Ride Plan
Plan for a better ride & know where you can ride?
Preparation will save you in the bush!
- Bike maintenance and spares
- Ride route plan (consider doing a pre-ride if not completely familiar with the ride or alternative routes)
Self
- Fitness ( to “fit” plan of ride)
- Spares (plugs, chain links, spare tube, puncture kit, etc)
- Water, Food, Snacks
- Fuel (see “Plan”)
- Communications
- First aid
- Maps (see “Plan”)
- GPS
- EPIRB
Inconsiderate? IRRESPONSIBLE?
Perceptions
This is about mental self-inspection, not “being told”
Knowing WHAT is seen to be (or IS ) irresponsible/inconsiderate behaviour that brings dirt bikes into disrepute, and like noise results in stereotyped bad image. Results in closures, safety issues and unreasonable treatment of the responsible majority
- too fast for locale (appreciate that non-riders will misinterpret speed and control-ability)
- too fast for ability
- incompetent and unaware of it
- stupidity – examples, usually immature children with licenses
Low Risk Riding
- willingness to do this and being able to grasp the risks so as to manage them intelligently
- social (e.g. walkers/picnickers/children)/personal physical
- (riding risks)/others physical (e.g. horses, other riders)/ societal/ environmental
Compounding fatigue
- Fatigue is different on bikes than for truck or cars – it’s more “tiredness”
- Loss of concentration (“don’t care”, loss of attention to detail)
- Loss of vigilance (simple mistake, complex fracture)
How to do “stuff” in a responsible manner
- within “boundaries” for locale/enviro/people proximity
- within skill envelope
- what is a skill envelope?
- how does a rider determine that?
Devolve part of this topic to one of the Riding Tips sections