how many seasons and/or miles til experienced?

[kelownagirl]

Boy oh boy do I feel dumb. Pick up a water bottle while riding?? And the bottle be on the ground?? And I'm guessing you guys mean to do it and not fall over and go BOOM??? Yeh ok, I can tell you that's something I'll NEVER do.
(

I'm still working on getting my water bottle out of the holder, drinking, and putting it back while riding. And all that without getting my heart rate up so high, I need to take a break...

[CyclChyk]

I'm still working on getting my water bottle out of the holder, drinking, and putting it back while riding.

I can do this now!!! But only if I am going real slow, on a straight stretch, and ONLY with my left hand. Even tho I am right handed I feel very wobbly trying to go for the bottle with my right hand.

I have so much to learn.

[aicabsolut]

This is an aside, but I want to share:

I was driving home the other day during rush hour and I get to this intersection where a bike is in the left lane (going to turn left), waiting for the light to change. It's a little bit uphill there, and this guy is clipped in, at one of the busiest intersections around, standing up, COMPLETELY STILL, just chilling. Bike wheel turned a little left, butt sticking up in the air, no wobbles, no rocking the wheel around, no slow crawl forward. Completely still. Light changes, off he goes. I hate him....only because I want to be him.

[CyclChyk]

I can't begin to phathom that kind of balance....... only in my dreams.

[Brandy]

This is an aside, but I want to share:

I was driving home the other day during rush hour and I get to this intersection where a bike is in the left lane (going to turn left), waiting for the light to change. It's a little bit uphill there, and this guy is clipped in, at one of the busiest intersections around, standing up, COMPLETELY STILL, just chilling. Bike wheel turned a little left, butt sticking up in the air, no wobbles, no rocking the wheel around, no slow crawl forward. Completely still. Light changes, off he goes. I hate him....only because I want to be him.

I want to master track stands...only because I'm so lazy that it would save me from unclipping.

[RoadRaven]

Pssst...



SK and AG... you guys crack me up!!!

[Veronica]

I've been thinking about this thread for awhile.

These are changes I've noticed in my riding over the years.

Snot Rockets - at first I would stop every 10 minutes and blow my nose with a tissue. That got old, so with Thom's encouragement I started doing snot rockets. At first, I'd get it all over me, and I'd have to coast to do it. Then I mastered the technique, but still needed to coast. Now, I can maintain whatever speed I'm at and generally it goes where it is supposed to.

Water Bottle Reach - at first I would need to coast and look at the bottle. Then it became coast and grab the bottle w/o looking. Now it is keep pedaling and grab the bottle.

Descents - the first time I took a corner faster than I wanted to on a descent was eye opening. Nothing bad happened! And I just sort of took off from there. I'm cautious on roads I don't know. But I don't ride the brakes. And I can't really explain what I do. I know I look through the corner as far as I can. I use most of the lane if I am doing the speed limit (or exceeding it!) Almost passed another motorcycle today. I try to NEVER go out of my lane on a descent. The motorcycle did. I'm not perfect and it happens sometimes. I learn from the mistakes. I haven't crashed yet.

Brake Quick Release - The first time this didn't get closed, I stopped and had to think about what could be wrong. Today when I realized it was open, I reached forward as I was riding and closed it. I just knew that was why I had no front brake.

Tool Usage - I am often by myself in the middle of nowhere. I never considered myself especially mechanically inclined. The day I broke my front derailleur, Thom was home and could come pick me up. But before he got to me, I had almost completely removed the broken derailleur. Why? because if he hadn't been home, I'd have been stuck ten miles from home with the choice of walk or find a fix.

I know I tend to reflect on my rides, both on what was good and what was not so good. I didn't get here by reading a book or someone telling me what to do in various situations. Every mile I ride adds to my wisdom.

V.

[velogirl]

You're a very wise woman, Veronica.

[DebW]

Ah, we finally get to the guts of this discussion. Thanks for putting it so well, Veronica.

No man's wisdom extends beyond his experience...

... Every mile I ride adds to my wisdom.

To learn new skills, we have to put ourselves in the situation to learn and be willing to try. Those of us who don't ride with a group often aren't going to learn group-riding skills, even though we may be very skilled riders otherwise. I can't do trackstands because I've never bothered to go out and practice (there's no guarantee I'd learn if I practiced, but I certainly won't learn if I don't try). Some things we pick up through years of riding, like grabbing the water bottle while pedaling or high-speed pot-hole avoidance, but other things (maybe snot-rockets) take more conscious effort. I've never learned the snot-rocket, so it either goes on my gloves or I pull a bandana from my pocket and wipe while riding. I can put a gloved hand on my front tire to remove road debris if something gets stuck on the tire. But I'm not skilled at 50 mph descents because I never ride hills long enough to hit that speed. I do think that maybe those of us who started riding in the 70s and 80s had a learning edge over those who start riding now, because with downtube shifters you were forced to take either hand off the bar frequently so you immediately got comfortable riding one-handed either side.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I can do this now!!! But only if I am going real slow, on a straight stretch, and ONLY with my left hand. Even tho I am right handed I feel very wobbly trying to go for the bottle with my right hand.

I have so much to learn.

You're supposed to do it while riding backwards.

[CyclChyk]

Oh lisalisa - what are you trying to do to me girl??

I like your advice of "just do it!" MUCH better!

Oh and are SNOT ROCKETS what I think they are ???? My god it would be all over my face!