For the last few days, i have felt very lightheaded. It was very weird, and just didnt feel right. My husband took me to the ER. They took my bllod pressure and it was 169/109! It had never been so high in my life! So, they did a bunch of blood tests, and the doctor told me i have Hypothyroidism! I now have a follow up on Monday about this.
ANyone else have Hypothyroidism??
I just cant believe they never caught this before! Why did it take so long to find out? I have actually been tested for thyroid problems a few years ago, and it came back negative then... They tested me years ago because i have always been so tired, no matter how much i rest. I also am overweight, no matter how hard i try to loose weight. And a few months ago, i was told i had high cholesterol.I was just diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. And advice/tips?
Perhaps a kelp tablet (rich in iodine) every day might help.I was just diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. And advice/tips?
Probably gotta take Synthroid.
consult your medical doctor
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Can I have some advice please. Layzspa owners. Tell me any advice and tips please.?
tell me whats your problem
Making a three tiered cake, need help/advice/tips!?
okay so tomorrow is my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary and i want to make them a cake, like a wedding cake, i bought pans that are three different sizes, each getting smaller than the other and i bought carrot cake and frosting and things to decorate it, but..can i just put them one on top of the other? and should i shave a layer off so that their flat? and whenever i put the frosting on little pieces of cake get caught in it and it looks bad is there anything i can do so that doesn't happen..i didn't buy fondant just to let you know! thanks sooo Much!Making a three tiered cake, need help/advice/tips!?
Carrot cake is heavy. You can't stack a three tiered carrot cake without any kind of supports. If you want to stack it, you need to get cardboard cake circles or foamcore board and some dowels. I would not use straws for such a dense cake, either use wooden dowels or Wilton's hollow plastic dowels (you can cut them to size with a steak knife). If you can't get the supplies to support the cake, then don't stack it. You can find a way to display it that will look appealing without being a disaster waiting to happen, the way it would be with no supports. One nice and cheap way to do it is to get a couple of small boxes, at least as big as the diameter of the cakes and different heights, wrap them with a wedding wrapping paper and then set the cakes on top. You can also buy a cake stand that has different heights and put the cakes on that.
Okay, for your other questions...yes, it is absolutely necessary to level a tiered cake. There is no way it will look right otherwise. Use a serrated knife and cut the domed part off of the cake with a sawing motion. Level both layers for each tier and then put the cut sides into the middle with filling between.
To keep from getting crumbs in your frosting, first frost the cakes with a thin coat of buttercream. Push it into the cake like you were buttering bread, and then let that coat of frosting harden up (this will not happen with store-bought frosting, in that case you're better off making a glaze of powdered sugar and milk and brushing that over the cake). Once your crumb coat has hardened, add a thicker layer of frosting over it. Use a spatula dipped in hot water and then dried with a paper towel to help you achieve a smooth finish.
Good luck! And your grandparents will love your effort even if it doesn't come out 100% perfect.Making a three tiered cake, need help/advice/tips!?
Wedding cakes decorating
1 x 6-inch round cake
1 x 8-inch round cake
1 x 10-inch round cake
Materials and Decorations:
1 x 6-inch round cake board
1 x 8-inch round cake board
1 x 16-inch round cake board
Layered Wedding Cake
Each tier of this cake is on its own board.
If you need to,
cut the cakes flat to make the stacking more uniform.
The largest tier sits on a traditionally larger board and the others sit on thin boards the same size as the cakes.
This helps distribute the weight of the cakes evenly.
When covering the top two cakes,
take the icing right down over the board edges.
Lift off the tiers before you cut the cake.
Happy Anniversary!
You can indeed make them one on top of the other, however, you need cardboard circles and a handful of macdonald's straws to do so.
