Country roads give us the exhilarating ride we often crave, but they also have sharp or blind bends that can hide countless potential hazards. 

With significantly less metal around us than a typical car or van, we're even more vulnerable when things go wrong.

Bushes, trees and even buildings can block your view and obscure oncoming hazards and there’s always the potential of being faced with animals in the road as you enter or exit a bend.  You may have done this route a thousand times but you’ll never ever know what’s around the next corner until you get there.

Most of us already do this, but it’s worth remembering that we should always ride at a speed which will allow us to stop in the distance we can see to be clear – speed limits are an absolute maximum and we often find it’d be inappropriate to ride at that speed so we need to use our own judgement.

We all know that the road is not the place to be catching the apex or getting your knee down as close to the tarmac as possible.  If you’d like to do this sort of thing, consider attending a track day to get professional tuition in a safe controlled environment.

As bikes are most stable when the weight is distributed evenly and travelling in a straight line, always be aware of what you’re expecting your bike to do in a bend – going in too fast and just expecting the tyres to grip is a recipe for disaster.  Throw in rain or icy conditions and some wet drains or manhole covers, and the outcome may not be what you hoped.

Please remember to Brake Before The Bend, Not On It – this one simple step could help you prepare for what’s around the next corner, and hopefully get home safely.