I started learning to ride at the beginning of June this year and my initiation to green laning was a couple of weeks ago with Steve, Steve's brother in law, Mark and his mate Gaz. I have a little Honda XR 125 and it handles the off road stuff really well, much better than I do! On my first day out we covered some great local lanes and I fell off a couple of times, got totally soaked but absolutely loved it. I need to work a bit on my technique - no that's a lie - I need to work a lot on my technique as I spent most of the day hanging on and hoping for the best - but had a great time and it helped my confidence massively. I had a fun day and the lads were great and totally looked after for me and I am sure they also had a chuckle at my 'interesting' technique.
A few weeks later, after failing my big bike mod 2 and being completely gutted, Steve suggested that I get out and do some more green lanes and forget about junctions and roundabouts. He couldn't have suggested anything better.....
I was working most of the bank holiday weekend and so spent most of the days sulking but then getting out in the evenings to enjoy the quieter roads and the setting sun. On Friday evening Steve and me headed out over the Coach Road and after letting out some air pressure out of my highly pumped up tyres, I started to get the hang of it. There's one tricky uphill section on the Coach Road that I am still working out, but the rest of it I really enjoy. Its a great section of off road for a beginner like me and you really feel like you are out on the fells away from the busy traffic of the main roads. We had a play around and after a couple more lanes headed for home before it got too dark.
On the Saturday evening I met up in Caldbeck with Steve and Gaz on their way back from a day out over Alston way. It was a great evening and I did a little ford crossing that I was really pleased with and I felt like my off road riding was more in control and less Kamakaze like! After stopping in for a cuppa at Gaz's house and saying hello to Sophie, Steve and I carried on. I still haven't quite got the hang off mud yet and did a great lob off in a muddy section - at least it was a soft landing.
On the Sunday evening after meeting Steve for a cuppa at Shepherd's Cafe in Borrowdale we headed over Honister pass and through Buttermere towards Loweswater. It was a relief to finally get off road away from the heavy tourist traffic and the fell road that I struggled with on my first day of off road riding felt much easier and I felt like I was starting to relax more and really enjoy myself.
One thing I can say is that all the time I feel like my riding is improving massively. I am on that lovely learning curve and enjoying every minute. Its great to be out riding off road and I feel like my riding skills are really benefiting, whilst having loads of fun.
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A few weeks later, after failing my big bike mod 2 and being completely gutted, Steve suggested that I get out and do some more green lanes and forget about junctions and roundabouts. He couldn't have suggested anything better.....
I was working most of the bank holiday weekend and so spent most of the days sulking but then getting out in the evenings to enjoy the quieter roads and the setting sun. On Friday evening Steve and me headed out over the Coach Road and after letting out some air pressure out of my highly pumped up tyres, I started to get the hang of it. There's one tricky uphill section on the Coach Road that I am still working out, but the rest of it I really enjoy. Its a great section of off road for a beginner like me and you really feel like you are out on the fells away from the busy traffic of the main roads. We had a play around and after a couple more lanes headed for home before it got too dark.
On the Saturday evening I met up in Caldbeck with Steve and Gaz on their way back from a day out over Alston way. It was a great evening and I did a little ford crossing that I was really pleased with and I felt like my off road riding was more in control and less Kamakaze like! After stopping in for a cuppa at Gaz's house and saying hello to Sophie, Steve and I carried on. I still haven't quite got the hang off mud yet and did a great lob off in a muddy section - at least it was a soft landing.
On the Sunday evening after meeting Steve for a cuppa at Shepherd's Cafe in Borrowdale we headed over Honister pass and through Buttermere towards Loweswater. It was a relief to finally get off road away from the heavy tourist traffic and the fell road that I struggled with on my first day of off road riding felt much easier and I felt like I was starting to relax more and really enjoy myself.
One thing I can say is that all the time I feel like my riding is improving massively. I am on that lovely learning curve and enjoying every minute. Its great to be out riding off road and I feel like my riding skills are really benefiting, whilst having loads of fun.
