This weekend was a rather interesting one for me... I learnt alot (which I thoroughly enjoyed) but at the same time, I went through periods of frustration of just not understanding. It felt like a reharsh of my learners and it wasn't a plesant feeling. I felt dreadful all day...
On Sunday, Tweet and Mr and Mrs V took me out in an attempt to do the Putty Loop. Unfortunately, because of my poor riding skills, we only ended up only making it to Colo. It was however one of the most valuable riding lessons I've had so a very big Thank You to Tweet and Mr and Mrs V.
I've learnt that as you're riding, you should always be in the correct gear. For the last whole month, I've been riding the bike like it is an automatic. Was I suppose to know better? Not sure.
Regardless, I wasn't able to keep up to speed because I ride in the same gear. For example, as you're riding up hill and the bike starts to not keep up, you're supposed to shift down a gear. And depending on what you're facing as you exit the hill, you change gear accordingly. Say as you exit a hill and its a dead flat straight road, you shift back up to 5th gear. But if it is a flat for a bit and a sharpish turn, you shift up gear as you exit the hill and shift down gear as you appoarch the turn to slow down. And the same thing, as you're going down hill and you feel like your bike is running away from you, you shift down gear and the concept applies.
At this stage, it appears like after I've had the lesson, I've been able to keep up and I'm changing gears more frequently. I'm still not good at judging when I should and shouldn't change and what the right gear is when, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm sure with a bit more practice, I'll do alright.
Despite the rather slow and interesting day, a couple of good things still did come out of it
1) I've learnt something new.
2) I clocked a total of about ~210kms. This included my trip to Bondi Junction and back.
3) I rode home from Bondi Junction on my own and not knowing my way home I got stuck in a long long stretch of uphill traffic. Very good practice for uphill starts and stops though! =D
4) I no longer have super sore hands... no more death grips... it has somehow gone away on its on.
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