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Old November 27th, 2018, 07:13 PM   #1
Koala
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bike related distractions

NE Ohio has become a winter wonderland, and Takara slumbers peacefully under cover. The holiday season has brought me it's usual assortment of stress and melancholy. With my newfound therapist in hibernation for the next few months, I'm at a loss as to what to do with myself. I go to work, I come home, I eat, I watch tv, and I go to bed. Lather, rinse, repeat. All while being too much in my head and not really caring too much about anything or really enjoying myself aside from fleeting moments.

So, that being said, I'm looking for suggestions on ways to keeps myself entertained until spring. Books, movies, anything motorcycle related to keep me occupied.
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Old November 27th, 2018, 07:50 PM   #2
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snowmobile?
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Old November 27th, 2018, 08:02 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by Ceeloo Yello View Post
snowmobile?
how bout a grom with some snow tires

nah, i wish I had that kinda money laying around for toys.
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Old November 27th, 2018, 08:38 PM   #4
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I used to own an encyclopedia of motorcycles; alphabetical-sorted. Full with pictures and minor information pertaining particular brands.

I can't recall where did i put it.

Now you've mentioned it, I think it's time to clear my sh*t...
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Old November 27th, 2018, 09:10 PM   #5
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Watching MotoGP and MotoAmerica races
Reviewing all my trackdays and races videos from past year
Watching all my competitors trackday and race videos

It doesn't have to be all moto-related. I find "cross-training" from other disciplines really help my riding. Observation skills, focus, reflexes, mental acuity, planning-ahead, being balanced and centred, etc. are all improved.
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Old November 28th, 2018, 06:19 AM   #6
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Old November 28th, 2018, 09:59 AM   #7
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Non-motorcycle-related:

Cook. I mean really cook, not make mac and cheese from a box or slap together a PB&J. Take real food (that your great-grandmother would recognize as food), a knife, a pan or pot and a stove, and create something incredible.

It's an incredibly rewarding, useful and valuable life skill. It doesn't take a lot of equipment (quality trumps quantity), doesn't cost much compared to most of the things we entertain ourselves with and you can do amazing things once you master the basics.

Motorcycle-related:

Work up a planned course of off-season education. Treat it as if you were taking a class and do something every day. To do this, consider one or more of the following.....

Read/re-read the standard library of books: Proficient Motorcycling, TOTW II, Riding in the Zone, Total Control, etc. You will find that you pick up new and different things when you revisit this material, because you now have actual experience to inform your learning.

Follow your nose through the world of YouTube. SO MANY riding technique videos out there. Don't waste your time with stupid human trick/fail videos. Search out useful information.

Read blogs: Riding in the Zone is really good especially for street riding.

Observe expert riders: If you're looking at a track career in the future, find race videos and instead of watching the race, go to school. Watch for the fine points of technique... body position, on/off throttle, braking, sight lines.

Visualization exercises: You see Olympic athletes do this all the time. Run laps in your head (or run a favorite route in your head). Close your eyes and imagine it in detail. Visualize yourself choosing lines, braking, accelerating. I do this all winter, running laps of the tracks I ride in my mind's eye.

Wrench: Nothing is better on a dark, cold February night than working on the bike and doing related activities. IIRC you have no garage/workshop space but you can still do stuff like organize tools, look up maintenance procedures that you'll need to do, etc. Right now my shop is a disaster because my knee surgery basically meant that I just threw stuff in there, but by next spring everything will be inventoried, organized and totally squared away, ready for next season.

Plan rides and destinations for next season: Get paper maps of your area and do some virtual exploring. It's a different experience than looking stuff up online. The latter is very useful but there's nothing quite like the tactile experience of spreading a map out and taking in the big picture.

Over the years I've accumulated several "pilgrimage" destinations that I like to visit. When I get a chance for a weekend ride I always have somewhere to go as a result. You can make a game of it... make it a mission to find the best hot fudge sundae in the state, for example.


And one other thing you can do to pass the time:

Hunt for the awesome cat picture that will win you the next MOTM for which you qualify.
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Old November 28th, 2018, 05:35 PM   #8
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wow, lots of great ideas here, thank you!

I have thought about getting back into a workout routine as a way to keep my body in shape for riding. Even though my work is physical, it's all over the place. One day I might be going up and down stairs to the point where I feel it the next day, another I might be scrubbing so hard my arms are jello, and then I might have a cake walk of a day. It's not consistent. If I workout, I usually do zumba on my xbox. It's an awesome workout for abs/lower body.

I have tried meditation in the past. It can be pretty hard to slow my mind down, though. I think the longest I've been able to go is around 15 to 20 minutes.

I enjoy cooking/baking. However, I do not enjoy the mess I usually make when doing it. Because of that and my busy schedule, I usually tend towards quick and easy meals that don't require much effort and will last me the week. I do plan on attempting to have some fun making yummy meals with my new instant pot.

On the moto side, @adouglas , I am loving these ideas.

I will re-read Proficient Motorcycling and Total Control. I was planning on acquiring the Twist of the Wrist II book/dvd. I recently re-watched the dvd on YouTube, and you are right, I picked up so many things that I didn't quite get the first time around since I hadn't been riding yet. I've gone to YouTube searching for other good stuff, but there is just so much crap to wade through that I usually get bored and leave it. I hadn't heard of Riding in the Zone. I will check that out for sure.

