Baptism by fire

[Mystery]

Today I graduated from the carpark to the road

This morning "The Stranger" arrived at my house and announced that I was going on my first road ride. So I said goodbye to my kids, told them I loved them , got my riding gear on, got on the bike, rode to the end of the driveway and chickened out. I know, I know but I live on a really busy main road and the traffic was just constantly flowing past the gate. I felt really angry with myself for giving up, but I just couldnt imagine riding in all that traffic.

At 3.00 we looked out to the road and the traffic had disappeared. So said goodbye to the kids again (they have more faith in my ability than I do and knew I would be back) got the gear on again, rode to the end of the driveway and off following "The Stranger".

The bastard took me straight onto the NW Motorway, holy crap, panic, thoughts of dying a very painful death cross my mind but I was OK, I survived, no major panics but I was shaking so much that it was affecting the bike, which also started to shake, which made me shake more! So we got to Westgate and I had to stop. I rode into the carpark and realised that I had made a huge mistake and of all the places I could have pulled over, that was the wrong one. There were cars and hill starts and traffic islands everywhere. So I got off the bike, had a sit down and a smoke, stopped shaking and we headed home via Triangle Rd.

The trip home was good, I didnt shake and actually got to enjoy being on the bike, I didnt make too many mistakes and there were no "Oh Shit" moments (it defininely helped that all the traffic lights were green). I got home and the realisation of what I had just done hit me. I am so pleased with myself for finally getting the courage up to do it but I realise that I have a long way to go both skill and confidence wise.

Will I chicken out at the end of the driveway tomorrow? No way!

[Scorpygirl]

Great to hear girl!!! Isn't it a cool feeling!!! Go for it now, there's no turning back!!!

[Trudes]

Good stuff!! That's cruel, but at least you won't spend the next month avoiding traffic and you can always think, "well, this isn't as bad as the time I went out with The Stranger..."

[The Stranger:Me]

Hey, I'm not a bastard, my parents were married. I know, I went to their wedding.

[yungatart]

Yep, that 'fear gremlin' that lives in our heads, is a nasty little bastard, for sure!
Good on you for overcoming it!
Just remember, you only have to do something the first time, once!

[Babelfish]

Great stuff Mystery, gald to hear you survived and learned loads...always exciting to hear about a new biker hitting growing pains

[Mystery]

Hey, I'm not a bastard, my parents were married. I know, I went to their wedding.

No, your definitely still a bastard but you're a "good bastard". Thanks for making me get out there and do it and for riding shotgun and shielding me from all those crazy cages.

[Littleman]

Baptism by fire was once a domian almost exclusively dominated by gods, demons and nature. In modern times this feeling has been eroded by safeguards and techology. Our genes havent' quite caught up but its that same technology captured by the contermporary sports bike that has us comming back for more.

That feeling you have is nothing different than how the gene pool feel.

[Grub]

Hey Mystery, well done and welcome to the 'real' world.

Hey now you are a real biker, you can change your bike in the CP from "not yet" to the real deal.

[Babelfish]

Baptism by fire was once a domian almost exclusively dominated by gods, demons and nature. In modern times this feeling has been eroded by safeguards and techology. Our genes havent' quite caught up but its that same technology captured by the contermporary sports bike that has us comming back for more.

That feeling you have is nothing different than how the gene pool feel.

Holy shit!