My First Ride!

Okay not really, but the first time moving forward on a bike!

Since I kicked ass in the classroom, I was nervous/excited to get on the bike.  When I saw the row of bikes on display, I thought "holy crap they're small!!"  The wheels looked so tiny compared to my BF's Yamaha R6.  They're all 250s.

250 bikes - Honda Nighthawk, Honda Rebel, and some kind of dirtbike.

Before coming to class, you need to make sure you have:  leather gloves, boots that  support your ankle, helmet, and every part of your skin covered except your neck.  The only thing the class can provide is a helmet.  If you don't have these things, yoooouuurrrr OUT!  Yes this course is strict on attendance, being on time, and safety gear.

I used these hiking boots during the class.  I call them Big Berthas!

Other tips:  bring snacks and water (4 hours of riding is tiring!), and pee beforehand so you have less distractions.  String cheese and trail mix were my snack of choice!

When it came for us to start, the ridercoaches told us to pick a bike and stand next to it.  Everyone was scurrying and I ran to a red Honda nighthawk.

Me and the 250 Nighthawk I learned on.

This bike was wonderfully light, easy to maneuver, and comfy-ish to sit on.  However, it sucked because it lacked power which means that you have to give it gas and work the clutch to get it to move and all that was too much to coordinate.  Think of it this way, in an automatic car, you take your foot off your break and it starts to move forward.  With this lower powered bike, you have to give it gas, slowly release the clutch and if you release the clutch too fast or not give it enough gas, it'll stall.  So touchy!  I probably stalled the bike at least 20 times on the first day, seriously.  The ridercoaches were incredibly patient with me even though I kept making the same mistakes.  They broke down things for me and gave advice in a way that made me want to keep trying!  I can be a quitter sometimes =/

One thing (there were many) that got me through the course is: Don't give a f**k about what your classmates think.  Normally I would be like, "Oh my god they see me sucking!" or "Ahhh I'm the worst one here!" or "Ayeee I'm sorry for going too slow in front of you!"  Amazingly, I was able to block those thoughts out.  We were all on different levels, no one got annoyed if you stalled in front of them or went slow, and everyone was cool and supportive (except  for one jerk).  Since I was able to focus on my skills and confidence, it became a less stressful and more productive learning environment!

We covered a ton in the 3 riding days!  Each day was about 4 hours, so 12 hours of riding practice.  Speaking from someone that learns best by taking half baby steps, they go at a good pace.  For those that learn faster than that, didn't hear any complaints about going too slow.  They tell you the correct form, the buttons to push to start it, do this, then this, find this, press that...They make no assumptions that people know what to do next.  They break it down into simple do-able steps, which is great.

Here are some of the things you learn in the beginning, mostly uber basics:

Move the bike back and forth in neutral
Leaning it side to side - great way to feel for stability and weight of the bike
Feeling that friction zone - get really good at this before the 2nd day
Moving forward in 1st gear - woohoo my first ride!
Weaving between straight cones
Weaving between staggered cones - much more challenging!
And more!  Just can't remember...

The good news is after the first day, you learn everything you need to know about super basic riding:  accelerating, breaking, and turning.  The two other days are just more advanced skills and stuff to keep you safe.

I made a buddy in class!  She was on the same skill level as me and we had similar struggles.  We would check in with each other during breaks.

So how did I feel after the first day?  Physically exhausted.  My hand ached from squeezing the clutch so much and my back hurt too!  And emotionally...freaked out.  There was one bit of advice from the forum that was repeated over and over that I didn't follow:  have fun.  I was putting so much pressure on myself to understand the skills and get it right that I forgot to have fun.  Booo on me!!  Near the end of the first day, I was riding the bike on the way to home position, when my right hand slipped, rolled on the throttle and I jolted forward a couple of times!  In my panic mode, I remembered my safety net, the Emergency cut off switch, and pressed it and the bike stopped.  The combination of the speed and the engine revving was horrifying to me.  I was trembling and freaked because I lost control of the bike.  What a shitty way to end the day!  That feeling carried through the night and on to the next day.

You saved my ass big red button!

Went and met up with my BF, told him my horror story (it really is much bigger in your head than real life huh?) and got some hot cocoa.  Needed some rest.  Getting ready for Day 2 the next day...

Day 2 post soon to come!