Win Win

Two wins today:

First, I rotated my new shifter up one notch and loosened the ankle buckle on my new boots and low and behold I could shift gears almost perfectly ...I'd say about 85% perfect and the rest will come with time.  Very happy about that.

Second, I spent about 15 minutes on the highway today and felt amazingly comfortable.  I would say totally comfortable at 55, and pretty comfortable at 65.  This is a big improvement.  It's the first time I have enjoyed being on the highway instead of just bearing it ...and it was pretty windy, I was getting blown around pretty good, but it just didn't seem to bother me today.  It hit me when I realized that I was loose, as in I wasn't holding all of my muscles tight with fear.  It was nice.

Win Win Today.

Boots and shifters

So, I actually got out on my motorcycle yesterday for about an hour.  It was great just to get out a ride a little.  The main thing I was doing was testing out my new shifter.  It's one inch longer and I bought it because I couldn't shift gears with my new motorcycle boots.  After reading on the forums I learned that a longer shifter might solve the problem... I'd say it solved 60% of the problem and I may get it a little better by rotating it up slightly.  The rest it just going to have to be me getting used to riding with big clunky boots.  The do feel much more safe and stable, just makes it harder to change gears... which is kind of an important part of the whole process.

Based on what I've read on the forums, I just need to deal with it, give it time, and then I won't even notice them after a while.  I hope so!  I also hope to ride tomorrow!!

Wishing for warmer weather

I don't want a pickle
I just want to ride my motorcicle
I don't want to die
I just want to ride my motorcy ...cle
                      -Arlo Guthrie


Go away snow
        -Ken

Nice Ride

I rode for about an hour today.  It was cold and gusty, but dry (and not icy!).  It was a great ride.  The picture doesn't show the curvy road, but it was there ... lots of fun  ...and on a weekday!

A Warm-ish day with Big Feet

So, Leo, my motorcycle has been sitting out in the 20 degree weather in the snow for about three weeks now while I sit inside  This has not been agreeable for either one of us.  Yes, I am warm and dry inside, but I want to be out riding  ...and Leo wants to get going because it's the only way he can get warm.

But, since the ice adventure I have not been too keen on getting out until the ice melted.  Well, we recently had a 40ish degree day and Leo and I hit the road.  Down into Ellet Valley and out through Luster's Gate.  It was a beautiful ride...

...except, there was a ton of snow melt on the road and a good bit of gravel from the snow plow trucks.  Strange, but it seemed that all of the water and gravel was concentrated on the curves.  I haven't ridden enough on the streets to know how fast I can take Leo on dry pavement, much less wet gravely curves.  

To add to that, I could hardly change gears with my new motorcycle boots.  I got them for Christmas and was really excited to wear them.  But, they are so stiff and big I couldn't get them under the shifter easily and once I did I couldn't flex my ankle.  It might not sound that bad, but when you can't change gears easily it's not fun.  I tried lifting my foot rather than bending my ankle.  That worked a little better, but sometimes my foot would slide off and shoot into the air ...never when I was alone though, only when I was where people could see me.  I am sure they were curious about my kicking into the air.  Maybe they thought I was taking a little time to practice karate, or tae kwon do, or my swing dancing.  Who knows?

 

 

So, there I was out on a glorious day kicking my foot in the air and clenching my teeth on every turn.  Not exactly as I had expected.  Leo told me to calm my ass down and enjoy the day.  Just then I rembered reading about another guy with new boots that found that he could use his heal to up-shift so I gave it a try.  It did entail me kicking my foot out a little to get in front of the shifter, but not up in the air as before.  A definite improvement.

All in all, I had a good time.  At least I was out.  Leo got to stretch his legs.  And I learned that I have a lot to learn about shifting gears with big stiff boots on.