Ian Hutchinson

[Bigjawa]

The daft thing is he's been given the all clear to drive on the road.

Driving on the road is a smidge different to road racing tho?? Not sure that banning him from road racing for a year but letting him drive a car is daft at all!


My old riding buddy was properly hollered at by his heart surgeon - she'd told him he could driver again, so he went home and got the bike out. Rode the bike two or three times a week until the next appointment. Told her then what he'd being doing and she went nuts at him - riding a bike is considered a bit more risky for the heart than driving a car!!

Did they explain why it's more risky for the heart? I'm guessing that your body is more in survival mode when riding, and so more stress, which equals faster heart rate, etc.

To be fair, I had a heart attack 3 years ago (2 stents, only 48, they couldn't figure out why I'd developed the reason for the attack (2 clots)), it was early September, so it was October when DVLA were ok for me to drive, by which time I'd put the bike away for winter. However I was told to do next to nothing for 4 weeks after the attack, and after that I was told to try and get back to normal activity. I went out and took the dog for a very fast 3 mile walk.

I understand the race ban, but it does perhaps bring into question just how quickly you're allowed to drive after a stroke; and yes, it all depends on the severity of the stroke, etc, etc.

I actually feel more stressed in the car than I do on the bike and I'm most relaxed in my truck.

[Bigjawa]

It's times like these when rules are a positive thing. Often racers and the racing mentality needs to be protected from themselves.

Robert Dunlop being the ultimate example.

[Noggin]

The daft thing is he's been given the all clear to drive on the road.

Driving on the road is a smidge different to road racing tho?? Not sure that banning him from road racing for a year but letting him drive a car is daft at all!


My old riding buddy was properly hollered at by his heart surgeon - she'd told him he could driver again, so he went home and got the bike out. Rode the bike two or three times a week until the next appointment. Told her then what he'd being doing and she went nuts at him - riding a bike is considered a bit more risky for the heart than driving a car!!

Did they explain why it's more risky for the heart? I'm guessing that your body is more in survival mode when riding, and so more stress, which equals faster heart rate, etc.

To be fair, I had a heart attack 3 years ago (2 stents, only 48, they couldn't figure out why I'd developed the reason for the attack (2 clots)), it was early September, so it was October when DVLA were ok for me to drive, by which time I'd put the bike away for winter. However I was told to do next to nothing for 4 weeks after the attack, and after that I was told to try and get back to normal activity. I went out and took the dog for a very fast 3 mile walk.

I understand the race ban, but it does perhaps bring into question just how quickly you're allowed to drive after a stroke; and yes, it all depends on the severity of the stroke, etc, etc.

No. Or, maybe they did, but I never asked. I knew how he'd ridden before the heart failure and knew that the plan was to ride with me rather than his pre heart failure pals as he wouldn't ride so fast! That plan kinda failed!! LOL

I do think that if you aren't allowed to ride a bike, you shouldn't be allowed to drive a car, but I have no knowledge to back that up!!

I actually feel more stressed in the car than I do on the bike and I'm most relaxed in my truck.

Totally get that. Maybe 'they' think that there will (in general) be less blips on the heart in a car?? Less 'moments'? In general!!

[westers151]

I actually feel more stressed in the car than I do on the bike and I'm most relaxed in my truck.

Totally get that. Maybe 'they' think that there will (in general) be less blips on the heart in a car?? Less 'moments'? In general!!

I think it's a default attitude of "bikes are scary, therefore you will produce more adrenalin and your heart will be forced to work hard", instead of actually taking the time to understand your experience/daily travel method. If you ride all year round, and rarely drive a car, then you'll be like Bigjawa and hardly be stressed when riding a bike.

However, the majority of people don't ride bikes so they make a blanket decision that bike riding is stressful, which for fair weather riders like me, it's probably true. I don't feel stressed, but I bet my heart rate is higher compared to when driving. It may, or may not, be related to making progress, and the physical effort involved in riding

[Yorick]

I actually feel more stressed in the car than I do on the bike and I'm most relaxed in my truck.

Totally get that. Maybe 'they' think that there will (in general) be less blips on the heart in a car?? Less 'moments'? In general!!

