Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 175 Location: Minnesota
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:44 am Post subject: Tell me your story
What brought you to riding? Did you grow up riding? A midlife crisis? Trying to escape from your kids? Do tell.....
My story: I grew up riding behind my parents. Well, mostly my mom who's 5'1, and was tiny back then. My mom got her first bike back in 1979 at 40 years old when it wasn't the thing to do yet.
I got married at 19 and didn't think about riding, as I had kids right away and it just never entered my mind. Divorced at 23 when I remarried at 26 we still had little kids, and then added another. But when I hit 30 it was starting to hit me. Being overwhelmed with 5 kids, the youngest with a lot of medical issues, getting a bike just wasn't in the cards, but I set a goal. By the time I turned 40 I wanted a bike of my own.
Divorced again, but this time I was smart. (hey, some of us learn slower than others.) This time having a bike and riding reqularly was a prerequisite for any man I dated. I met alot of great people on that little adventure! Even went through a Ducati phase, when I was sure that was the bike for me. (secretly, it kind of is, but don't tell the rest of my family!) 4 years ago I met my husband Dean. Not only does he ride, but so does his entire extended family.
Two years ago it started to bug me, this whole business of riding behind. I started to have control issues. Ok, so those weren't completely new issues, but they were on the bike! Then I started to get nervous before every ride. About a year ago my husband had to bring his truck to the shop, and his twin brother picked him up with his bike. It was the first time in his life that my husband has ever riden behind someone. I was only about 3 miles to our house, and he was scared to death! He said he hung on like a teenage girl on the back of the sport bikes! That's when he said he now totally understood my reasoning for my goal. If you know too much, it's scary back there!
So last fall I finally got the money together (and the TIME! It's hard fro me to find the TIME to do these things!) to take the class. I bought my bike over the winter, and it was just delivered a couple of weeks ago. It took me a week of bad weather and a couple days of watching gorgeous weather be wasted for me to get up the guts to take it out the first time. But I did it. My daughter is home on spring break or I'd probably get it out today and conquer the driveway. (we have a huge very steep driveway with a sharp corner at the bottom of it.) The first time I took my bike out, Dean brought it down the hill for me, but he said he would only do it ONCE. I think I can do it now....we'll see. Maybe if the weather is good I'll get a sitter and go. Otherwise, next week when she goes back to school, you know where I'm gonna be.
Question, on the 16th is our annual Flood Run here. It's a HUGE ride. Dean and I have missed it as long as we've known eachother, but I was kind of determined to get to it this year. That's just 2 weeks away. Do you think that's too soon to go on a big group ride?
Joined: Jan 01, 2007 Posts: 760 Location: Ulasigi Ulogilv
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:56 am Post subject: Re: Tell me your story
[quote="lespring"]
Question, on the 16th is our annual Flood Run here. It's a HUGE ride. Dean and I have missed it as long as we've known eachother, but I was kind of determined to get to it this year. That's just 2 weeks away. Do you think that's too soon to go on a big group ride?[/quote]
If you ask enough people you will get a response that you are wanting to hear. IMO don't push yourself no matter what the circumstances are. If you are having doubts I wouldn’t do it. However you could attempt but take the right precautions and remember you are not just making sure of yourself but having to watch everyone else. _________________ Chrome Cowgirl
Real & Steel
Honda VTX 1800N
~Geyatahi Soquili~
Vice President National Operations
Joined: Jan 11, 2007 Posts: 130 Location: Macon, Georgia
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:33 am Post subject: Group Riding
lespring,
Group riding is for mostly experienced riders. You know your abilities and your fears. I didn't ride with a group until I was riding about a year and then I was a little afraid to take part. The group I was with knew my feelings so they were very kind and kept their distance.....not only for me but for themselves.
I guess there is no substitute for good judgement.
Joined: Jan 03, 2007 Posts: 642 Location: Carney, OK
Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:13 am Post subject: Here is my story
I grew up watching bikes go by on their way down to the Talimena Drive… They were so different almost untouchable. I don’t know if it was the look that was on most of their faces but I just felt like they knew something that the rest of us did not. They all had a secret and to learn this secret you had to be part of the “club”. I really never thought I would get a motorcycle, I dreamt about it quite often but dismissed the idea of actually getting one. Then out of the blue in the fall of 2003 the need to get a motorcycle hit me. I was 34yo and had never ridden one before. I looked online at all the different models and brands. I came across the Honda Shadow VLX Deluxe and thought it was a neat looking bike. I went to the local Honda dealer with a friend and saw the VLX in person. I just fell in love with it and decided it had to be mine! So I bought the bike and had it trailered to my house. I played around in the pasture with it until I could take the MSF course. It was after I hit the highway that I learned what the secret was that the bikers from childhood knew. It was freedom. Freedom from everything. When you are on a bike you are not worrying about all the little things that suck the joy out of our lives. You are thinking about the roar of the engine, the wind against your skin and the world around you. I think about how blessed I am to be able to ride and how thankful I am for the opportunity to follow my dream. _________________ “We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same.” – Carlos Castaneda
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.” – Albert Einstein
Joined: Jan 01, 2007 Posts: 664 Location: CENTRAL NJ
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 5:33 am Post subject:
well put!!!! I think you have said it for all as regards why we fell in love with the experience.--tink _________________ ~~we ride under the same sun and rest under the same moon~~
**personal motto: to embrace the people, perspectives and pathways I encounter while riding
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when I remarried at 26 we still had little kids, and then added another. But when I hit 30 it was starting to hit me. Being overwhelmed with 5 kids, the youngest with a lot of medical issues, getting a bike just wasn't in the cards, but I set a goal. By the time I turned 40 I wanted a bike of my own.
