2009 Polar Bear Ride!

[cheriann]

Our local group got together on January 1st for our annual Polar Bear ride! It was a great success again! Two chapters met up in our area and we had 17 people! Then we rode 60 miles to a nice family style diner. Along the way we met up with two other chapters local to the diner area. By the time we were ready to be seated, we had 32 people. This is SUPER great because is was SO DARN COLD! When we left our house it was 29 degrees and only averaged as high as 31 degrees for the whole ride.

I have a confession to make too....I USED to be very proud of the fact that I had never dumped my bike....until now... :'(

I was following behind Chaz and the Road Captain when we approached a sharp left turn we were taking, the kind that is almost like a u-turn AND we were on an incline uphill. I was cruising along, following Chaz into the turn. However, after Chaz crossed over, a car suddenly appeared over the hill from the other way and I had to make a sudden stop. I KNOW that is what messed me up!!! So, then I had to go into the sharp turn from a stop. I didn't pay attention to my handlebar position and I must have had it too sharply turned because when I started to throttle for the turn, my bike went down to the left, almost in slow motion.....fortunately I wasn't hurt and neither was my bike. It just fell over slowly on the crash bar. The thing that WAS hurt, was my bruised ego!! The people there were GREAT! A guy ran over and lifted my bike for me, two other riders ran ahead of me and blocked traffic coming over the hill from the other side.

I am still SO MAD at myself!!!! DUMB, DUMB, DUMB!!!!!

Well, I made a video slide show. YouTube made the pictures blurry now, but you can still get an idea of the amount of fine people that showed up to ride and break bread together for the New Year!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvd2AUlbfG0

[Top Cat]

http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif Geez that poor guy in the Steelers jacket looks like his face is ready to fall off. Man he looks cold. http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

Just a heads up, your avitar pic is not showing anymore. ???

[cheriann]

http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif Geez that poor guy in the Steelers jacket looks like his face is ready to fall off. Man he looks cold. http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

Just a heads up, your avitar pic is not showing anymore. ???

LOL....you noticed if my avatar picture was there or not?
Thank you!!! I'll work on that!!!

[dantama]

That is quite a mix of bikes, what is the group?

[paul]

Now that looks like a great day! http://s2.images.proboards.com/cheesy.gif

[dabull]

First, glad you are ok;) next glad you laid her down gently, next BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Glad ya'll had a good ride!!

Aloha

Derry

[chainsaw]

Ya see, we've all been there and it really doesn't matter. Glad you and the bike are alright. With all those clothes on and the cold weather, who could tell if your embarrassed or not.

[rlfaubion]

No blood, no foul..... Good to see motors runn'n :)

[cheriann]

Thanks for the kind words!!!

[coacha]

Glad you are ok from the drop. Sounds like a fun group and a great ride.

[pirate]

Thanks for sharing the pics. I'd give anything now to put on a couple extra layers and ride in the cold. The -20 temps and three feet of snow put the kaibosh on that, though!

[skeeter]

Dropped a bike more than once.
Learned something every time like;

a) put foot down on uphillside before looking over shoulder to the downward side.
b) keep at least one finger on the handbrake while backing up just in case you get in a bind.

Nice slides. Looks like a good time.

[cheriann]

Thanks again!

Let's see....I need to think about the lesson I learned from this....
Don't try to turn the handlebars too sharp!!! I guess I could have backed my bike up before starting, or even better, backed up at an angle facing more towards the turn!!!

[dantama]

Thanks again!

Let's see....I need to think about the lesson I learned from this....
Don't try to turn the handlebars too sharp!!! I guess I could have backed my bike up before starting, or even better, backed up at an angle facing more towards the turn!!!



Cheriann, this isn't to criticise you at all, so please don't take it that way, just a pointer.

I think (though I wasn't there to know) that is what probably made you go down was letting off the throttle, not turning the bars to sharply.

You can be stopped and turn the bars all the way to the stops, and pull away. It is a very uncomfortable feeling though. When the holy sh*t feeling hits, if you let off the throttle, you will go down; and letting off the throttle is probably the natural instinct in that situation. Letting out more clutch and giving more throttle is what really needs to happen in that situation.

When riding in a very slow uncomfortable situation, when the instinct to put your foot down or let off the throttle happens, the right thing to do in almost all of them is to let out more clutch and give more throttle.

I wasn't there, but that is what almost always will make you go down when in a tight slow maneuver.

[cheriann]

Hi Dan!

I'm not offended at all!! You could possibly be right! I just remember it happening so fast (at least to me at the time) After having to stop quickly, I'm sure I had turned my bars straighter for the quick stop. That put me past where I would have comfortably made the turn. So, I'm thinking that maybe you're right! I need to pay attention to that and remember what you have taught me here.
Thank you!!!

[cheriann]

Okay, this is the person that was directly behind me when I made my goof. Here's what she posted on our local board:
_____________________________
Yeah, I was right behind you and saw how the whole thing came about, and I knew you were going to lay it over when I saw the turn in your handlebars. But after you laid the bike down, I was sitting there with my frozen fingers wondering whether you were going to be able to pick it up or not - and whether I should get off and help you. About the time I finally realized that you needed help a couple of the guys came roaring up from behind, one to block traffic and the other to help you pick your bike up.

To be honest, my body wasn't moving too well in all that cold...I feel bad that I was slow to respond. But, the guys came through and did a great job, and neither you nor the bike was hurt...

BTW, that type of situation is the only time I have had to gently (knock on wood) lay down a bike - came to a stop to make a right hand turn, cranked the handlebars too far and I happened to be on a steep drop-off on the side of the road. The only thing I could do was let the bike come down gently on it's right side. I was embarrassed more than anything else, but I did learn from the experience.

[dantama]

The conversation about Cheriann's drop is starting back up in the safety forum with her permission.

[traveler]

Glad you and yours are ok. We have all done it at least once most of us twice. Great pics. looks like a good time was had by all. Its rainy and foggy here.Has been since Christmas.Wish we could get a break from fog and rain. :-[ :-/

[ells]

We have all done it at least once most of us twice.

Only twice? What a bunch of novices! http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

[skeeter]

I couldn't ride today. The weather was too good and I had to work.