When is it time to hang up yer lid?

[mikew]

:h Dunno whether it just because I've had two lousy effin years of biking, starting with that lousy black hearted bitch Kylie, or that I'm gettin old, but I'm having a real problem of actually "Enjoying" my riding/biking at the moment.

Came to me on the way home from a ride out this evening, "I'm not enjoying this", and I've had these thoughts for a few months now.

On the few rideouts that I've been bothered to join in with, I find myself not riding well, (as in "can't be arsed to" ), can't wait to get off the bike at the end of the ride, assuming of course I haven't just turned around and gone home in the mean time, not wanting to "scratch" (my chicken strips join in the centre of the treads), etc etc..... Hell bells, I even left my bike keys at home in England over Easter, and whilst I was a bit annoyed at first, soon realised that I didn't actually want to go to the Harz mountains anyway then (although we are supposed to be going next week instead, assuming I remember the keys this time)

As little as 3 years ago, I was doing trackdays every 3 weeks, riding around europe, and generally feeling life don't get any better, so whats' gone wrong? :B

Could it be the bike(s) I'm riding? The only other thing I could think of is that 3 years ago I stacked myself on a trackday, and wonder whether my confidence has taken a bigger belt than I first thought :dunno:

So, is it time for me to give it up ? take a year off ?



Any suggestions? any one else ever felt like saying "fook it" and buy a Black and Decker and take up gardening?

mike

 

[Fat Bert]

Mike~~~

You're having a bad day - come and visit us Matlock Mafia - week on Friday evening - come up on the bike?

If we don't put you off riding - then you'll know you've cracked it!!

 

[XXLarge]

Mate of mine was a bit like that, he had a couple of years off then when I got my first bike he had a ride on it and came back grinning. Two days later he bought another bike. We went out for rides regularly, including two trips to France and he was well back into it.

Maybe a break is what you need but if confidence is a problem what about an advanced course or summat?

I hope you find the answer grasshopper - by the way, the time to hang up your lid is when it smells of cuttlefish.

 

[Bob Pinder]

Perhaps you just need a short rest/break away from riding.
Just some time to gather your thoughts :dunno:
Ever considered a bikesafe day or similar in your area to build your confidence?

Thought about changing the type of bike you ride?

I now know when I'm trying to do things and they don't go right I just walk away..............thats why most things take forever around the house

 

[Gatso shy]

Go on Mike

Go on Mike, take Bert up on his offer

have a day out, feel the freedom, enjoy the ride

be at one with your biking, love life again

but if the depression

should hit you, look at Bert

and realise life could be worse


you could be Bert :bang:

 

[mikew]

I would if I could ......

You're having a bad day - come and visit us Matlock Mafia - week on Friday evening - come up on the bike?

If we don't put you off riding - then you'll know you've cracked it!!

but I'm on holiday in Germany with Andrea until the 12th, then on duty for another week. :xm

mike

 

[Codbasher]

I feel the same way about fishing at the moment, I just cant be arsed :violin:

 

[reefer]

i kinda thought that way after a got me new 4 wheel toy :bow:
only rode the bike twice in about ten weeks and really didnt enjoy it (wobble factor) just felt weird, also thought maybe its time to flog it and stick to 4 wheels BUT after 2 weeksnds out on the bike and a trip up to the lakes i was loving it again and even thinking of splashing out a little, on bits and bobs for it
so hang in there as it will come back to you
just think how gutted you will be out in the car in the summer and a load of bikes pull up at the lights :dunno:

 

[mikew]

To Bob and XXL...

Perhaps you just need a short rest/break away from riding.
Just some time to gather your thoughts :dunno:
Ever considered a bikesafe day or similar in your area to build your confidence?

Thought about changing the type of bike you ride?

I now know when I'm trying to do things and they don't go right I just walk away..............thats why most things take forever around the house

I've done sod all riding for the last 12 months, used to be a 20k a year rider, had my TRX mot'd last month ........ 831 miles in the last year, and with the V-Strom being off the road for most of the past 6 months, I've been a bloody pedestrian anyway.

Re: changing the bike, I spent most of yesterday trawling the dealers in MCN via the web looking for either a black 'Bird or a Thunderace in Blue/black (the Ace was the bike I had before Kylie, and I really loved riding it, such a disappointment to buy the 'Bird, which I thought would be a step up/forward, to find I had a ringer). I could not find a black 'Bird anywhere and Aces are fetching silly money with colassal mileages on, although I did find 2 at the same dealer, but both ?1500 over priced compared to other non blue ones. Part of me dosen't want to get rid of the TRX, but I think I need to, I've had her for 5 years now, and basically she is past her prime, despite me spending a fortune on it. The ZX9 I had was ok, in a temporary sort of way, and ZX12's are expensive, and I only like the colour scheme that Samster is running. Hayabusas' are an option, but given the crap I've had with the Strom, I'm reluctant to have another Suzuki.

