Every time I had previously negotiated this series of bends in heavy traffic, most of my attention had been allocated to avoiding the other riders around me. Identifying and using my reference points were relegated to second priority; and more often than not, throttle control suffered as each adjustment by the riders in front forced me to respond. Now, however, I was able to take in all the information I needed concurrently. My reference points and riding line remained clearly identifiable whilst I simultaneously monitored the position of riders around me - including those on my shoulder. As long as I kept my ‘wide view’ switched on, it felt effortless and very safe.
So perhaps this was my ‘quiet revolution’. I had been expecting something dramatic, but this was a subtle yet profound shift in my riding ability. Here was the key to fusing those apparently conflicting demands of road riding - selecting your turn point and apex and then ‘three stepping’ though the turn, whilst maintaining vision in depth to watch the vanishing point and identify emerging threats. I practiced it extensively on the 1600 mile trip around Scotland that immediately followed Level Two, and it worked - some of the time.
Keeping your peripheral vision continuously switched on takes effort and practice. It is not a skill that can be mastered in a day on the track; but the training can show you how to do it and also how incredibly effective it is when done right. A fellow student in our group explained that ‘blue light’ drivers practice for weeks to develop this skill. One drill they use is to give a running commentary (spoken out loud) to yourself whilst driving, calling out hazards and objects as they are picked up in your peripheral vision, whilst all the while maintaining focus on the road ahead. Of course, this can be practiced in a car just as effectively as on a moto.
Getting chased down by the pack - using peripheral vision effectively made a huge difference in the turns when in amongst the traffic