13 - 19 June: Where did you ride and what did you practise?

[Terminated]

Please spend a few minutes and let us all know, 'Where Did You Ride and What Did You Practise?' during the week. Humour and photographs are welcomed, however please keep in mind the general spirit is to enlighten us all about your riding practice and technique.

By all means if you have any concerns about your riding, ask questions and I am sure a mentor or senior experienced rider will be only too happy to touch base with you in the forum or by PM personal message.

Next Tuesday evening Stella and Carbacca will each choose an entry from this thread. The selections will then be copied across to the Newbie Update Blogg.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/bl...hp?userid=1728

Heads Up and Enjoy

[Dodger]

Nothing new for me, just the daily commute to and from work in wind, rain and cold.
Although as of this Friday I'm able to sit my Full license, so I guess I better book in.


This morning the bike in front of me locked up a wheel and hit the deck (just past the Ngauranga interchange) Myself and another rider stopped to help and were able to get the bike back into a ridable state after unbending the clutch lever. (I knew I put that multi-tool in my bike for a reason )

Rider was unhurt (wearing full leathers), although she was pissed off about damaging the bike (clutch lever, rear indicator broken, scratched fairings)
Remember, always wear the right gear and if possible have some basic tools on you to fix problems.

[discotex]

Remember, always wear the right gear and if possible have some basic tools on you to fix problems.

Not meaning to hijack the thread but what are the most useful tools to have? I've always got my tyre pressure gauge under the seat but nothing else.

I've been wondering what else might come in handy to hide under the waterproof overpants. I know (from bitter experience) that a length of pipe would be handy for syphoning gas either from or to another biker.

EDIT: back on topic - I'm planning to get out of the city this weekend and spend some time on the open road. Have to see how much more stopping I get out of my new front tyre so some emergency braking will be thrown into the mix.

[Grub]

No riding for me.

Each week that is the case, the more I remember to be careful when I get back on.

Oh I did learn one thing this week. I took my cordura gear to Spittie for ... ahem ... repairs. We discovered two melted lines from the wires of the 8-wire fence seperating the Rimutaka road from a very very long drop! Clearly I may have hit the fence at speed and perhaps in the air.

A very humbling and scary discovery since I thought that I just fell onto the road and slid uder the bottom wire. Beginning to think I may have been concussed for a few mins since I don't recall anything like that at all.

Be safe out there

[carbacca]

my bike came with its own little tool kit, just the basics i think?? must remember to open it up one day and check it out. i also threw in one of those 7 dollar multitools i got from mitre10, has slotted and plus screwdriver, 8 9 10 mm hex drivers and a bunch of allan keys which i want to be able to tighten up my mirros.

as for riding.....havent been out all week yet but the plan this weekend is to ride out to bethels, and then maybe helensville/kaipara if i feel like it, will post it up after the weekend

[Terminated]

Not meaning to hijack the thread but what are the most useful tools to have? I've always got my tyre pressure gauge under the seat but nothing else.

Not hijacking at all, useful feedback for new riders. [I may review at end of week and consolidate feedback posts to the blogg.]

Recommend an emergency puncture repair kit approx $40 fit under seat.

Also 'one person' first aid kit, this has velcro loops and attaches to my cordura jacket band just above and behind the left hip.

Night riding carry a small torch in the event of breakdown, and yes a fluro vest.

Heads Up and Enjoy

[Terminated]

Nothing new for me, just the daily commute to and from work in wind, rain and cold.
Although as of this Friday I'm able to sit my Full license, so I guess I better book in.


This morning the bike in front of me locked up a wheel and hit the deck (just past the Ngauranga interchange)

Well Done Dodger - that man deserves a beer.

Heads Up and Enjoy

[Terminated]

No riding for me.

Each week that is the case, the more I remember to be careful when I get back on.

Oh I did learn one thing this week. I took my cordura gear to Spittie for ... ahem ... repairs. We discovered two melted lines from the wires of the 8-wire fence seperating the Rimutaka road from a very very long drop! Clearly I may have hit the fence at speed and perhaps in the air.

A very humbling and scary discovery since I thought that I just fell onto the road and slid uder the bottom wire. Beginning to think I may have been concussed for a few mins since I don't recall anything like that at all.

Be safe out there

I was going to abbreviate the quote above....but Shhh. A wake up call the more you remember now Grub. Separate PM sent on different matter.

Heads Up and Enjoy

[Daza]

Wednesday 13th June

After having not ridden for well over a week, and being my day off with the weather sharpening up its act just a little. Picture Blue skies on one side and grey beckoning clouds on the other like a stand off at the Ok corral. I thought well i will just go for a little ride and if the weather turns nasty it wont matter none.

