Easing back into riding Brisbane style

chameleon · Post by **chameleon** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 10:15 pm

It's been some years since I rode anything other than my mountain bike and jumping onto the ZZR11 has been a hefty "remembering curve" Lots of the friends and fam have been on my case to take it easy, I don't mind, but they need'nt bother as I know what it's like to drop a bike on a steep corner and I know the consequences of T-boneing a car at speed. So aside from just putting around town I have devised a training scheme to get me back into the full on feel. To me corners are the trick, corners and braking and general road awareness. Each time I head out the gate at tarragindi I take a little circuit, about 3km, up through some back streets and over a hill with a few snakey corners and tight roundabouts. There is little if any traffic on the route and it allows me to do all the basic manouvers before I have to head up a main road. I also do a trip across the suburbs to Mt Gravatt every other day and do laps up and down the mountain there. It's a short ride but the road up is very narrow and it has all the goodies, like close rock walls, armco railings and tight blind corners. It even has a little wash on one corner at the moment. It's nothing special but it taxes my concentration and keeps me 100% alert. I plan to keep this up for a month or so before I head off into the twisty mountain rides.

The good thing about being on a ZZR1100 is that you don't have to prove anything to anyone! It's all been done for you

lisaM · Post by **lisaM** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 10:29 pm

sounds like a great ride!

chameleon · Post by **chameleon** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 10:41 pm

Well it is for me at the mo. but it really is quite short. 2Km long at best I recon but it's all corners, this way and that, and 2 tiny straights where I can get into 3-rd gear

I was always easy to please! Just sitting on a bike makes my face beam:)

chameleon · Post by **chameleon** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 10:51 pm

Hey Lisa! Do you do a ride down to Albany now and then. I used to with a mate Darrel when I lived over there. I thought the stirlings was the best part and once went up to the dead end at bluff knoll. I wanted to climb it but there had been a fire and the bridges were out. We'd go down in winter, me on the trusty Z1R and Darrel on his 1100EFE.

He was one of the best riders hey, a kiwi dude, a mechanic with this cool job working on carburation systems at Sarich the orbital engine mob, we were both in our twenties then. But he pulled it up across an intersection one morning going to work and hit a lampost. Just like that he was gone? Freaky. That was when I really backed off the wrist I think. Funny thing life? I'll tell you about the pack of 50 roos I rode through on the Albany Highway sometime. FARK I HATE ROOS

Nanna10r · Post by **Nanna10r** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 10:57 pm

Good plan champ but i personally wouldn't use the Mt Gravatt Lookout road for a training ground. It's a local haunt for the southside "glory boys" & the unemployed ricie boys.too many silly buggers trying to prove something to their mates. I hit the new housing sub divisions after the raods but before the houses go up for a close to home Itch scratchin'.
Cheers Brett.

chameleon · Post by **chameleon** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 11:21 pm

those no-lifers don't seem to be hangin there in the early mornin? I havent seen any of these breeds when I've been up but I'll keep my eye out... Trouble with your plan is that I live inner city and there are no new housing around here? I'll keep an open mind though, And get that 10inch kbar mounted inside the fairing.

What I like about the mountain is that once I've been up, seen no cars and then passed no cars coming back down I know I have it to myself. I don't cross the white line but its nice to know that no one else will as I'm going back up. Going up is always more fun.

Nanna10r · Post by **Nanna10r** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 11:37 pm

I hadn't thought about that, Top Idea mate good stuff. It's nearly end of the silly season So i'll be tossing up a few mid week rides as well.
Cheers Brett.

chameleon · Post by **chameleon** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 11:48 pm

The little one I really like is the run up tambo from the north west side, the "piano" thunder-egg park side. I love those corners and can't wait to see how the ZZR takes them.

hammer · Post by **hammer** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:19 am

Gota luv tambo

KLR · Post by **KLR** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:48 am

good thing here in qld, you dont need to wear saftety gear!! just jump on in your best singlet, shorts and thongs and away you go. Thats because landing on the tarmac up here you just bounce softly as if you were falling into feathers!! god I luv queensland

Before I cop a blasting for not advocatiing wearing safety gear I am being sarcastic but unfortunately I see it all to often.