Paging: The ex bikers

SIRPip escribió:

I know where you're coming from. My biking in the UK consisted of Sunday
rides out with others (planned routes - albeit mostly BOTAFOT as that
started on my doorstep) and touring. Mostly Europe.

Now I can't be arsed wrestling the boat of a bike off the patio backwards.

Must get a little fun-bike.

 

Indeed, though the sheer novelty value of a different bike helps. The
Shiver seems reasonably competent but not completely characterless.

Absolutely. Even a full power ultra-lightweight mini race rep. There's
*two* GFRs on Ebay at the moment. One an original but non-runner at an
SP of £500 has gone on my watch list. Good things come in threes.

--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Jude's recently got one of these http://www.skiallday.co.uk/sm/ and
swears by it. With two reconstructed ACLs and almost no cartilage left
in one knee, it helps here "bend ze knees" with much more confidence
and much less pain. Also dramatically improved her stance.

 

<screeches to a halt> I was in my forties when I started skiing. A few
years later, when I was looking for something equally fun to do in the
summer, my then girlfriend suggested biking. The two have much in
common and mean you have something to which to look forward whatever
the season.

The main requirement is that you're happy sliding along. Not every one
is. If you like skating you'll be fine. Otherwise head for somewhere
like Xscape (i.e. snow rather than dry slope) and give it a go.

 

And, mostly, more fun with someone else.

 

I'd go the opposite direction to crn and pick something fun. An old
Exup, say.

 

I sort of agree with that. I don't see the point of going out for a ride
for it's own sake as living round here there is not enough pleasure in it.
Adding pleasure to a journey that has purpose though is a different matter
and that, for me, is what it is all about.

 

<bookmarked>

SWMBO's knees are dodgy. She tried a pair of elasticated support
thingies with metal hinges years ago when they were really bad. Steroid
injections and poking about inside and scraping helped, but she still
can't ski for long without the knees playing up. Cycling as much as she
does lately may have helped, but not with the 'twist' factor IYSWIM.

--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Now I just can't get the hang of skating, but once back on skis the
basics usually come back to me pretty quickly. Proper snow helps, as do
the modern waisted skis available now. Which reminds me that I ought to
lookup what binding setting I should be asking for. IIRC, the older you
get the easier it should be to pop out of them?


--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

The "Ski Mojo" device I refer to is quite different from any sort of
knee brace, in that the latter is promarily designed to protect
against injury should the joint be pushed beyond it's normal range o
movement, whereas this new thing actively assists the skiing action
and reduces the amount of work needed by the muscles and the amount of
force being pushed through the kneee.

 

They've now been around for nearly 15 years, so I hardly think that
waisted skis should be described as 'modern'. But your point is
nonetheless valid - modern teaching techniqes also make it so much
easier - Jude reckons she'd have most novices skiing parallel after
around three half-day lessons. They don't even teach stem turning
these days.

Not necessarily. The din setting will be higher if you're heavy, tall,
or a very aggressive skier, low if you're small, light or just a wuss.

 

As wan up tae me, then.

 

Hmmm I'm not entirely sure that I don't prefer riding alone.

Possibly with one or two people who are good is ok.

Good excludes wobbling into bends, braking in the middle of bends, having no
exit speed or thrashing a barge like it was a decent bike just enough to get
in the way

 

COAT!!

 

Or sticking the replacement motor in my RF900 and molishing a pair of
rearsets for it. Or borrowing Elly's ZX-9R, which is much more
comfortable for shorter runs, although as I found on the French run,
damned arse-hurty on longer runs and thumb-trappy in U-turning urban
situations. Again, though, the redline fever would strike and within
ten minutes I'd be screaming down the white line and in terror
simultaneously.

 

I've always found it entertaining when shopping on bikes - four carrier
bags, one cargo net. A logical problem worthy of solving, especially
when there's bottles of beer involved.

 

So the lad tells me. After a week on snow with good instruction over
half term he should come back up to a reasonable standard. Apparently
they got him doing 'tricks' on his last session at the Tamworth
Snowdome.

How low can you go ;-)


--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

That looks really interesting. Presumably it can be put on under the
trousers and then connected to the boot once that's on?

 

Exactly. There's a clip that screws onto the back of the boot, so the
bottom rod engages in that, while the top one fits into a sort of
belt/strap round the hips and the middle part velcros around the knee.
It has an on-off switch that engages the mechanism, which is really
just a glorified spring in the joint, for skiing, disengages for
sitting on a chair lift etc. In use it's not even visible.

 

It seems like an awful lot of faffing around though?