Video: How To Stop Riding Into Stuff - How To Bike Season 2 Episode 3

 step 1: look at headset cable routing

 Yep we have a mantra:

Look at the rock....hit the rock
Look at the tree...hit the tree
Look where you want to be ... and you’re there ...

There’s something more though, which is not mentioned in the video: that there is more being discovered about the exceptional way in which things are processed in peripheral vision. First of all, it’s important to understand that the optic nerve is effectively an outcrop of the brain. It’s intimately involved in mental processing, it’s not just a simple ‘cable connection’. We have not yet sorted out everything about how it performs. Secondly, one vital area of research is the nature of acuity in peripheral vision. Looking forward when riding does NOT mean that you are no longer perceiving the things which you previously were looking directly at...they can be ‘moved’ to peripheral vision, where they are less consciously processed, but nonetheless the images ARE being processed. This is really important in training and in high performance riding. Study the slo-mo videos of downhillers - it is FASCINATING as to where they are looking - their eyes are on the next section they need to think about but their peripheral vision is retaining the berm/jump etc in sight - conscious processing is going on in relation to the things in central vision, and less conscious processing (but processing nonetheless) is occurring in respect of things in peripheral vision. Good thing to know. This is what Cathro is saying by ‘look ahead but not too far...’

There’s interesting stuff here: theconversation.com/out-of-sight-but-still-in-mind-the-mysteries-of-peripheral-vision-6807

 It's amazing how the first thing I'll say to newbies is "look where you're going" not at the floor, not just in front of them, not at the skipping gears but, as far down the trail as you can see, look where you want to go not at the tree you're heading towards.

Good tip for life in general really

 Sometimes I think that mountain biking is like jazz music (or any improvised music / art): you can improvise as much as you can or want as long as you've worked your skills out before... Then fun appears :-)

 Not drinking 6 beer and thinking I can ride home helps me avoid riding into things

 My hand doctor and I recently discovered that looking over your shoulder at your buddies behind you is not helpful while entering a turn at high speed. And hand guards don't provide much tree protection when they are sitting in your car while you ride.

 It's amazing how the first thing I'll say to newbies is "look where you're going" not at the floor, not just in front of them, not at the skipping gears but, as far down the trail as you can see, look where you want to go not at the tree you're heading towards.

Good tip for life in general really

 Look where you WANT to go, NOT where you don’t! And avoid
Target fixation”.

 While skiing I just avoid dark objects. On the bike there are more subtleties.

 BEN, What app do you use to watch video side by side?

 look at the line, not the root..so get transfixed by the line, crash into the root. I just crash !

 There it is. Auto playing ads are here. We knew the day was coming but it’s still sad regardless.

 What a metaphor for; LIFE

 We're running ads on these auto-play videos now??

 Very good stuff!

 If you ride a 8” travel bike you can run into anything