Can you balance without touching?

Do they still have the velodrome in Balboa Park in San Diego? I used to go and watch the races one day a week in the 80's. They had some great people racing back then: Nelson Vails, Mark Gorski, Connie Paraskevin. For fun they would do a 5-minute Italian Pursuit: They all lined up on the starting line and at the gun they would cross the line and balance. The person who was still closest to the starting line after 5 minutes, without falling off, and without going back over the line would win. Granted they had fixed gear bikes they could balance on by moving back and forth, but it was still fun to watch. (Sorry for the tangent. Balancing on my MC reminds me of track stands on my bicycle.)

 

I can and do stop but not 5 seconds. 1 maybe 2 at the outside.

 

Yup, that is do-able. I do it all the time. 5 seconds though?? menothinkyso.

 

When I am sitting in traffic waiting to get in the front gate, I can't balance to save my life. Could be because I'm sitting there stewing over the fact the gate guards won't open another lane. I for one can't balance for 5 seconds, but I wanna see if SFPA is a monkey's uncle. Any takers?

 

clarifying here....I am referring to 5 seconds of NO FORWARD MOTION WHATSOEVER. A COMPLETELY STOPPED BIKE!!! Anything more than 0.0 MPH/KPH disqualifies one from this amazing-if-true ability.

So, lets do this. If I see a video of a rider:
- on a VFR
-coming to a complete stop
-with the bike still running
-with rider on
-sitting down as normal riders do (not a stunta jackass move)
-kickstand up
-and they are able to keep the bike completely upright (once you start to lean over, time stops and you lose)
-without touching down one or both feet for 5 full seconds after coming to a complete stop...

....well, hell, lets have fun with this..... I'll become and INSIDER just so I can change my name from SFPA to MONKEY'S UNCLE (if its possible to do that administratively). Plus, you will have my utmost and deepest respect as a fellow rider.

That is my bet. Whoever thinks they can do that, go do your thing babe.

 

:unsure: :unsure::unsure::unsure:

I guess a chaser would have to film it or someone would have to be standing on the corner at the stop sign. Something like that.

You know, we are well into the day and age of digital image enhancement. I dawned on me a while ago that some geek out there could probably tweek thier video submission to falsely prove that they pulled this off (just to get me to change my screen name). Maybe there should be a clock with a second hand there, or someone calling off seconds as they tick by as proof. Thats a tough one....

 

What I was referring to (& I think what everyone else was getting at) was doing the "Jersey Roll Thru" at a stop. Stop ot the stop sign for a "one potato" & roll out. I can do that all day long.

I must agree 100% with Chris on this. Anyone, NOT on a Trials bike, that says they can stop for a full 5 seconds is full of it.

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

Roger, me too. Drag your back brake and up the RPMs, too easy to keep it at 0.25-0.5 MPH for a long distance. BUT, there is a HUGE difference between even 0.25 MPH and fully stopped. Unless you are a magician or have some sort of modd'ed bike, I do not see how more than one or two seconds is possible. No centrifugal force=foot down or broken faring with a howling audience at the sidelines of your mishap.

 

I can't balance 5 seconds, don't think anyways. But I sure as hell am going to practice now. Just to get you to cough up the $20.00 and make something of your life by becoming an Insider. I will allow the name to stay though. But I get to pick your new avatar. How much time do I have to master this....5...6 years?:caked:

 

Balance

I'm on the next flight out to Chiiliwack right now to hold your bike and prevent you from kissing pavement.

Having said that, I can stand wheels locked on my mountain bike for two seconds minimum and, not being a member of the Russian Travelling Circus, assume younger and more practiced folk can do a lot better than that on a machine that generates centrifugal forces.

 

Well, I just had to go try and see how many seconds I could be at a complete standstill on the VFR. Out of about 20 or 30 attempts, I made it to about one second exactly one time. Every other time was considerably less. Doing the very slight forward movement wasn't too bad, but a complete stop was a very humbling experience.

That was the "one thousand one, one thousand two" technique, just for reference. My earlier post where I had stated that I thought I had counted off 4 or 5 seconds was way off! I may have counted to 4 or 5 somethings at one time, but it wasn't seconds, or I was moving at the time.

 

Ha Ha!! You crack me up, brother!! I promise I will cough up the dough. I am a true man of my word. I really do not need to see a five second "hover" on a bike to become and Insider. Just thought it would be a cool way to do so, and get the people talking and laughing.

My avatar stays though!! It holds both sentimental and comic value.

 

I have practiced this move every time I stop for more than a few years now, and still my best was maybe 10 seconds. However, I avg. 2-3 seconds just about every time now.:strong:

 

According to an RTI instructor here in Toronto, the Ontario Highway Traffic Act defines a full stop as one or two feet down. It (apparently) says left foot only or both feet. That is obviously from someone who didn't own a 60s or early 70s British motorcycle!

in any case if the police want an excuse to pull you over, a stop without putting a foot down gives it to them.

John

 

Fascinating! Let's talk about washing ear plugs now!

 

Dishwasher!

 

Hey, maybe clean ear plugs would improve one's balance...

 

The inner ear is key to balance... Maybe some truth to that....:wedgie:

 

I keep ear plugs in each one of my flight suits, the EAR Classic squishy yellow ones. When the flight suit goes in the washer, so do the plugs. I haven't replaced them in YEARS. The flight surgeon said there is no ill effects of doing this since they getted washed every few days.

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2: