2 rides, 2 breakdowns, same day

GRM 450 said:

What sort of place do you fellows live in?
THE gravel,
swarms of stink bugs,
killer stinging bugs,
poison winged monkeys........

I thought we had it bad in venom land.

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You ain't got nuthin' on Arkansas! If the critters don't get you, the natives will. :mrgreen:

Wow Hobot! In that country, maybe you need one of these:





MelloYellow

swooshdave said:

GRM 450 said:

What sort of place do you fellows live in?
THE gravel,
swarms of stink bugs,
killer stinging bugs,
poison winged monkeys........

I thought we had it bad in venom land.

Click to expand...

You ain't got nuthin' on Arkansas! If the critters don't get you, the natives will. :mrgreen:

Click to expand...

Yeah, I was reading about the drop bears and the man eating koalas and all that, and thinking Oz sounds pretty dangerous! But Arkansas sounds even worse! :shock: :wink:

Debby

It wouldn't be so bad except about 15 minutes after I put the JD2020 and the blade on the drive, the wife's Mini goes up it and it has that horrible FWD and is sprung like a brick and has those awful run flat tires, so instant washboard. She doesn't know how to drift up either, so she's always got the petal engaged. This time of year, I'm lucky if I can go stand in the steepest part and stand up without sliding down. Same in the snow or ice, but if it freezes and the gravel is bare, good traction until the mud season comes. Sometimes I have to go up on the grass if the snow isn't too deep, but winters lately it's been difficult to get even the tractor up.


This is from where it starts to level out a bit.

I just came back from lunch, so the blood has hit the stomach, after a nap a ride.

Dave
69S

If SD doesn't like naked dogs, how about naked mountains?



Dave
69S

Both happy and pensive you have such similar cautions on just getting in and out in path that varies like a river one season to the next. It should keep you sharper as ya age, provided any injury is not too bad.

Not fair Mellow showing me a P11 Ranger Cheetah 45 in desert racer set up. But my heart is now stolen by rubber baby buggies, though my Peel special is meant to do hill climbs you absolutely could not do on foot or any tracked craft, only pure ballistic rooster tailing thruster.

The worst and toughest animal I so fear to encounter are the feral hogs, so seriously considering packing my .45 with Navy Seal P+++ ammo in case I go down on one and it comes back to eat me I can shoot myself in the head and not suffer.

Today's ride.



Dave
69S

Huh kind of a crooked way to go, might called it 'politician parkway'.

If it were politician parkway, it would be on some other solar system than the one we live in.

Dave
69S

DogT, Ms Peel OIF will have thermal color change paint that goes clear as it heats to reveal one of my motto's, we ain't her for a long time just a good time...
another one, "Hey, Watch This..."

OH Yeah, i had a call to clinic today so took Trixe which worked at treat but for lack of return to idle when warm, so coming back on THE Gravel encounted cattle fence welders next to path so let off gas but still 30 mph, so used front brake going as straight as i could and it locked up to snatch down front but I got off it in time while hearing my self going no No NO NO NO, so it didn't, whew. There is a weird reflex I developed only going down too much prior - to sort of let go and let bike but not so much you ain't dampening out the instant tank slap excesss. This was on a nice level section no stones or wash boards. On the climb ups I let her get a bit frisky, for survival play games, but blip a few feet of tire spin so deliciously feeling the eager Combat response.

Much as you might get comfy negotiating your Gravel driveway, don't ever forget its always lurking and never ever your friend.

If ya ever get to a good longish straigh-est Gravel climb there is another weird state I get in going beyond just good spirit up it, I get rear into best traction of increasing spin up just short of spin out till rear trys to pass front a bit but counter it by letting forks self cancel for a slightly skewed crab run up with a uncannty extra bit of stability because of the spread of distance between line of each tire path. Tippy toes versus flat footed sense. You can even manevor to dodge stuff staying in the accelerating crab state, but must keep on it so the crabbed state is the new self centered state to work around.

Oh YEah, on nice easy sweeter that highways would label 30 mph I was going
about 45 to encounter extra loose and rumpled tire throw up, so carefully let off and applied both brakes, breaking my firm rule not to enter to need brakes, to clear around enough to see a 1 ton PU and dozer trailer pulling across my path into a gate very carfully very slowly, but RED HOT STING hit my brake hand reflex so let off brake dray and 'drifted' delicately by pure body bike lean English so forks flicked slightly into straight steer all by themselves and passed behind him w/o a crisis, as he wasn't also stretching a log chain with log across with him as has happend prior.

After these two pulse raisers- encountering 3 deer in my way to scatter with a Norton Sort was refreshing. Horn is useless waste of foolish effort.

