"Out of sorts"

[slofox]

Since the big ride at New Year - in fact even before that come to think of it, I have been feeling "out of sorts" on the bike. Just not "there" if you know what I mean. Not really balanced, a bit tentative, just not right.

But then today, I picked the bike up from the shop after its 24k service and headed over to Raglan for a pootle and for some reason or other things sorted out. Body position settled down, weight felt planted, bike felt stable. By the time I was half way back I was ready to chase that Nissan Fairlady up the road...

I've had similar experiences with other things I have done - squash was one such. Some days you are unbeatable and other days you are useless. Same with the ballroom dancing, ('cept the off days there are always the partner's fault! )

I often wonder why this happens. Anyone else get that?

[avgas]

You weren't nice to her. You must woo her. She must feel wanted.
Otherwise it takes forever - you wont talk, she wont talk - you both ignore each other.
Eventually you soften up for each other, then things get exciting.
Afterwards it feels like the best day of you life. You put her in the shed and repeat the whole process all over again in a month.

You gotta keep that relationship, otherwise its too hard.

buy my book "How a motorbike is better than my wife" by Stewart Farr

[Highlander]

Been there.
Day two of a weeks riding, ferry crossing and then riding down to Kaikoura, just couldn't get my head in the right space. Missreading corners, everything just felt wrong.
Gas stop at Kaikoura and parted company with the guy I was riding with (not blaming him at all) I ride solo down the inland route to Geraldine Fantastic ride.
Don't know what changed, just all came together somehow.

[Edbear]

Ah, yer jus' gettin' old mate...

[mattian]

I think it would be super-human to be on form 100% of the time.

When I come to a complete stop I like to balance while stopped, before I put my feet on the ground. I get it spot on frequently, but then there are some days I'm wobbling around like I need training wheels......lol. It annoys me when I dont get it quite right.

[Eyegasm]

Ah, yer jus' gettin' old mate...

Just getting????

[Edbear]

Just getting????

LOL!!!! Shhhh! Let's not push our luck on this one....

[NinjaNanna]

Happens to me all the time, particularly with sporting endeavours, I put it down to having high expectations of myself, the more I do it the more critical I become of myself yet in reality not much has really changed.

I get it on the bike too, but rarely can I shake it, for me on the bike the reason is different though, its my self preservation gene kicking in and messing with my head. Mind you when I do manage to beat it I must admit it feels amazing, I remember 1 clockwise coro-loop when it all just clicked, I wasn't fast by anybodies standards I'm sure, but I was smooth and felt at complete ease. Another time was on last years NET, following QKCHK through the Waipora forest best run through there I've ever had.

[Juzz976]

If ya let it get to you it usually gets worse, I sometimes stop for a bit and distract myself, drink water, stretch and look at the scenery.
When I get back on most times I've improved, being relaxed and stress free helps too.

I'd put it down to Christmas stress.

[Highlander]

...when I do manage to beat it I must admit it feels amazing, I remember 1 clockwise coro-loop when it all just clicked, I wasn't fast by anybodies standards I'm sure, but I was smooth and felt at complete ease.

Is that not the criteria we should be using to judge our own on road performance?
I want to ride with the bike feeling like an extention of my self, flowing smoothly from corner to corner, assessing the risks and not taking undue ones. I couldn't care less if you ride faster than me.

[javawocky]

Your probably trying to hard. Enhance your calm, slow down, get back to the basics and build up from there again. In fact, all this reminds me over a video that crazy chick Sandra Stammova posted on her facepoops the other day...



...but yeah, if you are not riding affirmatively best you slow down cause the bike is riding you.

[Genie]

Now if you were a female I'd say it's hormones. Women blame all their weird on hormones.

Seeing you're a fella, you were just having an 'off' day, it happens. It never lasts for long and when you get back 'on', it's way, way better than what you remembered. It's like doing it all again for the very first time, that thrill comes back. Then bugga me days, next time to take the bike out, you're flat, it's all wrong because you can't get back to that 'on' feeling again and you'll keep searching for it always...oh I just described addiction!

[slofox]

Ah, yer jus' gettin' old mate...

I was gunna say "Waddya mean "GETTING?""

Just getting????

But smartarse here beat me to it!




And Javawocka is right - when I got back on the bike this morning, I was just gonna go home. But I decided to cruise to Raglan - real quiet like - and that's when stuff got better.

[george formby]

I have my off days on the bike & in the car, bad judgment calls, bad observation, lack of awareness & zero connection with the vehicle.
As already mentioned taking good fuel inboard helps the brain & body & I also try to force my concentration level up, I believe it's the lack of concentration which causes the feeling in the first place.
When I find myself with mind wandering, riding a bike which feels unfamiliar though I've owned it for years at a pace which would shame a Prius fanatic I up my pace & make an effort to actually ride the bloody thing. Done this for years now, not in a manic, risky way but enough to get my head back into the right space without pushing my limits in anyway.
Upping the pace a little & committing a bit more to a nice section of road wakes me up very quickly & once back on track I stay their. It's when I start to think about the physics of what's happening rather than sitting their thinking about how shite it feels that the mental shift happens.

[Big Dave]