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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> Faced a fear today /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1313544028 Message started by kimchris1 on 08/16/11 at 18:20:28 |
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Title: Faced a fear today Post by kimchris1 on 08/16/11 at 18:20:28 Well I know I am not alone with hating gravel. I detest it and avoid it as much as I can. On today's ride, towards the end of the one road I was on... Signs, Motorcyclist use Extreme Caution, Loose Gravel.. I pulled to the shoulder as knew I had a couple cars behind me. I wanted to see if it is was just the short section of road ahead of me or was it as well on the main road I would be turning onto. Pickup came from the main road towards my direction. I waved him down, asked him if it was on the main road? He replied, yes but not too far. About the same distance of what laid ahead of me. That was towards about 300 feet. Now to some of you that may not seem much, yet to me it may as well been a mile. I told him, I HATE GRAVEL.. He said he was a rider too, keep it vetical and use a lil power... Now I did contemplate turning around and going back the other way.. :-/ Yet if I don't face the fear, then the fear continues to haunt me. So I told Genie, let's go gal... Putt , Putt.. lol.. Well I did know better than to go fast.. Got the the stop sign, then had to turn left. Majority of the gravel I had just ridden thru had been packed down somewhat by other autos. So at least it wasn't as loose as if it had just been laid down. So I made the turn and went slow and kept her vertical.. Made it to the end and sighed and patted Genie's tank.. We made it girl I told her as we continued our way.. Faced the fear and didn't let it ruin my ride. Yet I still Hate gravel.. ;D ;D kim |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/16/11 at 18:22:47 Big deal,, I have a mirror.. terrifyin as that is, I have to face it every day. |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by kimchris1 on 08/16/11 at 18:25:54 So how many times have you had to replace that mirror? kim |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by Markusublime on 08/16/11 at 18:31:05 Congrats,I hate gravel too. ;D |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by LostArtist on 08/16/11 at 18:48:57 yay!! good to go! |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by verslagen1 on 08/16/11 at 18:56:12 Congrats. Now try sand, gravel easy after sand. |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by Boofer on 08/16/11 at 19:10:59 Versy, My driveway was just graded. All the fine gravel came to the top so it's like sand. It's about 3" deep and loose as cream corn. There is a hill in the middle, so I have to leave a rooster tail going up while trying to stay up like sand. Coming down is always worse. KC, glad you made it ok. You're afraid for a good reason. It gets easier, but you know it could let you down. I have a lot of experience riding dirt, but the Savage loves to wallow and let the tail hang out with the tires we have and it weighs a lot more than a dirt bike. Good luck. |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by scroop on 08/16/11 at 20:26:01 43504746595452505B04350 wrote:
Being from PA, I never thought of sand being an issue. I suppose that it's pretty much like ice, eh?. |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by verslagen1 on 08/16/11 at 20:29:52 5753515F0C080A3A0 wrote:
Being from PA, I never thought of sand being an issue. I suppose that it's pretty much like ice, eh?.[/quote] Nope completely different. ice, if you get off center your tires will slip out from beneath you. sand is like getting caught in a rut only no matter where you go you're at the bottom of the rut. so at least if you stop and put your feet out you're not going anywhere. |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/16/11 at 20:33:24 If you are ever facing deep sand, start slow & gl=ently accelerate thru, to hold the front up so it doesnt start wobbling. |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by kimchris1 on 08/16/11 at 20:48:03 I did in fact hit a little sand couple weeks ago. Ours is a side road, and got to the bottom of the main road. Not only sand, yet some gravel too.. I kept her steady and made the stop without dumping myself. The sand was weird to ride on. Complained to the road dept. It was nasty and lots of mc's in the area... Their were no warning signs placed either.. Guess their was some oil spilled by some nitwit that had spilled from a pickup and kept going.. >:( So the sand and gravel was placed down to absorb the oil.. They did come and clean it up though. :) Now fine, sandy gravel, that is another story. I have had a little experience with