5 May 2010: Growing up a bit

Maturity Creeps

...So, using lower gears through corners makes them easier and quicker to negotiate, Scott had informed me the night before.

Shadowfax and I set a new resolution to keep below 70mph (except on dual carriageways – 80mph) and to stay within or close to posted limits to practice for our IAMs observations, and to give this cornering technique a try.

When we corner the bike leans over and rides on a part of the tyre that has a smaller diameter than at the middle, which looses speed and destabilises the bike. Applying brakes to a bike when cornering makes it try to stand up and go off on a tangent to the corner. Therefore, you need to accelerate around a bend and not brake. Fine, but to accelerate the bike needs to be in a low gear – not using all the torque from the 1300's engine in 5th gear. Okay.

A mature part of our ride.

Hey, it's not easy to ride with maturity! Honestly, trying to keep to just 75mph attracted tailgaters and riding sequences I'm pretty adept at at 90mph take on a different complexion at 60mph. I was a little out of sorts but the change in pace on what turned out to be a lovely morning was a real chill.

We tried out the new cornering technique with caution but without incident. We also tried to get further out of the middle of the lanes to, “ride in vision”. Progress was slow at first and on the way home I succumbed to racing a pack of 8 sports bikes out of Alton to Loomies because of their “attitude” first cutting me up, and then not having the gall or skill to overtake cars which caused the bikes to slow me down further than I'd like.

It was rude. All riding maturity went out the window and I overtook the leader and his wing man and stretched Shadowfax's legs to force a 3-figure catch up from the wild pack behind. I capped at 90mph while they hesitantly over took one by one – the last of which scraped in so close in front of me during a particularly badly executed corner overtake that I just lost my thread and knocked down a gear for the chase.

We tucked in behind them and noted some poor riding and how fat the front bloke was on such a tiny bike. Shit, if he wanted to go faster, instead of buying magnesium farkles why did he not just loose weight? Obviously, someone was tired and not just a little grumpy.

It was with tremendous satisfaction that they pulled up at the Meon Hut lights behind 3 obviously slow cars while we filtered down past them to off quickly from the lights. Making progress up the hill and over to West Meon I suddenly realised I'd just succumbed to the red mist I was so desperately trying to figure how to defeat. I was LIVID with my self and even confessed so when I got home. I'd phoned my Wife and told her how proud I had been to ride carefully that morning only to act like a dick within 12-hours.

People who really know me will know that has only strengthened my resolve. And it remains strong.