What Made Me Smile today ...........................????

Got to ride the bike to work today after a lay off of six weeks with a trapped nerve, but I am obviously a pussy .

Good luck with the metalwork. Hope you too are back on the bike soon.

 

Thinking of you Emma. Heal fast.

 

Still unable to do anything in the kitchen with both hand out of action, so Accessengineer and I had to celebrate his Birthday with breakfast at the Blue and White Cafe, including cake. I wonder if I might get away with trying this every year from now on

 

Nice try, and very nice posture but disabling yourself annually isn't all that practical. Besides ...he might realise after five or six years.

 

Don't you dare Mrs M my poor car, trailer and nerves would not manage another trip like that to recover your bike

 

I meant going out for breakfast! I'm hoping to keep the next bike and me in one piece forever.

 

Better news from my solicitor today. I was feeling down because the other drivers insurance company refused to admit liability but I'm told there's no way that's going to happen because we have everything we need to make them change their minds. I know it could still go wrong but it was nice to know there's still hope. It's not really about the money, apart from being able to replace the bike. It was the unfairness of the other driver getting away with it that really hurt.

 

A really simple one for me the other night (Wednesday) going out for a ride on the bike, ended up going along the coast to Folkestone, and coming back past stack on the M20! Also want to try and improve my cornering a bit, I feel like i almost stop to take a bend on a NSL road! but i guess that will come with time.

(Please tell me that riding on the motorway gets more relaxing? )

 

I'm sure any of our more experienced members will be happy to give you some tips on cornering (you would be paying in coffee and burgers) or, if you'd prefer professional tuition, I did a 'corners' course with Kevin Williams ("Spindoctor") some while back and it made a world of difference to me. He will want to be paid in Happiness Vouchers of the Realm. In my view, that was £50 well spent. 'Course, I feel I learned more in the first 20 laps of Brands Hatch during a track day, at least as far as confidence is concerned, but it all helps. After about forty years's riding, you'll be getting there! (It's what I tell myself, anyway).

I hate riding on motorways. The first reason is that I sit on the bike in one position for long periods, and, not being 22 years old any more, the joints shriek at me when it's time to exit at a service area or leave the motorway. The second (and more important) reason is that riding so steadily and with no real need for inputs from me is TOO relaxing. I see around me drivers listening to music, nattering on hands-free phones, lost in their own thoughts about who knows what, and I can't help feeling their reaction times would be slow, if faced with an Avoid It Or Else event and the reaction they have may not be the appropriate or best one - especially for me!

Thus I fight strenuously any tendency to relax mentally on the bike on motorways. Relaxing physically is a Good Thing, however, since it postpones cramp, allows the bike to track straight and true and bolsters the feeling that you could swerve or brake or accelerate madly if the need arose.

Others may have more sage and worldly advice, but I hope that's a start

 

I can vouch for a bends session with Kevin. He's not available so often as he's recently moved to another area but still runs some courses locally. Cheaper if you share with someone else but I like to go on my own and get all the attention for myself
I am planning to book another training session with him when I get back on the bike. I think a confidence boost will be required.

 

I too did the corners course with Kevin, well recommended, I also dont like motorways, as I feel alot more vulnerable, and if anything goes wrong its going to hurt so I prefer bendy roads
although I was quite happy tearing around Brands on monday

 

Never had a problem on the motorway, even in France and Spain. Control your space, stay back from the guy in front and if the guy behind gets too close try flashing your brake lights a few times. If he's still being a dick, move over and let him go...
The speed is relative, everyone's doing about the same, and if you can't sit on your bike for long periods, maybe you should consider a different bike for longer journeys...

 

After a very fraught day, a totally incompetent solicitor acting on behalf of my buyer but a brilliant one working for me along with a great estate agent we FINALLY exchanged contracts today at 5pm! We move on the 27th August