More biking bits
My hands are too small for clutch lever. This causes hands to ache/cramp up after a while. Must do something about it.
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After reading a thread at Korider.com about rookie mistakes, i no longer feel quite so rotten about dropping my bike within the first week of getting it. Still am an idiot for it, but i guess it was bound to happen at some stage… as one member said “If you get on 2 Wheels, You Gonna come off!”
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I rode in the rain today for the first time - it was more a heavy-ish drizzle, with strong wind (it’s semi-gale or flat air with this place. No such thing as a breeze in Perth - all or nothing!). The rain wasn’t too bad, it was the wind that alarmed me. Leaning (my new favourite orientation) into a wide turn, i could barely keep my place in the lane. I mentioned before that the weight, or perhaps the low placement of weight, of this bike still surprises me…. that just happened again.
Have yet to ride in full-on rain though. As a colleague advised today “Riding in the rain’s alright, until your underwear gets soaked. Then it’s bloody uncomfortable!”
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Yet another friend of mine has moved to Oz. I need to be doing some travelling, albeit not by bike. Perth to Sydney on a little 250cc, when i’m still dubious about my ability to stay upright in strong wind? Not a chance!
One thing you could try for that clutch lever is to see if your mechanic can bend it a little (either that or drop it again on the left side :)). You may find it only needs to be changed a small amount to make it a whole lot better.
I’ve ridden many different sizes of bikes, from massive 1 litre beasts that don’t even budge when hit with a blat of Perth wind, to bendy old small capacity Jappers that feel like they want to jump up and plop back down in the next lane in a gust. The trick with strong wind is to treat it like a corner - lean into the wind, and move with the changes, and you’ll find it isn’t so bad.
I’ve been hit by small Willy-willies as well, they are scary, but gone in a flash.
Oh look, another thing, once you are out of first gear you will find you really don’t need to clutch to change gear. Just get the knack of matching the revs and a tight little bike like yours will snick through the gears just lovely like.
Sing with me now; “Snick gooes the gears boys, snick snick snick,
Wide is her line but her bike is quick,
The wringer looks around and he’s beaten by a girl,
Glory to the lady with the clutchless shift!”
Ok, so the last bit didn’t rhyme, but I gotta be pretty happy with that for an impromptu.
Comment by Gary — Thursday, Jan 18 @ 10:13 am
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