HER motorcycle diaries
Things a girl who doesn't ride will never understand:
1. There's no time to dry your hair.
There really isn't. Unless you're the kind of person who blow-dries your hair as part of your daily routine. If you don't, then you either have to skip washing your hair until later, or leave your helmet (or helmet-liner) damp and smelling of masam hair.
Also, I actually love to pouf my hair up, sixties-style. But it's unsustainable when you're riding. Well, you can redo your hair at each stop, but that's too much trouble for me.
2. Girls in music videos riding with their hair flowing down their back is a myth.
You ride at 60 km/h for five minutes with your hair loose down your back, helmet or no, and you end up combing out tangles for the next 20 minutes or so. There are exceptions to this, I suppose. If you have natty hair or any hair type that doesn't get easily influenced by the wind, you are the lucky exception to this rule. Otherwise, us regular girls with weak-willed hair can never try to look music-video-sexy by leaving our hair untied while riding.
Speaking of sexy, ..
3. Riding in heels runs the risk of fishtailing.
Well, at least for me. I couldn't feel the brakes through my heels, or lost my grip, because, you know, heels. And I fishtailed crazily at a red light, to my utter embarrassment. Also, that's less surface area to land on the road, which decreases your chances of actually touching the ground with your feet, no?
I had a girlfriend who rode in heels though, and she stayed safe, so I respect those who can do this which I can't.
4. Bags must be either in the box or strictly cross-body/haversacks.
I don't have a box. I feel that a box would just interfere with the aesthetics of my two beloved bikes. So I spend most of my week in a giant, battered Crumpler messenger bag, which has become sort of a portable box. My rain gear is in there, all year round, as well as some scattered parking coupons, pens, and the usual essentials like wallet and make-up bag.
To be fair, I used to ride around with handbags. The kind with a short strap that you'd hang over your shoulder and grip with your elbow to your body. But when I got my 1000 and 600, I decided that the bag was just distracting me from riding properly, so I gave it up. My non-work bag is now a cute dinosaur kids' backpack, or a small cross-body Crumpler.
5. Forget about having a love affair with your shoes.
Or clothes, for that matter. If you don't wash or wipe your bike daily, then you will get oil/dirt stains on the left side of your shoe from all that gear-kicking. You will get dirt stains on the inner thigh area of your white jeans. The soles of your shoes will wear off where you tiptoe on the ground or kick down that gear.
6. Minimize the amount of cream on your face if you don't want to be a dust magnet.
It's mad. I put on some sunblock, powder and lip balm (balm, not gloss) before I leave home, and when I reach work, I have to literally wipe off the dirt from my face with a tissue. Because the dust and dirt (black dirt, thanks) loves sticking to moisturised or balm-ed surfaces like my face. I've learned to mattify my lipstick, if I feel like wearing any at all.
And can you imagine I only learned I was a dirt magnet after three years of riding? God. All this time I was running around with a dirt-encrusted face + lips, and I never knew.
7. Regular tanning is important.
If you want to avoid gloves- and clothes-tanlines, that is. Or, if you're semangat enough to slather the sunblock on every inch of exposed skin before you leave the house.
8. Generally, it's hard to look glamorous.
It's hot everywhere. On the bike, under the helmet, beneath the padded riding jacket, everywhere. I also perspire more than the average girl, so it's really trying for me. Mostly, I just go without the outerwear, and wear the thinnest fabrics I can get away with. But the most protective shoes.
And you have to carry that helmet everywhere you go; it's so clunky! I prefer to just lock it onto the bike, but then no one will know I ride!
9. There's nothing more rewarding.
I have been riding for about eight years, and I have never regretted this decision. Not even during (or after) one of my many horrific accidents. There's a certain joy in kicking off that sidestand and zooming off on your daily commute or a freezing night ride. That warm feeling when a couple of guys at the intersection do a double-take when they spot me. The self-satisfaction when I give way to someone and they put up their hand in thanks. Of course, the daredevil who rises up at times and pushes me to throttle to 130+ to overtake that oblivious slowpoke. And the pride when I'm walking towards my two babies after a couple days away, and they're just shining happily - one with glowing eyes and the other with the glittering Transformers face.
How can I give this up? It makes me happy. And it reminds me how strong I am, every day. Every hour.
