So I finally took my bike up the Sea to Sky highway last weekend

I've been riding for a few years but always stuck to city streets and local trails. I finally got the nerve to take my old Kawasaki up the Sea to Sky from Vancouver to Squamish. I was super nervous about the curves and the big trucks, but I took it slow. The weird thing was, after the first few tight turns, I stopped white-knuckling the handlebars and actually started to relax into the lean. I think I was so focused on not messing up that I forgot to just ride the bike. By the time I hit the lookout point, I was having a blast. It totally changed how I see that road now. Has anyone else had a ride that scared them at first but ended up being a total game changer?

3 comments

3 Comments

lily_craig2mo ago

Remember when people said you had to start on a small bike? I used to believe that until I rode a friend's old CB750 on a twisty back road. That heavy bike forced me to learn smooth inputs way faster than my little 250 ever did. It completely flipped my idea of what a beginner bike should be. Now I tell new riders to just pick something they feel okay with and go practice.

morgan4102mo ago

Watched my buddy learn the same way on his dad's old Goldwing, @lily_craig. He got smooth real fast because that big bike didn't forgive any rough moves.

fionaa3514h ago

That feeling of relaxing into the bike instead of fighting it, its like a whole new world opens up. I had the same thing happen on a ride through the old logging roads up near Harrison, where I was so tense about the washboard gravel that I almost tipped over in a corner. Once I just let my knees grip the tank and let the bike do its thing, it stopped being scary and started being fun. It really is crazy how much of it is just getting out of your own head.