I even got to tease some young liter sport bike riders about thumb commensors lowering ones IQ then kicked her off for a 100 yd sprint up and down shift roar down steep exit from our square, then shuf off to attend to pretty gal, who said the Norton sounded better than they did leaving a bit later...

Hehe got use another of C'do entertainment features, leaving a gas stop I lugged and short shifted to get the HD pack to look up appreciatively till just around the bend then snicked to 2nd and came back on at hi rpm Roar with the peahooters aimed their way...

That was all in 40 mile total today.

Steve,
I'm not doin' THE gravel thing except to get to the pavement in about a mile. There are plenty around here though. The 3.00-19 ribbed Speedmaster seems to throw me off when it hits a rock that it doesn't like and it's like front slip on oil. So it's 25mph to the pavement. At my st(age), I'm not into show off or competition. I just have to let that go. It's a plenty good looking bike so gets plenty of compliments and gets me down the road where I want, just for fun. I've got the Miata for hair in the air pleasure too, so that takes a bit of need out of the picture and is easier to deal with. But I like the procedure of getting ready and starting the Norton, it's like a process that no one else knows. Only thing is I really have to push myself to get on the Norton, the fear is still paramount at the start, but goes away later. It's the age, but the Norton pushes me back in time.

Dave
69S

Steve,
I'm not doin' THE gravel thing except to get to the pavement in about a mile. There are plenty around here though. The 3.00-19 ribbed Speedmaster seems to throw me off when it hits a rock that it doesn't like and it's like front slip on oil. So it's 25mph to the pavement. At my st(age), I'm not into show off or competition. I just have to let that go.

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What a silly ignorant innocent and to me a bit personal obnoxious statement. Do not take this personal as it is just plain facts of the matter. Please please please Remember what you've been focusing on this post, the risk to get up and down the loose stuff intact.

I, you or nor anyone can not cross -THE Gravel- at any speed, routinely and not expect to be instantly thrust into antics or saves or crash just like any other racer on very edges of traction in any direction at either end. At least racers have speed and momentum in their favor to give some grace time to recover, but not THE Gravel. Absolutely do not be fooled you are being much in any safer in putt putt speed than the planning speed I now know is best compromise for definitive control with least toss down uncontrollable jerk rounds. I have Never Ever in my life crashed going fast on THE Gravel in a turn. Boy Howdy have I being as stupid timid as you - until reality of broken bike and broken bones and made me like I am now often pulling off daily stunter saves in nick of time just trying to get along safe as can be. I did not ride Trixie for one month before the Empire Rally do the close calls I was having on brand new not fully broke in rebuild, so just how stupid crazy does that imply. Of course hobot spends 3 yr waiting and 9 nine doing it, to go right out and bash everything up like I was born missing front teeth? But that's exactly what riding across THE Gravel is risking whether you know it or not - yet.

You describe the jit-jots just rolling easy along, well you just don't know how close those little annoyances are to SPLAT Downs - yet. I pussy foot my 1/2 drive way, 25 is too damn fast for a lot of it. Today when I almost lost it I was going 30 enjoying the cool air but was too cautious trying to slow going by the workers and truck. I should of kept my pace and just maneuvered into oncoming side which I could see enough yd ahead, but "normal road sense habits" about did nice new Trixie in again. I assume my trained brake feathering hit unseen pocket and lump just right, and converted surface into an oiled soap bar on ball bearings.

I had a transforming experience one night I'll not go into now but be as careful as can but don't think you are being any smarter saner safer than me when your tires are not really completely in touch with terra firma. Ever. Even my stoic slow disciplined life time experienced seasoned and reasoned buddy Wesley, went down on way to help me being as careful and slow in a bit of mild turn rather less radius than your drive way. Said he could not believe it, was going easy like he thought he always did, SPLAT. Do not Judge until you too have had your first real lesion from THE Gravel, my Masher Master. I always denote in total awe and respect as well calling it THE Slutty Shitty Stuff.

Most common event is you minding your ride as something enters you path or yo encounter is around a blind or over a crest, what do you do...


Be scared, very scared and realize the first few will hit so fast at so slow you may not learn a thing of what went so wrong, until repeated a few times, then may sound like hobot > crazy as it takes to sit on 2 tire on THE Gravel.

Here's my 1st & only video test, camera taped to face shield which drums with the wind and the impacts, on non DOT race rubber so soft the pebbles will not release rubbing loudly though fender, until I've got back off hwy, then so soft it can't hold them - except to trap them against other pebble to act like Tiger Claws on THE Loose Stuff - that you can not dig a rut into so grooves and knobbies are rather worse than useless. Only soft compound and soft PSI mater. I did not want to smash camera nor me so only went 10-15 mph faster than normal commutes to not bore those I share it with. When you hear me grunt or squeal its totally involuntary from hidden impactors forcing air out or anal pinching it out on one of those surprise jerk outs you notice too. I can go faster but its must be SO MUCH FASTER, I have to be in life death crisis to enter that state, then I am totally out of it daring death to take me in its stony teeth. I could not survive long doing that much but was forced into it so gave up all hope of life one night and transcended my own reality forever more. How this hobby affect yo'all?