that, not pleasant.. Went down few months back. Was lucky all I had to replace was a rear turn signal.. ;) kim |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by Sunchasers on 08/16/11 at 21:37:27 Congrats Kim! :) You conquered the big one... now it won't be intimidating next time. ;) |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by youzguyz on 08/17/11 at 02:41:11 Good job Kim!!! No turning back.. Now get out there and treat Genie like the dirt bike she wants to be!! http://p1.bikepics.com/2011%5C04%5C27%5Cbikepics-2196336-800.jpg Every now and then, I just got to do it.. |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by Z on 08/17/11 at 05:52:04 Congrats!! Gravel isn't a big deal for me since I learned to ride my Savage on gravel. I prefer to NOT ride on it but It's not an issue. |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by bill67 on 08/17/11 at 06:02:29 540E0 wrote:
I didn't know PA had any paved roads. :) |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by prechermike on 08/17/11 at 06:13:43 You go Kim! |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by Z on 08/17/11 at 06:40:31 616A6F6F3534030 wrote:
I didn't know PA had any paved roads. :)[/quote] Sure we do! You just have to ride around the pot holes! ;) |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by babyhog on 08/17/11 at 07:44:21 I hate gravel too Kimmy. The road out to my camp is about a mile of it. Some nice curves, and some of the curves are on hills. Last summer I considered riding the bike out there, since its not a very heavily travelled road. To confront the fear. Just never made it. This year they added new gravel so its not as packed as it was, and now I'm afraid to try it. Most of it would be fine, but there is one curve that bothers me. Maybe before the season is out.... Need a pic of the bike in front of the camp... Now, my first summer of riding, hubby and I were out on some back roads that he knew from his younger days. But we happened to roll into a coal mining area and they had "moved" one of the roads. So he said its just on the other side of this creek, not too far. So I barrell on across the bridge onto a road that was basically solid mud with some big chunks of gravel sunk into it. We rode and rode and I told him I thought he said it wasn't far! Anyway, I wasn't even nervous. Didn't know any better because I hadn't done it before. Made it through it, no sweat. The same weekend, we started to pull off the road at a gas station that had a gravel parking lot. I went slow, but I still screwed up and as I brought the bike to a stop, I dropped it. Well, I should say I lowered it to the ground with my leg. Gently, you know. lol I was going so slow, and it still happened. So I'm thinking how in the world did I make it a couple miles over that muddy/gravel/pothole infested mine road? |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by kimchris1 on 08/17/11 at 08:54:17 Piglet, maybe if I over think the gravel, it has a tendency to intimidate me. You may have made it thru the mud and gravel as you said you just went thru it, not thinking much about it. Our driveway is gravel. It also slopes down and I am able to ride Genie up with no problems. Now coming down is another thing. I usually stop at the top and slowly with both feet on the ground, I slowly bring her to the bottom. I used to ride her down, yet when we had the trees taken out, machinery kind of messed up the nicely packed gravel. Now it has loosen up and so to avoid a down, I do as described above. Hubby is able to ride his Shadow down it. I think that man could just about ride thru anything. I do feel good about making thru that area yesterday yet, I will still be careful next time I come into contact as don't want to get over confident and have it drop me on my side.. Thanks for all the high 5's everybody.. Hugs to all.. :) kim |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by Classic650 on 08/18/11 at 07:52:53 I had no choice but to drive the gravel. They laid it down one day when I was already at work. I almost went off the shoulder because of it. It's now really packed down & barely notice it's there, but it sure can be treacherous for bikes. |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by arteacher on 08/18/11 at 11:42:37 The summer school I'm teaching at is out in the country on about a half mile of gravel road. The first day I rode there they had graded the gravel the day before. Very slow half mile, but as I gain confidence I am now up to 2nd gear as I ride it. ;D |
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Title: Re: Faced a fear today Post by kimchris1 on 08/18/11 at 11:46:27 High 5's arteacher.. That is great.. Gives me encouragement.. Thank you..:) kim |
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