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comstocklt
Sep 7th, 2007, 7:43 am
I picked this up off another site. :rolleyes: But, this is soooo good. :histerica

Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Posts: 371 Location: Durham, North Carolina Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:39 pm Post subject: Raced a Harley today One of the kids sent me this letter: I raced a Harley today and after some really hard riding I managed to PASS the guy. I was riding on one of those really, really twisting sections of country road with no straight sections to speak of and where most of the curves have warning signs that say "15 MPH". I knew if I was going to pass one of those monsters with those big-cubic-inch motors, it would have to be a place like this where handling and rider skill are more important than horsepower alone. I saw the guy up ahead as I exited one of the turns and knew I could catch him, but it wouldn't be easy. I concentrated on my braking and cornering, three corners later, I was on his fender. Catching him was one thing; passing him would prove to be another. Two corners later, I pulled up next to him as we sailed down the mountain. I think he was shocked to see me next to him, as I nearly got by him before he could recover. Next corner, same thing. I'd manage to pull up next to him as we started to enter the corners but when we came out he'd get on the throttle and out power me. His horsepower was almost too much to overcome, but this only made me more determined than ever. My only hope was to out brake him. I held off squeezing the lever until the last instant. I kept my nerve while he lost his. In an instant I was by him. Corner after corner, I could hear the roar of his engine as he struggled to keep up. Three more miles to go before the road straightens out and he would pass me for good. But now I was in the lead and he would no longer hold me back. I stretched out my lead and by the time we reached the bottom of the canyon, he was more than a full corner behind. I could no longer see him in my rear-view mirror. Once the road did straighten out, it seemed like it took miles before he passed me, but it was probably just a few hundred yards. I was no match for that kind of horsepower, but it was done. In the tightest section of road, where bravery and skill count for more than horsepower and deep pockets, I had passed him. though it was not easy, I had won the race to the bottom of the valley and I had preserved the proud tradition of another of America's best bikes. I will always remember that moment. I don't think I've ever pedaled so hard in my life. And some of the credit must go to Trek as well. They really make a great bicycle...

motoguy128
Sep 7th, 2007, 10:24 am
Nice post!

As a triathlete and cyclist it's amazing how fast you can corner with only 23mm of tire. I've passed a few cars over the years. At college, thee were some traffic circles. You should see the startled look on their faces as I flew through there at 25-30mph. The average car is squeeling it's tires at anything over 20. It's funny how some people assume that all bicycles are slow... maybe because they are slow whne they ride.

At a recent triathlon, I probably knocked off 1-2 minutes just from not braking for corners over a 56 mile course. I'm shouting "inside... outside" as I fly by the "runners on 2 wheels". Several blew by me with relative ease after the 2nd transition. I nearly ran over a few others in the lake too.

In professional races I've heard stories of the the motorcycle excorts running off trying to follow some of the better technical riders down mountain passes. In "Le Tour" I beleive the bicycles reach speeds exceeding 70mph on occasion. I've personally gone 60mph in a rotating paceline trying ot squeee that extra 2-3mph.... it's pretty cool. More of a rush than doing 170 on my ZX9R.

jkersh1
Sep 7th, 2007, 10:40 am
In professional races I've heard stories of the the motorcycle escorts running off trying to follow some of the better technical riders down mountain passes. In "Le Tour" I believe the bicycles reach speeds exceeding 70mph on occasion. I've personally gone 60mph in a rotating paceline trying ot squeeze that extra 2-3mph.... it's pretty cool. More of a rush than doing 170 on my ZX9R.

Waaay back before kids, around December 1983, we took our tandem bicycle camping in Death Valley. Going downhill into the Valley from Daylight Pass we were passing cars. Definitely not the time to think about what if my front tire blows.

KMC1
Sep 7th, 2007, 11:28 am
In professional races I've heard stories of the the motorcycle excorts running off trying to follow some of the better technical riders down mountain passes.
Aren't most of the bikes used for filming R1150's/1200's? :p


Anyway,
I used to race Cat2 and have seen some really nasty crashes on bicycles; broken collar bones, knees, road rash like you read about... etc.... One of the worst though was a guy riding a new Carbon fork on a climb and when he stood up and started to really put some power into it, it literally disintegrated under him. I was right on his side when it happened and I remember the sound of his teeth breaking from smashing into the pavement.... it was really gross.... I never saw him again after that, but always wondered how he faired.
I saw another guy coming down the Killington access road after the annual killington Stage race, who slid out on the edge of the road at like 40mph went down into the gulley (snow gulleys are deeep man) came out the other side of it and went like 10 feet into the air - on a road bike - and landed it... only to get pummeled by the standing timber on the edge of the road... LMAO... that had to hurt! But he got right up and brushed off the dirt and carried his bike the rest of the way down the hill... NOT the kind of guy you want to tangle with, is my guess... that dude was tough....
Anyway, back to the thread... :D

Ranger6
Sep 7th, 2007, 11:31 am
Michael,

I once put this question to a fellow multi-sport club member who is also a motorcyclist but didn't get much of an answer from him, and that is do you think that as you improve your MC cornering skills, your downhill cycling skills and confidence improve as well? It might be in my head, but I believe that is the case with me anyhow.

OneShot
Sep 9th, 2007, 5:43 pm
I can relate to this story. It reminds me of my very first Dragon run up to Deals Gap. This guy would have blown my fenders off that day. Anyone that rides 95" long and low bikes should appreciate this story.

Even my Harley owners manual says my bike wasn't designed for mountain roads. But after years of fighting the Dragon, no guy on a Trek is a match for me. :D

motoguy128
Sep 9th, 2007, 9:35 pm
Michael,

I once put this question to a fellow multi-sport club member who is also a motorcyclist but didn't get much of an answer from him, and that is do you think that as you improve your MC cornering skills, your downhill cycling skills and confidence improve as well? It might be in my head, but I believe that is the case with me anyhow.

I find unfortuantely that most multisport (triathletes) are very poor bike handlers. For me, I started cycling ebfore motorcycling and it having good balance on 2 wheels, mostly from mountian biking, helped my motorcycle riding quite a bit. You develop quick reflexes riding a bicycle on dirt and gravel to stay upraight when you slide. You alos learn ot scan the road surface through the turns, and scan traffic and predict their moves.

Just today, I was riding back onto a gravel road form a grassy area where I had parked. The ground looked dry, but suddenly the front end started to wash out at <5mph. The ground must have been damp underneith. I correct quickly with the steering, and put a foot down to save it from falling over. I was about 2 deg of lean from loosing it.

kdog
Sep 10th, 2007, 12:42 pm
Michael,
I once put this question to a fellow multi-sport club member who is also a motorcyclist but didn't get much of an answer from him, and that is do you think that as you improve your MC cornering skills, your downhill cycling skills and confidence improve as well? It might be in my head, but I believe that is the case with me anyhow.

I ain't Michael, but I've observed the same thing. I've always been a chickenshit on downhills on my road bicycle. However, when I started putting real miles on the motorcycle is when I started to notice my overall speed and confidence on the bicycle improved.

-joel