In order to make your cakes nice and level, just make sure you stack them upside down, meaning the bottom of your finished cake should be the top of the cake you baked. put some of your frosting in the middle of the bottom layer, cut some straws the depth of your cake and insert them into the bottom cake and then set the cardboard round the size of the next layer on top of the frosting of the bottom layer where you put the straws in it. Repeat for the next layer, etc. Now for the crumbs: You thin out some of your frosting and ice the whole cake with it, letting it dry prior to the final frosting. That's it. Hope it turns out well for you!
Want to try your hand at making a friend鈥檚 wedding cake? It鈥檚 not really that big of a deal - it actually looks much harder than it is. You see a gorgeous cake and think that you could never make one that looks like that, but you can. You need two cake mixes, unless you鈥檙e making the batter from scratch. Oil the pans, place waxed paper in the bottoms, then oil and flour the waxed paper.
Mix and bake the cakes according to directions, pouring the batter into one large round cake pan, one medium round cake pan, and one small round cake pan. There will be batter left over - just pour some cupcakes while you鈥檙e at it, or pour the remainder in another small round cake pan to give the bride and groom for them to freeze until their first anniversary.
After the cakes are done, remove and let cool completely. Turn the largest cake onto a paper doily which has been placed on the cake plate, then frost as usual, but only the base layer of frosting. Work with the frosting until it is spread smooth and evenly. Now turn the medium-sized cake out on to a separate plate, and use a spatula to pick up the cake and place it on top of the first cake, taking care to place it in the center. Turning the cake out of the pan onto the large cake can be disastrous if the cake doesn鈥檛 fall into the proper position. Frost the second layer, then turn the small pan out onto a plate. Pick the last cake up and place it on top of the medium cake, then frost. The cakes can be made just as easily with square or rectangular pans, then stacked and iced. Other shapes, like a heart, can be used, especially for the top tier.
Put in some practice with decorating tools before trying to make flowers and other decorations for the cake. You can practice on cardboard or cakes for the family. When you鈥檙e confident about your talent for decorating, you鈥檒l be ready to do a wedding cake. Even if you don鈥檛 think you鈥檙e expert enough yet with the decorating portion of the cake, you can still make tiered iced cakes for friends and family. And frosting kits make it easy to decorate. Just push the plunger on most of them and the frosting comes out already shaped. Or, purchase icing in a tube and use it for writing or outlining.
Cakes can have many tiers, but the higher you stack them, the riskier it gets. Stacking the cakes high can cause them to lean, can cause the small ones to fall off, or the weight of the upper cakes can cause the lower ones to cave in. That鈥檚 why some people use a small cake plate for stacking additional tiers. You can buy pillars for the cake at a craft store or a place that sells cake decorating supplies. The pillars are used to hold a plate, which then holds the additional tier. Make your own designs using different amounts of tiers, pillars for stacking more, and keep working with the frosting talents until you have it down pat.
Carrot cake is heavy. You can't stack a three tiered carrot cake without any kind of supports. If you want to stack it, you need to get cardboard cake circles or foamcore board and some dowels. I would not use straws for such a dense cake, either use wooden dowels or Wilton's hollow plastic dowels (you can cut them to size with a steak knife). If you can't get the supplies to support the cake, then don't stack it. You can find a way to display it that will look appealing without being a disaster waiting to happen, the way it would be with no supports. One nice and cheap way to do it is to get a couple of small boxes, at least as big as the diameter of the cakes and different heights, wrap them with a wedding wrapping paper and then set the cakes on top. You can also buy a cake stand that has different heights and put the cakes on that.
Okay, for your other questions...yes, it is absolutely necessary to level a tiered cake. There is no way it will look right otherwise. Use a serrated knife and cut the domed part off of the cake with a sawing motion. Level both layers for each tier and then put the cut sides into the middle with filling between.
To keep from getting crumbs in your frosting, first frost the cakes with a thin coat of buttercream. Push it into the cake like you were buttering bread, and then let that coat of frosting harden up (this will not happen with store-bought frosting, in that case you're better off making a glaze of powdered sugar and milk and brushing that over the cake). Once your crumb coat has hardened, add a thicker layer of frosting over it. Use a spatula dipped in hot water and then dried with a paper towel to help you achieve a smooth finish.
