Another riding milestone......

Well, it's still windy here in Florida, but after my first solo ride Saturday, and doing so well with the wind on Sunday, I decided to brave the commute to work..... :here: I did it! I did it!! :here: The ride was a bit wild and wooly.... the wind as you get onto and off of the bridge was INASANE (see pic below... it's 2.5 miles from end to end) http://community.webshots.com/photo/86678319/1086678319032169361UeXoJL But I can tell my shifting is getting MUCH smoother, and I had an absolute BLAST... it was great! It's one thing feeling like I'm doing well with Chris 20 feet behind me, but it's completely another thing to feel I'm doing well when he's on the other side of town!! :D Everyone at work is being so cute about it... all the girls in my department are coming up to me "Is that your bike in the parking lot?" (since we have assigned spaces) and coming over to look at my gear :lol: They're all amazed by it..... which I'll admit, is kinda cool. :dthumb:

Good work Nee!:beer2:...but not while riding. :dthumb:

:lol: Thanks Marko...oh, not to worry.... I'd never even THINK of :cheers: while riding. :dthumb:

Of course not.:lol:

Good work Nee!:beer2:...but not while riding. :dthumb: :withstupi Not many tunnels around Fl. but you have to watch exiting them as well.

:withstupi Not many tunnels around Fl. but you have to watch exiting them as well. Yeah the wind is just like wind coming off a semi on the highway... it takes some getting use to... but way to go girl!

Thats AWESOME!!!! :clap: I am so happy for you! That bridge looks like a real B****! We get bad wind over here in the panhandle but thank god we dont have bridges like that!!!

So yesterday was my maiden voyage commuting to work. Well, I left out the most embarassing part -- just when I got to work, I was trying to turn around in my parking spot (so I was backed in) and I hit a curb (it's weird... part of our parking lot is like a raised plateau with a sloped curb) and dropped the bike. Yeah, my first day riding to work, and I drop it. I wanted to die... Our gate security gaurd came RUNNING over, and says, "Can you lift this thing?" I said, "Yeah, I can... but I'm dying of embarassement right now, so I could use some help." LMAO!! Anyway, then we had lunch brought in yesterday, so I didn't ride during lunch. So I go to leave for work, and when I start her up, I've got a red idiot light on. Hmmm.... *confused* I call Chris (he's still at work) and ask him, and he says he thinks it's the oil pressure light. He thinks maybe something (a sensor or a line) got disconnected when I dropped it. But I don't mess around with idiot lights.... so I wait like an hour and a half for him to come up and check it out for me (I'm not going to chance blowing the engine or anything on the ride home!) She was a little low on oil (we think she's burning it a little, since there was NOTHING on the ground, and we check it religiously :( ), but the light still wouldn't go out (we later found out it shuts off once the bike got up to a certain RPM). So we called our bike Doctor, and he had us check a few things, but felt it was fine to ride home, and told us just to keep an eye on it for a couple of day. We finally mount up and get on the road... it's even WINDIER than it was on my way in, and I'm just exhausted.... we get to about 1/2 mile from that big bridge (and past the last exit before the bridge), come around the bend, and *eek* BRAKE LIGHTS! They were doing construction on the bridge, and had it shut down to one lane. Oh yeah, and at this point, it starts to DRIZZLE (not enough to get us WET, really, just enough to mess up my visor)! :lol: So, at about 3 mph, we creep up the span of the bridge... Oh my GOD was my right hand cramping up!! Once we hit the peak of the bridge, all lanes opened back up, and all I wanted to do was GO HOME.... Oh yeah, but we were out of cat food, so we needed to stop at Petsmart on the way home! It was like a sick joke.... it was the day that wouldn't end!!!!! Once we settled down last night, I told Chris, "I don't wanna ride tomorrow.... I'm sore!" (I had bruised up my knee and caught a peg to the shin when I tried to keep my bike from going down yesterday morning). He laughed, and said he understood, but he really felt it would be a good idea for me to ride today.... that once I got a good ride in (i.e. problem free) I'd feel better about it all, and it would help erase the memory of the events of yesterday. So I sucked it up and rode today. And all went fine... still windy (not as bad as yesterday) but BEAUTIFUL..... the clouds were all pink and orange as I came over the bridge, and I didn't have a single problem. *woot!* I figure after all the crap I dealt with on my maiden commute yesterday, I'm ready for anything now! :D

Congratulations. You took it down. Keep logging miles...and hopefully that'll be the last time she sees the pavement.:dthumb: Don't worry about it...it happens to all of us.

