Accidents & Incidents

It's all good until it isn't.
It’s all good until it isn’t and the isn’t can happen faster than you can form a thought. Sobering? Hopefully. Approach what we do with that knowledge. Tell yourself that you are invisible to other traffic on the roads, expect vehicles on “your” side of the road coming around corners, expect wildlife, expect the unexpected, plan for it, prepare for it, know that it can and does happen.

Read that paragraph again.

Odds are that you will be involved in some way in an incident or accident at some point in your riding “career”. Learn first aid. Carry a first aid kit on journeys into the wild, know the basics of survival so that you are never caught out. Wear the “best” gear that you can, that’s not in terms of cost but in terms of protection from the elements, heat, cold, rain, and the road surface itself. Imagine running as fast as you can and then throwing yourself on your knees. Yes, that will hurt if you’re only wearing Kevlar with no armour: it’s not going to be fun, now imagine that at 40 or 50 or 100 km/h, be prepared.

Do you like walking? Get a back protector. It’s that simple. Sure you can insert one into your jacket, but how much coverage will that give you of your spine? Like wiggling your toes in the sand on the beach? Wear riding boots. Like holding hands with your loved ones? Wear gloves.

Still uncertain? Plan for “it” to happen, adjust your riding accordingly and learn your craft.

Right. With that out of the way, onwards!

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.

Amelia Earhart