Ride Your Own Ride

Riding through Northern New Mexico the vistas and terrain are ever-changing; from the colorful sandstone formations near Chimayo to the majestic peaks and green valleys of Cundiyo and Truchas.
Last Sunday was a perfect day for a ride from Santa Fe to Taos. The air was crisp and the skies were clear blue. Three friends and I took off up hwy 599, through the Tano Road area, to Tesuque. At the intersection to 285, we changed leads and I followed at the rear. (Two of my friends were riding on one bike so there were three bikes all together.) Traffic was not too heavy and the roads were dry. Just past Pojoque, we turned right on CR503 to Nambe. Shaded by a canopy of cottonwoods we made our way up the valley to the intersection of CR503 and CR520 to Chimayo. We decided to continue on 503 to the small town of Cundiyo. The sandstone, soon turned to pinon covered foothills making for a twisty, rolling ride. This road dips through several arroyos and after heavy rains, such as those the night before; the pavement becomes more of a dirt road. The small town of Cundiyo is quite charming; reminiscent of a small European town with narrow roads and small, charming homes. Just as we started out of town, a small grey kitty, decided to meander across the road. I slowed as he made a leisurely crossing and thought he must have a pretty good life here.
The road climbs out of Cundiyo and makes a rapid, steep decent to the next valley. The pavement is uneven and tight curves are thrown in for extra measure. I was now in the between the other two riders. I kept my speed down and stayed to the outside in order to avoid the traffic from the other direction. Whew! That was exciting.
From here we turned north on CR76 which took us up to the towns of Truchas and Trampas and Chamisal. I continued to follow in between the two bikes and kept my focus on the skills I’d learned throughout the MotoFemina project; taking an inside, outside, inside path of travel, countersteering through the curves and keeping my speed at one that I was comfortable maintaining.
Turning onto CR 75, it’s a short jaunt before the intersection that takes you up to Taos. So we were about ¾ of the way through our trip. As I came up on a curve, I noticed a Winnebago coming around the corner and crossing the center line by about 2 feet. I came out of the lean to avoid the Winnebago and just as you would expect, the bike took a straight line and I went straight into the guard rail, slid along the guard rail for approximately 15feet. The bike came to a stop, fell onto the guard rail and sent the front fender flying. I won’t go into how the rest of the day went but I would like to share what I learned.
Obviously I over reacted; coming to an upright position rather than coming out of the lean just enough to avoid being scraped but continuing to countersteer all the while.
Katherine (from MSF) was scheduled to come down this past weekend to train us on more advanced riding skills. Ironically those skills included stopping and braking in a curve, emergency reactions, countersteering and delayed apex to name a few. Since the bike was out of commission she was not able to train us on the road but rather went through these skills in a classroom setting. Her thoughts, her experience, and her lessons were eye-opening. After talking over the crash with Katherine, I realize I was riding above my mental skills and that going slower could possibly have prevented the crash. RIDE YOUR OWN RIDE. It’s easy to get caught up in following someone else. I did it on the race track some months back; trying to catch someone on a straight away only to have to brake before the corner because the speed was beyond my capability.
The TAKE HOME I got from Katherine: when you come to a turn that you can not see through, keep riding on the outside line, delaying the apex, until you can see, and then countersteer through the turn. Whenever you feel you are about to lose control in a curve, countersteer even more. As Laura said she learned from Torsten, “trust the bike”.

Femmoto

The weekend of October 7 and 8, in Las Vegas Nevada, an organization called Femmoto is holding two events; a motorcycle demo day and the MSF Dirt Bike Course. You have the choice to register for one or both. The demo and the dirt bike course will be held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This is a great opportunity to see what types of bikes are available, how they fit, and how they handle while meeting other women who ride. And to top it all off, you can sign up for the MSF Dirt Bike Course and learn some off road riding skills that are sure to help on the street as well. You can register for these events at Femmoto. It should be a fun weekend!

Lara Croft Rides a F 650 GS!

No... not me ;) The Angelina Jolie version of Lara Croft that is. When she isn't busy doing her own stunts in Tomb Raider or collecting knives, Angelina rides the Dakar version of the F 650 GS. Oh and where is she going? To the supermarket.