Good luck! And your grandparents will love your effort even if it doesn't come out 100% perfect.Making a three tiered cake, need help/advice/tips!?
Wedding cakes decorating
1 x 6-inch round cake
1 x 8-inch round cake
1 x 10-inch round cake
Materials and Decorations:
1 x 6-inch round cake board
1 x 8-inch round cake board
1 x 16-inch round cake board
Layered Wedding Cake
Each tier of this cake is on its own board.
If you need to,
cut the cakes flat to make the stacking more uniform.
The largest tier sits on a traditionally larger board and the others sit on thin boards the same size as the cakes.
This helps distribute the weight of the cakes evenly.
When covering the top two cakes,
take the icing right down over the board edges.
Lift off the tiers before you cut the cake.
Happy Anniversary!
You can indeed make them one on top of the other, however, you need cardboard circles and a handful of macdonald's straws to do so.
In order to make your cakes nice and level, just make sure you stack them upside down, meaning the bottom of your finished cake should be the top of the cake you baked. put some of your frosting in the middle of the bottom layer, cut some straws the depth of your cake and insert them into the bottom cake and then set the cardboard round the size of the next layer on top of the frosting of the bottom layer where you put the straws in it. Repeat for the next layer, etc. Now for the crumbs: You thin out some of your frosting and ice the whole cake with it, letting it dry prior to the final frosting. That's it. Hope it turns out well for you!
Want to try your hand at making a friend鈥檚 wedding cake? It鈥檚 not really that big of a deal - it actually looks much harder than it is. You see a gorgeous cake and think that you could never make one that looks like that, but you can. You need two cake mixes, unless you鈥檙e making the batter from scratch. Oil the pans, place waxed paper in the bottoms, then oil and flour the waxed paper.
Mix and bake the cakes according to directions, pouring the batter into one large round cake pan, one medium round cake pan, and one small round cake pan. There will be batter left over - just pour some cupcakes while you鈥檙e at it, or pour the remainder in another small round cake pan to give the bride and groom for them to freeze until their first anniversary.
After the cakes are done, remove and let cool completely. Turn the largest cake onto a paper doily which has been placed on the cake plate, then frost as usual, but only the base layer of frosting. Work with the frosting until it is spread smooth and evenly. Now turn the medium-sized cake out on to a separate plate, and use a spatula to pick up the cake and place it on top of the first cake, taking care to place it in the center. Turning the cake out of the pan onto the large cake can be disastrous if the cake doesn鈥檛 fall into the proper position. Frost the second layer, then turn the small pan out onto a plate. Pick the last cake up and place it on top of the medium cake, then frost. The cakes can be made just as easily with square or rectangular pans, then stacked and iced. Other shapes, like a heart, can be used, especially for the top tier.
Put in some practice with decorating tools before trying to make flowers and other decorations for the cake. You can practice on cardboard or cakes for the family. When you鈥檙e confident about your talent for decorating, you鈥檒l be ready to do a wedding cake. Even if you don鈥檛 think you鈥檙e expert enough yet with the decorating portion of the cake, you can still make tiered iced cakes for friends and family. And frosting kits make it easy to decorate. Just push the plunger on most of them and the frosting comes out already shaped. Or, purchase icing in a tube and use it for writing or outlining.
Cakes can have many tiers, but the higher you stack them, the riskier it gets. Stacking the cakes high can cause them to lean, can cause the small ones to fall off, or the weight of the upper cakes can cause the lower ones to cave in. That鈥檚 why some people use a small cake plate for stacking additional tiers. You can buy pillars for the cake at a craft store or a place that sells cake decorating supplies. The pillars are used to hold a plate, which then holds the additional tier. Make your own designs using different amounts of tiers, pillars for stacking more, and keep working with the frosting talents until you have it down pat.
