When you run off the pavement on Jolly Pond Road, your gut reaction is to get back onto it as quickly as possible. Usually, that’s a bad move. This panel depicts your intended path of your front wheel when you panic and don’t think clearly. The problem is you’re trying to cross the pavement edge at a very shallow angle.
Because of the shallow approach angle, your front tire can’t climb and roll over the pavement edge. Instead, your tire sidewall will scrub hard against the pavement edge, forcing your front wheel into a sharp right turn. That pitches your body down and to the left— usually into the middle of the travel lane. The next panel shows you how to avoid this common crash.
To get back onto the pavement, continue to roll along on the shoulder until you’ve slowed to a comfortable speed. Then make your front wheel cross the edge of the pavement as close to a 90- degree angle as you can. The urge to get back on the pavement quickly is powerful, so this save is counterintuitive and should be practiced regularly.
