Speed and control.

[u/LowDirection4104]

I don't know who needs to hear this, but I write this as a rider who understands that sometimes you just need to open up your street bike and let her stretch her legs a little. And what better time than a Monday evening, when the highways are mostly empty?

But just a PSA: when you're blasting by cars at triple-digit speeds, just be aware that those cars don't see you coming. Even if they're doing everything right checking their mirrors, checking their blind spots, being good citizens if you're passing them at 150 mph, you are effectively invisible until it's too late.

I was driving home last night, probably doing 65, in the middle lane, with a car just behind me in the left lane. Suddenly, like a bullet, a bike came through right between us. I don't know if he actually lane-split or if it was more of a tight pass, but whatever it was, I heard the sound, which did startle me. Then I saw his taillight, and he was gone.

If I had been switching lanes for some reason, or even just drifted in my lane I would have never seen him coming. He didn't pause behind me long enough to assess whether I was about to make a lane change. He just went straight for it like it was a video game.

There is no judgment in this post. I get it. It's a choice you make. In that split second, the risk is part of the adrenaline just as much as the speed. I'm not going to get on a high horse and lecture someone about speeding or riding aggressively. I'd be a hypocrite if I did.

But as his taillight disappeared into the night, I wondered: was he aware of the risk he was taking in that one moment? Or did he feel in control of a situation that he actually maybe wasn't in control of?

[u/Responsible_Read_542]

That’s a lot of words to say you’re inattentive and don’t check your mirrors often enough. Highways are straight enough to spot speed demons if you’re paying attention 

[u/gogozrx → u/Responsible_Read_542]

you glance in your mirrors about every 5-10 seconds.

Let's say the bike's doing 120. that's a mile every 30 seconds, half a mile in 15 seconds, 1/4 mile in 7.5 seconds.

I glance in my mirror - there's a bike 1/4 mile away. before I look again, he's past me.

You can't tell if he's going 60 or 120 when you glance and see him 1/4 mile away.

[u/Responsible_Read_542 → u/gogozrx]

Cool except your values are assuming the pov vehicle is travelling 0 mph on the highway. 

[u/gogozrx → u/Responsible_Read_542]

touche.

still you can't tell how fast he's going when you see him 1/4 mile away.

[u/Responsible_Read_542 → u/gogozrx]

At 1/4 mile going 120 you get a second glance. 1/4 mile is also extremely close for a pretty flat straight shot highway so you should be able to spot them long before they’re even that close. Daytime clear day vision is like 1-2 miles and a second glance gives you pacing 

[u/gogozrx → u/Responsible_Read_542]

you're also assuming no other cars on the highway and a perfectly unobstructed view.

[u/Responsible_Read_542 → u/gogozrx]

Op says highway mostly empty. If you’re in a Congo line of cars then ya the front person isn’t going to see anything and if someone is splitting at 120+ they have no one but themselves to blame. 

Op says he’s in middle lane one car in the left lane so no one behind either of them. Op is inattentive and doesn’t check his mirrors enough there’s no string of cars here blocking his line of sight 

[u/gogozrx → u/Responsible_Read_542]

We're going to have to agree to disagree on this.

blue skies!