Childhood training

[Ugarte]

One of the things we used to do as kids is ride our bicycles onto a wet lawn and then jam on the rear brake and see how long we could keep the bike upright. It was a lot of fun and back then I could repeatedly take a hard fall and laugh about it. Now....ahem....I would cry like baby!

I had no idea then that this fun activity would be so useful later when I started riding motorcycles and occassionally would lock up the rear tire. It has been a long time since I have done that but in the early days I had some doozies (until I learned proper braking) and was always able to keep the motorcycle upright because my childhood reflexes kicked in. It takes the same responses to keep a bicycle upright as it does a motorcycle.

We tore up the lawns but they healed quickly. I just wonder how much pain and suffering (or death for that matter), and extended periods of healing I avoided because of this childhood "game?"

 

[Mittzy]

I would have to agree with you mate as I did the same thing, also used to do the rear braking -slides when dirt bike riding/racing.

 

[R3T-Too]

Spot on!

I've made that analysis in the past on why some people seem to be "naturals" at different things while others struggle.

Jumping homemade ramps, power slides, wheelies, and "look Ma no hands" gave us plenty of scraped up knees.
But it also planted the seed of two wheeled experience.

The "application of technique" is different riding a 800lb motorcycle at 50+mph. But the physics are the same.

Scott

 

[Ugarte]

I would have to agree with you mate as I did the same thing, also used to do the rear braking -slides when dirt bike riding/racing.

Yeah, dirt bike riding has to be really good experience also. Funny thing though, a lot of dirt bike ridiers I know think I am nuts for street riding, they just don't want to deal with the dangers of traffic.

Spot on!

Jumping homemade ramps, power slides, wheelies, and "look Ma no hands" gave us plenty of scraped up knees.
But it also planted the seed of two wheeled experience.

Scott

Yup! I could wheelie a bicycle for blocks. Wish I could carry a motorcycle wheelie like that but the consequences of blowing it are so much more than on a Stingray bicycle. I envy those who can do it so confidently and safely.

 

[vanguard138]

Yeah, dirt bike riding has to be really good experience also. Funny thing though, a lot of dirt bike ridiers I know think I am nuts for street riding, they just don't want to deal with the dangers of traffic.



Yup! I could wheelie a bicycle for blocks. Wish I could carry a motorcycle wheelie like that but the consequences of blowing it are so much more than on a Stingray bicycle. I envy those who can do it so confidently and safely.

I had a Honda 65 when I was 15, used to do wheelies for 30-40 yards. Fun at 15.

 

[vanguard138]

One of the things we used to do as kids is ride our bicycles onto a wet lawn and then jam on the rear brake and see how long we could keep the bike upright. It was a lot of fun and back then I could repeatedly take a hard fall and laugh about it. Now....ahem....I would cry like baby!

I had no idea then that this fun activity would be so useful later when I started riding motorcycles and occassionally would lock up the rear tire. It has been a long time since I have done that but in the early days I had some doozies (until I learned proper braking) and was always able to keep the motorcycle upright because my childhood reflexes kicked in. It takes the same responses to keep a bicycle upright as it does a motorcycle.

We tore up the lawns but they healed quickly. I just wonder how much pain and suffering (or death for that matter), and extended periods of healing I avoided because of this childhood "game?"

Now you have to have a helmet on a bicycle.