Well, they say you've got to tip once...

**Quartida** · 24th June 2006, 18:03

OK, after the debacle with the bike not starting - more on that it a second - I went out for a short cruise on Wednesday. Little did I realise exactly how short the cruise would be.

Turned out of my driveway, got her going, did a perfect U-turn at the end of my cul-de-sac, rode back towards my driveway and thought I'd stop for a second to think "Yes! I have finally done it!"

Instead, I "target fixated" the garden (oops!), braked badly, didn't plant my foot and the bike was over. I held it up for about 3 seconds until I had to give in to gravity.

Sigh.

Even worse, I'm not a very strong person and the bike was on a wee incline, so I had to somehow right her while holding the brake. Perhaps easy for some of you but not for me, I tell you what!

Pushed her into the gargre and went inside. Arm v. sore and woke up yesterday with a few aches and pains on the righ hand side of my body.

So I hope that constitutes my "newbie bin" (she says hopefully).

(Then, this afternoon, PERFECT WINTER WEATHER and the bike doesn't start again....silly old bike. Have to get it bump started by someone else - to scared to do it myself! And THEN I'll be on the road.)

**Wasp** · 24th June 2006, 18:06

yea i hate that, i learnt to ride on the averagely steep hill that i live on.

still happens every now and again though (nearly dropping it that is)

**BeakerRAT** · 24th June 2006, 18:23

Yeah, It's terrible when that happens - bike gets to a certain angle that you can only hang onto for so long. Hang in there, everything gets easier with practise.

At least you didn't drop it outside a packed cafe, I did once, had a pillion too - very red faced!

**crashe** · 24th June 2006, 20:43

And where was Aff-man when this was happening????

Yep thats your 'newbie bin' so upwards and onwards from now on...

Hey pm me if you need help during the week to go out for rides...
Happy to help out...

**2much** · 24th June 2006, 22:25

Hey Quartida, sorry to hear that. Hope the damage to yourself and the bike was only minor. But glad to hear that it hasn't dampened your enthusiasm.

Get that useless prick you call a boyfriend to teach you how to pick up your bike, with the right technique you'll be surprised at how easy it is.

**aff-man** · 25th June 2006, 12:38

Originally Posted by 2much

Hey Quartida, sorry to hear that. Hope the damage to yourself and the bike was only minor. But glad to hear that it hasn't dampened your enthusiasm.

Get that useless prick you call a boyfriend to teach you how to pick up your bike, with the right technique you'll be surprised at how easy it is.

Only damage done was to my ear when I heard about it........
As for the bike not starting i'm gonna give it a service methinks.

But yeh I told her technique is everything so i'll have to show her.

**Macktheknife** · 25th June 2006, 12:56

Glad to hear you are ok, I reckon most people do the 0km drop a couple of times. Embarrassing as hell but otherwise not too bad. My wife dropped my bike in the driveway once and couldnt pick it up again, she thought she might be an Ex after that but I thought it was a good chance to teach her how to do it.
Take it easy and remember the lesson; look where you go, go where you look.

**heavenly.talker** · 25th June 2006, 13:12

[QUOTE=Macktheknife]My wife dropped my bike in the driveway once and couldnt pick it up again, she thought she might be an Ex after that QUOTE]

This is way before I started riding myself lol!

But I guess that is what you get for being a good girl...I was sweeping the yard and moved the bike so he could have a nice clean space to park it in...little beastie got away on me and finally I could not hold it anymore and had to lay it down. He had a full tank of gas that started dribbling so I lifted it up high enough to stuff one of the green recycling bins underneath (with a towel so the paint wasn't stuffed). This stopped the leakage problem.

I then phoned everyone I knew to come and pick up the precious beastie before the laddie got home. But to no avail. Eventually my 4 foot nothing neighbour came out and said she would help. We had the bike up in seconds. Crisis averted phew!!!

But alas...one of my well meaning friends had told the laddie about the bike and my request for help, so little did I know, he already knew. He came screaming in, picked me up and said
"babe, are you okay? I heard you dropped the bike...is anything hurt?"...
that's when I really knew he was in love. He didn't even look at the bike until after he had given me a cuddle! lol!!! Any anyone who reads his post knows how bike mad he is.
What's a girl to do but to marry him and take up riding :-)

cheers
heavenly

**ZeroIndex** · 25th June 2006, 13:39

ouch.. sorry to hear that.. hope you recover from that quickly

**Quartida** · 26th June 2006, 00:20

Originally Posted by heavenly.talker

He came screaming in, picked me up and said
"babe, are you okay? I heard you dropped the bike...is anything hurt?"...

Haha, yeah, I was expecting the first question to be, "Is the bike broken?!" but no, I got five star treatment. (At least, for the whole ten seconds it took to ascertain whether I was OK...and then he asked if the bike was broken.)

**heavenly.talker** · 26th June 2006, 18:51

Originally Posted by Quartida

Haha, yeah, I was expecting the first question to be, "Is the bike broken?!" but no, I got five star treatment. (At least, for the whole ten seconds it took to ascertain whether I was OK...and then he asked if the bike was broken.)

Yip this was the same for me too! Very sweet considering when he phoned me to say that he had just had an accident on my (brand new to me - a couple of bikes ago) bike the first thing I asked was...is there much damage to the bike before quickly following with...are you okay?

Opps lol!

**Quartida** · 26th June 2006, 19:28

Haha, this is the problem! When boys convert us to bikes we become worse than them!

**Unforgiven** · 27th June 2006, 19:33

I know the feeling

Ive had to put my bike down once, a few weeks ago.
My driveway is almost verticle and it ran out of go half way up and I didnt give myself tim to get my foot down

Thankfully I knew it was about to happen and managed to put it down softly.

I have to loose some rubber every time I go anywhere, it sucks

On the bright side - I got good at hill starts pretty quick.