Cycle tracking tips and advice!?
Hey all!
So, my husband and I decided to go off birth control pills! Unfortunatly, that doesn't mean he is ready start trying for a baby. I was just tired of all the neg. side effects and want to give my body a break from hormone craziness until I get pregnant again.
Since we are going to just be using condoms until we are going to TTC (hopefully at the end of the summer) I want to track my body and find its norm. I have been on the pill or pregnant or breastfeeding for 2 years now. I got pregnant the first week after going off the pill. We had unprotected sex once and then the next day my husband decided that he would rather wait alittle longer to have a baby. Well that 1 time did it!
So the point, I just stopped the pill two days ago mid cycle (maybe not the smartest but I couldnt take it anymore). Is there a free online calendar or tracking thing so I can mark my periods and try to figure out my new cycle (even though it may take awhile to get back) so that when we do TTC I know my cycle?Cycle tracking tips and advice!?
yes, you can try fertilityties.com there's a gree ovulation calendar and chart, and there are doctors that can answer questions for free.
good luck!Cycle tracking tips and advice!?
You can know your cycle, but when it comes to ovulation, there really is no way to know when or if a woman has or will ovulate, otherwise the birth control companies would be out of business.
There is a natural to stimulate ovulation that worked for us. Send me email if you want info.
So, my husband and I decided to go off birth control pills! Unfortunatly, that doesn't mean he is ready start trying for a baby. I was just tired of all the neg. side effects and want to give my body a break from hormone craziness until I get pregnant again.
Since we are going to just be using condoms until we are going to TTC (hopefully at the end of the summer) I want to track my body and find its norm. I have been on the pill or pregnant or breastfeeding for 2 years now. I got pregnant the first week after going off the pill. We had unprotected sex once and then the next day my husband decided that he would rather wait alittle longer to have a baby. Well that 1 time did it!
So the point, I just stopped the pill two days ago mid cycle (maybe not the smartest but I couldnt take it anymore). Is there a free online calendar or tracking thing so I can mark my periods and try to figure out my new cycle (even though it may take awhile to get back) so that when we do TTC I know my cycle?Cycle tracking tips and advice!?
yes, you can try fertilityties.com there's a gree ovulation calendar and chart, and there are doctors that can answer questions for free.
good luck!Cycle tracking tips and advice!?
You can know your cycle, but when it comes to ovulation, there really is no way to know when or if a woman has or will ovulate, otherwise the birth control companies would be out of business.
There is a natural to stimulate ovulation that worked for us. Send me email if you want info.
Healthy diet tips and advice please :)?
well i've decided to start a healthy diet cause i want to look after myself more, since eating aload of junk food i've felt **** tbh and i keep getting sharp shooting pains (below my belly button area not sure what it's called cause i'm stupid :P) and i've looked it up and i'm putting it down to what it says, lack of minerals and vitamins i'll see how it goes and if they don't stop i'm off to my family planning clinic cause it could be down to my pills that i'm taking (microgynon 30) i've got a few of the side effects already and i had none of this before these pills and someone told me they changed from them cause they were pretty bad for her, anyway has anyone got any tips or advice to share? anything would be helpful :)Healthy diet tips and advice please :)?
I have been through it all and know what's it about. The main thing is to stick in there. You can't be an addict to food and never exercise if you want to live a healthy life and keep the weight off. I've worked out, done every diet, and all types of classes.
Nothing works, besides dedication and intelligence towards the subject of losing weight.
First, depending on how much weight you need to lose, your diet is the first concern. You can't eat 10,000 calories a day and expect the weight to come off, even if you are exercising a lot. Which brings us to the next thing. Duh, Exercising...
This is a must especially if you need to a lot of weight. Get at least 30 mins of some good hardcore exercising. Do some cardio, in the long run, it's good for the heart.
