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745 Posts
Since there are a lot of new riders on this forum, I think it would be good idea to routinely talk about technique and how to get better. And, no, I'm not trying to indicate that I am smarter or more skilled or better looking than anyone else on here (even if the last one DOES happen to be true!).
So, Target Fixation... Simply put, your eyes tend to lock onto objects of interest and you also tend to drive or ride toward whatever you are looking at. Here's an example:
YouTube - Target Fixation
Here's another:
YouTube - Bex's Willow Incident
Think it only happens on the track?
YouTube - Classic Target Fixation
Anything that captures your attention - a sign, a dog, a car, a wall, whatever - will, unless corrected, lead to your steering toward the very thing you are trying to avoid. I've responded to calls where a dog behind a fence "led" to a rider exiting the road toward the animal.
So the next time you're out cruising, work on two things:
Luke
So, Target Fixation... Simply put, your eyes tend to lock onto objects of interest and you also tend to drive or ride toward whatever you are looking at. Here's an example:
YouTube - Target Fixation
Here's another:
YouTube - Bex's Willow Incident
Think it only happens on the track?
YouTube - Classic Target Fixation
Anything that captures your attention - a sign, a dog, a car, a wall, whatever - will, unless corrected, lead to your steering toward the very thing you are trying to avoid. I've responded to calls where a dog behind a fence "led" to a rider exiting the road toward the animal.
So the next time you're out cruising, work on two things:
- Don't let your eyes drive your hands: This might sound wrong - after all, the goal is that we instinctively react (correctly) to a threat, right? Start with something simple and safe like roadside signs. Ride two feet off the center line and read a sign. If you look back to the road and find yourself another foot away from the line, your bike followed your eyes.
- Register the object you want to avoid, then sight where you want to go: Pick the line you need to take in order to avoid the pothole, oil stain, dead squirrel, whatever, then focus your attention on that line. This might sound counter-intuititive as well: after all, if it's a dog, you want to keep an eye on that sucker, right? The short answer is no - if you focus on the dog, you will follow or hit him. In addition, you will lose track of surrounding traffic as well as where you are on the road surface.
Luke