revtothelimit - motorbike forum

At first read I thought the following article on motorcycling and 'mindfulness' was probably New Age, yogurt-weaving stuff. But, once I got past the awful 'mindfulness' terminology I decided that there's a lot of 'rightness' in it.

I know several regular posters get antsy without regular foray out on two wheels (bicycles may well offer similar benefits I'd think) and the winter blues are a definite community thing. Maybe we should all get winter hacks on prescription.

Not only that, the author is....shock, horror....a gurl.

So, park the ol' neanderthal brain lobe, get yourself a skinny decaff and a large prune juice chaser and have a read.

Ommmmmmm.......

https://theconversation.com/finding-sti ... indfulness

Count Steer wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 8:04 am At first read I thought the following article on motorcycling and 'mindfulness' was probably New Age, yogurt-weaving stuff. But, once I got past the awful 'mindfulness' terminology I decided that there's a lot of 'rightness' in it.

I know several regular posters get antsy without regular foray out on two wheels (bicycles may well offer similar benefits I'd think) and the winter blues are a definite community thing. Maybe we should all get winter hacks on prescription.

Not only that, the author is....shock, horror....a gurl.

So, park the ol' neanderthal brain lobe, get yourself a skinny decaff and a large prune juice chaser and have a read.

Ommmmmmm.......

https://theconversation.com/finding-sti ... indfulness

This is why i MTB all year round.. I'd go completely insane if i couldn't get a fix of it like when the weather won't allow motorbiking for you lot...It was a big part of my progression from motorbiker to MTBer a long time ago. Winter is a killer of soul and spirit here.. but i get away with it by hitting the hills.

I liked riding in the rain ...

Horse wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 8:20 am I liked riding in the rain ...

Once I'd got the right kit rain didn't bother me much and, at some times of year, I enjoyed it too. Preferred it to windy weather tbh.

I can handle the cold, but rain is just horrid.

You can't push on because it's difficult to gauge the grip and then my glasses steam up.

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 8:41 am I can handle the cold, but rain is just horrid.

You can't push on because it's difficult to gauge the grip and then my glasses steam up.

I had a bit of a revelation back in the VD days when the chap that rode the feet-forward thing (Ian?) made a comment about 'there's more grip in the wet than most riders realise'.

That, and doing some Yamaha off-road days in the mud, changed my attitude to the wet somewhat.

A screen helped too.

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 8:41 am I can handle the cold, but rain is just horrid.

You can't push on because it's difficult to gauge the grip and then my glasses steam up.

And that's why we love the MTB and i expect people like @Tricky love the dirtbikes, because the lack of grip on the mud just adds to the entertainment Once you embrace the wet, it's great fun still.

Yeah. But falling off in the mud doesn't hurt as much or write off your transport.

I just got fed up with getting my gear covered in crap when I had my short stint at dirty laning.

Rain can be very dangerous around here, hides the potholes.

I love this article! I've known since I started riding that it helps me mentally but only in the last 5 and a bit years (since the second shoulder op) did I process how/why. It was when I was talking to the psychologist at the rehab centre about meditation - I physically can't meditate.

All that "empty your mind and relax" crap - isn't possible and believe me, over the years I've really really tried (yoga courses/classes, reflexology course etc etc)!! But my brain has two parts I think and if I can calm one part with focus the other bit still chatters away in the background and so stillness doesn't arrive.

It's only after talking to her about meditation and her pointing out that the focus required for motos is like meditation because meditation isn't just emptying your mind, but focusing to clear all of your mind onto one thing.

Since then I've realised the ski touring is the same to me - but mainly because I count my steps and then when I pause to look at the view and catch my breath a bit, I also breathe really deep and slow to get some balance on the breathing. But that actually is essentially 'yoga breathing' and means I concentrate on the view and on the breathing - mind calm !! Skiing too - but I've always equated that with biking, mentally and physically!


I actually used to use a system of breathing to make cornering easier on track, which moved on to road riding too - a little like yoga breathing but it apparently helped some other people avoid arm pump (is that the right phrase?) because it makes you relax without trying!!


I 100% notice the detriment to my brain since I've not been riding all summer for 8 years Tough times TBH

Horse wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 8:20 am I liked riding in the rain ...

My old riding buddy bloody loved riding in rain!! I learnt a LOT from him about that and gained a ton of confidence - I expect it's gone now, maybe find out this summer !!!

I realised years ago that track riding is much more relaxed than enthusiastic road riding.
It's all so peaceful even with knee scraping at 100+

Maybe gets a bit frantic braking from 175 at Portimao over blind crest

I quite enjoyed racing in the wet, especially in classes that weren't allowed wet tyres. I had all my best results in the rain.

But the surface on most tracks is quite consistent, flat and smooth. So it's just a matter of getting 'close' to the end of the grip, it's doesn't vary as much as a diesel soaked road.

Biking gives you a positive mental attitude.

I've got chrome and at first apart from very nearly not being here anymore because of it , I found the bike helped a hell of a lot.
I had a 7 hour operation, removed about 6 ft of my insides, attached a stoma bag .
The surgeon called me his super patient as I was out after 19 days,
A few months later I was at the hospital for a appointment and the consultant walks past me on the bike, did a double task and then decided that it was a good idea and obviously did me nogging good

I would still be riding MTB in this weather, if it wasn’t for my back (but trying to resolve that).
With the extra time you do find yourself getting dragged into things that really don’t matter that much - like the render i have had just repaired needs smooth or textured finish!!

Chasing storms along the local motorways in teens/20's with mates watching the lightening rippling along the middle barriers = epic

When I was at McAfee my wanker boss James Vignoles pushed my until I collapsed at work.
I was in a mess, just crying all the time.

They sent me to a top psychiatrist to check me over. Mainly I suppose to check I wasn't swinging the lead.

He diagnosed I really was quite poorly. Said it would be a long slow recovery.

I saw photos of his bikes on the wall. We got chatting and when he found out I was a trackdays instructor part time, he told me to carry on doing them as it would aid my recovery

He put that in the report to work.

I was off sick 2 years and, true to his words, I felt great just before and during the trackdays
He said it because I was the "expert" in my comfort zone, and helping folk to have fun

No posts on yoga so here we go.......my wife does yoga and Pilates each week. Friday evening just past she says.....why don’t you stand on one foot for 30 seconds blindfolded?

Bearing in mind it’s about 10.30 pm and I’m half way through a second bottle of red, I didn’t think it was a good idea. She pestered me to do it so I thought....why not?

10 seconds later I head butted the stone fire place then demolished a pile of logs stacked next to the fire place.

Lots of red liquid everywhere

Moral of the story? .........don’t do yoga after drinking red wine

Wscad wrote: Mon Feb 02, 2026 11:34 am No posts on yoga so here we go.......my wife does yoga and Pilates each week. Friday evening just past she says.....why don’t you stand on one foot for 30 seconds blindfolded?

Bearing in mind it’s about 10.30 pm and I’m half way through a second bottle of red, I didn’t think it was a good idea. She pestered me to do it so I thought....why not?

10 seconds later I head butted the stone fire place then demolished a pile of logs stacked next to the fire place.

Lots of red liquid everywhere

Moral of the story? .........don’t do yoga after drinking red wine

I proved in (physical) rehab that I can't do 30 seconds on one leg with my eyes open, definitely not trying with my eyes closed

(And yes, I do need to sort that out!! A mate has trained as a yoga teacher and once her car is fixed we plan to set up a weekly meet up as she plans to specialize in creating yoga for people with disabilities that affect movement )