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Chipping My Bike In Chipping - Oct 2013
It's time for more bike fun and this time I get to choose where we are going. I choose the Trough of Bowland. I love it here, its open green fields, forests and gentle rolling hills are not too far away at all. Perfect for a return day trip for a beginner biker.
It is a rather grey morning and rather cold but it is dry and hopefully it will stay that way. It is not long before we leave the traffic behind and are in open countryside. Once again this confirms to me that this is what biking is all about to me. Being in the country just bimbling about and enjoying all that there is to see. Of course I am still not so confident or experienced that I do not spend most of my time worrying about what gear I am in, my speed or my ability to successfully negotiate the next corner. But the tension in my arms and shoulders is lessening and my death grip on the handle bars is also beginning to relax. Progress is ongoing and each ride enables me to practice and hopefully improve.
We stop for a stretch by a few houses grouped close together surround by impressive hills. What a view is afford these lucky residents each and every day. An elderly lady approaches and stares at us for some time. I can not discern from her stare if she is friend or foe. Does she want to chat about the bikes and tell us how when she was younger she rode one too? Does she want to tell us to get lost and not to park our noisy bikes in front of her house? Thus not being sure I try to ignore her but she shuffles ever closer until we are obliged to turn in her direction. She proceeds to complain about a woman in her house that insists on cleaning her home all the time and how it gets on her nerves. We are puzzled. She then asks if we know a chap walking by. We try and explain we are not from these parts but she carries on regardless. Complaining that no body knows anybody any more. By now it has become apparent that this lady may be suffering from dementia or something of that nature. Aww bless her. We bid her goodbye and carry on, just another reminder I guess that life is short and precious and we have to take the time like we are today to do the things we enjoy when we are fit enough in both mind and body to do so.
Being a Monday there is little traffic and we get to go at a sedate pace without pressure from any queuing traffic behind. Bends scare me and there is plenty enough around here to practice on. Even though I have been a car driver for many years I usually stick to motorways and the usual urban roads. So narrow twisty roads are a complete new experience to me, not only as a biker but also as a road user. This is the type of biking I want to do, out on these country roads, so I try my best to stop my heart jumping into my throat on each new corner as I nervously slide around. I am enjoying it but I am still scared.
We come to the most charming village of Chipping and the bf decides this looks like a pleasant place to stop to eat. I however do not know what he is thinking so when we pull into the car park I am not sure if he is just using it to turn around in or if he does intend to stop. So I hang back a bit trying to judge what he is about to do. While I watch him I do not concentrate on my own bike and I slow enough to render second gear too high for the bike and it stalls. I put my foot down only to find I am actually on a slight camber. Nothing major but enough to lean the bike over just beyond the point of me being able to keep it up. I have a moment where the bike and I balance at this precarious angle and it does occur to me fleetingly that I might save the situation. However gravity wins and once again me and the bike go for another impromptu lie down. I try my best to make my bike fall as gentle as possible but I still hear that horrible scraping sound as the handle bars meet tarmac. Damn, another chip and scratch to paint up. However I hit the kill switch, jump up from under the bike and as the bf rushes over I declare the fall has a silver lining. Here is the most perfect opportunity to learn how to pick my bike up by myself. So rather than cry over spilt petrol and oil and just grin and flex my muscles.
Now the bf has done some research about picking up bikes since my last dismal attempt. He said that a lot of people propose lifting the bike up with your back against the bike. I try this method first with zero success. So I just decide to go on instinct and see what happens. I know I have weakling arms but I have always had strong legs. So I get down onto my knees beside the bike and push up with both my arms and legs. I get the bike off the ground enough to push one of my knees right under it and this adds the extra push and leverage I need to heave it upright. SUCCESS !!
Ok so I am not to happy I hit the deck again but I have achieved my goal of learning how to pick up my bike and knowing that I can do that is really good. It is an important thing to learn and I am very happy to add picking up my bike to my skills.
So feeling perfectly happy we sit on a bench next to a flower bedecked old tractor. The bf loves old tractors but he does not love it being beautified by blooms.
Tractor in Bloom - I think it is very pretty. Chipping has won many awards for the best kept village
After our sandwiches we go into a cafe for a brew and the bf informs me that I have to now take a turn at leading. Harumph, just when I was enjoying myself. I don't want to lead, I like to follow, I will get lost. But the bf insists that it will be good practice to be in front and I reluctantly agree he has a point but that does not mean I have to be happy about it. So I get back on my bike with a slightly smaller smile.
Zen looking glorious in the very Zen car park of Chipping
Leading is new and therefore scary. But I do it and even though I am not exactly enjoying it once again it is good to know I can actually do it. We pass over a pretty stone bridge. Some time later we pass over another pretty stone bridge. Then another pretty stone bridge is passed over which err hang on looks the same as the second, which when I think about it actually looked the same as the first. Haa yep I am doing exactly what I warned the bf I would do....I am going around in circles. Something I always do when I am lost. I know the bf probably can judge my riding better from the rear and give me valuable advice on my riding but thankfully he gets bored of going in circles and once again takes the lead so we can get home before Christmas.
Once home the bf tells me has enjoyed the day. He took his 125 out as well to keep mine company and he liked the relaxed pace. I am lucky I do not have a speed demon trying to teach me to ride. He has a bigger bike he can use when the need for speed strikes but it is good to know that trundling along on a 125 can be fun for him as well as for me. So all in all another fun day was had by the 125s.
No good crying over spilt petrol so remember to keep smiling
Reader's Comments
Tom McQ said :-
Great to hear about your progress - an enjoyable read everytime. I distinctly remember my own learner days and the "Death Grip" is a problem we've all suffered. One tiny tip passed onto me by a friend, made a ridiculously huge difference to my teenage confidence. He told me to use my knees to grip the tank so that I could relax my grip on the bars. What a difference it made!! I don't mean all the time - just on those occasions that one might be a little anxious like when negotiating a trick bend or when doing a U-turn. X
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
john de vile said :-
No good crying over spilt petrol so remember to keep smiling
WHAT, I WOULD RATHER SPILL MILK THANK YOU......................................LOL
Tom is correct, you will learn to ride one day, at the moment you are learning and finding out that each ride you do will enhance your riding.
Its a pity that Niki dont post you some advice, she must have gone through the same fears as you are now experiencing. only jesting nikster................................:)
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Cassandra T said :-
I know how you feel love, dropping your motorcycle is most distressing. I see this is from a while back, how are you getting on with the riding now Sharon?
16/11/2016 18:26:22 UTC
Sharon said :-
Hi Cassandra,
This certainly was a long time ago. I am happy to report that I am still riding, still have Zen and unfortunately still manage to drop the bike, albeit less often these days.
I now own another bike as well. A Kawasaki Z 250 SL as I passed my full bike test in October 2015.
I adore riding my bikes and have around 25,000 miles of practise under my tyres now. Including my first trip abroad on my bike.
If you want to keep up to date with my biking adventures, highs and lows, check out my blog on here. Lots of stuff on the blog, including my Mods 1 and 2 and buying my new bike.
Hope you are enjoying your riding to Cassandra, despite any little lie downs we may have.
www.bikesandtravels.com/biker.aspx?ride=508...
18/11/2016 16:36:19 UTC
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