One of the roads I take often is an unfinished 55 MPH highway. It comes to a spacious ending zone with a 90 degree sharp turn to a regular temporary road. The turn is sharp, but there's plenty of road all around at this ending. It is a good turn to practice on. In fact, it is down right friendly - most of the time. But this time, I'm coming down the road and looking through the curve. I see a truck pulled over on the side of the road, about three car lengths down from the turn. This is a proper highway road. There aren't any drive ways or side roads. The whole area cuts through a farmer's field with deep ditches on the sides. No reason to pull over. I don't know why they are pulled over. I don't know if they are going to go straight, do a U-turn, stay still, or just finishing out what I'm sure must have been a fascinating Facebook post.
More importantly, I don't know what is around them on the side I can't see. There might be nothing, might be a collision, might be an elephant in the road, who knows. Thus, I decide to turn in much later than usual and plan to go out to the end of the road, so I can get a clear look at what is to their side. I'm scrubbing off speed as I come into my turning point at the end. I keep a watch on the truck - no signs of movement. I'm thinking through how I might react based on what they do. But, now I'm to the end, I have perfect visibility down the road, everything else is clear. I push in the right handle bar and lean that bike in. But what do I see as I lean?
More importantly, I don't know what is around them on the side I can't see. There might be nothing, might be a collision, might be an elephant in the road, who knows. Thus, I decide to turn in much later than usual and plan to go out to the end of the road, so I can get a clear look at what is to their side. I'm scrubbing off speed as I come into my turning point at the end. I keep a watch on the truck - no signs of movement. I'm thinking through how I might react based on what they do. But, now I'm to the end, I have perfect visibility down the road, everything else is clear. I push in the right handle bar and lean that bike in. But what do I see as I lean?
Wheel movement and rear lights. Apparently, my turning and getting closer was just what they were waiting for. And they don't just pick up speed and go straight. I see the front wheels come around sharper. They are making a U-turn.
I don't want to stop, because I don't know how tight they will U-turn. I could come up and stop and then get hit.
Instead, I press into that inside bar more. I make a mental plan to get over as far as right as possible. Then if I have to stop, I'll be in a much safer spot on the road to stop. And there's a high chance I can just go to right of them since they are U-turning to the left. The whole time I keep telling myself "lean", "lean", "lean." Meanwhile, the truck is making its slow U-turn, spanning my lane and the other lane.
Finally they are over enough and I'm over enough. I see my path open before. Maybe it was just 2 seconds who knows, but it was a long 2 seconds.
Looking back, I'm happy with the way I handled it. I debated if I should have turned in quicker and then kept a tight inside; thus, coming out on the right side. But I would have then been trying to get out to the left side of them and not known what was around the corner. And then if they had started their U-turn, I'd be jamming back to the right. May have turned out ok, but I'm happy with my approach.
The worst would have been if they had waited to U-turn until I was right up on them. If they hadn't moved by the time I got up to them, that would have been a good time to honk the horn and/or flash the lights. Get over as far left as possible. A bit back slower helps because you can flat out stop if you need to, but then at a certain point faster helps because you need to get around them and out of danger as quickly as possible. Here again, watching the lights and tires of the vehicle would have been invaluable.
And you know what I did after this? I took my loop back of roads back around and took the curve a few more times. I wasn't shaken up; I felt proud of myself if anything. I tell myself it is sort of curve test, one of the good tests where you learn something. Of course, all and all, I would have preferred if the driver had selected somewhere other than a 55 MPH highway curve to make a U-turn. I just really hope their Facebook posts got at least 2 or so likes for putting me through that.
Looking back, I'm happy with the way I handled it. I debated if I should have turned in quicker and then kept a tight inside; thus, coming out on the right side. But I would have then been trying to get out to the left side of them and not known what was around the corner. And then if they had started their U-turn, I'd be jamming back to the right. May have turned out ok, but I'm happy with my approach.
The worst would have been if they had waited to U-turn until I was right up on them. If they hadn't moved by the time I got up to them, that would have been a good time to honk the horn and/or flash the lights. Get over as far left as possible. A bit back slower helps because you can flat out stop if you need to, but then at a certain point faster helps because you need to get around them and out of danger as quickly as possible. Here again, watching the lights and tires of the vehicle would have been invaluable.
And you know what I did after this? I took my loop back of roads back around and took the curve a few more times. I wasn't shaken up; I felt proud of myself if anything. I tell myself it is sort of curve test, one of the good tests where you learn something. Of course, all and all, I would have preferred if the driver had selected somewhere other than a 55 MPH highway curve to make a U-turn. I just really hope their Facebook posts got at least 2 or so likes for putting me through that.
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