Her bike looks great - she's even got the knobby tires. I looked at these pictures and kept thinking of the line in The Long Way Round where Ewan McGregor is raving about how great it is to ride a motorbike as a celebrity. "On the road with your helmet on you're just any other bloak on a motorbike." You'd never know that it was Brangelina on the motorbikes would you?

Exploring Northern New Mexico

I took a ride last week on the F650 GS with Torsten from Santa Fe BMW. We jumped on I-25 toward Pecos then north on State Highway 63, following the Pecos River to Cowles, NM - just northeast of Santa Fe. What a beautiful ride! Northern New Mexico never ceases to amaze me with its diversity. We encountered all kinds of riding from the interstate, through a small town and on a scenic highway to a narrow, windy recreation road near the Cowles campground.

I felt so alive. I could really feel the countersteering that I've heard so much about but until now don't know that I've really understood. And yes, I know why its hard to describe. We practiced a bit in gravel and the road was a little wet once we got to the Santa Fe National Forest so I got a good mix of road conditions.

I felt that I made a few rookie mistakes, but it was good. I'm beginning to get the practice I need. If I find I feel I didn't slow down enough before I entered a corner I learn really quick what the ramifications are and correct that mistake the next time. It was a great feeling to hit the open road and was glad to have Thorsten to give me feedback. Thanks to Torsten and BMW for the opportunity to ride and explore the beautiful state of New Mexico from the seat of a motorcycle.

Riding a Monster

Last Saturday Synth, Jessica and I met Tina at PJs Triumph in Albuquerque. It was a memorable occasion because it was the first time we all got to ride together (see short video clip). Normally we've taken turns on the F650 GS. Tina rode out first on her red Ducati Monster S2R 1000, I got to ride a silver version of the S2R (pictured above), Synth rode the Ducati Multistrada (matte black) and Jessica rode the Triumph Bonneville T100 (red and black).

We headed east up highway 14 and traded bikes for the trip back. Four women on the rode. What a great day!

Thanks to Jeff at PJs Triumph for letting us test drive the bikes, Tina for being the awesome mentor she is and willing to ride with us on a Saturday, and thanks to my Max (my sweety) for taking the pictures and video to mark the occasion.

In one word...Thrilling!

Synth getting tips from Tina


Jessica getting ready for her ride


Me... having fun dusting off the bike?

I took some time to reflect on the weekend and wondered how I would describe the feelings of accomplishing the challenges that were thrown at us. Knowing that I can pick the GS up if I were to drop it (knocking on wood) and riding the bike safely on gravel and dirt roads thrills me. With those two nuggets of knowledge I feel such freedom.

When we arrived at Santa Fe BMW for our mechanical challenge on Saturday I was a bit nervous. Word on the street was that there was an ad in the paper inviting people to come watch. The idea that there might be a few spectators added to my already budding nervousness. Jess and I were smart enough to let Synth go first. She seemed to have studied the technique and didn't have any problem getting the bike up. I followed using the same technique. I remember a moment of panic when I first tugged on the bike... it didn't move! All these things started racing through my head. I hadn' t made a plan B if following Synthia's lead didn't work out. What if I couldn't pick up the bike? As I started to panic, I pushed back on the bike at the same time that I was trying to lift and it slowly started to come up. Phew! Congrats to Jess who also didn't seem to have a problem lifting the bike and won the prize (have you seen her guns? - pictured above - no wonder).

The dirt! Well I have to admit I was feeling pretty confident about the dirt challenge - until I drove my car up the road. Whoa. I've ridden mountain bikes a bit and remember riding my cousins little fat tire motorcycle on gravel roads when I was young but wasn't sure if I was ready to maneuver the bike through what I had just driven up. I was glad the mentors were going to coach us through it. I remember feeling a bit of trepidation coming down the steeper part of the road. I took Tina and Patti's advice and kept the bike in first gear on the steep part. I also only used my back brake. I kept telling myself "it's okay if it fish-tails a little bit - that's perfectly normal" but luckily I didn't have to stop fast enough to make the bike do that. Going up hill almost seemed more technical in some ways. I had a good time standing up on the pegs and practicing using my weight to make the bike more stable. It felt adventurous.

Thanks to Tina and Patti (and Mike and Horst) for their guidance and patience riding with and mentoring us. I really do feel very lucky to be a part of this project and have a built-in knowledge base and support group. Your coaching and advice helped us all to progress faster than we thought possible. I can't wait to ride with all of you.

