Had a couple of hours yesterday afternoon so I headed out to carve some curves in North Georgia. I felt frisky so I rode to one of my favorite roads with a lot of curves including some long sweepers. Traffic was light, as usual on this road during the week.
After starting out at a moderate clip, I spooled it up to my personal 10/10ths. Let me explain here that I usually ride with guys who are faster than I. Their normal pace is a fun ride for me and not pushing what I feel are my limits, but challenging, so I rarely go out and do what I was doing yesterday.
Out of the blue I realized that, for me to be riding at 10/10ths on a public highway, I have basically said to myself that there is no chance of anything being around that next curve that could cause me any concern.
I have presumed that there is no way that a truck has dropped its load on the roadway, that fallen wet leaves have not been all blown off the road, that no one has stopped to make a turn, et cetera.
Bottom line: I won't be doing that again. I'll save any "spirited riding" for a time when I'm behind one or more other bikes with radios who can warn me of stuff ahead. And I will limit my solo rides to a moderate pace.
After starting out at a moderate clip, I spooled it up to my personal 10/10ths. Let me explain here that I usually ride with guys who are faster than I. Their normal pace is a fun ride for me and not pushing what I feel are my limits, but challenging, so I rarely go out and do what I was doing yesterday.
Out of the blue I realized that, for me to be riding at 10/10ths on a public highway, I have basically said to myself that there is no chance of anything being around that next curve that could cause me any concern.
I have presumed that there is no way that a truck has dropped its load on the roadway, that fallen wet leaves have not been all blown off the road, that no one has stopped to make a turn, et cetera.
Bottom line: I won't be doing that again. I'll save any "spirited riding" for a time when I'm behind one or more other bikes with radios who can warn me of stuff ahead. And I will limit my solo rides to a moderate pace.