A legend in our own minds? or Admired by our peers?
 

Our perception of our own riding skills can be very subjective and relative I would say. Perhaps we are victims of our environments, riding groups or what opportunities have been presented to us?? Kinda like that big fish in a small pond until someone releases us into that ocean.

Have you met up with other forum members, co-workers, or even riders at the local fill up, who talked a good game but could not ride for shit? Or perhaps he/she was so modest about their riding skills and left you feeling inadequate as a rider after that ride through the twisties?

I'm definitely biased towards tight twisty mountainous type roads for riding, I'm addicted to them. We go over to the drag strip every now and then, we invited some guys to ride up in the mountains with us who tend to just drag their bikes, they are now addicted to curves as it presents a whole new set of challenges. I know curves is only one aspect of riding but in my humble opinion they separate the fast from those of us who think we are fast.


Oh well just thinking out loud, I've always been very modest, to a fault even, but I will not lose sight of the fact that no matter how fast I think I am there's plenty of folks out there who are faster!

I have met pretty much every type. Those who talk a big game and ride a big game. I have met the modest type. I have met the ones who know they suck and do suck. I have met the posers who do suck but think they are fast.

I try to be one of those type of people who doesn't like to talk about skills in general. I rather talk about improvement and what's wrong.

There's a dude we ride with that everyone calls Racer Dave. He does race but still rides quite a bit on the street. Dude is so fast it's not even funny. Seriously NUTS but with a whole whackload of skill to back it up.

He's also one of the most modest people I know!

Lots of people I meet that talk a big game....but unless they're dangerous I don't pay too much attention to them. :idk:

I'm the type that wants to replay the segment of road in my mind at the next stop with the fast guys, looking to always get better and picking their minds about lines and anything else I can get out of them and having them give me their honest evaluation of my riding.

I'm constantly asking for feedback from guys I trust. I'd prefer to hear how they do something or how they gained a particular skill rather than talk shit about how fast I may or may not be. :idk:

I've met all sorts... I've never been big on talk... even if you can back it up... I don't like hearing about it...

I myself... suck... I'll never be fast... as 1. I don't have the intrest to spend that much money at the track... and 2. lost the interest/balls/whatever you wanna call it... to ride fast on the street.

most of the people I've met from the forum... don't talk about how they ride... which I like...

I usually ride by myself, and enjoy the pace I ride. I'm not really interested in going faster (and I wouldn't call myself fast at all). But if I did I have a friend who has a Saturday morning group ride, and most of them race and are track instructors.

I guess for me, I always rode to have fun. :shrug: I couldn't really care less if I was faster or slower or smoother than anyone else. I suppose that is why I loved the baby Ninja so much was because it was just plain fun and nothing else.

So I never bothered to compare myself to other people. That doesn't mean I didn't take advice or watch others on the rare occassions that I rode with others. But if I wasn't as fast or smooth as them...oh well. At least I had fun.

I'm not even close to fast. I don't even pretend.

I also don't let anybody talk a big game. My favourite saying, "stop telling me how good you are and show me.."

Me too! Other riders just make me nervous now, so I avoid them like the plague! Even when I do concede to ride with other guys it's usually for my own purposes. Like when I shot that video which was the 2nd time I rode with someone else this year btw. Other than the rally. Even there I had the tendency to avoid "group riding" at the Gap. It's nothing personal. I've just had my fill of picking guys up off the ground.:idk:

As the people from the rally can attest, my self imposed exile from other riders has done nothing to help me improve my riding skills.:lol: As far as being "admired by my peers", well it all depends on what you define as "peers".:lol: For every person that thought I was cool, there were two that thought I was reckless. :idk: I think that I am solidly mediocre!:lol: