You could have killed me, my wife, and two riding buddies, but gave me a new lesson in why it's important to be overly cautious on the twisties around blind curves so thanks for that I guess.


Last Saturday I was on Park Rd 4 in the Hill Country off 281 (Central Texans probably know it well). It's a nice ride by the lake, lots of good up/downhills and twisties. I was riding lead with two buddies behind me. The tail gunner had not ridden in a while so I was taking it super easy so as not to run off and leave him. There was a car in front of me a decent distance.


I came around a blind curve and there was a white Prius STOPPED in the middle of the road, taking in the scenery and looking at the lake I suppose. The car in front of me had locked it up and stopped right before hitting him. Luckily I had been going slow enough, and with enough distance to safely stop instead of nailing the car in front of me. My buddies all stopped in time (barely). The prius suddenly noticed all of us and took off.


Had a large group of riders been behind us, or cars, or had I been by myself on that road hauling *** like I have done before, I have no doubt I would have become a permanent fixture in the trunk of the car in front of me.


There were many large groups of riders on that road that day because of the ROT Rally, and a lot of sport bike riders doing their normal go fast routine. It very very easily could have been a scene of broken people and bikes if the wrong group had come up behind that a$$hat stopped in the middle of the road. I was lucky.

 

The driver may have been an a$$hat for stopping where they did but in the end it could have just as easily been a deer, a boulder from the hillside or anything else blocking the road. The key phrase in your post was "...so I was taking it super easy..."; looks like your decision was a good one!

The main thing is everyone rode away with only a$$hat stories and no broken bones.

 

I couldn't agree more. It was a wakeup call for sure!

 

Never outride your sightlines.

 

Exactly right. Sometimes it takes either a close call or a close encounter of the worst kind for some to get the message. That last comment was not directed at Lonestar. Sounds like you were doing it right.

I'm referring to those who use mountain roads as their own personal racetrack.

 

The guy in the Prius was still a jerk off. He probably puts his groceries on the hoods of other people's cars.

 

Right on, and agreed on all accounts. I try not to outride my sightlines, but I have on occasion. This experience has made me realize the importance of NEVER doing it. All it takes is once.

 

I have ridden with a ex coworker and he has his small group of 4-6 riders. We were in se Ohio in amish country doing the hills and twisties, I had the caboose covered with him in the captains chair. My wife even said he's a fool for running that hard. You never know when there is going to be a horse and buggy over the next hill with oncoming traffic too.
I don't really think I'll be riding with them anymore.

 

Ah...The old "Never ride faster than you guardian angel can fly". Got it.

 

Since the driver of the car probably isn't a Forum member and will not read your thread,why don't you put it in the editorial section of your local newspaper. Maybe you will get a response from the driver. With that said, I glad you were taking it slow on the curves.