[Alana]

New member​

Hello everyone. Nice to find this space to connect with people. I’m Alana.

 

[Jonathan Leane]

Welcome @Alana - lovely to have you aboard. Whereabouts are you based and what do you like to do for fun?

 

[Xe]

Hello everyone. Nice to find this space to connect with people. I’m Alana.

Hi Alana, thank you for joining us

 

[Alana]

Welcome @Alana - lovely to have you aboard. Whereabouts are you based and what do you like to do for fun?

I currently live in Merimbula, NSW but will be moving north in 2023 if all goes to plan. My go to fun activities are riding my motorbike, which recently is pretty much just around the but with freedom day I will be travelling further. I like to walk my dogs on the beach and I love to knit.

 

[Alana]

I currently live in Merimbula, NSW but will be moving north in 2023 if all goes to plan. My go to fun activities are riding my motorbike, which recently is pretty much just around the block but with freedom day I hope I will be riding further. I like to walk my dogs on the beach and I love to knit.

 

[Xe]

I currently live in Merimbula, NSW but will be moving north in 2023 if all goes to plan. My go to fun activities are riding my motorbike, which recently is pretty much just around the block but with freedom day I hope I will be riding further. I like to walk my dogs on the beach and I love to knit.

@Alana that is such a cool hobby! Have you been riding long? What would be your tips to newbie riders looking to buy a bike?

 

[Alana]

I learnt to ride when I was 40. Rode for about 15 years. I stopped riding during the time my husband was ill and then began again after he passed. What kind of bike depends on the type of riding you want to do. I like to do long road trips through regional and rural Australia. I started on 250 Yamaha Virago. Low enough for a shorty. I’m 5’ 6”. Light and easy to manoeuvre but a bit light on the highway on a windy day or when trucks go past and not enough power really. I now have a Harley Sportster. My only advice for a newbie is to complete a Stay Upright course, or similar, start low with horsepower and slowly build up. I’ve owned 6 different bikes and they all have different qualities. A BMW was my favourite bike for touring. Handled beautifully and was very comfortable but very tall and heavy. Let me know what you're thinking about.

 

[Xe]

I learnt to ride when I was 40. Rode for about 15 years. I stopped riding during the time my husband was ill and then began again after he passed. What kind of bike depends on the type of riding you want to do. I like to do long road trips through regional and rural Australia. I started on 250 Yamaha Virago. Low enough for a shorty. I’m 5’ 6”. Light and easy to manoeuvre but a bit light on the highway on a windy day or when trucks go past and not enough power really. I now have a Harley Sportster. My only advice for a newbie is to complete a Stay Upright course, or similar, start low with horsepower and slowly build up. I’ve owned 6 different bikes and they all have different qualities. A BMW was my favourite bike for touring. Handled beautifully and was very comfortable but very tall and heavy. Let me know what you're thinking about.

That's lovely. Do you usually ride with friends or is it more something you prefer doing in your quiet time?

I've wanted a bike for years but after having a horrible car accident I'm a bit more nervous.

 

[Alana]

I rode by myself when learning. It is a scary thing to do. You just have to swallow those nerves, hop on and do it. Make sure you do a rider training course. You will learn the right way to ride from the beginning and the Stay Upright course I did built the skills slowly and at my pace. I learned more in 2 days then other riders still haven’t learnt in years. Then practice, practice, practice!!! Find a car park or something like it. I used to go to the sale yards when the cattle weren’t being sold.
Then I joined the Ulysses club as a junior member. I rode with a wonderful group of fellow riders for those 15 years. My husband never rode. But he would sometimes follow behind in a car with our children. Now I ride by myself, with my son or my new partner. I mostly avoid winter but bushfires and COVID restrictions have meant no long road trips since the end of 2019.
It is great to hop on the bike, ride for a couple of hours, lunch, ride a bit more and then pull up in a country pub somewhere for the night. Sometimes we fit in an event like the Temora air show, bike shows, sand drags, a concert, or heading to the MotoGP at Phillip Island. So much to see and do.
I read ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' in my early 20's and dreamed of riding across America ever since. At 40 I thought it was time to learn to ride if I was ever going to do it. Turned out riding in Australia was way more fun then I ever imagined.
It can be dangerous, even fatal. I lost a female companion rider who went from a learner bike to a very fast sports bike in under two years. She rode fast, way outside the legal speed limits and way beyond her skill level. She paid the price but life is for living. Sadly, my youngest brother died just last weekend, aged 51, at home, alone. His death somehow feels worse for that. He was such a health freak always running or swimming. You never know.
I wrote off one bike in an accident at the beginning of 2020, just after the bush fires. I went for a ride with my son but there was still so much smoke in the air I got a really bad headache during the ride. I lost concentration and took the wrong line in a tight corner. Too wide. My fault. When you make a mistake on a motorbike there is less room for coming out ok. It does hurt to hit the bitumen. Wear all the safety gear, the best you can afford, always! My knee guard, gloves, Shoei helmet, full Daniese riding pants and jacket meant I was only bruised.
Car drivers sometimes don’t see you and kangaroos, deer or wombats can be on our country roads. You should always ride on your game, stop before you get tired and stay in your limits whatever those around you are doing. But even riding slowly and carefully is fun. The full concentration it takes is one of the things I really like. It’s just you, the bike and the road and there is no room in your head for anything else. You get 'in the zone'.
Tell me about your bike riding ideas.