Congratulations. You took it down. Keep logging miles...and hopefully that'll be the last time she sees the pavement.:dthumb: Don't worry about it...it happens to all of us. :iagree: Just keep logging those miles. It only get easier.

:iagree: Just keep logging those miles. It only get easier. :iagree:

:iagree: Just keep logging those miles. It only get easier. Welp, that's what I've been doing.... and each day (I ride to work), it seems to get a little easier, and a lot more fun. :dthumb: I noticed yesterday, it's a lot less THINKING, and lot more enjoyable... things are starting to click, my shifting is getting better, I'm less "frozen" with the death grip, and able to move around more freely, etc.... Wind is still a pain in the ass (as it always is this time of year in Florida), but it's bothering me less.... just tuck down and lean into it. :) And the response I get from other people is really fun. I had a cop pass me (I was doing 80, and he FLEW up on me on the bridge), pause next to me, give me the thumbs up, and then zip past.... :lol: And today, as I got to work, a woman who works 3rd shift out in the warehouse was walking to her truck. She's about my Mom's age, and stopped to say, "Go girl!" She said she used to ride... got her first Harley when she was 20, and her daughter and son-in-law both ride... as I walked into the office, she said again, "Go girl! It's so good to see a woman doing that!"

:cheers: I have ridden that bridge you are talking about and it is very windy on it. I was in my truck at the time and i felt the wind move me so I could see how you would feel it on a bike. But keep logging those miles and enjoy the ride.

Welp, that's what I've been doing.... and each day (I ride to work), it seems to get a little easier, and a lot more fun. :dthumb: I noticed yesterday, it's a lot less THINKING, and lot more enjoyable... things are starting to click, my shifting is getting better, I'm less "frozen" with the death grip, and able to move around more freely, etc.... Wind is still a pain in the ass (as it always is this time of year in Florida), but it's bothering me less.... just tuck down and lean into it. :) And the response I get from other people is really fun. I had a cop pass me (I was doing 80, and he FLEW up on me on the bridge), pause next to me, give me the thumbs up, and then zip past.... :lol: And today, as I got to work, a woman who works 3rd shift out in the warehouse was walking to her truck. She's about my Mom's age, and stopped to say, "Go girl!" She said she used to ride... got her first Harley when she was 20, and her daughter and son-in-law both ride... as I walked into the office, she said again, "Go girl! It's so good to see a woman doing that!" NICE!!!!:dthumb:

WOW I think Id be looking for a house on the OTHER side of that bridge that thing looks NUTS!!!!

:lol: It's not so bad now that I've gotten used to it. BUT, apparently the engineers who built it were on crack, cus the sections are starting to separate... so now there's these HUGE (like as wide as the lane, 6' long, 3" thick) metal plates covering the joints between sections while they work to repair it. OMG! Crossing those things is HAIRY! As stiff as my suspension is (and mine's relatively soft compared to some!) my ass is like 12" off the seat when I cross it! But with the wind up there (those plates are near the peak of the bridge), there's no way I can stand up in the seat to prepare for it... it's a lose-lose situation!

