Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Bike have cobwebs?

So I get a text that I am not riding my bike enough because it is growing cob webs in the garage... Part of me is laughing, because that just sounds funny! I had just been out on it last weekend, so either there are very active spiders, or it just isn't so. The other and bigger part of me is just flat out ashamed. While I have mostly healed up since the accident, I avoided riding to work again. (managed to get over that thouh, and rode to and from work again, right through the same intersection.) Then I let myself get flustered and overwhelmed right around home. One mistake upset me, which led to making another, which led to gettting rattled and unsure of myself. Not sure how it is, that a scare gets to nag at you and eat away at you the longer you avoid facing it again. I am fortunate that my husband understands that and urges me to get back out there and get beyond it.

So, I have lowers on my bike now, and bags, and a new windshield. I was able to ride through the high winds of the gorge. Now I have also been able to ride to work and right through the same intersection where the accident happened. I was able to get beyond the feeling of being flustered, and realized that I DO know how to ride and a mistake or two does not change that.

Now if the weather would cooperate, I am actually looking forward to riding again! We have a ride on August 18th that will be full of those other bikes, and I am anxious to get out there and show them how awesome Triumphs are! It is another anxiety for me though, in that I hate being boxed in to the parade formation with people I don't know. I had a real close call on a toy run when the harley ahead of me suddenly stalled and locked up mid span on a bridge and in order to avoid a pile up, I had to swerve and get REAL close to the rail while the bike behind me bumped the back of the bike that had been in front of me.

Here's to facing fears again. Geesh I am so excited to go on the ride, I am not sure that the ride style is really bothering me after all this time. I'll just be ready to swerve and avoid. Riding off my husband's six is going to be fun.

I hear ya about the weather... Im home and its raining, Im out of town and its decent enough to ride. :bang head:

Glad your back at it!

oh, and here is the other reason my bike sat more than it should have...

Bought the Scion IQ and have been having a great time scooting about in it!

Soren's bike is only a little shorter than the length of my car, and I think I can turn tighter with a 12.9 foot turning radius.

I often feel that I don't ride my bike enough.I've become a fair weather rider.From the age of 17 to 21 all I had was a motorbike,so it was ridden rain hail or shine.Now it's an enjoyment thing.In the cold or wet forget it.It's been raining here for the last two days by the way.
At 18 I had a bad smash. A car plowed me off my bike wrecking my right leg.It takes time to get over a crash.You say you're looking forward to riding that's a good thing.Don't push things just take your time and enjoy yourself.It sounds from your post you're doing good.Good luck.

As a youngster I didn't have a car and I resided in a nice area to ride so I lived on the thing. Now, I have to make time. My experience has always been, the more you ride the more you enjoy riding. It has to do with comfort levels. My wife just took up riding about 5 years ago but she commutes to work every day unless it's snowing or pouring rain. She alternates between the nicest little black Bonnie you've ever seen and her KLR. She says she doesn't want to hurt their feelings. I think it has helped her become a great rider in 'just' 5 years. She always defers to my 40 years of riding but I think she rides as well as I do. She learned all my tricks before ever throwing a leg over her own bike.

This is just a personal thing but I'd recommend getting as much saddle time as possible before joining the parade. You have to be so vigilant against other peoples' mistakes it can take the fun out of it if you aren't in the right place psychologically.

I've never gotten the whole 30 bikes riding together thing myself. If I'm on the Parkway and find myself in a line of bikes I pull over and let them go by. I'll ride with one or two other bikes but that's it.

Motorcycles, airplanes, tigers, sex, submarines...I just think some things just aren't meant to be clustered together in large numbers.

"I've never gotten the whole 30 bikes riding together thing myself. If I'm on the Parkway and find myself in a line of bikes I pull over and let them go by. I'll ride with one or two other bikes but that's it."


That's where I'm happiest too.Riding alone or with a few friends is good but I did a charity "fun"ride with about 300 bikes once and I'll tell you it wasn't a "fun"ride.

Wierd, a fellow coworker remarked "you look pale" to me today as we stood in the shade in 100 degree heat..."you ain't ridin enough!" He quipped. I looked at him a bit puzzled and asked "pale"? "I ride to/from work most everyday...(hot or cold), Oh! and where's that HD softail of your's?" (never mind my sunburnt neck, and trucker tan arms, and my religous use of SPF 50 sunscreen)

Yep, I've had a couple on low side spills over the years, and yep, it did make me a bit anxious to get back on the scoot to ride for a while afterward each. The key is to get back on the scoot and ride....and the more you ride the greater your confidence in your skills are renewed!

I too am a bit of fair weather rider (don't enjoy intentionally riding in the rain...too much opportunity for disaster), but if nature happens to throw a challenge my way, I like to believe that I am up to it (with the proper gear of course), and knowing one's limits helps too. The bottom line is one must be aware of everything while enjoying a ride anywhere, everywhere, and at all times.

So, Get back on that BA and have fun!!

My car and bike are the same age.. 2600 miles on the car, 8600 miles on the bike & a nice tan.

Just because a bike has cobwebs doesn't mean no one's riding it.