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Re: good morning from Vancouver!

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 2:38 am
by Islesfan91
Day 2. It's 630 am and I'm already here. We don't start until 8 but I couldn't sleep and it only took me 26 minutes to get from 15th and cambie to 200th and 102nd in Langley. I'm excited but also a bit nervous as it's test day. Will update later

Re: good morning from Vancouver!

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 3:50 am
by ceemes
blues2cruise wrote:ceemes...does someone around here carry those boots?
Sorry blues, I have no idea, like I said I bought my pair at the Vancouver Bike Show and that was almost two years ago. Jeez, I have had them and worn them almost everyday now for two years and they are still holding up and looking good.

Re: good morning from Vancouver!

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 3:53 am
by ceemes
Islesfan91 wrote:Day 2. It's 630 am and I'm already here. We don't start until 8 but I couldn't sleep and it only took me 26 minutes to get from 15th and cambie to 200th and 102nd in Langley. I'm excited but also a bit nervous as it's test day. Will update later
Ah my old stomping ground, use to live at 13th and Main. Only 26 minutes eh? You must of been flying, gonna take you a bit longer to get back given all the traffic and construction on that highway. So how was test day?

Re: good morning from Vancouver!

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:00 am
by blues2cruise
Islesfan91 wrote:Day 2. It's 630 am and I'm already here. We don't start until 8 but I couldn't sleep and it only took me 26 minutes to get from 15th and cambie to 200th and 102nd in Langley. I'm excited but also a bit nervous as it's test day. Will update later
26 minutes? We won't tell. :P

Re: good morning from Vancouver!

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:44 am
by Islesfan91
I was flying I admit it :). Test is upcoming but I feel good and he thinks our class of 5 will all pass. Feeling good except my legs hurt like hell from walking the bike a lot yesterday. I feel very old today!

Low speed turns feel awesome once you figure out counterbalancing. Sudden stops feel good too

Re: good morning from Vancouver!

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 12:28 pm
by Islesfan91
Pass! Will type more later

Re: good morning from Vancouver!

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 2:51 am
by Islesfan91
so monday morning, I'm exhausted, we have our group road ride tonight and despite how sore I am, I'm really looking forward to it.

at the end of day 1 of riding I was soaked, sore, tired and despite having no trouble with everything up until the final 20 minutes, I noticed as I got extremely tired I was making little mistakes and felt a bit sloppy. So sunday morning there were a bit of nerves as I wasn't sure if I'd be able to remember everything and we had the msa test coming up in the afternoon. All went well. Everything seemed to be a lot more natural the second day and despite having a couple of errors on the msa, I still passed (first go on the sudden stop I locked the rear brake up a bit)

my impressions? Take a course. If you have no riding experience and want to ride, do NOT let a friend teach you. You'll learn any of their bad habits or you'll make a mistake and without the proper steps and training you might not want to get back on the bike. In the course they'll go through everything with you step by step and you'll build a foundation that makes it comfortable, fun and SAFE

Nothing but a glowing praise for Diane and Chris at Action, they took me from a bit unsure and no skills and gave me the skills and confidence I need in order to begin riding my bike and knowing I can do it safely. They also were careful to make sure that as a beginning rider I know my limits and what to practice to become a better rider and to be as safe as possible.

The course here is expensive, 750 bucks, but I'd never recommend anyone get on a bike without having taken one. It's amazing to see how all the skills come together

Next step is the road ride tonight, a couple of days (weather permitting) of practice on my bike, then the mock road test.

I can now proudly call myself a rider :)

Re: good morning from Vancouver!

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:16 am
by madjak30
Congratulations!! Now just remember to take it easy on your bike and practice what you have learned...different bike, different weight and handling...so hit a parking lot and practice for an hour or so...then...practice some more...you can never get enough practice...I got complacent this summer and ended up crashing...that really sucked!! so practice, practice, practice...

Take care and watch out for those damn Vancouver cagers...they really are blind...

Later.

Re: good morning from Vancouver!

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:04 pm
by ceemes
madjak30 wrote:
Take care and watch out for those damn Vancouver cagers...they really are blind...

No they are not, they have exceptionally sharp eyesight, in fact they can spot me coming 5 miles away and take deadly aim........

and Islesfan, congrats on passing..now you are qualified to ride in a parking lot. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

.....and as madjak said, practice, practice and still more practice....

Re: good morning from Vancouver!

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:39 pm
by blues2cruise
ceemes wrote:
madjak30 wrote:
Take care and watch out for those damn Vancouver cagers...they really are blind...



and Islesfan, congrats on passing..now you are qualified to ride in a parking lot. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I concur. :mrgreen: