mikerich

a/ My S spent most of the weekend in a hotel carpark. She had ( operative word) naff shiny valve caps. Come out on Sunday morning - all gone! At least the pressures were right. But WTF - these things are a couple of quid from Halfords! Or was it offended aesthetic sense?

b/ Tootling back along the B-roads, a 911 behind me ( had previously given him the opportunity to overtake - I know my place!). Come up on a biker. There is no way I'm going to take him on that road. So slow up to 80-90 - big gap. Porsche does the same. But not the Merc behind, which rushes by. Realises a little late in the day that there's a corner coming up - cuts in - lots of braking. OK fair does. But the Merc then proceeds to tailgate the biker for the next five miles - lots of brakelights - headlight flashing.
I know lots of you are bikers - do you appreciate being tailgated??

Welshman

I would like to be tailgated on my bike the same way I really would like a hole in my head. On a dry road bikes can brake very quickly, probably quicker than most cars, but if I was hit from behind, even slightly the chances of me staying upright are likely to be slim.

It's never happened on the open road, touch wood, but has happened in traffic. Johnny Cage Driver thinks of the car in front of me and ignores me, the sandwich filling. This is despite the fact that I have a big bike and my leathers are designed to be highly visible. Usually a "push back" sign with a hand makes them realise that they are too close.

On the open road the bike's acceleration is such that only a very very few cars have any chance of even keeping close. If anyone was seeking to stay with me then a couple of overtakes later and the chances are that they are stuck behind slower traffic and will never get close again.

If they wanted to travel at a speed I thought was too fast for the conditions then I'd just let them go.