Rural Riding

There are certain tips which, when incorporated into one's riding, will make the ride safer as well as enjoyable. The following are some generalities of how to ride in rural areas. Range cattle have the right of way. Riders should slow way down for cattle found alongside, or in, the roadway. Some of these, especially the calves, become skittish and very often bolt directly in front of the bike, so have your brake covered in case you need to come to a complete immediate stop.

Some years seem to have a bumper crop of locusts which like to crawl out on the roadway to sun themselves. Although, in places, the road might appear to be covered with them; don't worry about losing traction because of them. You will not hydroplane (skid) over them unless you are in a full fledged migration, or swarm.

When there are an abnormal number of locusts on the road, there also seems to be an overabundance of locust eaters, or chipmunks and ground squirrels. These can sometimes be seen down the road in the dozens in certain areas. Even though no one wants to hit one of these cute little critters; do not attempt to dodge or brake for them as this will actually increase the odds that you will hit them. They will dodge or stop at just the last moment, and if you attempt to swerve or brake for them; you will be more likely to lose control if you do hit one. On those occasions where you are worried about hitting one of them; just get a good grip on the handlebars and ride your line. At worst, even when leaned over in a curve, you will only feel a slight bump if you happen run over one.

Sand/gravel is sometimes found in curves from cars and trailers running a wheel off the roadway and "splashing" up some of the sand/gravel from the side of the road. Sometimes in the springtime there are also some "dirty" sections of the roads in the higher elevations due to snow melt runoff. When encountering a dirty roadway, the inside tire track of the lane (closest to the centerline) is almost always the cleanest part of the road and should be taken in a single file formation.

Cattle Guards while in curves are sometimes also encountered. These can be slippery, especially to motorcycle tires with their small contact patches. When wet, either with water or oil, they are extremely hazardous and should always be taken in a straight line while straight up on the motorcycle (no lean angle). This can be accomplished by doing the curve in two stages. The beginning of the turn before the cattle guard, then straight up over the guard, and finish the turn after going over it. This is known as a "double apex" for those who may not already know the technical terminology.