Really starting to enjoy my biking now!

[Psychybikey]

After several trips out trying to work out which is the best way for me to progress, I've opted for going over and over a familiar route I can do it without too much stress or worry, and just getting a bit better and more confident each time, and going a little further at the end before I find somewhere to turn round and come home. This is enabling me to get better at bends (pretty well all blind bends round here so I have to get the right balance between confidence and timidity, too much of either of which would be equally bad) and forward planning. It seems to be working and I can enjoy my rides now because the whole ride isn't spent worrying about what to do next. I can even meet an unexpected hazard without flapping! One example - two cyclists coming from the opposite direction, riding side by side on a country lane - easy-peasy until a white van decided to overtake them and come across onto my side of the road. I just tucked in and let him pass, without even worrying.

Not bad for somebody who was so scared only a few weeks ago. Practice makes better. Not perfect, that will never happen, but better I still need to find a reasonably clear open space to practice my slow work, but I think in a couple more weeks I might be ready to try and get across to the industrial estate on the other side of town where I can practice that and also stopping from faster speeds.

And no doubt hugely entertaining for the garage staff - today was the first time I've put petrol in the tank myself, and when I put the petrol cap back on I didn't realise it sits slightly proud of the top of the tank, not completely flush - so I spent ages trying to make it sit further down. At which point my husband turned up (who was off on his own ride on his DRZ ) and put me right

[Phoenix14325]

Woo hoo! Great to hear how you're progressing and riding familiar routes sounds like it's paying off.

It's all building muscle memory and thought pathways which eventually become a natural process wherever the road takes you. Great when you start to return off a ride with a big smile on your face.

Have you started patting the petrol tank yet and calling your bike a good girl, or beauty?

[Psychybikey]

yes, treating it somewhat like a pony...

[Phoenix14325]

Ahhh good. Glad I'm not the only one then.

[Psychybikey]

Just have to be careful not to put sugar lumps in the petrol tank.

[Phoenix14325]

You'll know your losing it when you try and put a head collar on your bike.

[ste]

Psychybikey - im glad your doing really well. i think we passed our cbt around the same time, when i brought my bike, i was always a little nervous of going out, now i just get on and ride. gaining more road experience every time.

im taking advantage of all the dry days, this time of year. when i can.

[Psychybikey]

ste, I still need to get over the nerves. It is silly, when I go in the car and look at a road I've done on the bike, I think "Did I really do that?" and I look at everybody else whizzing around and I think of all the thousands of journeys that must be done every day without mishap, and I still worry about it a bit. The best thing seems to be to have somewhere to go, not for the sake of practising but because you need to get there, and do it on the bike instead of in the car. Then I have to focus on something else. I know the examiner (on that far-off day) is supposed to be looking for safety, not perfection, but to me they are the same thing and I can't be safe if I'm not perfect. How are you getting on?

[Phoenix14325]

I still get a knot in my stomach too!

[Woodman]

Once the weather starts improving and you are out and about more often it will become second nature to you.

This isn't the best time of the year to be a biker.

Nothing beats going on a long ride when the weather is nice.I often go to the coast which is about 80 miles on nice twisty roads.

Did it a couple of times on the 125 and those miles help you become a better rider.

[Psychybikey]

This isn't the best time of the year to be a biker.

 

The other thing about that is there is so much extra traffic about at the moment with the enforced extra spending because of Christmas. These drivers are already pre-annoyed and stressed and therefore in a hurry and not concentrating. They know where the rat runs are, too. I simply cannot believe the speed that somebody drove up our lane this afternoon. When he saw me (I was unloading the car) he slammed his brakes on and skidded a bit, and still screamed round the bend with his tyres squealing. I was just so glad I wasn't on the bike as my avoiding reflex isn't yet highly developed.

Also a lot of frost and ice about today and the only couple of hours that were safe, I had to do something else. Let's hope for a better day tomorrow than the forecast says.

[MissBex]

Good to hear you're making progress, I also need more time on the bike to get my riding better so can't wait for the nicer weather! I'm also doing the same as you, I have only really ridden routes I know over and over, mostly country roads with quite a lot of bends. I'm feeling loads more confident compared to when I first got the bike a few months ago after passing my DAS. I still get a funny anxious feeling in my stomache just before I ride out of the drive each time and I definitely need to work on my turns and roundabouts as I'm not doing them tight enough. I think once I'm able to get out more when the weather is nicer the progress will be a lot quicker.

Ride safe and keep us posted!

Bex

[Psychybikey]

The last ride I did, I was pulling my gloves on in the porch and thinking "Oh, no, what if all this has been a terrible mistake?" And when I got out I enjoyed it.

It is so icy on the roads today, I had to use the 4x4 function on the car, first to get out of our drive and then up the road to where I keep the pony. Totally unsuitable for a beginner and not advisable for anybody. Infuriating because it is otherwise a lovely, bright, sunny, dry, perfect winter's day and I could have tried out my new muffs!

And at stupid work for the rest of the week, including overtime on New Year's Day.