I think it's a default attitude of "bikes are scary, therefore you will produce more adrenalin and your heart will be forced to work hard", instead of actually taking the time to understand your experience/daily travel method. If you ride all year round, and rarely drive a car, then you'll be like Bigjawa and hardly be stressed when riding a bike.

However, the majority of people don't ride bikes so they make a blanket decision that bike riding is stressful, which for fair weather riders like me, it's probably true. I don't feel stressed, but I bet my heart rate is higher compared to when driving. It may, or may not, be related to making progress, and the physical effort involved in riding

It's hard to explain, but sometimes when racing or trackdays, it's so calm and stress free when you're gliding round your fave corners at berserk speed.

[westers151]

Totally get that. Maybe 'they' think that there will (in general) be less blips on the heart in a car?? Less 'moments'? In general!!

I think it's a default attitude of "bikes are scary, therefore you will produce more adrenalin and your heart will be forced to work hard", instead of actually taking the time to understand your experience/daily travel method. If you ride all year round, and rarely drive a car, then you'll be like Bigjawa and hardly be stressed when riding a bike.

However, the majority of people don't ride bikes so they make a blanket decision that bike riding is stressful, which for fair weather riders like me, it's probably true. I don't feel stressed, but I bet my heart rate is higher compared to when driving. It may, or may not, be related to making progress, and the physical effort involved in riding

It's hard to explain, but sometimes when racing or trackdays, it's so calm and stress free when you're gliding round your fave corners at berserk speed.

Agreed.

I actually think the bike racing world has it correct - the DVLA should impose a 12 month suspension of your license in the case of a stroke.

[Noggin]

I think it's a default attitude of "bikes are scary, therefore you will produce more adrenalin and your heart will be forced to work hard", instead of actually taking the time to understand your experience/daily travel method. If you ride all year round, and rarely drive a car, then you'll be like Bigjawa and hardly be stressed when riding a bike.

However, the majority of people don't ride bikes so they make a blanket decision that bike riding is stressful, which for fair weather riders like me, it's probably true. I don't feel stressed, but I bet my heart rate is higher compared to when driving. It may, or may not, be related to making progress, and the physical effort involved in riding

I totally agree - up to a point. That point is when something happens to throw out that calm, almost meditative feeling, and spikes the adrenaline which I guess would upset an already unhappy heart?

9/10 it might not happen (maybe 8/10!!) but if it did, instead of something happening and bikers going past and managing the adrenaline spike, you have something happening and then a little further on another biker in need of medics?

It's hard to explain, but sometimes when racing or trackdays, it's so calm and stress free when you're gliding round your fave corners at berserk speed.

Agreed.

I actually think the bike racing world has it correct - the DVLA should impose a 12 month suspension of your license in the case of a stroke.

Agree with both of you!!

[Bigjawa]

It's hard to explain, but sometimes when racing or trackdays, it's so calm and stress free when you're gliding round your fave corners at berserk speed.

I know this feeling exactly, I remember the last trackday I did having the feeling of being totally calm whilst braking from 100+ into a tight corner, it was a beautiful day, the bike was perfect, I knew the circuit and it seemed like I had all the time in the world, and I could put that bike anywhere I wanted it.

I truly believe that our brains are barely ticking over and we can sometimes find another mental gear in certain circumstances. ,

[mangocrazy]

I think what you're describing there is what is known as the mental 'flow' state. From Wikipedia:

In positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one's sense of time

I've managed that a few (very few) times on track days and, as you say, time seems to slow down and you feel very calm but also noticing every tiny detail. It's a beautiful place to be.

[Noggin]

That 'place' was described to me by a psychologist as meditative!! I was telling her I didn't meditate and couldn't ever clear my mind in yoga classes or other places to 'do' meditation. We talked more and after describing ski-touring and riding a motorbike, she pointed out that that 'totally focussed' feeling is a type of meditative state

So, When I ski-tour or motorbike, I meditate

[westers151]

Wayne Rainey described the same sort of thing about his Suzaka '93 race, although he had an out of body experience where he was looking down on himself.