Safety is our first priority at Trek Travel. Our guides give a daily safety talk on trips, our entire fleet of bikes is equipped with the Bontrager Flare R tail light, and we always set a good example out on the road. In recent years we have observed that most crashes happen while riding through a corner, so we are here to provide you with the knowledge to prevent that from happening.
While our guides do everything in their power to keep your safe on the road, the majority of crashes happen when someone is riding too fast for the conditions and strongly applies the front brake. This results in the front wheel washing out and the rider landing on the pavement. It can happen very fast, but there are a few things that you can do to keep this from happening to you:
1. Perform the majority of your braking before you enter the corner. Brake before you turn. You want to slow your speed to the point you are comfortable leaning into the corner.
2. It is very important to ride in a predictable line, especially if you are in a group, so that people understand where you intend to go.
3. If you feel that you are riding too fast into a corner and need to slow down, it is best to straighten the bike and apply both brakes at the same time (with a little more braking power in the rear brake). But be sure to get back into the corner right away in order to keep from riding off the road!
4. Slippery conditions makes turning corners even more dangerous. Making sure to slow down more than normal while riding in the rain, and avoid riding over painted lines on the road. These lines can act like ice, and braking on ice typically ends with a crash.
