Filtering..

As the traffic ground to a halt for the umpteenth time, I looked around me to see that I moved a grant total of 20 metres in the last 5 minutes. My left hand had cramped from holding the clutch in and I was overheating under my jacket.

My SV lacks a temperature gauge and I started to wonder how my bike was handling 40 minutes in almost stationary traffic. I could feel the heat of the bike being displaced through my leg that was holding on my back brake and therefore touching the frame.

I’d seen what heat and slow, slow traffic does to a bike after a guy on an expensive hypermotard practically dropped his radiator in front of me on the toy run as we spent copious amounts of time searching for a parking space.

As the heat continued to seep through my jeans I decided I had to do it. I had to move, find some clean air. I knew my detour was about 2kms away and with luck that should move me towards some faster moving traffic.

I looked over my shoulder to check for rogue suicidal scooters and headed for the gap between the two unmoving lanes of cars. Amazingly, without a single car moving the gap seemed to increase in size as I rode through each set of cars.

I filtered through to the red light and pulled into the gap in front of one of the cars as another bike pulled up beside me. I’d done it. My first filter. How exciting!

It was an amazing feeling of freedom and perhaps it was just the fact that I was going 20kph instead of 10kph but the air was cool and clean. I filtered to my detour and headed off down a side street. A few corners later saw me back in traffic. This traffic was moving faster but it was still a very slow adventure. I saw the lights turn red ahead and traffic stopped again. A check over my shoulder showed that there was nothing over concern coming so off I went again. I made it to the light as they went green and I was gone again.

15 minutes later I pulled into the driveway at work and parked my bike. An hour and a half after I left home, I was at work. 1.5 hrs to go 12kms. Gah!

Cramp

My riding instructor was telling us that good riding was made up of good riding skills, good bike control and “Something else that Cariad lacks! What is that?” the room hushed as no one wanted to say anything. He waited. “Come on.” He said “What do you suffer from on the bike?” looking directly at me. I shrugged and said “Cramp?”

Apparently, the correct answer was self-control and apparently, I lack it but that’s another story.

I’ve found with my new bike I have some new pains. My morning commute sees me feel the annoying and distressing pain of cramp in my left hand from riding the clutch for 40 minutes. I settle back in the seat a bit and relax my arms but as soon as the clutch comes in, it puts pressure on my wrist which in turns leads to circulation being cut off to half my hand and fingers. Every light change I flick it into neutral (making sure traffic behind me has stopped) and rest my hand. If, by some miracle, I’m able to let the clutch entirely out then I give my hand a good shake but the feeling never lasts long as traffic stops and back in comes my clutch.

I’m not sure if there is a remedy. I certainly suffer from it on the bike though. Maybe I should email that instructor..

Vanity

Short of getting someone to take pics of you on your bike as you ride by, it's hard to see what you look like on a bike. And before you judge me, I know riding isn't about the "look" or the image, it's about the freedom and the feeling you get when you take that sweeper or put a knee down on that tight corner. It's about the excited look on little kids' faces when you pull up somewhere or the nod you get from another bike when you go by. It's about the smell of summer through your helmet vents and the feel of the cool wind as you fly by the scenery.

But that doesn't stop you wanting to know if you look hot in bike gear and suit the bike you've chosen.. so what do you do?

Your only hope is shop front windows as you cruise on by - but then you have the horror of traffic stopping in front of you and those ghastly windows that slant sideways just a bit so you don't see your reflection when you pass it but it showed your image when you were 5 metres back down the road, exactly when you weren't looking.

Short of asking someone to take a pic while you're riding, which would score you major vanity points, it's all you can do. Is it so bad wanting to know if you look like a putz on the bike?

I don't think so..

Back on two wheels..

After a couple of months after having give up my two wheels to relocate interstate, I am once again back on a steel ride.

Every time I suit up I feel this sick feeling in my stomach. It's like being a newbie again and almost fearing the ride. Will I stack it? Will a car try to kill me?

I bought myself a Suzuki SV650S, which is not the world most powerful machine but the girl has legs and is certainly an upgrade from my Kawasaki ZZR250, which I left interstate.

Everything about her is different. Her rev range. Her clutch point. Her gears. My ZZR would happily go up through the gears and reach 4th at about 60kph. My SV will reach 60kph by 2nd and if I'm nonchalantly going through the gears I'll find myself doing 90kph in a flash.

The rev range and clutch point is my main point of note at the moment. Keeping the revs high enough to stop the chugging but without sounding like I'm revving the daylights out of her. Finding the clutch point quickly but delicately so I don't stall or have her stand up on her rear wheel on me.

I'm planning on commuting every day and, although it is a short commute in kms, thanks to the wonderful Brisbane traffic, it's filled with constant stopping and starting. Perfect practice time.

Bring it on..