 

[Xe]

I rode by myself when learning. It is a scary thing to do. You just have to swallow those nerves, hop on and do it. Make sure you do a rider training course. You will learn the right way to ride from the beginning and the Stay Upright course I did built the skills slowly and at my pace. I learned more in 2 days then other riders still haven’t learnt in years. Then practice, practice, practice!!! Find a car park or something like it. I used to go to the sale yards when the cattle weren’t being sold.
Then I joined the Ulysses club as a junior member. I rode with a wonderful group of fellow riders for those 15 years. My husband never rode. But he would sometimes follow behind in a car with our children. Now I ride by myself, with my son or my new partner. I mostly avoid winter but bushfires and COVID restrictions have meant no long road trips since the end of 2019.
It is great to hop on the bike, ride for a couple of hours, lunch, ride a bit more and then pull up in a country pub somewhere for the night. Sometimes we fit in an event like the Temora air show, bike shows, sand drags, a concert, or heading to the MotoGP at Phillip Island. So much to see and do.
I read ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' in my early 20's and dreamed of riding across America ever since. At 40 I thought it was time to learn to ride if I was ever going to do it. Turned out riding in Australia was way more fun then I ever imagined.
It can be dangerous, even fatal. I lost a female companion rider who went from a learner bike to a very fast sports bike in under two years. She rode fast, way outside the legal speed limits and way beyond her skill level. She paid the price but life is for living. Sadly, my youngest brother died just last weekend, aged 51, at home, alone. His death somehow feels worse for that. He was such a health freak always running or swimming. You never know.
I wrote off one bike in an accident at the beginning of 2020, just after the bush fires. I went for a ride with my son but there was still so much smoke in the air I got a really bad headache during the ride. I lost concentration and took the wrong line in a tight corner. Too wide. My fault. When you make a mistake on a motorbike there is less room for coming out ok. It does hurt to hit the bitumen. Wear all the safety gear, the best you can afford, always! My knee guard, gloves, Shoei helmet, full Daniese riding pants and jacket meant I was only bruised.
Car drivers sometimes don’t see you and kangaroos, deer or wombats can be on our country roads. You should always ride on your game, stop before you get tired and stay in your limits whatever those around you are doing. But even riding slowly and carefully is fun. The full concentration it takes is one of the things I really like. It’s just you, the bike and the road and there is no room in your head for anything else. You get 'in the zone'.
Tell me about your bike riding ideas.

@Alana the way you describe your feelings around riding is so inspiring. I can feel the passion you have for the sport in the way you describe it. It really means a lot to you, doesn't it?

It's good to know that you are someone who did the appropriate research and made sure you had all the right equipment and gear to guarantee your safety. There are so many people - especially the younger ones - who get caught up in the thrill of it all and forget about the consequences.

It's really sad about what happened to your friend. How old was she at the time this happened? And I'm sorry about your brother too. That's why I always say that as much as it's vitally important to take care of your health, it's really a tragedy to deprive yourself of life's greatest pleasures for the sake of your health. Everything in moderation (as my mother always quips). We never know when it's all going to be over. How did your brother pass, if you don't mind sharing?

