Target fixation

[stoinkythepig]

Thought I was pretty immune. Turns out I'm not. Cruising along on a back road yesterday and a basketball comes out of a driveway into the road, from right to left. I immediately slowed, expecting a kid to be chasing it. I quickly realized no one waqs running after it, but my eyes were drawn right to the rolling ball and I watched incredulously as I rode my bike right into the ball. It merely glanced off my front tire and bounced back toward where it came from while I rolled on the gas and kept going. Nothing bad happened, but I cursed myself all the way home for not simply swerving slightly to the right to avoid the thing. I did not even try to avoid it.

Are there any mental exercises to prevent target fixation?

[Paul_E_D]

Yes. As part of my scanning process I ID a hazard and immediately look for the escape route. It's even good practice to add in the avoidance move even though you have spotted the hazard early enough to not need it. A swerve, a lane position shift, or a speed adjustment. If you constantly practice this with easy hazards, it will be more automatic with surprise events.

Of course, some events are VERY intriguing and hard to look away from (like your buddy crashing in front of you). Still, practicing is the only way to make it happen when you need it.

[Cliff]

Yes. As part of my scanning process I ID a hazard and immediately look for the escape route. It's even good practice to add in the avoidance move even though you have spotted the hazard early enough to not need it. A swerve, a lane position shift, or a speed adjustment. If you constantly practice this with easy hazards, it will be more automatic with surprise events.

Of course, some events are VERY intriguing and hard to look away from (like your buddy crashing in front of you). Still, practicing is the only way to make it happen when you need it.

+1

That is part of what has kept upright on my street riding for more than 30 years at an average of 7k riding miles (street miles not sure of the dirt miles but many)per year.

[butcher bergs]

Are there any mental exercises to prevent target fixation?

The single biggest thing that has helped me deal with target fixation is track related....hate to say it but it's true, least for myself anyway. There's enough fixation practice during any given race or trackday where most all situations elsewhere appear to slow down and become easier to avoid.

Only other suggestion would be to force yourself to look somewhere, anywhere but the unintended "target".

[Paul_E_D]

Agreed. A few seasons of racing is the best practice, but it can be done in the street environment. You just don't get frequent enough "real" avoidance events to learn as quickly as you do in racing.

[Just_Jeff]

20+ years on a bike and I can probably list every time it has happened.
There is no practice, You cant make it happen on purpose so how can you practice it.
What has to happen is you have to just mentally tell yourself, scream it out loud if need be
LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
I know what it is, I have had it happen and yet it still happens, usually when you get relaxed and the mind wanders.

[Paul_E_D]

Well, in just about every race there is a target fixation challenge. Funnel 45 bikes into T1 at the same time and you absolutely have to master the "look for the space, not the hazard" technique. Now that I think of it, tree skiing or boarding is great practice for this as well.

But on the street, on the bike, you have to use "false" situations to practice. Guardrails are good ones, and blind corners. As soon as you look directly at a guardrail, or something else fixed in a blind corner, FORCE yourself to look up to the exit in the shortest time possible. Potholes, cracks, and other surface irregularities present another low risk practice. Spot the item, but look past it ASAP.

[seth399]

Of course, some events are VERY intriguing and hard to look away from (like a girl with a sweet BADONKADONK).

fixed

[Kham]

play lots of driving simulation video game?

[obsolete]

fixed

I'm shocked I haven't rode my bike straight into the lake in Wakefeild.

[Paul_E_D]

[butcher bergs]

play lots of driving simulation video game?

Yes. Video games are exactly like real world situations.

[Kham]

Yes. Video games are exactly like real world situations.

you play video game at all man? can give you reaction time.

[hqp921]

you play video game at all man? can give you reaction time.

That stupid mushroom head taunts me every fvckin' time.

"Thank you Mario. But our princess is in another castle!"



LOL.



I'm not sure target fixation works. I tried target fixating on Scarlett Johanssen and never did hit it.

Please advise.

HP

[Ken C]

I agree with Paul that there are opportunities to practice avoiding TF. They are more subtle than the situation that seeks to LOCK your vision onto an object, but are helpful reminders.

Remember that we will react through instinct and habit. And human nature causes us to look at the danger. Do anything you can to change that habit. Treat it as a game where you spot possible hazards and act to avoid them, visually as Paul suggests.

[Kham]

lots of video game time. the fast moving avoiding kind.

i played lots shooting game which locks in the target quick. this would give negative effect.

[stoinkythepig]

I rode on the same road after work today. I now feel that perhaps I did not target fixate like I originally thought. Turns out my lane is about 85% covered in tar snakes and I had rather limited room to alter my course and maintain traction. I hit the ball on "normal" pavement. I normally don't even think about tar snakes and simply choose a path that avoids them in an auto-pilot, sort of way. I'm sure I did the same yesterday.

[Evil_Weasel]

i used to struggle with target fixation even after years of riding. sometimes i still have to "force" myself to look away. like paul said, i find it much less of a problem after even limited racing experiance.

i also use the same practice method as paul by "avoiding" things that don't really need to be avoided.

remember every ride is a chance to sharpen your skills and learn something.

[Mondo]

I'm shocked I haven't rode my bike straight into the lake in Wakefeild.