Get off the bike!

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by Chris

This happens occasionally to me also. If I'm already out then I pull in somewhere for a cup of coffee. Seems like me and the bike both settle down a bit with a 15 minute break.
Who said they were 50? I can't even remember 50! I've got shoes older than you are. The 60's are the new 30's.

Chris, retired and active near Atlanta

Yup, been there done that. I went through a stage where nothing would feel right half the time. Stopped for coffee and a smoke to get it together. Climbed back on the bike and everything felt just so darn good it was amazing. Must be a "DO OVER" kind of thing. Also 60+ and retired.

[alanmcorcoran]

There's damn little I do that I don't do better with coffee. When I gave up the cigs, I just doubled my coffee habit.

It's not only legal, but you don't even need a prescription!

[BigIron]

When I took the MSF course they talked about this. They said you should be in the right frame of mind when riding. Never ride when sick, angry, sad, stressed out, etc.

[prof_stack]

Originally Posted by BigIron

When I took the MSF course they talked about this. They said you should be in the right frame of mind when riding. Never ride when sick, angry, sad, stressed out, etc.

That sorts of limits the riding days a bit, don't you think? All for the good, I guess.

With summer safely behind, I try to pick the days to look forward to my next ride. Weather permitting and the chores done, its a great reward to get out and ride. I just returned from an awesome Autumn 111-mile ride in the sunshine and temps in the low 50's. It all felt good and the Guzzi ran great (57mpg).

[alanmcorcoran]

I think, to a certain extent, the more you ride, the more comfortable and capable you get. I was a bit late today for a friend's concert, so I pushed myself to hit the freeway in spite of my general discomfort with it. I did about 13 miles and was pleased to discover:

1) I am starting to be able to maintain 60 plus.
2) I'm getting a little more used to the wiggle waggle of the rougher patches. Not real comfortable, but less on edge.
3) It's not all the same - there are concrete parts that are not too bad and there are paved parts that are a welcome relief.

I'm finding the riding rough roads at speed is a little like airplane trubulence. You are as good as your worst previous experience. With the plane, eventually you realize that it apparently takes something pretty heavy duty to cause a problem. With the bike, I guess you start to be able to ignore all the wiggling, waggling and bouncing around and realize the bike is going to stay upright for the most part. I'm going to keep on hitting the freeway periodically until I get used to it.

[Moedad]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

I think, to a certain extent, the more you ride, the more comfortable and capable you get...I'm going to keep on hitting the freeway periodically until I get used to it.

I'm finding that to be the key for me. Saturday's ride back from Elsinore was my longest stretch of freeway driving yet-some 55 miles on 4 different freeways: I-15 to the 91, to the 55 to the 22. Interstate 15, which you'd think would have the lightest traffic, was the worst with the 4 accidents in 8 miles that I mentioned in the other thread. Coming west on the 91, I was trying to decide if I wanted to try and and merge over through 80+ MPH traffic to get on the 55 south or just stay on the 91 to Buena Park. By the time I actually got to the 55, traffic had slowed down enough that I was able to merge over with no problems.

[bigred1964]

Yes, I have had those moments or days. Some days I just really don't feel like going for a ride and my husband really wants to go so I go anyways. On some of those days I just feel like I have been hit by a case of dumbshit. I know I haven't been riding long but more often than not I feel pretty confident when riding. I think it is just a bad day or a lack of confidence kind of day. When the ride is all said and done I am glad I went because I overcame the dumbshit feeling and I am all about succeeding at what ever I do.

[theneanderthal]

Biorhythms! When you're hot you're hot, when you're not you're not! Sometimes you just feel like you're snakebit and sometimes you'll feel ready to throw Lucifer himself on his ass.

When I'm not in the groove and climb onto one of the rodeo horses he will let me know, conclusively, my head aint in the game.

My quarter horse stud will shamelessly toss my ass when his empathy tells him I didn't bring my A game.

I try to listen to those inner voices and adjust my behavior accordingly. Some days recreation is the scoot, some days it's the MR2, some days it's the diesel dually.

There's safety in mass and danger in ignoring those inner voices.

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by theneanderthal

Biorhythms!

Generally, I pride myself on being a pretty scientific sort, but I have to admit, there is definitely an ebb and flow to the mind/body connection. I'm also a little bipolar and, during the all-too-brief "euphoric" stages, I'm definitely a different person than the rest of time.

[mr. softie]

A very good friend was killed on a club ride one day. He had said he wasn't feeling well and later lost it in a corner and was run over by a truck.

yesterday was the first day I did not ride to work since June. I wasn't feeling well and so I drove the truck. Some lessons are hard.