Better Riding: The sense of speed

Next time you are out on the bike, try guessing how fast you are going without looking at your speedo - and remember that most speedometers over-read by 8-10 per cent. The number that pops into your head is your sense of speed. Now let’s mess with it. On a deserted road try looking pointedly down at the road some three feet ahead of your front wheel. Now guess your speed again and you should come up with a higher number. Heard of parallax? It’s a phenomenon where objects closer to us appear to move quicker than objects farther away from...