However, I find the most hardest part of losing weight/keeping it off, in my diet. It's so hard to keep your fingers out of the cookie jar or those chocolate goodies. I've found a great addition to help any one out, it's a natural weight loss supplement called Proactol. Now don't get all crazy on me and say diet pills don't work. That is true, but not in this case. This one isn't meant to burn pounds while you sit on the couch. It's an appetite suppressant, along with being a fat binder. I saved money on the pills at theweightlossplace.com along with getting some good info. It basically makes those fingers not go towards the cookie jar. For me it's the best pill I've tried and I've tried cupboards full. Now this doesn't mean you have to follow my foot steps but I've successfully lost roughly 70 pounds and keeping it off til this day.
Well good luck and remember what I said, Dedicate.Healthy diet tips and advice please :)?
Avoid anything with Aspartame in it.
Take Aloe Vera either as a drink or chunks of the fresh leaf skinned.
Eat more veg and when you eat meat, make sure you know what it is. Burgers and sausage contain MSG.
I have been through it all and know what's it about. The main thing is to stick in there. You can't be an addict to food and never exercise if you want to live a healthy life and keep the weight off. I've worked out, done every diet, and all types of classes.
Nothing works, besides dedication and intelligence towards the subject of losing weight.
First, depending on how much weight you need to lose, your diet is the first concern. You can't eat 10,000 calories a day and expect the weight to come off, even if you are exercising a lot. Which brings us to the next thing. Duh, Exercising...
This is a must especially if you need to a lot of weight. Get at least 30 mins of some good hardcore exercising. Do some cardio, in the long run, it's good for the heart.
However, I find the most hardest part of losing weight/keeping it off, in my diet. It's so hard to keep your fingers out of the cookie jar or those chocolate goodies. I've found a great addition to help any one out, it's a natural weight loss supplement called Proactol. Now don't get all crazy on me and say diet pills don't work. That is true, but not in this case. This one isn't meant to burn pounds while you sit on the couch. It's an appetite suppressant, along with being a fat binder. I saved money on the pills at theweightlossplace.com along with getting some good info. It basically makes those fingers not go towards the cookie jar. For me it's the best pill I've tried and I've tried cupboards full. Now this doesn't mean you have to follow my foot steps but I've successfully lost roughly 70 pounds and keeping it off til this day.
Well good luck and remember what I said, Dedicate.Healthy diet tips and advice please :)?
Avoid anything with Aspartame in it.
Take Aloe Vera either as a drink or chunks of the fresh leaf skinned.
Eat more veg and when you eat meat, make sure you know what it is. Burgers and sausage contain MSG.
Mud boggin tips or advice?
i am about to turn 16 i have boughten a 1988 ford bronco full size about a year ago. it needed alot of work but i am going to use it for mud boggin i got a 6 inch lift on it. i am about done with it. and i am about to go boggin with it for the first time in about a week or two. i have been boggin before but i never drove so does anyone have any tips or advice or even personal experience for when i go boggin for the first time with my bronco.Mud boggin tips or advice?
never go without a tow rope, and at least a come-along (lever-powered winch).
It takes practice and understanding, which is tough if you've not driven the Bronco much. You kind of have to know your vehicle before you abuse it.
In general, you want to try to go through in the tallest gear possible, to prevent getting stuck. Lower gears put too much power to the wheels at lower speeds, increasing your chances of digging a rut and getting stuck.
Sometimes it is appropriate to use the lower gears, but every situation is different.
never go without a tow rope, and at least a come-along (lever-powered winch).
It takes practice and understanding, which is tough if you've not driven the Bronco much. You kind of have to know your vehicle before you abuse it.
In general, you want to try to go through in the tallest gear possible, to prevent getting stuck. Lower gears put too much power to the wheels at lower speeds, increasing your chances of digging a rut and getting stuck.
Sometimes it is appropriate to use the lower gears, but every situation is different.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Beginner Motorcyclist! Tips and advice?
