U-turns And Figure Of Eights Practice - June 2014

I have been really struggling with my slow riding. Especially the u-turns. Don't even mention figures of 8 because how can I do them if I cant even do a u?

While chatting to Ren the other day he said I need to stop thinking I can't do them. To replace that thought with I am learning to do them.

So on a lovely warm summer Sunday evening I find myself after a pleasant little ride out at my my usual practice place for slow riding. A nearly empty retail car park. Ren has not mentioned before hand that we might be doing slow practice tonight. So fortunately I had no chance to worry about it and work myself up before hand.

On arriving at the car park Ren tells me just to follow him on his bike. I follow behind and following his lines it suddenly seems so much easier to flow around corners. We stop to have a chat about counter steering. The small push pull movements on your handle bars to help the bike drop more easily into corners. I put my new knowledge to the test and yes that slight movement does make turning so much easier. 

Still following behind the bf he now does some large figures of 8's and u-turns. It soon becomes apparent that my inability to turn my head around and look where I want the bike to go rather than on an object I want to avoid is causing a problem. I fixate on everything I want to avoid and therefore head towards that and not into the bend. 
"What are you looking at NOW??? " has to be repeated by the poor bf several times. I stop in a fit of giggles. At least I am enjoying this practice today and not getting upset. I do however have a word with myself and resolve to keep my eyes firmly on the bf in front of me and where I actually want the bike to go. By doing this I am finally doing much better.

I already know in theory that you have to turn your head while doing u-turns and 8s but somehow I just could not do it. I think I was turning my head but not enough. I also think I was previously turning my head too slowly. The trick is to turn you head quick sharp before the turn, not during it. That way the bike automatically follows where you are looking. Sounds simple does it not? Well yes but it has taken me a long time to get here.

The next obstacle to my u-turn success that Ren observed was that when beginning to make the turn I turn too slow and shallow at the start of the manoeuvre. I then need to tighten up too quickly at the end causing me to wobble. So by turning the bike sooner I achieved a much smoother and easier turn.

U-turn diagram

The figure of 8s then simply flowed from the successful u-tunrs. I am naturally inclined to do a better left turn than a right but today with all the practice I somehow managed to balance them both.

I am extremely lucky that I have a very patient ex-bike instructor as a boyfriend. His experience, knowledge and advise has been invaluable. By the end of the days session I was successfully managing to do both u-turns and figure of 8s all by myself. Wahooo .... at last!!

All the expert advice I got from Ren certainly had a major part in my success. I also believe my attitude that day played a part. I did not go into it dreading it and stressed. I managed to stay relaxed, upbeat and laugh at myself. I did indeed replace my mind set of can't do it to I am learning to do it and more importantly I decided to enjoy it.

I would not say I have my slow manoeuvres nailed. But I did have a great day doing them and it is at least one successful day to put under my back protector. It has taken some of the fear and down right glumness I used to feel about doing them. So just more and more practise now and to try and do it all with a smile.   

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