An open letter to every person I meet who finds out I ride a

[daveuprite]

. i'd say drivers are less aware of their surroundings than ever before.

This is why I'm thinking of giving up road riding in a few years and just do track days .

Yep been thinking this.

Someone on another forum, knowing how much time I spend on track, recently told me that there was no way in the world they would stop road riding and no way they would ever risk track riding. To which I replied:

Defn. Track = A road without kerbs, lamposts, buildings, walls or cars, with beautifully surfaced corners, which loops back round on to itself every few kilometres. Unlike a road, a team of trained paramedics with an ambulance is never more than 1 minute away from any accident. All traffic goes the same way; there are no junctions, roundabouts or traffic lights, radars, cameras, manholes or potholes. Every corner is marshalled to report any incident or spillage, which is cleared up immediately. Garages, showers, electricity and refreshments are normally provided.

Does that make it seem any less threatening?

On the rare occasions I ride on the road I have to compete with diesel-strewn roundabouts, oncoming cars, lorries, tractors, speed traps, gravel, mud, drunk drivers, mobile phone users, and the prospect of dying alone unnoticed in a ditch.

Dave

[tony.mon]

The road IS a track, on a good day, it's just that the good folk coming the other way also think they have the right to think the same.

(they're wrong, of course, but who am i to burst their bubble?)