STN's Pool of Knowledge for Women Riders

[cultureslayer]

Hi all... I've been lurking a bit and thought I'd step out with a question for the gals on here. I'm a complete newb - took the BRC and got licensed last fall, but only finally managed to acquire a bike that I can (nearly) flatfoot - thanks to my fiance who is supporting my habit by selling one of his bikes to pay for mine (is there any wonder I'm marrying this man?). In any event - despite it's relatively petite size, and much effort on my part, I can't for the life of me put the damn thing on the center stand. I'm not a complete weakling, but I'm no body builder either. My fiance has coached me through it, and I've watched some demos on YouTube - as far as I can tell, I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing - but still no dice. Any pointers?  

You have to find JUST the right place to push, pull, and I have to put all my weight onto the foot knob part of the center stand to get it up, and I've got a 250.  Also, has to be in neutral when you try to get it up.  Parking uphill helps as well.  Try it at first with it uphill, then once you can get it reliably try on level ground.

I am afraid to admit, I learned to adjust the valves before I could get it easily off and on the center stand.  

[bluepoof]

Here's my trick:

Push the bike forward onto a 2x4 so that the rear wheel is up on the block.

That's the only way I've ever been able to get any of my bikes on the centerstand by myself.  

[Mrs. DantesDame]

Also, when rolling the bike off the center stand (and assuming that you're not sitting on the bike when doing this) have the handlebars angled towards you and the side stand down. That way the bike will come off the center stand towards you and then fall against the side stand if the balance is off.

Before I learned this trick I had my 1150 GS fall away from me, onto another bike    Never again!!!

[bluepoof]

Also, when rolling the bike off the center stand (and assuming that you're not sitting on the bike when doing this)

If you're short, you pretty much need to sit on the bike when rolling it off the centerstand.

[cultureslayer]

If you're short, you pretty much need to sit on the bike when rolling it off the centerstand.

I'm way too nervous taking it off the center stand unless I'm on it.  First and last time I tried being beside it, of course it fell away from me.  

[Mrs. DantesDame]

I'm way too nervous taking it off the center stand unless I'm on it.  First and last time I tried being beside it, of course it fell away from me.  

Blue just mentioned to me that she holds both bars when she takes hers down (or would, if she could reach both bars). My method is to essentially do the reverse of putting it up: one hand on the near handle bar and one hand on the grab bar at the rear of the bike. I lift slightly with the right hand, have the near bar turned in towards me and then pull the bike forward with the right hand. Yeah, I was pretty nervous the first few times but it seems to work well now.

[LicketySplat]

It's been a long time since I put a bike on a centerstand, but I never had any trouble with my 490 lb ZX6-E. The thing is, you don't pull it up AT ALL, and don't listen to guys who tell you to pull.

Hold the bike upright with your hands on the handlebars. Put your foot on the lever lightly so that the feet of the centerstand just touch the ground on both sides. Now you have three points of contact and your bike is not going to fall over. When you're ready, step up onto the lever with as much of your weight as it takes - "all of it" is a perfectly safe answer. Just put some authority into it - put your weight onto the lever as though you were stepping up onto a high bench. That's it.

For your next trick, put a 470 lb YZF600R on a swingarm stand. THAT takes some acrobatics for a person our size  

[cultureslayer]

For your next trick, put a 470 lb YZF600R on a swingarm stand. THAT takes some acrobatics for a person our size  

Nice thing about the 250, it's as easy to put on a swingarm stand as the centerstand.  

[jsanford]

Just came across this article - http://www.helmethairmagazine.com/culture-July2008pg2.html

Wow--an actual reason to go to New Hampshire.  

Seriously--I'm totally up for this, especially if that red F800 is a rental.

[jadziadax8]

Just came across this article - http://www.helmethairmagazine.com/culture-July2008pg2.html

Very cool!  

[luvtoride]

I agree about being parked uphill when trying to put a bike on a centerstand. Absolutely, it helps. It's all about leverage... & I know that. I sometimes still have a hard time w/ my bike. Of course it's a pig @ over 600lbs.

I use the 2 hands on the bars method to bring it down. I like having my hand on the brake lever. I can understand why small women have problems doing it this way, though.

Let us know if you get it, Heidi

[elle~g]

Thanks for all of the advice, everyone. I realized that all along I may have had gravity fighting against me because our driveway has a slight hill to it and the bike was facing downhill. So, turned it around and came much closer to success. I only managed to get it on the centerstand when my fiance added the slightest bit of assistance with a little lift from the back, which at least gave me a sense of what it felt like, but, obviously, I want to be able to do it without assistance if possible. I took a little break from trying this past week partly because I started a new job and partly because I strained my back a bit from both trying to get it on the centerstand and also getting it up off the ground from its side.

[Veda]

Practicing on an uphill sounds like a great idea for getting it on the stand... but how will you then get it off while on the uphill?  Sometimes I need a push getting it off the centerstand on level ground.

[LicketySplat]

+1 - getting the bike down off the centerstand on an upslope was always much harder for me than getting it onto the stand.

If you're on a hard level surface that you don't mind scratching (like a concrete garage floor), you can spin the bike around on the centerstand to face whatever direction you want.

[Krismark]

Wow, I guess I don't ever check this thread.


Back to Bluepoof's topic about the menstrual cup from a month or so ago...I have used the "Instead soft cup" and really liked it. Keep in mind there is no really nice way to empty it though. It pretty much something you do before a shower.


I use that, or OB tampons which take up virtually no space at all.


I never thought I would be talking about this on ST.N without a bunch of men chiming it to say stupid things though. They seem to be staying away quite nicely.

[Weaselette]

I use "Instead" all the time, and I suppose rearing children has prepared me for a certain amount of mess, because it doesn't bother me  

I'm really looking forward to having the whole bother over with for good and plenty at this time of life, though!

[cultureslayer]

The Diva and keeper and similar designs sit lower, so they are much easier to remove without mess and position correctly than the instead.  At least that's what I've heard from women that tried both, so I ended up with the diva cup.  Silly name but a good product.  It's nice to be able to pass up the tampon and pad display.

[Weaselette]

I'm more than willing to try the Diva, but haven't seen it at stores in NC Washington (a great place to ride, but not necessarily a shopping Mecca). Perhaps when we ride to the Big City I'll find a supply to try.

[cultureslayer]

I'm more than willing to try the Diva, but haven't seen it at stores in NC Washington (a great place to ride, but not necessarily a shopping Mecca). Perhaps when we ride to the Big City I'll find a supply to try.

I ordered mine online, even with shipping it was $23 instead of paying the $32 suggested retail and tax on top of that.  I hesitated for a while because of the expense (in case it didn't work or something) but I think the manufacturer has a money back guarantee and I've not heard of anyone using it.

[jadziadax8]

...the manufacturer has a money back guarantee...

Hopefully they don't restock if you send it back.