So i decided to headout to kihikihi which is south of Te Awamutu, i idea was to follow through to Otorohanga and back towards Cambridge. Simple plan.
Only although ive been to Otorohanga a few times before in the past, i thought i knew where i was going. And after riding down the main street of Otoro.. thinking yes yes its all famaliar to me, look at all that free parking space i see.

To make a long story shorter it wasn't until a little later on while enjoying the sunshine and scenery that i came upon a sign that said Te Kuiti 10kms -->
Well why not me thought, so after arriving i stopped for a break and revaluated my plan. Although there was darker clouds brooding, the sun still held out and i decided to go back home the long way. Via Mangakino, Tokoroa , Putaruru, Tirau way. It didn't seem that long of a trip on the map. Ive come this far right? So away i went again, hoping i wouldn't take a wrong turn and end up in Rotorua or somewhere else.

I started to get into the flow of it and keeping up with my lines and tend not to use my brakes much, just sort of roll of the gas alittle to slow myself down before entering a corner. I dont know if that is a lazy way of riding, but it seemed to be easier. But i guess the pace i was going you wouldnt need to break much anyway. Its hard to judge if im taking corners alittle quicker than i was before, but a nice long ride kind of gets you into the groove.

I saw some great scenic areas epecially in Whakamaru, of course there were some other places but i cant remember where they are. Of course this route is a must ride come summer!

So now we are up to the part that connects the dots regarding the photo.
I see up ahead a dip in the road, what appeared to be a longish pothole that had been filled but sank down (i couldnt avoid it- and didnt think it would be bad). So i slow up a tad and raise myself up on the pegs alittle to *bang*..nasty.. the bike kept going without missing a beat or seeming to mind much, then i get this weird feeling my left foot has grown longer or my right foot has grown shorter? I look down cant see anything, so i pull up and take a good look. Bugger! Just as well there are two other bolts on it. I didnt have any chewing gum or a swiss army knife. Well i can still change gears. So off i went again, practised changing gears alittle to get used to the new adjustment.

Then alittle later it got dark, real dark, like independance day dark, and it rained lightly for alittle bit and stopped. But the rain was really just playing with me, alittle later it bucketed down for abit.

I knew i was pushing my luck and i was thinking i should of turned back in Te Kuiti. But nah it was a new experience riding in the rain for the first time, i knew if i keep my riding smooth and the speed i was taking through corners in the dry was as if riding in the wet anyway.
I stopped for gas in Tokoroa and it was still raining when i left. I also noticed for a small town there was alot of cops about. I had one follow me for a little bit, then i had my turn following another one.

On my way to Putaruru my arms started to get sore and so too my behind, then my right leg joined in. I was thinking to myself, so this wasn't going to be a long ride today huh.

At some point i had the low setting sun in my eyes which made it alittle hard to see the corners coming up, but again calm was the order of the day, and
i manage to stay on the road, luckily being half blinded didnt last long as there was some low cloud cover, i just hoped there wouldn't be any more exciting potholes waiting.

I made it back into Cambridge in one piece to find a copper directing traffic because of people going home from Field days. So this ride was the longest one i've taken yet, 244kms! I found most of the roads easy and fun to ride, except for that deceptive pothole/dip in the road. I'll just have to remember where it is for next time i ride that way.

So that was all a good experience for me, and next time i wont be put off going for a ride if the weather is packing in. Its all good experience and i feel more confident because it. Although my cornering speed in the dry can be improved and i will slowly work on that.

So next time in the wet i will do some low speed emergency braking practice.
Also dry/wet practice evasive measures against potholes/objects.

So i'm gonna take the bike in for a quote i getting the footpeg bracket replaced/ring around wreckers etc. But i think it will hold up over the weekend til i get it replaced anyhow, hopefully by monday.

I apologize if this post is a little too long. I'm abit of a rambler sometimes.
Anyway that was my ride yesterday, roll on weekend!!

[carbacca]

satruday 16th june

been looking forward to the weekend all week, since last sunday rained out and i wasnt able to do any riding. i had already in my mind mapped out where i was gonna go; bethels beach out west. some guys i know are playing airsoft out there (what i did every weekend for 4 years) and i have been out there in the cage numerous times so i knew the road pretty well. so it was a destination i felt i could get to without much trouble and of course some nice twisties en route as well made it a lot more appealing. that takes care of a couple of things i want to practice - motorway (northwestern) and hilly roads (bethells beach road)