Any basic tips when it comes to cornering? How often should I use countersteering turns, or how much should i commit to the turn, how much lean, how much slowing should i do? and how should i slow? clutch and breaks or just breaks then roll the throttle?
i know its all very basic, but when i think about it, i forget what to do, but when i ride i just follow my instinct and it seems to do me fine, but i'd like to know tips etc.. and know exactly how to do it correctly.Beginner Motorcyclist! Tips and advice?
You'd do better not to think about it too deeply. I've been riding for decades, and I never understood countersteering. I get around corners just fine, but the technical discussions just left me behind.
Then I figured it out. You're riding your bike and you're leaning forward, putting some of your weight on the handlebars. Suppose you want to turn to the right. You lean your body to the right, and in doing so you put a little more force on the right handlebar, and you turn right. Now you are -pushing- on the right handlebar! You are pushing the handlebars to the -left- but you are turning -right-! THAT's countersteering. I had been doing this all my life, I just never thought about it.
If you can ride a bicycle, you know all you need to know about steering a motorcycle. You don't turn, you lean. Trust the bike, -it- knows how to get around the corner! The steering geometry of the bike does it more or less automatically!
You want to slow down into corners and speed up out of them. That's also very simple. It will take you a while to get it smooth, to get the feel of it, so don't rush it. Don't slam on the brakes in the middle of a corner, make sure you slow down enough going in.
There's a kind of accident that almost everyone has when they're just starting out. It's called a 'spill' or a 'lowside'. You're bent over in a corner and one of your wheels hits some gravel or dead leaves or loose stuff. The bike loses traction and it just slides out from under you, depositing you relatively gently on the road. You're usually going 10-15 mph so you won't be hurt (but this is why we wear gloves and leather jackets.) After that happens, you learn to scan the surface ahead of you for loose stuff, especially in curves and corners, not to corner over railroad tracks, etc. etc. And it's why we don't recommend
learning to ride on a brand shiny new bike.
To me, cornering is what riding a motorcycle is all about. I love 'canyon carving', riding twisty mountain roads. With a little practice, clutching, shifting, braking, accelerating all become smooth and connected. That's what you're aiming for, to become one with the bike. It comes only with some practice and experience. It's not a matter of going just as fast as you can, it's more a skill thing than a speed thing.Beginner Motorcyclist! Tips and advice?
Think to yourself A refresher
#1 when slow, you try to countersteer its weight
#2 when fast, you lean like you're on a racebike
#3 Always look through your turn. In a MSF course, they make you turn your head all the way to the side (a good practice)
#4 Eye fixation: you will lead your bike to whichever way you are looking, whether you like it or not. Solution: Keep your head up (be proud)
#5 Again, look through the turn. ex: if you are heading 12'clock and you are making a turn up to 3'clock ( 1 or 2 or 3) keep your head turned to 3'clock always.
First off,
Instinct will serve you well here. Feel out your turn, and you should be going slowest when you reach the curve.
If you are in a turn, and you feel like you will tip over, a little throttle with fix it. Practice on the same turns regularly, to get a good feel for your bike's abilities. You should only need about half of your bike's ability for normal riding, but be sure to know how to use all of it before an emergency arises. If the bike weighs more than you do, your body cannot throw enough weight around to get it into the turns, so you will have to let the bike do the work. A bicycle is a different story, though you counter steer, it is much more natural, because of the lack of extra weight.
Enjoy, and hope to see you out there!
it depends entirely on the situation and how comftorable you are, and also what you prefer..
i prefer having the clutch down in case i need to make a smooth stop, but i also have a tendency to take corners fast and lean low.. lol i've only dropped my bike once, but like i said, it all depends on what you are comfortable with.
when you are going over like 15 miles an hour you would use counter steering. once you drive for a little you will get used to it and find out when you do and do not have to use it.
also do not do more that you think that you can handle always ride to about 60% or less of your ability do NOT push anything.
