Well Giles has stirred up some debate over the 'Fingers versus no fingers over the levers' approach. Debate is good
Living in central London I will always hit busy traffic or challenging scenarios, no matter where I go. That 99 journeys out of 100 result in nothing untoward does not mean that the 100th will do too.
Whilst it's difficult to guess what anyone means, I can only assume that what Giles is putting forward is as follows:
Riding in dense traffic, whether it be a motorway or a busy town (by 'busy' I mean lots going on, but not necessary fast moving*) is different to hooning down the open road.
People, instead of taking off more speed or altering their position (the great mantra starts, Position, Speed.....) increase their speed / adopt a less satisfactory position but substitute covering their levers for the extra fraction of a second it might bring. Maybe what Giles is suggesting is that by sacrificing some more speed and / or adopting alternative positions based on looking ahead and - to some degree or another - using some imagination as to what might happen, the rider may be able to build in the extra gap that reduces the need to cover the levers..... in that you WILL be able to stop.
Keith Code's 'Twist of the wrist' book talks about a rider having a number of credits that they can use up, substituting comfort aids to replace a lack of credits when things get tough. Code's belief is that, when racing, the substitution of comfort aids - rather than the rider working on better employing (or increasing) the number of credits available - makes for a worse racer. The same should apply to normal road riding.
Maybe Giles is suggesting that by increasing the number of credits (less Speed, better Position, more use of Information) an over reliance -or an over confidence in - the comfort of covering levers might be reduced? That, in his view, makes for a better over all rider.
Maybe it is something worth considering and / or trying? Who knows, it may work and cost nothing.
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*There again, 20 miles an hour might suddenly seem very fast when it's the wheels of att's articulated lorry heading for you.... or Mrs Miggins and her pram stepping out, just as that black Volvo closes your escape route and the lights on the the three-way junction have just gone green....
Living in central London I will always hit busy traffic or challenging scenarios, no matter where I go. That 99 journeys out of 100 result in nothing untoward does not mean that the 100th will do too.
Whilst it's difficult to guess what anyone means, I can only assume that what Giles is putting forward is as follows:
Riding in dense traffic, whether it be a motorway or a busy town (by 'busy' I mean lots going on, but not necessary fast moving*) is different to hooning down the open road.
People, instead of taking off more speed or altering their position (the great mantra starts, Position, Speed.....) increase their speed / adopt a less satisfactory position but substitute covering their levers for the extra fraction of a second it might bring. Maybe what Giles is suggesting is that by sacrificing some more speed and / or adopting alternative positions based on looking ahead and - to some degree or another - using some imagination as to what might happen, the rider may be able to build in the extra gap that reduces the need to cover the levers..... in that you WILL be able to stop.
Keith Code's 'Twist of the wrist' book talks about a rider having a number of credits that they can use up, substituting comfort aids to replace a lack of credits when things get tough. Code's belief is that, when racing, the substitution of comfort aids - rather than the rider working on better employing (or increasing) the number of credits available - makes for a worse racer. The same should apply to normal road riding.
Maybe Giles is suggesting that by increasing the number of credits (less Speed, better Position, more use of Information) an over reliance -or an over confidence in - the comfort of covering levers might be reduced? That, in his view, makes for a better over all rider.
Maybe it is something worth considering and / or trying? Who knows, it may work and cost nothing.
======
*There again, 20 miles an hour might suddenly seem very fast when it's the wheels of att's articulated lorry heading for you.... or Mrs Miggins and her pram stepping out, just as that black Volvo closes your escape route and the lights on the the three-way junction have just gone green....