RIDE AND REWIND – S1:E1 – Weather The Storm continued….

WHY I CREATED Weather The Storm….what I’ve learnt about riding so far -

For me. What ignited that SPARK was an encapsulation of the mesmerising scenery, FREEDOM, and FIERCENESS of riding a motorcycle. But it didn’t come without its RISKS and drawbacks. I learnt pretty quickly after DROPPING my newly purchased motorcycle that there was A LOT that I didn’t know. And then. The question was. If I continue…where do I START. And. How do I learn to be SAFE on my bike?

LIFE challenges can be relatively COMPARABLE to riding a motorcycle.

You can GENERALLY choose which pace, to which risks and conditions you would like to travel in your journey…riding on a TRACK, on the STREETS, FREEWAY, through the HILLS, COUNTRY roads, etc…

To ride safely YOU need to be perceptually MINDFUL of your SURROUNDINGS and INFLUENCES. And. CONTEXT is important. On a BIKE – context is VARIABLE as you rapidly shift from situations, to changing environments, road and traffic CONDITIONS – and so – your AWARENESS needs to remain FLUID as well as SHARP.

When you first jump on a bike it can feel like SENSORY OVERLOAD - which can lead to ‘choice paralysis’ – a combination of fear and internal dialogue which can impede FOCUS and DECISION MAKING. ‘Weather The Storm’ emerged too many questions for my liking – from newly acquired perceptual insight and sensory input, to rookie experiences and conditions in the ensued environmental and road traffic dynamics.

….ARE my headlights sufficient for car drivers to see me in the fog and rain – SHOULD I be travelling faster in the furthest left lane than my counterparts…HOW much can I lean my bike in these road surface conditions…

FEAR of making mistakes or the WRONG choice in life can RENDER you feeling STUCK. When you are on a bike - YOU need to make DECISIONS and fast. Not CHOOSING means you’re leaving choice up to CHANCE and CIRCUMSTANCE. As someone who has dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember – riding a motorcycle has paradoxically helped me move away from my COMFORT ZONE by placing life into context. LETTING GO and resetting my mind to stay in the present moment has never been so important as it WAS and IS when I’m travelling at high speeds and with rider CONTEXT VARIABLES.

To some up of the learnings from this RIDE I would say in a nutshell that it’s important to:

▢ Know your road rules – are you overtaking in the RIGHT lane…should your high beams on when travelling through fog?

▢ Be mindful when letting go of your handlebars…things can go wrong –

▢ Educate yourself about riding in various conditions so you can make informed choices and better mitigate your risks when riding – IN THIS RIDE a pinlock visor would have greatly helped my visual sight and reduced environmental interferences

▢ Seek advice from other riders but stay true to YOU – what works for others might not work in your circumstances – practice and learn to TURST your gut when riding

▢ Be mindful when deaccelerating abruptly, the person behind you may not pick up the shift in momentum due to the sudden change in speed

▢ Invest in good riding gear to EXPECT the UNEXPECTED