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Konic
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PostPosted: 22:19 - 07 Jul 2018    Post subject: Road Advice Reply with quote

First time posting here so hello to everyone reading this.

I made my account on this forum to try and reach out to others for advice and help.

Short background on myself. I've been driving a car for around four years and a 125cc motorcycle with a CBT certificate for roughly 2 months.

If i'm driving my car or riding my motorbike (more so on the motorbike) i feel nervous and under pressure by other road users who are behind me, espeically if they are what I would deem as an "aggressive" driver, or someone who wants to just go faster than my pace or the speed limit of the road. I find this very stressful to deal with, espeically on my motorbike as i feel more vulnerable.

I've also found myself getting road rage and becoming VERY irritable and actually looking for a fight at times due to frustration and disbelief at how some road users can be so impatient and behave in such a way as if road laws do not exist, and the lack of respect shown to other road users.

How can I improve myself mentally to where I am not affected by tailgaters or people who seem to think speed limits do not apply to them? I want the confidence to not be a victim of other road users bullying or pressurising me to go faster on the roads. I've been struggiling with this for some time now, to the point were on some days, I get to work stressed out and full of frustration before the day as even begun.

How can I improve my situation? Any advice from experienced road users would really be appreciated. Thank you.
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adam277
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PostPosted: 22:30 - 07 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Never really had this issue on a bike.

My CB500 runs like shite atm so I rarely go over 60mph.

I did have one old guy in a suit give me the finger as I overtook an artic lorry rather slowly as he was in a BMW and late for a meeting (Which means speed limit doesn't apply). I didn't pay no mind though.

Sure your not sitting in the fast lane doing 40mph? =P
Soon as you get on a NSL road you just find a large lorry to sit behind and cruise along if your bike is rather slow.

Edit:

I'll add if I'm on a single lane carriageway that is 50mph I will do 50mph. I've been stuck behind people doing 30mph in a 50mph road with no way to overtake them for miles and its extremely frustrating. (A128 being a prime example if anyone knows it)
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 22:43 - 07 Jul 2018    Post subject: Re: Road Advice Reply with quote

Konic wrote:
I've been driving a car for around four years and a 125cc motorcycle with a CBT certificate for roughly 2 months.

Lose the L plates. Get yourself an A2 or A licence and a bigger bike. Remove the mirrors. Ride to the road conditions, not the speed limit.
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Konic
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PostPosted: 22:43 - 07 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I will generally drive or ride upto the road speed limit, if its safe to do so, and stay there. However, i find that others rarely do this, most people are speeding to some degree. I understand speed isnt the enemy, however its an issue for me if there is alot of traffic or a single lane road and someone is too close to me or is trying to pressure me to go faster.

I don't drive or ride below the speed for the road or hog the middle and right hand lanes, holding up faster traffic. There is no issue with people over taking on outside lanes at all, its the pressure felt from tailgaters and aggressive road users, i'm sure you all know what i'm referring to no? It's somewhat difficult to explain but you just know when a twat is behind you that makes you feel like you're the issue because you are in their way, holding them up.


Last edited by Konic on 22:47 - 07 Jul 2018; edited 1 time in total
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P.
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PostPosted: 22:46 - 07 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just overtake vehicles that aren't going at the speed I desire, but I won't cause them any issues doing so.

Some people just love sitting up your cheddar.
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Howling Terror
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PostPosted: 22:48 - 07 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

OP. Wind your road rage in now....Loss of concentration. Wink

You ride your own ride at the speed best for the conditions, you scan, you position yourself for safety and best view.

You survive, you pass test and get a bike that is capable of quick overtakes, saying that there is great satisfaction in reading the road/situation and getting a 125 through traffic whilst lardy tourers and wobbly superbike riders sit and sweat.

Remember that 99% of drivers don't know you exist and won't have a clue why you're ranting at them.
The other 1% of drivers also ride bikes and will be laughing at your waving arms and steaming helmet. Smile
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Konic
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PostPosted: 22:50 - 07 Jul 2018    Post subject: Re: Road Advice Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:
Lose the L plates. Get yourself an A2 or A licence and a bigger bike. Remove the mirrors. Ride to the road conditions, not the speed limit.


I understand taking L plates off and a bigger bike, but why take off the mirrors?
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G
The Voice of Reason



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PostPosted: 23:46 - 07 Jul 2018    Post subject: Re: Road Advice Reply with quote

Get a 7.5t + lorry. Or at least a van.

"Sure, we'll see who does better off if I have to break suddenly." Very Happy.

If someone obviously wants to go past and there's a safe place to let past, you can always do so.
I do when I'm on 4 wheels; much more for bikes, but often for cars too - especially if driving a van that's got a 50mph speed limit on a derestricted single carriageway, for instance.
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DirtyT
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PostPosted: 06:20 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Road Advice Reply with quote

If you remove the mirrors, you won't spend so much time watching whoever's behind you - you are letting too many of these folks live rent free in your head now.

