First ride for SOQS

[mattrowe19]

Once a month our daycare provider does a "date night" for all of the parents. For four blissful hours SOQS and I get time without our two year old daughter. The other night, while talking about what to do, she suggested we go for a ride and a picnic. Keep in mind, she has never been for a ride on a bike, ever. I've been waiting for this! Sadly, we had showers off and on all day so we were forced to scrub the picnic idea. So I suggested we ride to a dinner out. So when it was time to go I had her put her gear on and gave her a breif passenger version of the MSF course. I could tell she was nervous so I wanted to help take her mind off of that and help her focus on what to expect. Then, off we went.

On the way down our street she told me "feels like we're going fast." I told her "we're only doing 22." Around the corner and down the main road we went. We hit our first sweeper and I felt her lean against the curve but on the second turn she was leaning right with me. At the second light we stopped at she told me "this is fun!" Nervousness gone… On the way home from dinner I hit a few curves a little quicker than we did on the way out and she loved it. She's hooked now and can't wait to go again. Mission accomplished!

Since I'm sharing I thought it would be fun to hear other members stories of their first rides with SOQS either present or past. Can't wait to hear them.

[wjlafrance]

I finished my MSF course and got my license a few weeks ago. I went home and told the girlfriend to hop on the back. I gave her the run down ("Feet on the pegs. Feet on the pegs at stop signs. Feet on the pegs at stop lights. Feet on the pegs going down the road. Feet on the pegs if I tell you to take your feet off the pegs, and lean with me") and we started out in first gear and got to a whopping 15mph.

Over the next few days, I reminded her that my bike gets 2.5x the mileage of her car with an excellent tailwind and it grew on her. After explaining the physics of how you can lean on a corner without faceplanting*, she's less scared. Now it's our primary vehicle in favorable weather.

*Earth's gravity + centripetal force means that downward pull runs from the center of gravity of the bike through the tires. Either that or your head connects to the pavement. Wait, did I just admit that I learned something in school?

EDIT -
Wait, how much would you have to lean to corner on the moon with such low gravity? Yikes!

[talespin]

Congrats on getting out there with passengers. I've been riding for three years and never had anybody on the back.

As far as leaning in the curves goes, I was taught that all the passenger had to do was look over the rider's inside shoulder and that would take care of it.

[bajakirch]

It's nice that your significant other enjoys riding with you.

SOQS did the MSF course with me, so she knows the drill. But she never followed through to get her license. I've had her on the back of the bike on 2 occasions; once for a quick spin around the block right after I got the bike and once to run up to the store. Both times she wouldn't let me go faster than 30.

I twisted #1 Son's arm hard enough once to get him to go for a short ride. He was 17 at the time and I guess riding b*tch wasn't manly enough for him.

#2 Son held more promise. I used to ride him up to school on the bike in the mornings on my way to work and he seemed to enjoy that. I got him helping me with some basic MC maintenance and he can just about change the oil himself. But when I wanted to start taking him along on some longer rides, SOQS put up resistance. As she put it, "If ANYTHING ever happened to him while he was riding with you, I don't know if I could forgive you...are you willing to take that risk?" I'm not, so his riding with me tailed off and now he's of the age (14) where he doesn't want to be seen on the back of Dad's MC. I'd like to get him a small dirt bike of his own, as we have room for him to ride it. But finances and time don't allow that now.

I'm a little torn on the issue. On one hand, it would be nice to take some rides with SOQS -- there are large number of day-trip opportunities in our area. On the other hand, it's kind of nice being a lone rider, able to stop when I want, go as fast as I want, ride like I want, etc.

[hppants]

Back in the Jurasic period before kids, SOQS and I rode together fairly often.  Since my return to biking 2 years ago, only twice.      She knows how to lean and everything, but she had a death grip on me that made it obvious she wasn't enjoying it much.  And if your not having fun, there's no point.  So, at least for now, I'm riding solo.

[JB1290]

Congrats on gettng out with SOQS.

My wife had only been on the back of a bike once when she was youger and it happened to be with a friend of hers with a sport bike and he rode like a complete ass with her on it so, it more or less scared her from getting on a bike ever again. Luckily for me, she trusted me and knew I wouldn't put her in danger on a bike so, she was more than happy to get on the back of my bike. This was back when I had my Sporty and we had no children. She had logged several miles on the back of it with me. She handled it like a trooper considering how uncomfortable the bike was but, she loved riding.

Sadly, since I traded the Sporty in for the Bandit, she has only gotten to ride with me one time on it. Lack of time to ride and lack of a sitter has really put a damper on her getting to ride. The baby is almost 3 now so, finding a sitter should be easier since my oldest can watch her for a few hours at a time now so, we hope to go do some riding once my back is better. She has also not gotten to ride on the NH either.    Looking forward to changng that.

[mattrowe19]

There's definitely something to be said for riding solo as well. Fortunately with a 2 y/o, there's a built in reason for SOQS to not go with me everytime. But the occasional 2-up ride will be nice now that she's over the fear.

[Burgi]

My boyfriend high sided his bike with me on the back when I was a teen. He was going slow but I landed on my head and had a concussion (even then I always rode with a helmet). Scared the #$%$ out me and it took forever for me to get back on a bike.
I'm still a horrible passenger. I will do it if there is a need but there is no such thing as a "joy" ride when I am on the back. 

[talespin]

Lack of time to ride and lack of a sitter has really put a damper on her getting to ride.

Slap a hack on that NH and the whole family can ride!

[roadrunner]

Thought I would share an OLD photo of SOQS and I from 1968 (now you know how old I really am!).  She has always enjoyed riding two-up.  In fact, there was a period in the late 70's when we were both riding dirt bikes and she had her own.  The scary thing about this old photo is that our gear back then consisted of helmets.  I'm not even sure we had gloves  ... 

[Burgi]

That is very cool picture RR, thanks for posting it. 

[JB1290]

Love that pic, RR. I don't suppose you still have that bike, do you?

[roadrunner]

That is very cool picture RR, thanks for posting it. 

I think this photo was taken by my father-in-law (his truck is in the background) and we only just recently got the picture.  We were newly-weds at the time and just getting started.

Love that pic, RR. I don't suppose you still have that bike, do you?

Nope ... I sold the bike about 1971 or so and don't really remember why.  Wish I still had it .. reliable and sporty bike for the era (33 hp and 350cc). 

Sorry for hijacking this thread..