Eye-opening new perspective on my daily commute

[Gone in 60]

I've had the same Monday-Friday commute for many years. Besides street traffic on both ends, a ten-mile slog down one of the most traffic-choked freeways in our county. Four lanes of gridlock, with a car pool lane to the far left moving a bit faster.

If the weather is clear, I'm riding. Standard California riding practice is to move to the far left lane, and if lane splitting is called for, split between the far left and next lane over. So, I'm riding in the car pool, moving faster than the main lanes, and splitting as needed to the right of the cars in the car pool. Easy peasy, and I get to work in less than half the time in a car.

If the weather is bad, I'm in my car, sitting in the traffic, usually in one of the middle lanes. They're all slow, so just pick one and crawl. In bad weather, there won't usually be any motorcycles on the freeway.

Toward the end of last year, Mrs. G took on a new work assignment that put her along my same commute route, about 15 minutes past my office. I told her that the commute would be misrable, and threw in a "hey, this would be a great time to learn to ride" pitch, which didn't go far. I waited for the shoe to drop, and when it did, she suggested "Hey, we should car pool!"

She knows that my motorcycle commute is the only real time I get to myself, I enjoy it, and the mind-erasing level of concentration I need to do it safely is mentally therapeutic. Conversely, I know that she's not happy sitting in traffic in her car. We compromised, and I ride a few days per week, and we car pool a few days.

When we car pool, I'm now driving a car in the same lane that I normally ride in, at the same time I ride, and motorcycles are splitting past me when I'm moving slowly. I have the perspective of the people I'm riding near for the first time, and it's been quite educational.

Darth Vaders in black helmets and all-black gear don't catch my eye until they're either right up on me, or passing me. Guys in light or white helmets and bright gear are easy to spot in the right mirror further back. Hi-viz gear particularly so.

I've always worn white, bright or hi-viz helmets, nothing dark, so I've got that box checked. I have worn hi-viz jackets, but have gotten lazy in the past few years, with much of my gear tending to brown, grey or dark green. I have one hi-viz jacket that I'll wear if it's foggy, or if I'm out the door at the crack of dawn. I'll probably invest a few bucks in a hi-viz vest to wear over whatever jacket I want to wear that day, that I can keep in my top box all the time.

I've been driving instinctually toward the left side of the lane to give bikes room whether I see them or not since I ride myself, but it's interesting to observe other riders' behaviors from the wheel of a car. A few times, I've seen riders hugging the right rear corner of the car in the mirror, and have muttered "Come on, either pass me or back off". I can see how this would freak out someone not familiar with riding. I don't think I ride this way, but I sure won't now.

And I usually wave if a car moves over for me when I pass them. I'm over to the left, and nobody on a bike has waved at me. Where's my freakin' wave!?

[the Ferret]

After 17 years in the MC business, I worked for 24 1/2 years in the Highway Traffic Safety biz and learned how important/effective Hi Viz is for Highway workers

Hence I wear either a hi viz jacket with white helmet or a high viz vest with white helmet





when it gets really hot out I will wear a hi viz shirt and white helmet



See the two guys in this pic?

[pdedse]

Nice observations for visibility. My grey helmet will be replaced with a white one soon.

[Gone in 60]

Nice observations for visibility. My grey helmet will be replaced with a white one soon.

Yes, Ferret, that's what I need to start wearing again.

Pdedse, not wanting to buy a grey helmet is what got me onto my recent euro-helmet kick. I wanted a Scorpion HX1, but it only came in dark grey or black over here. But I got this version from a supplier in the Netherlands.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Two years ago I got my first white riding jacket and white riding pants to match. Lots of reflective piping.

They are great for winter riding.

[pdedse]

Nice observations for visibility. My grey helmet will be replaced with a white one soon.

Yes, Ferret, that's what I need to start wearing again.

Pdedse, not wanting to buy a grey helmet is what got me onto my recent euro-helmet kick. I wanted a Scorpion HX1, but it only came in dark grey or black over here. But I got this version from a supplier in the Netherlands.

I do remember that, nice looking...overall good?

[Nachodaddy]

In the seventies, Bill Rodgers, the marathon runner, had a line of running clothes that included a light jacket that was reflective. The jacket was a normal blue and grey in daylight, but at night, when lights hit it, it lit up like a Christmas tree. It was too light weight to wear on a motorcycle, but was great otherwise. I have never seen that technology used in any other application and wonder what happened to it.

[Gone in 60]

Nice observations for visibility. My grey helmet will be replaced with a white one soon.

Yes, Ferret, that's what I need to start wearing again.

Pdedse, not wanting to buy a grey helmet is what got me onto my recent euro-helmet kick. I wanted a Scorpion HX1, but it only came in dark grey or black over here. But I got this version from a supplier in the Netherlands.

I do remember that, nice looking...overall good?

I do remember that, nice looking...overall good?
Yes, Pdedse, it generally gets panned in reviews for "trying to be too many things at once", but I'm enjoying it. I wanted a vintagy-sorta helmet that's practical. I remember you got the TORC and ended up not finding it too comfortable. I tried that same one at a local shop and came away with the same feeling - too round for my long head. I have a Biltwell Gringo that has a face shield, but it doesn't have detents to hold it open just a crack, doesn't have vents, and the shield is very fiddly. I'll reserve that for office display and the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, when I need to be a Dapper Hipster.

Being a Scorpion, it's an intermediate-oval and very comfy. The shield is going for the same minimalist concept that most "vintage style" helmets go for, so it has one detent, which is about 1/2" open, a bit too much air at freeway speeds. But the Vader Mouth front shoves in more air at speed than you'll ever need, so on the freeway I just let it close. The Euro version has an added bonus of a drop-down shade which the U.S. version didn't get for some reason.

Plus, it's super cheap on Chromeburner, even with shipping to the U.S. And since it was apparently a sales dud, the U.S. distributors are now blowing out the black and grey models for around a hundred bucks.

Two years ago I got my first white riding jacket and white riding pants to match. Lots of reflective piping.

They are great for winter riding.

I picked up a light cream jacket on clearance last year. Love the light color for visibility, but I have to be careful where I toss it when I'm not wearing it... the light color picks up dirt easily. Not sure why I care... I can't control bugs hitting it, but I can control laying it on a dirty work bench.

In the seventies, Bill Rodgers, the marathon runner, had a line of running clothes that included a light jacket that was reflective. The jacket was a normal blue and grey in daylight, but at night, when lights hit it, it lit up like a Christmas tree. It was too light weight to wear on a motorcycle, but was great otherwise. I have never seen that technology used in any other application and wonder what happened to it.

That's why I run a Brake Free light on my helmets. Great added tail/brake light up high on the back of my head. I've caught my Nelson Rigg neighbor wearing his and at dusk, it's a real attention-grabber.

[cooldrum_imp]

When I ride my CB or any of my other bikes, I always wear my Hi Viz jacket and have my Brake Free light on my Helmet. Just another safety layer to be seen when on the road.

[peterbaron]

When I ride my CB or any of my other bikes, I always wear my Hi Viz jacket and have my Brake Free light on my Helmet. Just another safety layer to be seen when on the road.

^^+1^^