My track experience will most likely be a hobby for me, not a career. I have found myself doing what you suggest when watching MotoGP. When I watch Moto2 and 3, I tend to watch their body positioning, their hands with throttle/brake, the lines they take, etc. Watching the actual GP I'm too busy yelling at the tv

I'll take a good look through of the service manual I bought. I would like to learn how to do my own maintenance, hence why I bought it. What I've been doing to accumulate "pilgrimage" destinations, is just paying attention when driving to cleans. I haven't been doing it with a goal in mind other than to ride. Your way would make it even more fun. I have a few areas in mind along with going back to the CVNP. I might just have to break down and buy a paper map. It will be that or just do the go out and only slightly get lost. As long as I can find the main roads in an area, I can find my way back home.

any other ideas or recommendations for books/movies on motorcycles, throw them my way. it can be training related, or something like Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (I really really enjoyed that book), whatever it is, I'm open.
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Old November 28th, 2018, 09:39 PM   #9
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@Koala PM'ed you a killer Instant Pot recipe
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Old November 28th, 2018, 09:52 PM   #10
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Your state may give paper maps away for free. Mine used to, but not any more. Go find a visitor center on an interstate... that's usually where they're found and you may have to ask for it.

If you have AAA or know someone who does, you can get maps there for free.

"Get lost" rides are fun especially if you prefer to ride solo (I do). I like to do them from time to time... take roads you've never taken before, etc. Sometime after lunch, if you spot something you recognize, just head home. It's easy here in CT because it's impossible to ride more than about 90 minutes in any direction without finding a major bounding landmark (state line, interstate, coastline, etc.).

Re track days I didn't mean actual paying "career," just doing it regularly. The basic skills used on the track are applicable to the street but on the street you're not hanging off, dragging knee, threshold braking etc. What you learn by watching racers is how to ride well at speed. Do not try to exactly emulate what you see on the street... it's too dangerous. The reason is that for much of what you see to make sense, you have to be riding very fast/hard... too fast for safety.

Re maintenance manuals and such... Too many novice mechanics wait until they need to fix a real problem before learning anything about the bike or how to use the tools. The result is often frustration or leaving yourself worse off than when you started.

Wrenching is a hobby in itself. Just taking stuff apart, seeing how it all fits together, figuring out how things work etc. when you're not under pressure can be time well spent.
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Old November 29th, 2018, 03:12 AM   #11
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Old November 29th, 2018, 03:11 PM   #12
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Old November 29th, 2018, 05:20 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas View Post
Re track days I didn't mean actual paying "career," just doing it regularly. The basic skills used on the track are applicable to the street but on the street you're not hanging off, dragging knee, threshold braking etc. What you learn by watching racers is how to ride well at speed. Do not try to exactly emulate what you see on the street... it's too dangerous. The reason is that for much of what you see to make sense, you have to be riding very fast/hard... too fast for safety.
I figured you didn't mean an actual career to me it meant those that are able to go several times a year. With my current job I'll probably be able to do a few track days a year. eg: for 2019 the goal is 2 back to back days at Mid O, and if I have enough cash, 2 back to back at Palmer. So, just here and there for a bit of fun.

@AwDang @DannoXYZ I didn't mind riding in the rain the first time I went out in it. It was only a light rain, though. I'll build up my skills a bit before I try going out in heavier rain. I had been thinking to go out on dry days during the winter, but it's cold and I don't want the salt on my girl.
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Old December 7th, 2018, 07:29 AM   #14
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I workout at the local Crossfit gym and go to school. The gym will give you strength that is needed for riding. Lots of core, leg, upper body and mobility will help when riding. Being a shorter rider I have found I need to have strong legs and core muscles, mobility in the wrist and arms prevent fatigue.
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Old December 8th, 2018, 05:07 PM   #15
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I workout at the local Crossfit gym and go to school. The gym will give you strength that is needed for riding. Lots of core, leg, upper body and mobility will help when riding. Being a shorter rider I have found I need to have strong legs and core muscles, mobility in the wrist and arms prevent fatigue.
I have definitely learned that leg strength is a must for us shorties. I prefer to workout at home vs a gym, so I have been doing some research into strength training targeted to riders. I'm also going to talk to a friend of mine and her husband to get their recommendations. She is a former personal trainer/body builder, he is still a personal trainer. Having their advice will help me out in avoiding aggravation of past shoulder/knee/ankle injuries.

I'm off to go make instapot chili!
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Old December 8th, 2018, 06:02 PM   #16
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Old December 8th, 2018, 06:43 PM   #17
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when I workout, I do quite a few different squats, lunges, and plyometric moves. The Zumba Fitness Core game for the Xbox Kinect is no joke. However, I probably do need to add some sort of strength training to it so I can get an all around routine going. I did slack off in that area this year, though. I haven't worked out at all. The only downside for me that comes from working out regularly is having to wake up around 430-5am. I've found that if I plan to do it at the end of my day that it doesn't happen at all.
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Old December 9th, 2018, 07:31 AM   #18
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I get up at 430 am, I go to the gym for 430 pm crossfit classes 4-5 days a week. Proper form is a must, it's great if your friends can help with a routine, form and mobility. I found going to the classes work the best for me, I love the people and the daily programming. We also believe nutrition is important at our gym.
Good luck.
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Old December 9th, 2018, 04:20 PM   #19
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It's just harder for me to pull an after work routine. I get up at 6am, start at 7am, don't get back to the office until 5 to 6:30pm most days. So after closing and doing the daily deposit, I might not get home until 7:30. That's why I prefer forcing myself to get up earlier to do it. Another reason I do Zumba instead of going to a gym. If I'm going to drag my bum out of bed that early, I'm going to do something I enjoy.

Nutrition wise, I could do better. I don't stress over it. I need to start drinking water again. that's a small goal.
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Old December 9th, 2018, 08:43 PM   #20
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Good luck, I hope you find a hobby you like for the off-season.
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