Sooo... I had yet another milestone last night. I rode with my MSF instructor! :crazy: We were all elaving bike night, and she and another friend said they'd follow us out and ride with us. I'm like, "EEK!" talk about nerve-wracking!! I wanted her to lead, but she said she wanted to follow me, so she could "see her product." So we rode out.... everything was fine, I was feelin' good. Had to stop for gas, and she commented on how comfortable I look on the bike, and how well I'm doing.... (YAY!) So we head up to the highway -- loooonnnng sweeping uphill onramp... took it faster and hotter than I ever have and had a BLAST! Got up on the highway, and got some good speed... everything was just perfect... my shifts, my turns, everything. I was so excited!!! They split off, so I haven't gotten feedback from her yet on my "performance," but when we got home, Chris was like, "Wow, you did great.... How come you ride even better with HER following you than you do with me?" :lol:

Sooo... I had yet another milestone last night. I rode with my MSF instructor! :crazy: We were all elaving bike night, and she and another friend said they'd follow us out and ride with us. I'm like, "EEK!" talk about nerve-wracking!! I wanted her to lead, but she said she wanted to follow me, so she could "see her product." So we rode out.... everything was fine, I was feelin' good. Had to stop for gas, and she commented on how comfortable I look on the bike, and how well I'm doing.... (YAY!) So we head up to the highway -- loooonnnng sweeping uphill onramp... took it faster and hotter than I ever have and had a BLAST! Got up on the highway, and got some good speed... everything was just perfect... my shifts, my turns, everything. I was so excited!!! They split off, so I haven't gotten feedback from her yet on my "performance," but when we got home, Chris was like, "Wow, you did great.... How come you ride even better with HER following you than you do with me?" :lol: :lol: the Pressure!! Thats awesome girl!

that's so cool nee!! congrats!! :cheers: I can't imagine what it would feel like to have your teacher following you. You know in the back of your mind that they are critiquing every thing that your doing. Don't you just love the way you feel when you take a turn just right?! It's like being flung out of a sling shot. It feels so smooth! Keep it up!!

Don't you just love the way you feel when you take a turn just right?! It's like being flung out of a sling shot. It feels so smooth! Keep it up!! I doo! I doo!! Sharp turns are something I've still been timid about, so each time I take a familiar turn, I try to take it a LITTLE faster, and a LITTLE hotter, just to gradually work up my confidence... But last night, for some reason I was just feelin good, and I just went for it on that turn... and NAILED it. (I'm sure it could be taken a LOT faster, but for ME, this was a huge step! :lol: )

So what do you call that bridge? If I was you I'd have some type of name for it. That thing looks mean.

I'd call it "FU".

So what do you call that bridge? If I was you I'd have some type of name for it. That thing looks mean. It's official name is the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge (?????). But it's known as the Dame's Point Bridge (I don't know the source of either name!) It's just the big effin bridge to me! :lol:

I would call it "Nazi Bridge" or something.

Hah, since I've finally conquered it, I should just call it "The Beast!"

Hah, since I've finally conquered it, I should just call it "The Beast!" Now you're thinking.

Sooo... So we head up to the highway -- loooonnnng sweeping uphill onramp... took it faster and hotter than I ever have and had a BLAST! Got up on the highway, and got some good speed... everything was just perfect... my shifts, my turns, everything. I was so excited!!! They split off, so I haven't gotten feedback from her yet on my "performance," but when we got home, Chris was like, "Wow, you did great.... How come you ride even better with HER following you than you do with me?" :lol: Man I can sense the excitement and passion in your words. It makes me want to go ride. (too cold and rainy today) I got bad news for you though. I think you are officially addicted. Once you are hooked there really isn't any cure. It will stick with you for life. LOL its a good addiction to have though. Congrats on your success and keep on loggin miles pretty soon they'll be asking you to teach the courses.

Man I can sense the excitement and passion in your words. It makes me want to go ride. (too cold and rainy today) I got bad news for you though. I think you are officially addicted. Once you are hooked there really isn't any cure. It will stick with you for life. LOL its a good addiction to have though. Congrats on your success and keep on loggin miles pretty soon they'll be asking you to teach the courses. :D Yes, definitely addicted... Finally feeling like I know what I'm doing (not an expert by any means, but at least not AS wet behind the ears! :lol: ) Planning on gettin' in some good miles tonight actually (and conquering another of J'villes Monster Bridges in the process). Can't wait!!! Looks like a beautiful night for a ride!

