redline
Greetings from THill...
(this post was edited. You may see some comments that apply to the original posts. Flame away! :laughing) Hopefully the title can be shortened to "A lesson for all barfers (long)"
(edited original post)
A lesson for all BARFers (long)
When I first joined BARF, everyone kept telling me the same things:
ride your own ride
don't try to be "fast" too quickly - go slow to go fast
and a bunch of other stuff
...but, what does all that stuff mean? How do you do it & if it's something people can do, why doesn't everyone do it?
Here is my version of the universal phases of the new rider. What experiences can you add to help paint the full picture for new riders?
The New Rider Phase
So much to learn, so many myths to un-learn! We all have questions about what's the "best Bike to Start With" but we all really want to be seen on something "cool." You'll probably get the "wrong" 1st bike. I only did one thing right on my 1st bike: it was used -well used & beat up. I dropped it at almost every opportunity. If you must have a "cool" bike, at least get a used one -it hurts less to repair. If you're a better rider than me, you'll start on a Ninja 250 or other sensible bike.
Unnatural hazzards:
Just when you thought you were done tipping over the bike...ruts at the intersection, stopping on a hill, parking on a hill --these are all places a newbie is gonna be likely to tip that bike over. What can I say? It's a bumpy road starting out & my 1st bike had the scars to prove it.
How do I use this Helmet?
True story! Just when you think you're past the newbie stage, something throws you a curve. I got my 2nd helmet & the stupid strap doesn't clip like the old one. I tried it on & everything & had to ask the salesguy if a part was missing because the chin strap didn't have a snap on it. "How does this work?" I said, pointing at the Wierd red piece that should've been a snap but wasn't. It happens!
Slow it down!
I know, I know, everyone says to chill on your ride, but yet we keep hearing about people getting hurt on the roads. Do you have that bad feeling that maybe their riding isn't so different than your own? How are you coping? What will you do to keep "luck" on your side? Do you really want to rely on "luck" to keep you alive?
One thing I've really struggled with is the "ride your own ride" thing. On the street, it is really hard not to follow the rider in front. When I do, I find that I'm not turning where I normally would, not riding at the speed I normally would and sooner or later, I end up in a turn that I'm not ready for because I wasn't doing things in my normal way and instead was riding like someone else. If I create a larger space between me & the rider in front, I can ride my own pace & stop copying the rider in front. Usually, the pace is about the same, but now it's more comfortable because I'm riding my style, not the other rider's style.
Dragging Knee
Oh, you know you're obsessed with it! Somebody convinced me that if I go to the track I'd drag knee on the first day!! (yeah, right!) Well, he was dragging knee, but I was getting passed in every turn! Here's a video of my lap of shame: Lap of Shame
I'm the next Rossi!!
Whether street or track, soon, you'll believe all the hype you've been telling yourself about your mad skills. I think I only made that mistake once and it was on this lap (video): How to Crash Your R1
I tried to learn from my mistakes & the mistakes of others. What lessons did you learn the hard way? Wanna post 'em as a lesson to new riders? Although these threads are old, some things don't seem to change. What would you want newer riders to keep in mind as they head out to ride?
(edited original post)
A lesson for all BARFers (long)
When I first joined BARF, everyone kept telling me the same things:
ride your own ride
don't try to be "fast" too quickly - go slow to go fast
and a bunch of other stuff
...but, what does all that stuff mean? How do you do it & if it's something people can do, why doesn't everyone do it?
Here is my version of the universal phases of the new rider. What experiences can you add to help paint the full picture for new riders?
The New Rider Phase
So much to learn, so many myths to un-learn! We all have questions about what's the "best Bike to Start With" but we all really want to be seen on something "cool." You'll probably get the "wrong" 1st bike. I only did one thing right on my 1st bike: it was used -well used & beat up. I dropped it at almost every opportunity. If you must have a "cool" bike, at least get a used one -it hurts less to repair. If you're a better rider than me, you'll start on a Ninja 250 or other sensible bike.
Unnatural hazzards:
Just when you thought you were done tipping over the bike...ruts at the intersection, stopping on a hill, parking on a hill --these are all places a newbie is gonna be likely to tip that bike over. What can I say? It's a bumpy road starting out & my 1st bike had the scars to prove it.
How do I use this Helmet?
True story! Just when you think you're past the newbie stage, something throws you a curve. I got my 2nd helmet & the stupid strap doesn't clip like the old one. I tried it on & everything & had to ask the salesguy if a part was missing because the chin strap didn't have a snap on it. "How does this work?" I said, pointing at the Wierd red piece that should've been a snap but wasn't. It happens!
Slow it down!
I know, I know, everyone says to chill on your ride, but yet we keep hearing about people getting hurt on the roads. Do you have that bad feeling that maybe their riding isn't so different than your own? How are you coping? What will you do to keep "luck" on your side? Do you really want to rely on "luck" to keep you alive?
One thing I've really struggled with is the "ride your own ride" thing. On the street, it is really hard not to follow the rider in front. When I do, I find that I'm not turning where I normally would, not riding at the speed I normally would and sooner or later, I end up in a turn that I'm not ready for because I wasn't doing things in my normal way and instead was riding like someone else. If I create a larger space between me & the rider in front, I can ride my own pace & stop copying the rider in front. Usually, the pace is about the same, but now it's more comfortable because I'm riding my style, not the other rider's style.
Dragging Knee
Oh, you know you're obsessed with it! Somebody convinced me that if I go to the track I'd drag knee on the first day!! (yeah, right!) Well, he was dragging knee, but I was getting passed in every turn! Here's a video of my lap of shame: Lap of Shame
I'm the next Rossi!!
Whether street or track, soon, you'll believe all the hype you've been telling yourself about your mad skills. I think I only made that mistake once and it was on this lap (video): How to Crash Your R1
I tried to learn from my mistakes & the mistakes of others. What lessons did you learn the hard way? Wanna post 'em as a lesson to new riders? Although these threads are old, some things don't seem to change. What would you want newer riders to keep in mind as they head out to ride?
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