The best recommendation I can give it this.
Harley Davidson Riders Edge Riding Program.
Check with your local dealer for a beginners class near you.
Rode in the 70's %26amp; 80's %26amp; gave it up. Starting again now, just completed the class. Excellent training or retraining.
Just enjoy %26amp; be safe.
i would recommend a rider's safety class such as Rider's Edge. i took the beginner's as well as the advanced courses at my local Harley dealership. the beginner's course was 4 days..2 classroom and 2 on the ';course';. the advanced was 2 days on the course.
Turn your shoulders away from the direction of the turn. If you're turning left, turn your shoulders to face right. I'm not sure why but the bike turns more easily.
The questions you're asking tell me that you really ought to take a motorcycle safety course. They can be done in a weekend, cost less than three hundred dollars, and are invaluable with respect to gained wisdom and comfort. Don't short shrift you life, Ricke, because this one here is the only one you've got.
Counter-steering is used on all but the very slowest turns, such as you might make in a parking lot at two miles per hour; you have been using counter-steering for years on your pedal bicycle without realizing it because there is so little resistance to them. The only time you actually steer a motorcycle is in very technical turns. The rest of the time you look in the direction you want to go, and the bike will follow. This is important for beginners because it is otherwise easy to become fixated on a target, i.e., the thing you don't want to hit: If you're looking at it, you'll hit it.
Choosing your lines in a turn, which involves entry speed, apexing, and exit speed, come with practice. Get some miles under your belt, and then consider a track course during the summer. There are plenty of excellent programs out there run by professionals that will take you from the chalk board to the track five or six times a day, and what you learn is utterly unbelievable. This is best done sooner than later, as you will not have time to cultivate terrible habits.
As for slowing down, this is a really fundemental skill and should leave no questions in your mind. Use the brakes to scrub speed, because that is what they are for. Down-shifing used in combination with the brakes gives you more control with respect to exiting the turn, as you will have more power available to your rear wheel. But that, too, comes with practice.
Hey, take your time learning and practicing the basics. You've latched on to a great sport here, so make it last.
i know its all very basic, but when i think about it, i forget what to do, but when i ride i just follow my instinct and it seems to do me fine, but i'd like to know tips etc.. and know exactly how to do it correctly.Beginner Motorcyclist! Tips and advice?
You'd do better not to think about it too deeply. I've been riding for decades, and I never understood countersteering. I get around corners just fine, but the technical discussions just left me behind.
Then I figured it out. You're riding your bike and you're leaning forward, putting some of your weight on the handlebars. Suppose you want to turn to the right. You lean your body to the right, and in doing so you put a little more force on the right handlebar, and you turn right. Now you are -pushing- on the right handlebar! You are pushing the handlebars to the -left- but you are turning -right-! THAT's countersteering. I had been doing this all my life, I just never thought about it.
If you can ride a bicycle, you know all you need to know about steering a motorcycle. You don't turn, you lean. Trust the bike, -it- knows how to get around the corner! The steering geometry of the bike does it more or less automatically!
You want to slow down into corners and speed up out of them. That's also very simple. It will take you a while to get it smooth, to get the feel of it, so don't rush it. Don't slam on the brakes in the middle of a corner, make sure you slow down enough going in.
There's a kind of accident that almost everyone has when they're just starting out. It's called a 'spill' or a 'lowside'. You're bent over in a corner and one of your wheels hits some gravel or dead leaves or loose stuff. The bike loses traction and it just slides out from under you, depositing you relatively gently on the road. You're usually going 10-15 mph so you won't be hurt (but this is why we wear gloves and leather jackets.) After that happens, you learn to scan the surface ahead of you for loose stuff, especially in curves and corners, not to corner over railroad tracks, etc. etc. And it's why we don't recommend
learning to ride on a brand shiny new bike.
