride a bit slower and keep riding than spend time off the bike recovering. Holy cow nomadmax, glad you survived to tell your story. I agree that "being careful" can create some issues. For me the dangers of mountain biking technical trails has gotten into my head a bit. Really just semantics but I would not characterize the issue as a loss of proficiency but more so reduced confidence which can increase the risk of an accident.

Last edited by DeceptivelySlow; 09-14-20 at 07:21 AM.
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Old 09-14-20, 12:56 PM
  #33  
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I started riding cautiously after I broke my neck, the few crashes before that, didn't slow me down at all, even the one where I lost a weeks worth of memory and was seeing double for 10 months...
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Old 09-14-20, 01:26 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by closetbiker
I know I am, more cautious that is.

Does anyone else find that caution increases with age?
So far I have not found this to be true. 54, and I keep waiting for it to happen.
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Old 09-15-20, 02:54 PM
  #35  
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I tend to avoid activities that involve my ass going higher than my head!
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Old 09-16-20, 11:00 AM
  #36  
Jim from Boston
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Cautious?
Originally Posted by closetbiker
I know I am, more cautious that is.

Does anyone else find that caution increases with age?

I find taking chances and pushing it just doesn’t matter as much as I’ve aged. I’m simply enjoying things as they are
Originally Posted by Iride01
There are a lot of things I did when young that I wouldn't try today. I still do plenty, but hopefully smarter about dealing with the risk.

Yes I think most of us get cautious with age. Especially makes you think a little more before doing something when friends have died doing the same thing.
Even after a rearward hit and run with a fractured sacrum at age 62, I returned to year round cycle-commuting and road cycling with particularly good years, four and five years afterward.
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
I describe my riding experience as a cycling lifestyle (of 40 years).

I once listed as my credentials: a carbon fiber bike, year-round cycle-commuting, a cross-country tour, and a serious car-bike accident.
This summer has been a bust with unexpected, but surviveable medical and employment changes. My commute had diminished from about 14 miles one-way to two miles. I mentioned to my Primary Care Physician I expect to resume cycling and he replied “why?” after all that has happened. We agreed that maybe I should restrict myself to indoor riding, like a Peleton.

Well that resolution did not last, but I have decided to restrict my riding to a very nice MUP very near my home in the morning to simulate my commute (sans hills), and give up the long week end rides on the roads. Nonetheless I’m wistful when I drive over familiar cycling routes all over Metro Boston. but I don't think I have anything to prove, and I'm still asked, "Are you still riding your bike?".

Last edited by Jim from Boston; 09-17-20 at 07:44 AM. Reason: added "(sans hills)"
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