How many MotoFemina women does it take.....

... to lift the F650GS? One! Each of us successfully met the challenge by righting the downed bike. Jess was able to get it up in record speed and for that she won the book "Long Way Around". Way to go Jess! Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor are now living on her coffee table, lucky woman.
On Sunday, we experienced our last riding challenge with our mentors, riding on different road surfaces. We started our ride several miles up Pacheco Canyon road (a dirt road), we descended into Tesuque valley and turned around at the market. We each stopped at the market to pick up different items for a picnic which we would have later that day as a way to say "thank you" to Tina and Patti.
Before our ride, as with every ride, Tina and Patti imparted some key techniques. This day, the techniques centered around riding on the dirt; standing on the pegs when the road gets rough, shifting our weight forward on the uphill (without putting a "death grip on the handlebars") and shifting our weight back on the downhill. The tips they have shared each step along the way have made a huge difference in how fast and how well we've done and today was no different.
I thought riding on the dirt was something I would have to do not something I would look forward to or seek out but I was wrong. Dirt is FUN! The experience reinforced how versatile the F 650 GS is and how enjoyable this bike is going to be.
Now that we have graduated from our mentored rides to going solo, I want to send a sincere and heartfelt thank you to Patti and Tina. You two have helped me overcome fear, develop safe riding habits and been encouraging every step of the way. Thank you!
Next on the agenda- taking Ducatis out for a test ride - Wahoo!

Let's play a game!

Let's play a game! Try to guess the top ten motorcycle brands of any of these categories. Post your guesses as a comment...don't cheat and look first.

• Most popular
• Most buzz (I'm guessing media and other types of hype)
  
• Most awards

Not exactly sure how this data is collected but I had a fun time looking at the brand comparisons of motorcycles at www.splise.com

The Making of a Motorcyclist

Last Saturday was the first mechanical challenge for Jessica, Laura, and me.
Not having taken a test in… well, let’s just say it’s been awhile, I was nervous not only to be tested but to also have cameras filming the entire experience. Boy was I relieved when the challenge turned out to be more of an education than a test.
There were still questions, even bonus questions, but Mark Beyer, our “test administer”, was very helpful; guiding us to the answer in one of the two MOMs (motorcycle operating manuals) and sharing with us the importance of each step. He is a wealth of knowledge and his experience is evident.
Also last Saturday, Katherine and Ashley rode down from Taos to teach us skills from the MSF experienced rider’s course. One of the skills we practiced involved shifting our weight to the inside of a curve. The rider is then leaned more so than the bike which in turn allows for greater traction and helps prevent the foot peg or side stand from dragging.

The last event of the weekend came on Sunday. The MotoFemina cast, crew, and mentors (Tina and Patti) met in Chupadero to ride and shoot an episode. Chupadero is a gorgeous valley just northeast of Santa Fe with rolling hills and large cottonwood trees. We rode first with both mentors and then solo. The ride consisted of turning and stopping on dirt, using the engine brake to slow on the descents, as well as putting into practice shifting our weight to the inside in the curves. When it came to riding solo, I was jazzed! It was both liberating and exhilarating! I not only wanted to wave at other riders but everyone who went by! Finally we were able to go out on our own, see how it felt and what we could accomplish. I’ve got the bug to ride! I get it; I get what every rider’s enthusiasm stems from and why they get that sparkle in their eyes.

Check out the videos from the weekend: (Jess is first -yellow/gray suit, Laura is second-all black, and I'm third in blue and silver). video of our riding
One of the last steps, for me, in preparing for a new bike was selling my WRX, my really fun toy. That car was a blast to drive! However, after considerable contemplation, I finally made the decision to sell it, making room for the beautiful, new BMW F650GS (the new toy). The new bike (yet to be named) will occupy a prestigious spot; just in front of the road and mountain bikes and next to the downhill and x-country skis and the snow shoes. For the time being, I will just have to imagine the bike in the space once occupied by the Subaru. I will also go on imagining rides. Often I awake thinking how I'd love to jump on the bike and ride into work; enjoying the early morning quiet and crisp air, while on weekends I think of what roads and places I’d like to explore.
The making of a Motorcyclist continues….