To me, cornering is what riding a motorcycle is all about. I love 'canyon carving', riding twisty mountain roads. With a little practice, clutching, shifting, braking, accelerating all become smooth and connected. That's what you're aiming for, to become one with the bike. It comes only with some practice and experience. It's not a matter of going just as fast as you can, it's more a skill thing than a speed thing.Beginner Motorcyclist! Tips and advice?
Think to yourself A refresher
#1 when slow, you try to countersteer its weight
#2 when fast, you lean like you're on a racebike
#3 Always look through your turn. In a MSF course, they make you turn your head all the way to the side (a good practice)
#4 Eye fixation: you will lead your bike to whichever way you are looking, whether you like it or not. Solution: Keep your head up (be proud)
#5 Again, look through the turn. ex: if you are heading 12'clock and you are making a turn up to 3'clock ( 1 or 2 or 3) keep your head turned to 3'clock always.
First off,
Instinct will serve you well here. Feel out your turn, and you should be going slowest when you reach the curve.
If you are in a turn, and you feel like you will tip over, a little throttle with fix it. Practice on the same turns regularly, to get a good feel for your bike's abilities. You should only need about half of your bike's ability for normal riding, but be sure to know how to use all of it before an emergency arises. If the bike weighs more than you do, your body cannot throw enough weight around to get it into the turns, so you will have to let the bike do the work. A bicycle is a different story, though you counter steer, it is much more natural, because of the lack of extra weight.
Enjoy, and hope to see you out there!
it depends entirely on the situation and how comftorable you are, and also what you prefer..
i prefer having the clutch down in case i need to make a smooth stop, but i also have a tendency to take corners fast and lean low.. lol i've only dropped my bike once, but like i said, it all depends on what you are comfortable with.
when you are going over like 15 miles an hour you would use counter steering. once you drive for a little you will get used to it and find out when you do and do not have to use it.
also do not do more that you think that you can handle always ride to about 60% or less of your ability do NOT push anything.
The best recommendation I can give it this.
Harley Davidson Riders Edge Riding Program.
Check with your local dealer for a beginners class near you.
Rode in the 70's %26amp; 80's %26amp; gave it up. Starting again now, just completed the class. Excellent training or retraining.
Just enjoy %26amp; be safe.
i would recommend a rider's safety class such as Rider's Edge. i took the beginner's as well as the advanced courses at my local Harley dealership. the beginner's course was 4 days..2 classroom and 2 on the ';course';. the advanced was 2 days on the course.
Turn your shoulders away from the direction of the turn. If you're turning left, turn your shoulders to face right. I'm not sure why but the bike turns more easily.
The questions you're asking tell me that you really ought to take a motorcycle safety course. They can be done in a weekend, cost less than three hundred dollars, and are invaluable with respect to gained wisdom and comfort. Don't short shrift you life, Ricke, because this one here is the only one you've got.
Counter-steering is used on all but the very slowest turns, such as you might make in a parking lot at two miles per hour; you have been using counter-steering for years on your pedal bicycle without realizing it because there is so little resistance to them. The only time you actually steer a motorcycle is in very technical turns. The rest of the time you look in the direction you want to go, and the bike will follow. This is important for beginners because it is otherwise easy to become fixated on a target, i.e., the thing you don't want to hit: If you're looking at it, you'll hit it.
Choosing your lines in a turn, which involves entry speed, apexing, and exit speed, come with practice. Get some miles under your belt, and then consider a track course during the summer. There are plenty of excellent programs out there run by professionals that will take you from the chalk board to the track five or six times a day, and what you learn is utterly unbelievable. This is best done sooner than later, as you will not have time to cultivate terrible habits.
As for slowing down, this is a really fundemental skill and should leave no questions in your mind. Use the brakes to scrub speed, because that is what they are for. Down-shifing used in combination with the brakes gives you more control with respect to exiting the turn, as you will have more power available to your rear wheel. But that, too, comes with practice.
Hey, take your time learning and practicing the basics. You've latched on to a great sport here, so make it last.
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