Quote:
Originally Posted by Motofool
A well known survival reaction for street riding is steering the handlebar away from the danger.
That will only cause the bike to turn towards the danger, due to the counter-steering effect.
Well before that emergency moment arrives, frequently practice the following avoiding maneuver:
1) Look into an escape path, turning your head rather than only your eyes.
2) Lean your upper body in the direction (left or right) of your selected escape path.
3) Simultaneously push on that side of the handlebar.
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IMO, this is just another endorsement for "practicing" counter steering. Such practicing requires thought rather than automatic responses, and is therefor counter productive. In an emergency situation, a rider shouldn't be thinking "Do I push right to go right, or do I push left?" The response should be quick and automatic. We've all used counter steering since learning to ride a bicycle. If you don't confuse the issue with unnecessary "practicing", riders will do it automatically.
I've yet to practice counter steering, and never turned in the wrong direction when confronted with an emergency situation where swerving was needed. Just like every other time I caused the bike to change direction, the movement was done with no deliberate thinking. Suggesting that a rider needs to consciously think about turning/swerving before doing so is misleading and a disservice to riders, especially newbies that may not know better.
We don't think about putting one foot in front of the other when walking. We just walk. Why should it be any different when turning a bike?