I rode almost 10 miles! On the open road! I even waved and nodded and sneered (only because they sneered first!) at other bikers! Terribly exciting! And I got at least one or two "What the heck kinda bike is he ridin', anyway?" looks from people. I only killed it once, at the busiest intersection in Chapel Hill (not saying much on a Sunday morning), but I was able to roll over to the curb and wait for an opportune moment to get going again.

I also learned that I really need to do some yogalates or something if I'm gonna keep riding this way, I mean, in this position. I love the way the bike looks and feels, but I have to remember to support my weight with my legs and my torso, NOT with my arms. My arms/hands need to steer, clutch and brake, and if I rest my weight on them it's harder to do those things.



Fun, fun, fun! And a perfect day for it, too. I was gonna ride yesterday, but the bike had been sitting, and after an attempt to start it, the battery was not in a cooperative mood. Lucky for me, there is an outdoor outlet on the back of our place, so I rolled the bike up our sidewalk, and plugged in the Battery Tender overnight to charge it up. Worked great! I unplugged it this morning, rolled back down the sidewalk and actually kickstarted it to get it going. Then the adventure began. I know I hit 50mph on one of the longer, straighter country stretches of road, and I got up into 4th gear for the first time. I did ok with shifting, but I definitely need more practice. I'm glad it's so much fun to practice!