Norainne at 10:02 pm
1. There's no time to dry your hair.
There really isn't. Unless you're the kind of person who blow-dries your hair as part of your daily routine. If you don't, then you either have to skip washing your hair until later, or leave your helmet (or helmet-liner) damp and smelling of masam hair.
Also, I actually love to pouf my hair up, sixties-style. But it's unsustainable when you're riding. Well, you can redo your hair at each stop, but that's too much trouble for me.
2. Girls in music videos riding with their hair flowing down their back is a myth.
You ride at 60 km/h for five minutes with your hair loose down your back, helmet or no, and you end up combing out tangles for the next 20 minutes or so. There are exceptions to this, I suppose. If you have natty hair or any hair type that doesn't get easily influenced by the wind, you are the lucky exception to this rule. Otherwise, us regular girls with weak-willed hair can never try to look music-video-sexy by leaving our hair untied while riding.
Speaking of sexy, ..
3. Riding in heels runs the risk of fishtailing.
Well, at least for me. I couldn't feel the brakes through my heels, or lost my grip, because, you know, heels. And I fishtailed crazily at a red light, to my utter embarrassment. Also, that's less surface area to land on the road, which decreases your chances of actually touching the ground with your feet, no?
I had a girlfriend who rode in heels though, and she stayed safe, so I respect those who can do this which I can't.
4. Bags must be either in the box or strictly cross-body/haversacks.
I don't have a box. I feel that a box would just interfere with the aesthetics of my two beloved bikes. So I spend most of my week in a giant, battered Crumpler messenger bag, which has become sort of a portable box. My rain gear is in there, all year round, as well as some scattered parking coupons, pens, and the usual essentials like wallet and make-up bag.
To be fair, I used to ride around with handbags. The kind with a short strap that you'd hang over your shoulder and grip with your elbow to your body. But when I got my 1000 and 600, I decided that the bag was just distracting me from riding properly, so I gave it up. My non-work bag is now a cute dinosaur kids' backpack, or a small cross-body Crumpler.
5. Forget about having a love affair with your shoes.
Or clothes, for that matter. If you don't wash or wipe your bike daily, then you will get oil/dirt stains on the left side of your shoe from all that gear-kicking. You will get dirt stains on the inner thigh area of your white jeans. The soles of your shoes will wear off where you tiptoe on the ground or kick down that gear.
6. Minimize the amount of cream on your face if you don't want to be a dust magnet.
It's mad. I put on some sunblock, powder and lip balm (balm, not gloss) before I leave home, and when I reach work, I have to literally wipe off the dirt from my face with a tissue. Because the dust and dirt (black dirt, thanks) loves sticking to moisturised or balm-ed surfaces like my face. I've learned to mattify my lipstick, if I feel like wearing any at all.
And can you imagine I only learned I was a dirt magnet after three years of riding? God. All this time I was running around with a dirt-encrusted face + lips, and I never knew.
7. Regular tanning is important.
If you want to avoid gloves- and clothes-tanlines, that is. Or, if you're semangat enough to slather the sunblock on every inch of exposed skin before you leave the house.
8. Generally, it's hard to look glamorous.
It's hot everywhere. On the bike, under the helmet, beneath the padded riding jacket, everywhere. I also perspire more than the average girl, so it's really trying for me. Mostly, I just go without the outerwear, and wear the thinnest fabrics I can get away with. But the most protective shoes.
And you have to carry that helmet everywhere you go; it's so clunky! I prefer to just lock it onto the bike, but then no one will know I ride!
9. There's nothing more rewarding.
I have been riding for about eight years, and I have never regretted this decision. Not even during (or after) one of my many horrific accidents. There's a certain joy in kicking off that sidestand and zooming off on your daily commute or a freezing night ride. That warm feeling when a couple of guys at the intersection do a double-take when they spot me. The self-satisfaction when I give way to someone and they put up their hand in thanks. Of course, the daredevil who rises up at times and pushes me to throttle to 130+ to overtake that oblivious slowpoke. And the pride when I'm walking towards my two babies after a couple days away, and they're just shining happily - one with glowing eyes and the other with the glittering Transformers face.
How can I give this up? It makes me happy. And it reminds me how strong I am, every day. Every hour.
Norainne at 10:02 pm