the weather was GOOD, sun was out and not a cloud in the sky. although a tad windy and a bit chilly as well. i hit the north western at st lukes and got up to motorway speeds and the wind + chill hit me like a ton of bricks, although i didnt feel it initially cos adrenalin is so good at blocking all sensations to the brain (i was only wearing a t shirt, a thin-ish long sleeve and a mesh armoured jacket, and kevlar jeans). got to lincoln road offramp easily enough, turn right at universal and off towards swanson road. suddenly i remembered the video on counter steering that i saw on youtube (GREAT video, really de-mystified it for me what its all about) and though why not give it a try. the way the video illustrated is that all countersteering is a little twitch of the wheel in the opposite direction before going in the direction you wanted to go. so on this stretch of straight-ish road i tried a few little twitches to see if that would make me lean in the opposite direction and sure enough it did (duh shouldve known really). a few easy corners on i realised that i have already been countersteering sub-consciously already, and this became even more apparently as the corners got progressively tighter towards bethels

got to bethels without drama, parked up the bike and had a yak to the guys then it was off back towards henderson. coming back was much harder because of sunstrike going east, so i was riding like a nana. back on the northwestern city bound and then went home, since by then i have been riding for about 3 hours and my arse was getting sore. what better way to fix that than to plonk my ass infront of the keyboard and go to kiwibiker

[The Big J]

Not meaning to hijack the thread but what are the most useful tools to have? I've always got my tyre pressure gauge under the seat but nothing else.

I've been wondering what else might come in handy to hide under the waterproof overpants. I know (from bitter experience) that a length of pipe would be handy for syphoning gas either from or to another biker.

EDIT: back on topic - I'm planning to get out of the city this weekend and spend some time on the open road. Have to see how much more stopping I get out of my new front tyre so some emergency braking will be thrown into the mix.

Cable ties, duct tape (put about 10 strips under the seat),
spare fuse, small screwdriver, small adjustable cresent if you don`t have space for spanners and 1/4 inch ratchet. All depends how much space you have. I would prioritise the top 3 and then worry about tools, check out your toolkit on the bike, should have a bit of stuff to bodge with.

[The Big J]

excerpt from the website:

I move from Cali at 6.30. It is Saturday and the last day I am allowed to be in Colombia. I must make the border and although only 600 kilometres, the terrain is rough the whole ride. Buses do half the trip in 6 hours to Popoyan. I ride hard, having dosed on coffee liberally. When focused I rarely find myself to be hungry and have to force down food. Stopping only for water and fuel I make the border about 2pm. Good going. There is only one mishap- I approach a vehicle on the outskirts of a town that slows and pulls to the right to turn into a street. I overtake from a long distance but am parallel with the rear passenger when the car veers abruptly left and pulls into the opposite petrol station. Only reflexes and peripheral vision guide me around the vehicle far into the left lane. A truck is bearing down on me and I make for the only escape route - the shoulder on the wrong side of the road. I do not brake. With the forces involved, it would be pointless and I didn´t even have time to reach for my horn. I am a little disturbed at how nonchalantly I react to such a close call. I force myself to analyse what happened and see if there was some way to have foreseen this lunatic´s move. I don´t know but am not certain I am in the right. After all, it´s all very well being in the right but I´d rather have my body intact and my bike undamaged.

Reflections, my reactions were perfect, unconcious and without panic in a very dangerous situation.
The sobering thing is how did I put my bike in a situation where such evasive action was necessary. Assertive riding would suggest I should have slowed while passing the vehicle and while passing should have been studying the driver for any signals of turning. Even if a driver doesn`t indicate they generally indicate with their head and a sudden change of body language or a slight swerve in direction before the turn. This is a good technique for filtering. focus on any vehicles changing direction within their lanes, as cars change lines when the driver thinks about changing lanes rather than straight ahead.
I may have missed all the signals here but the message is to recognise fatigue and adjust riding accordingly.

Good luck and keep safe everyone

[discotex]

Cable ties, duct tape (put about 10 strips under the seat),
spare fuse, small screwdriver, small adjustable cresent if you don`t have space for spanners and 1/4 inch ratchet. All depends how much space you have. I would prioritise the top 3 and then worry about tools, check out your toolkit on the bike, should have a bit of stuff to bodge with.

Tool kit..? I'm guessing someone took it out somewhere in the bike's 15yr life and never put it back. Unless it's hidden under the faring or something.

Great idea to have cable ties and duct tape. I'll have to stock up. I've got one of those mini mag torches so that can go in there too. Will see what else I can fit.

