Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 175 Location: Minnesota
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:46 am Post subject: Did this happen to you?
Ok, so the weather here in MN has finally decided to cooperate!! WHOO HOOOO on Monday I was determined to take my bike out, and I did! I put 50 miles on just tooling around our town; side streets and nothing more than 45 mph. Then I decided I needed a "destination" and remembered my brother in law was working at home. Our entire extended family rides, so they're very supportive of me. I rode over there on back roads that don't have much traffic. One has some good turns, but not TOO tough. Good for a beginning rider. (I avoided the really difficult road that has a high accident rate! LOL) It was great fun. I felt free, and a strange independence. If you knew me, you'd know I'm an extremely independent person, so I thought this was kinda funny.
I had one small shifting mishap at an intersection. Thought I was in first, but no, I was in second. Note to self: When you think you're in first, down shift again!!!!
The next day I went out again. Much colder!!! I needed to run some errands and wanted to take the bike instead of my gas sucker Tahoe. All was fine. I remembered my "first gear" lesson from the day before and didn't have that problem again. I extended my errands a bit and put on a total of about 30 miles.
Today is beautiful. Gorgeous. Perfect. I have some errands to run, and again don't want to drive the gas sucker. But why am I nervous? The other 2 days I was exicited and anxious to get out. Today feels ominous. I think I won't take the bike.
Does this ever happen to you? One day for no explainable reason riding doesn't feel right? Is this normal and should I ignore it? Or is this some instinctual thing I need to listen to?
Joined: Mar 19, 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Guthrie, OK
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:32 am Post subject:
Girl, listen to your instincts. This has not happened to me yet, but I was listening to the radio one morning and they were talking about things like this...It was kinda freaky. People were telling stories about how voices or visions or family had convinced them not to do something and then something bad happened when and where they were going to be. So listen to it. LISTEN!!!! Just my advise, take it for what it's worth. Be careful and take care of you.
Joined: Jan 01, 2007 Posts: 760 Location: Ulasigi Ulogilv
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:49 pm Post subject:
+1 LilNinja
I'm a firm believer in following your instincts!!!! _________________ Chrome Cowgirl
Real & Steel
Honda VTX 1800N
~Geyatahi Soquili~
Vice President National Operations
Joined: Jan 03, 2007 Posts: 642 Location: Carney, OK
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:06 pm Post subject:
I am all for following your instincts!! Glad you had some good rides and the weather is cooperating for you!! _________________ “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: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 175 Location: Minnesota
Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 9:16 am Post subject:
Ok, here's what happened. I was still debating about taking the bike or truck, when my husband called for the umpteenth time to tell me something. (he's in the car all day, gets bored, and so I get called. But I digress....) He asked if I was going to ride today and I told him what was going through my mind. He lovingly reminded me that there have been several times when we've been headed out to meet family for a ride, or just to go somewhere ourselves when at the last minute I've said something about feeling like something was going to happen. There HAVE been a couple group rides that we didn't go on just because of circumstances, and there have been either minor but irritating mishaps, or serious accidents. But never has anything happened when I've had "that feeling".
So I decided to just go.
I went. Nothing happened. I was fine. Once I was on the road I felt fine, wasn't nervous, nothing. Actually felt comfortable on the bike.
Maybe it's just that feeling in the back of my mind that every time I or we get on a bike we're tempting fate a bit. I don't know....it's wierd. I'd love to go back to being the 15 year old on the back of my mom's bike just enjoying the ride and not thinking/worrying about anything else!
Joined: Mar 19, 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Guthrie, OK
Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 9:40 am Post subject:
Woo Hoo!!!!! Happy to hear that all is well. I am glad that you got to go enjoy your ride with no mishaps. I rode my bike to work today for the first time. That is about a 35 mile ride. I watched the weather and it is going to be about 79 today, winds are going to be high, about 10-30 mph, it was already a wonderful 61. I had the kids all ready for school so I left a few minutes early, dropped them off and then went to get my bike from my friends garage. The first attempt of riding in the wind, It was wonderful riding to work this morning. I am grinning from ear to ear. It is truely a beautiful Friday.
Joined: Jan 01, 2007 Posts: 664 Location: CENTRAL NJ
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 5:47 am Post subject:
I think that the wiggly feeling that comes prior to getting on the bike is very normal. I also believe that you can not ignore it.
Rather, I think it is prudent to ALWAYS take inventory.
"Am I tired....or conversely (SP?) am I well rested....Am I anxious about a problem in my life.....am I mad and upset with any one important to me....am I frustrated....am I feeling apathetic and un-focused.....etc.
Once I have established that those type of distractions are not the trouble then I say to my self that the instinct to be safe is kicking in and my body and mind know that riding is dangerous and I have to work with those feelings.
Making certain the bike is running well, making certain I have on all the gear I am required to wear, and want to wear, to keep me safe and feeling confident and THEN decide that to take a short ride around the block....or a short ride of a mile or two to "test the feeling"....is in order. At the end of that ride make another assessment and determine if it was a normal reaction that the mind and body have due to the intense nature of the sport.
As you learn your bike and your skill and confidence level improve that feeling will dissapate, but I do not think... (and quite frankly I hope) that the feeling really ever goes away. It is part of a complicated system of skills that will help to keep you upright and safe.
If I find in the begining of the process that something else, like I am frustrated about something, is actually causing my feelings then I acknowledge that, deal with that and take that test ride and make decisions accordingly.--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
Joined: Jan 01, 2007 Posts: 760 Location: Ulasigi Ulogilv
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 7:01 am Post subject:
I too am glad to hear everything went well. _________________ Chrome Cowgirl
Real & Steel
Honda VTX 1800N
~Geyatahi Soquili~
Vice President National Operations
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