So yesterday was my maiden voyage commuting to work. Well, I left out the most embarassing part -- just when I got to work, I was trying to turn around in my parking spot (so I was backed in) and I hit a curb (it's weird... part of our parking lot is like a raised plateau with a sloped curb) and dropped the bike. :D Congrats on the solo ride to work and also for getting back on the bike after having such a grueling day! I want you to feel better about your embarrassing moment, though, so I'm going to share with you. Back in '83 I had just upgraded to my Honda Nighthawk 550. It was black and beautiful. I planned to take it to my first out of town media convention. The ride there was great (only about an hour) and I chose a good parking spot at the hotel, backed the bike in and planned to put it on the centerstand for the weekend. Well, I hadn't actually put it on the stand by myself and was worried about having it fall away from me. I tried to do it while stradling the bike. Big error in judgement. Over I went! So I'm laying on the ground, the bike still between my legs, gas running out of the tank and my foot is trapped below my brake lever. As I try to push the bike up, I feel the brake lever pushing down onto my instep. Ouch! I lay there for a couple of seconds, cursing silently, when my ultimate humiliation and salvation appeared in a guy driving by. He stopped and lifted the bike, the lever wrenching into my foot. (Yep, I was wearing tennis shoes!) Together we put the bike on the centerstand and I thanked him, wondering if he was thinking how stupid it was for women to ride motorcycles. The whole weekend was such a disaster after that! I was staying at a hotel with people I'd never met in person, sleeping on the floor in a room for four with a dozen others. Came down with a nasty cold. After limping around the con for about 6 hours, I went to the bathroom and untied my shoe, only to realize my foot was so swollen I could barely get my shoe back on, let alone tie it. But it hurt too much not to wear a shoe. So I just took the laces out and the shoe like that. Still, it was a great time and I was glad that it wasn't my shifting foot when I rode home. It was wretched to be rescued like that, but I think back and laugh now. I've got a story about wind, and one about the railroad tracks of doom, but I can only reveal so much foolhardyness at one time!

speaking of milestones, why not make this a sticky and have ppl post up things that they are proud of or something of improtance to them...i.e. since i picked up the 636 fri at 5pm i got 550 miles on it...and took care of a couple chicken strips...

Awesome idea.... I love celebrating the small victories. :D Should it be in here, or in the General Riding Area? :twfrox:

It was wretched to be rescued like that, but I think back and laugh now. I've got a story about wind, and one about the railroad tracks of doom, but I can only reveal so much foolhardyness at one time! :lol: OMG, I had to call my BF in from the other room to read him your story. WOW... I'd have been just as mortified as you were, but I'm so glad you're able to look back and laugh now! So c'mon... tell us about your wind stories, and the railroad track of doom!!

So c'mon... tell us about your wind stories, and the railroad track of doom!! :iagree: :tt:

Awesome idea.... I love celebrating the small victories. :D Should it be in here, or in the General Riding Area? :twfrox: :flush: **** i didnt know this was in the womens section... :sorry: didnt mean to :whore: in here, but i still think its a good idea:cheers: :twfrox: :dthumb:

I know several males who are guilty of :whore:'ing in the womens section.:whistle:

So what if you're postin' in the women's area? I don't mind ya. :) As for the "milestones" thread, though, I think we ought to put one in the General Riding section... we girls aren't the only ones who have small victories to celebrate! :dthumb:

:iagree:

Had a couple more Saturday night. Conquered another of J'villes bridges (the Buckman, for those of you who know the area). Nothin' big really.... LONG, but it's so wide (4 lanes on each side -- two parallell bridges), it feels more like a big overpass than a bridge... and it's low to the water for most of the span, just rising in the middle for boats to pass under. AND, I finally used 6th gear. YAY!! Most of my commute is 4th gear.... though after some RPM discussion with the BF, we've determined some of it could be in 5th (just staying in 4th for the bridge, so I've got enough OOMPH to get up it). But I got some good interstate speed going Saturday night, and finally got to use 6th gear! YAY!! And much to my delight, there was still no feeling of less-than-oomph at highway cruising speed in 6th -- she's still very responsive (even for an 11 year old bike!)

what mph is that??

85ish.