[carbacca]

sunday 17th june:

the weather looked like it was gonna be sooooo nice on saturday when i got home i though "now wouldnt it be good to get some guidance on biking tomorrow" and then it clicked; RRRS course is on sunday...but isnt it a bit too late to sign up?? called finn up and walla 5 minutes later i was signed up for the course yippee.

course starts at 8.30am, so i left nice and early at 7.30, just when dawn was breaking. it was also bloody cold. from saturdays riding i knew that 100kph winds aint very forgiving, so i dressed up warm - tshirt, longsleeve tshirt, polar fleece, and then dririder jacket with liner. thats 5 layers lol. off i go to st lukes onramp and then go screaming down the northwestern towards westgate at 100kph (ok maybe slightly more :P). since i m now dressed for occasion my torso stayed warm quite nicely, however my hands are now taking a beating since i dont have winter gloves (i have worked out such that i will be wearing some wool gloves under my leather/synthetic gloves in the meantime until i can get some winter gloves, hopefully that should do the trick) but since the ride isnt particularly long i endured it with not much problems. got to te atatu offramp and it started raining grrrr >_< but not much i can do except suck it up. not heavy rain just a piddle. right at westgate then down to brigham creek road towards the airfield. keeping a watchout for the bustop i found it right outside the entrance to the airfield. was half expecting a dozen bikes to be there but i turned out to be the first one there. about 30seconds later finn showed up in the van and then other bikes starting arriving; a suzuki cruiser, kawasaki cruiser, cbr hurricane, yamaha scorpio, some gn's, gsf bandit, vtr and noel on the gixxer.

went through security into the airbase, metal check before hitting the tarmac and right into the course. i wont elaborate too much as to what RRRS is about but i highly recommend it to ANYONE out there, even the fellas whos been biking for longer than i have been alive took a lot away from the course, not the least due to having such a nice, safe controled environment to practice your biking an anything else really. kudos to the RNZAF and whoever hooked up the airstrip, its a great course at a great venue.

towards the end of the course while we were out on the runway doing emergency braking i started to notice my bike getting difficult to get into neutral. having experienced the "spongy clutch" a few weeks back i knew it was clutch related and instinctively checked the clutch cable and was shocked to see that its about 60% worn and freyed. immediately got the mentors to give it a check but it was ok as long as i get home and get it fixed pronto. i didnt want to use it anymore than i have to so i sat out the last few runs. by then it was getting dark and it was time to head home.

leaving whenuapai at about 5.20pm the sun was starting to go down. this is a new thing for me, riding in the dark but fortunately hobsonville road and north western motorwas was well lit and i was quite familiar with it. ride back was uneventful although i was going real easy on the clutch. didnt really need to use it all the way from westgate til gillies off ramp really, traffic was light and i was going pretty much 100kph 5th gear all the way. got home and clutch is still working, although i wont be going anywhere on it til i get it replaced.

definitely a good day out at RRRS course, many thanks to everyone who attended and the mentors, you guys are a great bunch.

[Rosie]

Saturday afternoon I rode to Te Whaiti (on the way to Waikaremoana) from Rotorua, via a scenic route.

For a change, I didn't plan on practising anything specific, just relaxing and pulling it all together. What I did end up practising was riding to the conditions. About this time last year, my bike started having some mechanical difficulties, and spent the winter out of action, so this whole winter riding thing is an exciting new discovery for me.

From Rotorua through to Awakeri was fairly uneventful, I was stuck behind a vehicle going quite slowly, but couldn't find any passing opportunities I liked the look of. I'm still a bit nervous passing, so tend to err on the side of caution. Had two SUVs follow my very closely at different stages, so pulled over and let them go past. Both proceeded to follow the vehicle in front incredibly closely (less than 2m at times) so was quite pleased that they were no longer behind me.

Stopped for fuel in Awakeri, had a little bit to eat, and put on my glove liners because it was pretty chilly.

From Awakeri, headed inland through Galatea to Murupara. The sun was getting fairly low in the horizon by this stage, so adjusted my speed according to the visibility. I was fairly warm, but kept moving around, especially my fingers, to keep everything nice and warm.

Ended up behind a van for a while, once again, not many passing opportunities, and they started throwing bits of rubbish out the windows, so I hung back quite a way, kept an eye on the road for nasty objects.
Past Murupara and into the hills, it was dark. Got to practise finding my hi/low beam switch with giant winter-gloved hands, and discovering how woefully inadequate my headlight is on windy roads. Then it started to rain. Fingers were starting to get a bit chilly at this stage. I probably should have stopped and defrosted them, but I was almost there, so I kept going

It was pretty slow going through to Te Whaiti, very little visibility around corners with my little wee light, and odd bits of debris on the road that I didn't want to run over. My visor started to fog up, thanks to the low speed and my neck warmer. I thought about switching to the fogcity visor I had in my panniers, but it's not the best at night, so I just opened my visor up a crack so it didn't fog.

The rain wasn't too heavy, which is good, because I hadn't put the things in my panniers in plastic bags. The weather was nice at my house, so I figured the weather would be nice over the entire north island.

Lessons for next time include; not planning on arriving in the middle of nowhere just before dark, especially if I'm not entirely sure how long the trip will take me. And not assuming that the weather at my house is a good indication of the weather in the hills 80km away.