Acting out in anger on the road is a bad idea (particularly on a bike - you are too vulnerable). I'm sure the police in the UK are as unhappy with road rage as they are here in the US. Get in a row with a 4 wheeler, guess who wins? Years ago, in Germany, I was run off the road by an Audi driver who thought I was too slow (no doubt he noted the Brit plates on my rented bike and decided der Fuhrer needed a win).

If you find that many people are anxious to get by you, let 'em have the road if you can - pull to the left and let them by. Stupid to get pissed over something so trivial (for them and you).
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Old Git Racing
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PostPosted: 07:01 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

You don't sound really suited to riding a bike, mentally.

Your focus should be on whats happening in front of you, not behind because that's where 99.9% of the danger is.

If someone is up your jacksy, and it worries you to this degree, pull over and let them past.

Road rage is pointless and distracting, they can't hear you and 5 minutes after they pass you they won't even remember you. Don't pick a random fight, you sound like a nervy little flower and you might pick me.

I'd probably leave the bike at home until you have a bit more confidence generally on the road and can drive without worrying about everyone else being in the wrong.

OGR
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Wafer_Thin_Ham
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PostPosted: 08:41 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Re: Road Advice Reply with quote

Konic wrote:

I've also found myself getting road rage and becoming VERY irritable and actually looking for a fight at times


You need to deal with this would be my advice. Anger management or whatever. If you're looking for a scrap on the on the roads, sooner or later you'll come across some bigger, harder or who gives less fucks than you.

What a crap way to die or get your arse handed to you. There's nothing on the roads worth fighting over.
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arry
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PostPosted: 08:53 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Re: Road Advice Reply with quote

Konic wrote:


How can I improve myself mentally to where I am not affected by tailgaters or people who seem to think speed limits do not apply to them?


Easy on a bike to just let them by. Pull over, swap positions. Job done.

You'll be amazed how many of them don't even realise they're doing it. They behave like it's perfectly normal to be all of 3 feet off the motor in front at 40 mph. In the car I've on occasion performed a sudden and dramatic but controlled swerve out of lane and back; tailgater thinks 'eek, what did I miss' and drops back, and then when they realise they didn't miss anything, they're more wary of you and tend to give a bit more space. Don't team it with any aggression / eye contact though.
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Chuffin Nora
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PostPosted: 09:23 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Re: Road Advice Reply with quote

Konic wrote:
I understand taking L plates off and a bigger bike, but why take off the mirrors?

Because once you ride a big bike you'll never look back. Very Happy
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Konic
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PostPosted: 11:26 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Old Git Racing wrote:
you sound like a nervy little flower


Not very elegantly put but I understand your point. Its the "nervy little flower" i'm trying to get rid of. I think for me, it's more of a mutal respect thing when on the roads. When its not there, thats what ticks me off, of course i cant demand respect from people but its just common courtesy to be safe but it doesnt seem so in my area.

I've found myself being more nervous the longer i've been on the roads. Its obvious i need to focus on myself more rather than whats going on behind me too much. I need to work on the pressure aspect of someone being too close to me, or the feeling of having to go faster because of the person behind.
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tom_e
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PostPosted: 12:06 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

The problem on the bike is the L plates.

When I rode on a CBT for about 6 months the amount of stupid shit people pulled was crazy, got my full licence and I've been riding on that for 3 years then done my car lessons back end of last year again as soon as there's L plates on a vehicle all the cunts come out doing absolutely mental shit passed my car test and now it's just general half asleep morons on both the bike and in the car rather than people doing proper malicious stuff most of the time.
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The_west
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PostPosted: 12:48 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah it's the plates tbh, I've recently passed through DAS onto RWYL and the difference in attitude is immediately noticeable . For some reason people see l plates and just think that they can treat you like a twat and/or endanger you with shitty maneuvers.

Although even on a big bike with n L plate, you will still get idiots driving like, idiots, so it really is something you need to work on. It's hard not to react but when you're exposed and they're in a nice metal box with airbags, you'll come off second best everytime so best to not let it affect you and just pull in/let them pass. Or get something mental quick that means you can smash mirrors and gtfo
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 12:56 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Re: Road Advice Reply with quote

arry wrote:


You'll be amazed how many of them don't even realise they're doing it. They behave like it's perfectly normal to be all of 3 feet off the motor in front at 40 mph.


This. Just dumb twats who know no better. I echo advice already given: get past L plates and get something with a bit more oomph. Then you have the added alternative of being able to overtake a few cars until you can put someone behind you that doesn't tailgate.
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peejayess
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PostPosted: 16:33 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you start to worry about what other drivers are thinking, just take a deep breath and ask yourself why it matters. So a complete stranger you’ve never met, will never meet, who’s possibly a complete dork but probably just an ordinary someone like you, might have a passing thought that you’re not a very good driver/rider. So what? Does that person’s opinion matter to you? Two minutes from now will either of you remember whatever is going on now? Drive/ride your own journey, not someone’s else’s. If they’re tailgating let them past so they can kill themselves without involving you.
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Teflon-Mike
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PostPosted: 16:54 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's not just the L-Plates, or the small displacement of bike, if same sensations are engendered in the car too... its just more pronounced on the bike, 'cos there's no box around the rider, and perspective of mirrors makes everything seem closer.