But is going back to a bike that I've had before the right answer?

re: training,
I think this may be a good idea, I'm hearing good reports about these Bikesafe courses. May get me dialled back in again.

re: Gats and a day out ........... with work the way it is at the moment, a day out is right up there with having all 6 winning lottery numbers given to you. Not gonna happen.
Even had to book our summer holiday breaks LAST year for this year!


I'd like to get out and join a rideout with you lot somwtime, but with only my TRX in this country, I'd better leave now and meet you where you're headed for! Hell even Cyclops would beat me! :bow:

mike

 

[D.S.]

Any suggestions? any one else ever felt like saying "fook it" and buy a Black and Decker and take up gardening?

er..........................I might well pack UK road riding in and go racing next year (give a few peeps a laugh!), but I'll never take up gardening, golf or DIY :} Stick with it mate.

Have ya returned to the track since ya stack? If not perhaps ya need to in order to restore what/if confidence you may have lost :dunno: . D'ya know what caused you're off? Hey, but then again, what the fook do I know, I've only had 4 off's in less than 12 months (that's road & track BTW) :bang:

 

[mikew]

I hate gardening with a passion .....

Any suggestions? any one else ever felt like saying "fook it" and buy a Black and Decker and take up gardening?

er..........................I might well pack UK road riding in and go racing next year (give a few peeps a laugh!), but I'll never take up gardening, golf or DIY :} Stick with it mate.

Have ya returned to the track since ya stack? If not perhaps ya need to in order to restore what/if confidence you may have lost :dunno: . D'ya know what caused you're off? Hey, but then again, what the fook do I know, I've only had 4 off's in less than 12 months (that's road & track BTW) :bang:

I've done the Nurburgring 4 times since my stack (at Mallory). I'd like to do Cadwell again, but I'd hire a track bike for it this time rather than use my own, although I've got an FZR1000 in the garage that I was doing up for just trackdays, I cannot be bothered to finish it.
The cause of my off was a combination of me showboating for the trackside photographer, and me leaning over so far that I literally rode off the edge of the tyres, front tucked in and away I went, high sided me and cartwheeled the bike.
It was the first off I'd had 23 years. :xm

mike

 

[D.S.]

perhaps that's the option

knock road riding on the head for a while and track for a while :dunno:

 

[Jaws]

Honest truth is that I have always prefered two rather odd aspects of being a biker...
1) I hate getting on the bike for short distances.. Much prefer knowing I am gonna be going a few hundred miles to a few miles..
2) Said as it may seem I actually prefer working on bikes to riding them..

But..... because of the above I tend not to be on the bike all that much except for long journeys or if the sun is too warm to get in a tin box..
Perhaps it is for those reasons when I DO get to ride I get the same excitement and good feelings as I did when I was about 16
On the other hand, when you are fed up doing something it really is best to quit for a while Mike...

 

[Bob Pinder]

Bloody hell!

I get the same excitement and good feelings as I did when I was about 16

Can you really remember that far back........................

 

[richard]

Mike if ya do a bikesafe jobbie give us a bell m8 as we went to Hunny on sunday and i must admit their were a couple of times i thought did i realy want to do that..... c7u8 :loo: $%3un


R

 

[PsychoBikerBen]

When is it time to hang up yer lid?

When they lower my corpse into the ground and not before.

Yup,even I have had my "Can't be arsed" with it moments but I knew they where due to other things in my life waying heavily on my mind and diverting my love of bikes to a back seat.

Don't think "I'll give it up and get rid of the bike" - Think"It's in the garage if I want it but at the moment I'm off doing other things"
That way,when the spark rekindles,all ya gotta do is juice up and go.

Don't think of it as wanting to give up-more a sebatical until the passion returns.

 

[Pugwash]

They can hang up my lid when my cold corpse finally stops twitching, or I get a new lid. :beer:

 

[Steptoe]

I know the feeling, and I think its down to what, and not how you ride.

Its time to seriously consider what bike suits your needs, the TRX and V Strom don't turn you on anymore.

Perhaps its a cruiser or a naked you need!!!!!!!!!


I am certain that if you get the right bike, the enjoyment will return, as to what the right bike is................................. :dunno:

 

[Wolfie]

when you are not enjoying it, and flirting from bike to bike.

You may find a bike that sets the fires burning again, or you may end up spending shits loads of money for nothing.

My lid will hung up when i am dead.

85-90% of the rides i have, i do not enjoy, but the others make up for it, bikes are in my blood(they have taken enough of it as well).

Take a break then work on the track bike and enjoy it, take pride in the work YOU have done on it and fuck everybody else.

Is it time to clear the shit out of your life????? bike/work etc etc etc whatever it may be????

 

[Supabird1100]

85-90% of the rides i have, i do not enjoy,

My percentage would be lower than Andy's.....but I suppose about half of my rides would be classed as 'alright' rather than 'enjoyable'

But I get a lot of pleasure (enjoyment) from working on bikes....building bikes ....tinkering with bikes.... reading about bikes etc.

Give it a break Mike.....but don't give it up.