 

[Alana]

Thank you for your kind words. Bike riding has provided a lot of enjoyment over the years matched by the friendships and company of fellow bike riders. In my experience they are a great group of people.
My female companion rider was in her early 50's. She was doing over 200kph in an 80kph zone when a car turned right out of a side street onto the road. Not his fault because he could not have realised how fast she was going. She tried to go around him on her right but lost control and hit the Armco and died instantly. As you can see, very irresponsible and I have never understood why she pushed so hard on a bike. She certainly didn’t drive that way. I never did try to ride with her. Though we did often start from the same point and head in the same direction.
I have seen a couple of bike riders in my time who are definitely adrenalin junkies doing high risk riding, usually young males. There are on road sports bikes that have the capability of MotoGP power and speed. It is actually hard to ride them at on road speeds. You have to watch your Speedo all the time as a twist of the wrist can quickly see you doing 80kph over the 100kph limit. One fellow bike rider and friend quickly sold on a sports bike he bought for that reason. Knew he would lose his license or more if he kept it.
My brother died from a massive intestinal bleed with contributing factors. The long story being that he was recently divorced and depressed. It seems now that he ignored his existing health problems. Living alone and COVID isolated didn’t help. Another brother lives close by and visited often. He was the one who found him.
My family live in Sydney and I live 7 hours drive away. We spoke on the phone often and I knew he was struggling emotionally but not physically. He always ran and swam and externally looked fit. He was quite annoyed that all the swimming pools were closed during Sydney's lockdowns. He was a gentle, kind man 14 years my junior with a lovely sense of humour. Whenever we rang each other he would always say, “Hello sexy girl!” At 66 that always made me smile.
Alana

 

[Jerushka]

Hello All, what a lovely place to connect and share

 

[Xe]

Thank you for your kind words. Bike riding has provided a lot of enjoyment over the years matched by the friendships and company of fellow bike riders. In my experience they are a great group of people.
My female companion rider was in her early 50's. She was doing over 200kph in an 80kph zone when a car turned right out of a side street onto the road. Not his fault because he could not have realised how fast she was going. She tried to go around him on her right but lost control and hit the Armco and died instantly. As you can see, very irresponsible and I have never understood why she pushed so hard on a bike. She certainly didn’t drive that way. I never did try to ride with her. Though we did often start from the same point and head in the same direction.
I have seen a couple of bike riders in my time who are definitely adrenalin junkies doing high risk riding, usually young males. There are on road sports bikes that have the capability of MotoGP power and speed. It is actually hard to ride them at on road speeds. You have to watch your Speedo all the time as a twist of the wrist can quickly see you doing 80kph over the 100kph limit. One fellow bike rider and friend quickly sold on a sports bike he bought for that reason. Knew he would lose his license or more if he kept it.
My brother died from a massive intestinal bleed with contributing factors. The long story being that he was recently divorced and depressed. It seems now that he ignored his existing health problems. Living alone and COVID isolated didn’t help. Another brother lives close by and visited often. He was the one who found him.
My family live in Sydney and I live 7 hours drive away. We spoke on the phone often and I knew he was struggling emotionally but not physically. He always ran and swam and externally looked fit. He was quite annoyed that all the swimming pools were closed during Sydney's lockdowns. He was a gentle, kind man 14 years my junior with a lovely sense of humour. Whenever we rang each other he would always say, “Hello sexy girl!” At 66 that always made me smile.
Alana

That is really sad I'm so sorry about your brother. I know when you're struggling with your mental health it becomes so difficult to take care of your basic needs, let alone investigating any other chronic illnesses you might have.

It's crazy that you guys had such a big age gap! How many siblings do you have in total?

 

[Alana]

That is really sad I'm so sorry about your brother. I know when you're struggling with your mental health it becomes so difficult to take care of your basic needs, let alone investigating any other chronic illnesses you might have.

It's crazy that you guys had such a big age gap! How many siblings do you have in total?

I am the eldest. Five of us altogether. Peter was the youngest. 2 brothers and a sister in between.

 

[Xe]

I am the eldest. Five of us altogether. Peter was the youngest. 2 brothers and a sister in between.

Well, I wish you all good health. Thank you for sharing your story, Alana. I know it isn't always easy. Where will you be moving to in 2023?

 

[Alana]

Inverell

 

[Xe]

Inverell

I really hope it all works out

 

[Alana]

Many thanks