What one piece of advice would you give riders just starting out?
To find out, we put this question to the BikeSocial readers and the response has been staggering.
If ever you wondered why the biking community is such a friendly bunch, just look at how welcoming they are to new riders and how keen they are for fellow riders to learn from their experiences.
Out of over 300+ tips we received here's some of the most popular...
Sounds simple enough hey, but it really does work. I recently had the opportunity to practice this technique lap after lap at the California Superbike School and it really has changed my whole perception of how I now approach corners. Introduce it gradually into your daily commutes and you’ll certainly feel/see the benefits.
Anyone can go fast in a straight line and getting your knee down isn’t always the fastest way around a corner. Ride at your own pace and don’t ride outside of your comfort zone to keep up with a fellow group of riders. If they’re real friends they’ll wait for you at the next lay-by and if they’re really good friends they’ll even let you lead and lend a handy tip here or there.
It has to be one of my biggest pet hates. The first thing you do when you fall over is put your hands out to break your fall, imagine doing that at 30, 50, even 70mph. Please remember to always wear protective gear, regardless of how far your going or what the weather is like. There’s tonnes of handy product reviews here if you’re in need of some inspiration.
Life savers, one day, might do exactly that. As Elwyn says, it’s a great habit to start performing these in the car and then transfer them into your riding. There’s a reason Life Savers can make or break a bike test and are a great skill to have in your back pocket.
Generally speaking, bike tech and tyres have come on leaps and bounds over the years. Have trust in them and learn to use them to your advantage when out riding. Just remember to give your pride and joy some TLC from now and again. There’s some quick and easy checks you can do here.
You’ve spent a lot of money, time and effort getting your bike license, please don’t take it for granted. For me it’s a privilege to ride a motorcycle and I would be lost without my license (would be out of a job to). It’s also your golden ticket into the biking fraternity, one of the best clubs in the world.
Before you invest in any major modifications to your bike, invest some more time and money in your riding. There’s some great advanced riding courses available to you, both on road and track, and are worth every penny. Remember its not what you ride, it’s how you ride it.
Last but not least, make sure you love every minute of it. Ride everywhere you can, whenever you can and remember you can never have to many bikes.
There’s hundreds of more friendly tips over on our Facebook page.
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