To indicate or not to, that is true question

The best riders, are thinking riders. Their style is hopefully like the proverbial swan on the water - lovely flow, quietly efficient, nothing seems hurried or rushed whatever the pace, but their brain is always working and thinking, it's just that like the swan's feet, you don't see it.

So (*nearly) nothing, should be a black and white 'I do this', and everything should be a 'what's the best thing to do here'.

As a result, you could find scenarios on the road that are almost identical to one another, but in one situation you'll do one thing, and in another situation you'll maybe do something else.

My personal battle with a lot of the observers and RoSPA / IAM riders that I see, is getting them to move on to the next level where riding moves from 'dot to dot' / 'paint by numbers' very systematic riding, to a 'wholistic' approach for want of a better word. A style that is still systemised, but it's not set by a rule book - the rule book is now well and truly thrown away.

Black and white answers to any of these questions, is .... the wrong answer! :D

Somebody asks, 'should I show a brake light?'. The answer to that is, Maybe? Whose behind you? How long has he been behind you? Have you noticed something in particular about him? Is he up your arse? what car is it? Is he on the phone? And so on and so on.

Sometimes I might add a hand signal to back something up, because my gut instinct says its the right thing to do here. Sometimes (scenario above) I very deliberately indicate for a good few seconds before showing a brake light - deliberately separating the two bulbs so my intentions are very clear. Ever think about something like that on a sunny day ?? (Think about things like a Mondeo with its circular brake light and indicator light in the middle, and a driver indicating and braking at the same time).

If you were on an IAM / RoSPA test, and you had the above mindset, any examiner worth his salt would hopefully say to you afterwards 'I like the fact that you're clearly a thinking rider - I noticed how you didn't indicate in W, X, y scenario, but you did in Z because of A, B, C factors' Good! Good to see you thinking about stuff'.


(*nearly); I try and ride with very few chess moves. Pretty much everything is 'What's the best thing to do here', 'whats the best way to achieve what I want here'. I do have one or two Default, black and white chess moves and looking over my shoulder as I join a motorway / dual-carriageway from a slip (car or bike) for example, is one of them.

:beerjug:

Summed it up very nicely Giles.
 
If you were on an IAM / RoSPA test, and you had the above mindset, any examiner worth his salt would hopefully say to you afterwards 'I like the fact that you're clearly a thinking rider - I noticed how you didn't indicate in W, X, y scenario, but you did in Z because of A, B, C factors' Good! Good to see you thinking about stuff'.

I had exactly that scenario on my RospA test. The examiner, a copper from Chelmsford (before Essex scrapped their bikes *) explained to me that he’d conduct the test by using his indicators to show which direction he’d want me to take at junctions, three fingers up for the third exit on a roundabout etc etc meaning I had to make good use of my mirrors in good time, obviously.

Anyway, off we went into the wilds of Essex. At some point or other we approached a completely open give way only T-Junction which anyone could see had no traffic on it for maybe three hundred yards in any direction, other than the pair of us. The examiner indicated in plenty of time that I should turn left, fair enough, that’s what I’ll do and on we went.

At the debrief, he asked my why, when we got to the junction, I hadn’t indicated. I said, “There was nobody in sight in any direction for me to indicate to”. He then said, “What about me, Richard?” I said, “But you told me, very clearly, at the briefing before we left, to ride for myself and that you were not there. If you are not there and nobody else is, I can’t inform anyone that I’m turning left”. He gave me a look, just for a moment, and then said, “Very good answer”. Happy days.





* I think they have brought them back now?
 


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