:yikes:

:yikes: :lol: Trust me, on the interstate around here, that's not much. I still had people flyin' past. Florida drivers are somewhat insane.

So what if you're postin' in the women's area? I don't mind ya. :) As for the "milestones" thread, though, I think we ought to put one in the General Riding section... we girls aren't the only ones who have small victories to celebrate! :dthumb: If there is a thread for milestones, there should be one for screw ups, too. :wink: Okay, here's the skinny on the tracks of doom. Railroad tracks have long been my nemesis. Back in the day, I had my first dirt bike, a KD125. What my Bandit is to a Gixxer, the KD was to the KX. Twice I rode up a berm to cross the tracks at the top and twice I did one of those "flying w" things and dismounted the hard way. Both times, I landed with the bike and the inside of my leg came in contact with a spinning knobby. Even for guys, the inside of the leg is softer than the outside and easy to bruise. You should have seen the bruises: think cantaloupe sized! Other than the great show I put on for anyone riding behind me, only Slolane, some family and I were privy to those bad boy bruises. And they were both above the mx boot line. Many years later, I was riding my 650 Nighthawk (this was the bike after the 550 and before the Bandit) to a wedding shower, followed by my mother-in-law and her sister in their car. I took off through this funky intersection that had railroad tracks cutting through it on a strange angle. Instead of crossing them at a right angle, I hit them diagonally. The front tire followed the track and slid out and away. All in all, not a bad accident because I walked away and with the exception of a broken clutch lever, bent shift lever and a gumball sized dent in the tank, the bike was fine, too. But it was, again, some guy who bailed out of his family's mini-van who ran over to help me pick the bike up. We continued on to the shower and while I sat there I could feel every part of my body stiffening up. Actual damage to me was the knee of my jeans, one of my gloves, some scrapes that didn't even bleed. I heard later that my mother-in-law screamed when I went down, which I thought was funny at first until I realized that they were right behind me and could've run me over! I guess the last thing you think of when you're lying in the street is that there could be a car coming who can't stop in time. And that's probably good, because who would want to see THAT coming? After that I was shy about cornering for a few months There's nothing like feeling your front end sliding away to give you second thoughts about leaning the bike over. Logically, you know what happened, but I kept wondering if there was some sand or water or wet leaves and I wouldn't see them till too late. I ride a lot so I got over it before the season ended. Okay, that leaves just the wind story and one more about getting stuck in a tree (almost forgot that one but the leg bruises story reminded me!) But lunch is almost over and I've gotta get back to work!

where is a mod when u need them...:lol:

where is a mod when u need them...:lol: Why? :scratch:

Why? :scratch: yeah why?

ithought that this milestone thing was going to be made a whole new thread, guess i was wrong...:crazy:

my bad

Had a couple more Saturday night. Conquered another of J'villes bridges (the Buckman, for those of you who know the area). Nothin' big really.... LONG, but it's so wide (4 lanes on each side -- two parallell bridges), it feels more like a big overpass than a bridge... and it's low to the water for most of the span, just rising in the middle for boats to pass under. AND, I finally used 6th gear. YAY!! Most of my commute is 4th gear.... though after some RPM discussion with the BF, we've determined some of it could be in 5th (just staying in 4th for the bridge, so I've got enough OOMPH to get up it). But I got some good interstate speed going Saturday night, and finally got to use 6th gear! YAY!! And much to my delight, there was still no feeling of less-than-oomph at highway cruising speed in 6th -- she's still very responsive (even for an 11 year old bike!) Hey I know that area.......me and my nephew stationed on NAS JAX use to ride across that bridge.....:cheers:

Good stories. Keep em coming.

:scratch: What does a Mod (me) need to do here? I'm totally confused....

:scratch: What does a Mod (me) need to do here? I'm totally confused.... Me too. What gives?

I think they want a sticky or somin... but we can't sticky everything...

I think they want a sticky or somin... but we can't sticky everything... Yeah, thats right :whore:'s.

I don't think we have to make it a sticky... just someone start a thread in General Riding for people to post up their accomplishments or milestones... as people have them, they can add them.