There's an Idiot behind you!

Where?

Every-Chuffin-Where!

You just cant aloways see them! Chalk this one up as a 'win', you spotted them! And get on with life.


People tail-gate... end of. Go stand at the side of any moderately busy road, and try count to two in the time between bonnets.... that's how far from each other rules of the road say they should be.... you wont count to two very often.... almost no-one obeys that rule.

They aren't out to get you, they are just doing what every-one does, mostly playing follow-my-leader driving on the car infront's tail-lamps, not reading the road....

On a bike you are a bit inconvenient; because you only have one tail-lamp... and its not where they expect to see it, and they fixate on your crash-hat instead... which is rather further away than the tail-lamp... so they close the gap a bit.... and then get fazed when your hat dont light up when you brake!

Get used to it....

As said, chuck the mirrors away so you CANT fixate on what's behind you; ride your own road, worry about what YOU should be doing, not any-one else... after all you are the one with an L-Plate.... more likely you are the one not doing so much as right, as they are.

Take a different route to work.... of take the car, or the bus... L-Plates is for 'Learners' to learn how to pass tests, not for folk to ride any-where and everywhere they want dodging them tests....

I dont endorse commuting on L-Plates to start with; IF you have had enough practice to cope with the daily grind on a bike, you damn well aught to have had enough practice to take and pass tests.... so IF you haven't got the confidence you can pass tests yet... what the heck you doing trying to commute?

Stop, take a deep breath.... consider what you are trying to do. IF you are a Learner... go learn... dont try going to work. If you are a daily commuter.... go get the licence.... you can get an A1 for barely an hour of your time and £120, as much as the repeat CBT to carrty on dodging the tests.. THEN you might try tackling the daily commute on a bike... every other damn road user has to pass tests before they go-it-alone, why do you think its such a smart idea to do it other way about?

Remember there's always an idiot behind you... some-where... if you cant get the self control to deal with that, you are NEVER going to have the 'machine control' to ride a motorbike.

It is a confidence issue, and passing tests tends to give a lot of confidcence you are doing the right stuff most of the time... but, if you cant deal with dolts, you let them influence what you do, you are letting THEM take control, not effecting it, and you are an accident looking for a place to happen...

If you cant get a handle on your nervouseness to do that on a motorbike, then this is a much bigger problem, and one you need seek medical help for, not riding advice, other than just get the fuck off teh road before some-one gets hurt.

Your call, really.
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Fin
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PostPosted: 17:00 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another +1 for the L plates, When I learn't to drive my dad would leave the plates on his car, he got all sorts of people doing crazy overtakes, beeping horns, tailgating when he drove no differently.

My friend on a 125 gets tailgated often when doing the speed limit or over.

I never had any issues though on L plates Cool

And another +1 for the warming up your tyres move, I do this on a big bike when it's illegal to overtake or a built up area. I find the person in front speeds up as well thinking I'm getting impatient.

If there's oncoming cars then I just wobble the bike side to side, swerving into them can make them feel uneasy, the tailgater almost always backs off, they don't want you falling off and your bike to damage their car.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 19:11 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Konic wrote:
I will generally drive or ride upto the road speed limit, if its safe to do so, and stay there.

You never exceed the speed limit? Thinking
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almostthere
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PostPosted: 20:54 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

of course he doesn't it's against the law Police
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Konic
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PostPosted: 22:03 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Teflon-Mike wrote:
I dont endorse commuting on L-Plates to start with


I don't commute on my 125cc bike, I still drive my car to work. I'm well aware of my skill level and what i'm capable of doing and not doing.

As you said, I'm still learning and practising, I will keep doing so until I feel ready I can handle myself in heavy traffic.
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Konic
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PostPosted: 22:06 - 08 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:
Konic wrote:
I will generally drive or ride upto the road speed limit, if its safe to do so, and stay there.

You never exceed the speed limit? Thinking


I didn't say I never exceed the speed limit, I do at times, however what i was referring to was that some road users do not pay any attention to speed limits, it's as if the people obeying the law or just trying to get from point A to B in a safe manner, which means not doing 30mph on a 50mph road by the way, are the ones causing the issue when in fact its the other way around. It's like someone screaming the loudest because they think their right, which obviously doesn't mean they are.
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Old Git Racing
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PostPosted: 00:38 - 09 Jul 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

So you exceed the speed limits sometimes but you hold those in contempt for doing that?
F**king grow up and stop whinging. Get a 'Polite' vest and a head cam and start a blog where you can out all these nasty people who you think are making your life bad. Did you honestly join this forum today to put this bollocks on it?
Sell the bike, grow a hipster beard and F.R.O.
My other post WAS elegantly put, this one may be less so.

OGR.
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