MSF: Stare at cones and ride over them. Questions and concerns.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > MSF: Stare at cones and ride over them. Questions and concerns.

Kenny Rogers: Sep 7, 2007; Chapter One:
When I first saw Sparky, he reminded me of my favorite comb. He was missing a lot of teeth.

Skreemer posted:

I've had a few people get the shakes or nervous as sin after a get off. I'll usually stop them before they start off and exercise and ask them how they are doing, a little bit of banter, and say, "OK, deep breath, feel better? Let's go." Giving them that second and reminding them to breathe helps a bunch and you can see some of the tension drain away.

With a drop or two during the course I usually don't pay much attention to it. With the number of drops the lady you mentioned had I'd call a break and see if there was something I could do to help. A few of the coaches actually live right down the street from our range and have spent a number of hours coaching folks on their own time.

I'm actually really super pissed at the school my sweetie went to for her MSF here in Denver - especially when I compare the experience she described to the experience I had at a different school just up the road in Erie. She went in a little unprepared, having not been on a bicycle in perhaps 15 years, but totally stoked about getting a bike and riding with me. She was looking at a TW200, and the school was recommended as having a TON of TW200s. They put her on a TU250, said it was too tall. Put her on a TW200. It was shorter (narrower), but still "too tall" (she said she felt comfortable, but being honest was still on the balls of her feet, and not flat footed). Then they put her on an Eliminator 125. Which she dumped turning it around after the duckwalk. They cut her at that point, and recommended a reschedule.
She went back with enthusiasm to a smaller Wednesday course, where she dumped the E125 again, another unspecified bike, and the scooter. The instructor's parting shot was that she should probably get used to the idea of being the passenger on the back. :argh:

Now she can't even sit on a bike (motor or pedal) without nearly bursting into tears. I'm furious and heartbroken at the same time.

Any suggestions on stepping stones back to enthusiasm?

# ¿ Aug 1, 2012 08:02

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 13, 2024 23:49

Kenny Rogers: Sep 7, 2007; Chapter One:
When I first saw Sparky, he reminded me of my favorite comb. He was missing a lot of teeth.

I'm pretty sure that the comment was made by the lead instructor at the end of her second go-round. I know she said she had a lot of trouble with finding the friction zone on the 125�. She also said that when she lost the bike, it was to the outside of the turn when turning around.

It's good to know that I'm on the right path. I've been mulling getting a pair of $130 "throwaway" pedal bikes from Walmart to tool around the neighborhood on for a couple months. She's super nervous (and again, near tears when sitting on them in the shop - but also admits that's fear of falling over in such a public place talking), but onboard with the plan. It's good to know that her enthusiasm isn't killed, just overshadowed by terrible experiences at this point.

As for her being super short? Totally.
I'm 5'9"/175cm and a 30"/75cm inseam. But I'm a dude, so I know what my inseam is because I buy pants.
Women apparently don't have that luxury. They get a single number. =)
She's 5'3"/160cm, and she doesn't know her inseam, but if I'm a 30, I'd guess she's got a 28 or 27" inseam. At 230# worth of 'suspension squish' I'm tiptoe on my DRZ400. (Before the class) she tried sitting on it on the kickstand, and could reach the pegs OK, but reaching the ground was nothing short of a laughing proposition. Not a 'roll one buttcheek off the seat' for a stoplight, but more like 'Oh Hai knee on the seat!" =)

Thanks for the advice!

� A number of the MSF schools around here have Kawasaki Eliminator 125 cruisers for teaching. The school I had was running 3 of them, an old honda 250 twin UJM, a TW200, and the KLX250SF I was on (which was awesome, FWIW).

Kenny Rogers fucked around with this message at 01:18 on Aug 2, 2012

# ¿ Aug 2, 2012 01:16

Kenny Rogers: Sep 7, 2007; Chapter One:
When I first saw Sparky, he reminded me of my favorite comb. He was missing a lot of teeth.

I'm the same. Practicing tight clutch/throttle control circles, I prefer to do them anticlockwise. I feel like I'm going to fall over if I do them clockwise. It's the weirdest sensation.

On the road, I'm OK either way. It's primarily in the slow stuff where I'm "lefty loosey - righty tighty".

# ¿ Aug 16, 2012 07:03

Kenny Rogers: Sep 7, 2007; Chapter One:
When I first saw Sparky, he reminded me of my favorite comb. He was missing a lot of teeth.

I had plenty of examples in my riding, but still had trouble grasping "The bike will go where you look" on an intuitive level.

Not anymore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MYJss-lynE&t=128s

# ¿ Sep 23, 2012 05:46

Kenny Rogers: Sep 7, 2007; Chapter One:
When I first saw Sparky, he reminded me of my favorite comb. He was missing a lot of teeth.

Lothire posted:

Still not sure how counter-steering works, but I'm feeling good.

At the speeds you're going in class, it's kind of hard to get a good feel for. You can feel the theory of it by planting your feet firmly on the ground while you're waiting (engine off). Grip the bike with your thighs, let go of the bars, and push on one side or the other. You'll feel the bike heel over toward the side you're pushing on. If you were moving, it'd lean over to that side, and you'd start turning.

# ¿ Oct 28, 2012 02:06

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > MSF: Stare at cones and ride over them. Questions and concerns.