THE Gravel. THE Grit, THE Shitty Slutty Loose Stuff. My Master and Masher
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx0oUUY--iI[/video]

Believe me, I have great respect for the sliding gravel drive. The maybe 10 times I've been up and down it has been a new experience each time. And the fear comes on right before the hill (either way) which makes me tense and that doesn't help. Luckily each time I've had issues, it all worked out, but I'm not counting on that forever. I probably should just drive down it like the Devil's HeatWave and be done with it. Only place I can go is into the 50 Filbert bushes or the grass and that's still all down hill. Trouble is over 25mph on the gravel is a no-no with the SpeedMaster front.

At least I have an option for now and I'm comfortable with that and I'm stickin' with it and no one is complaining.

Can't do that fast gravel road or tall fescue driving, already scraped off half my face and fractured C6-7 on the pavement in the Miata. The fear is in me and won't let go.

Dave
69S

Bitumin the driveway? Or what ever you call it over there? It'll keep your bike clean too.

Dave I had to come to serious decision after my 6th crash in about 5 days, I either had to figure out how to get to pavement intact or quit the hobby within same week of first Combat. I get as scared as you do it actally hurts my groin into me teeth. Best advice is never ever ride to get scared, ever! So if you are afraid to take one THE Gravel, then do as I do, take another way or the cage. Bottom line is I found out that at some point being too timid was what was killing me. You may never make that transition, which is really a moment to moment decision, which just toady I decided against. So I think you a fool in regards to thinking I'm the mislead one on what it takes to make a risky section predicable to expect to make it routinely, just not forever.

Bottom line there is very little space between going just fast enough its not too slow to roll through the snatch down effects and going just slow enough it not too fast to have effective control by forks or brakes or lean.

The worst realization that is yet to hit you is no matter how good you and cycle are behaving you are raw meat to the rest of the world. Cycles are known as death machines, you ride an obsolete one, so how good and cautious logic is that.
I go out each time knowing may end up with teeth though back of skull, do you?

Safe Journeys,
hobot, un-hobbled since goat killing SV650 onto THE Gravel
OH YEAH,
What i actually call 'it' to myself inside is " Arrowheads and Marbles "

Yeah, the wife used to hound me regularly about paving the hill. Since I don't have any money in the foolish stock market since Bear Sterns of 08 and the bond dividends are doing so good, we may look into that. It'd get rid of the mud in the spring too. I've seen the mud 6-8" deep there and I have to drive up the hillside, or walk up.

I know I'm riding on borrowed time, believe me, I know it's up and down, in and out and luck of the gods on the gravel and even on the road. I may keep away from THE hill for a while. When there is a slight amount of moisture in the ground it has much more traction, but when the red clay turns to powder with the 57s, all bets are off.

Dave
69S

Mud is always an instant crisis, whether you or I know it instantly or not. As careful as we can be, terrain, hazards and traffic throw sucker punches at us as we either don't ride, get thrown down or try to fight a recovery.

Here's photo of me trying to get to shed from stable security of Gravel driveway, after a rain, cave lake fills up, which drain out to float water up under the sod like quick sand, so if ya stop ya sink. I can not walk bike through this. Only way I've can risk crossing it is to let 1/2 the air out tires and hit it at skiing speeds, but can't just fly over it like I do places on THE Gravel, because I also got to slow/stop before hitting shed. Wes ran into this riding up to help fix Trixie, I'd told him about it but hes stubborn like all of us and it looks like rest of the lawn. He slid and fish tailed at 20 ish mph to barely make it to shed pad, got off and laid down in panting over adrenalized shock. I never saw him that shocked or tested before and he rides worse stuff than I do.

This mud and a few Gravel sections when dry will not support tires nor take any leaning at all, saving its crashes is how I learned to do the fastest way around a decreasing radius turn on smoking spun up tire in best grip as upright and straight steering as you do in a crowed parking lot. Its the real reason for Ms Peel's blown big block power plant, too keep the tire grinding over 100 mph through Chiances that are 1st gear speed for all the rest of the world most elite racers, pshaw- the poor dangerous deadly corner cripples. Began as 20 ish mph, ended at zero only because I'd learned to keep the tire powered just enough not to drag and not so much to spin out, but as no traction could not keep bike going, just not falling into the muck. I was just trying to go straight *not turn at all*, but mud is an immediate emergency to save... and throw away my panties after wards.



Compared to our routine timid commutes road racing is just boring child's play.