How to adjust to a new car?

[potownrob]

I was able to take it on its test drive and drive it off the lot and such. Just making it pretty is what I am currently having issues with. It is getting there though. I think the initial problems is the fear of damaging the car.

there's a difference between acing the "driver's test" and doing everything perfect thereafter. This has happened to me with almost every single car I've test driven - the test drive goes perfectly or close to it then, once i have to drive the car to work etc., it takes 1-2 months to learn how to really drive the thing.

[AHTOXA]

Sounds like some of my past girlfriends - "testdrive" goes great on the first night, then it takes me months to figure 'em out.

[watkins]

On the other hand, Tony, your mother and I figured each other right out.

[AHTOXA]

Not much to figure out when you dont last past a minute thirty five.

[potownrob]

need moar motivation to get my bike set up and start riding. would help if i had more time to ride too.

[ClutchFork]

need moar motivation to get my bike set up and start riding. would help if i had more time to ride too.

Too bad you don't live near enought to the office/shop so you could ride to work. Of course street riding is not as fulfilling as off road, but maybe there are some short cuts though parks etc.

[theholycow]

Too bad you don't live near enought to the office/shop so you could ride to work. Of course street riding is not as fulfilling as off road, but maybe there are some short cuts though parks etc.

Street riding can make up for the boring terrain with terrific speed, on a road bike. It is exhilarating when you keep up with non-jammed suburban automotive traffic, and an extreme adrenaline rush when you pass them while they're cruising (not that that happens often). Then when you hit an ascent it's an incredible bummer...

But anyway, road riding is good training for trails, and trails are good training for roads. Doing a mixture of both improves your riding more than just doing one for the same amount of time.

[Reverence]

I found the biggest problem in adjusting to new cars to be having driven the same car for too long, and on regular routes, the same driving style (aggressiveness) . Doing so gets you used to driving by timing, clutch grab position and throttle position (muscle memory) for wanted acceleration.

I was used to driving by engine sound for many years, and with the quieter new cars + noisy traffic, had a bit of readjusting to do myself.

After a few weeks trying to deal with that, I adapted to driving by 'feel', not sound, not timing, not muscle memory any more. The body is an incredible automation control system which only needs to be put at task. It can react subconsciously to the car reactions and will learn what to do in what ever situation.

I installed a multi-mode 'throttle booster/accelerator' to my car, and each mode is like a different car.
After some adapting, you'll still have preferences on which car you like to drive, but you'll be able to drive any car.

[potownrob]

need moar motivation to get my bike set up and start riding. would help if i had more time to ride too.

Too bad you don't live near enought to the office/shop so you could ride to work. Of course street riding is not as fulfilling as off road, but maybe there are some short cuts though parks etc.

i'm gonna have to start off on the roads, and the roads around here are hilly as it is. i haven't been on the trails in a long time (13 years?!) and i know some of them have been closed off, eliminated (new construction) or abandoned, so that, on top of needing to be in shape for the trails, will probably keep me off most of the trails at least initially. i can bike up to the FDR trail (which is better maintained than most trails - run by the national parks service) and take that over from Valkill (Eleanor's estate) to FDR's house. there's also a trail that goes behind Valkill, but that is probably more hilly than I think, based on the topography behind Valkill; not sure if bikes are allowed there though...

[theholycow]

i'm gonna have to start off on the roads, and the roads around here are hilly as it is. i haven't been on the trails in a long time (13 years?!) and i know some of them have been closed off, eliminated (new construction) or abandoned, so that, on top of needing to be in shape for the trails, will probably keep me off most of the trails at least initially. i can bike up to the FDR trail (which is better maintained than most trails - run by the national parks service) and take that over from Valkill (Eleanor's estate) to FDR's house. there's also a trail that goes behind Valkill, but that is probably more hilly than I think, based on the topography behind Valkill; not sure if bikes are allowed there though...
[img]http://www.hydeparkny.us/images/TrailsR ... rm.jpg[img]

You guys have nice, maintained, mapped trails? That's freakin sweet. In my corner of RI there are a few official named/semi-mapped trails but most are not like that...gotta read up on bicycling forums, trail review sites, and local forums, spend time with Google/Bing/GIS/etc satellite/aerial views, as well as just keeping your eye out for bicycles/tire tracks in what appears to be public land. Where I used to live in RI there were even fewer mapped/official/named trails.

[Shadow]

i'm gonna have to start off on the roads, and the roads around here are hilly as it is. i haven't been on the trails in a long time (13 years?!) and i know some of them have been closed off, eliminated (new construction) or abandoned, so that, on top of needing to be in shape for the trails, will probably keep me off most of the trails at least initially. i can bike up to the FDR trail (which is better maintained than most trails - run by the national parks service) and take that over from Valkill (Eleanor's estate) to FDR's house. there's also a trail that goes behind Valkill, but that is probably more hilly than I think, based on the topography behind Valkill; not sure if bikes are allowed there though...

We have lots of rail trails in my area. One of my favorites starts in Northvale NJ and ends in Haverstraw NY, which is about 17 miles one way. So round trip, we're talking 34 miles. It's 99% trails with just a very short amount of road riding where the trails connect.

[potownrob]

You guys have nice, maintained, mapped trails? That's freakin sweet. In my corner of RI there are a few official named/semi-mapped trails but most are not like that...gotta read up on bicycling forums, trail review sites, and local forums, spend time with Google/Bing/GIS/etc satellite/aerial views, as well as just keeping your eye out for bicycles/tire tracks in what appears to be public land. Where I used to live in RI there were even fewer mapped/official/named trails.

that's what happens when you're near a bunch of prominent historic sites run by the NPS. i remember i used to bike up to vanderbilt (another rich estate near the river, north of FDR's home) and get yelled at by old smokey for biking on the trails (no biking allowed on those trails).

[potownrob]

We have lots of rail trails in my area. One of my favorites starts in Northvale NJ and ends in Haverstraw NY, which is about 17 miles one way. So round trip, we're talking 34 miles. It's 99% trails with just a very short amount of road riding where the trails connect.

we have a rail trail around here but i'd have to go through a not-so-nice part of the city (of poughkeepsie) to get to the "trail"head unless i find another entrance out east (which i am not familiar with). the rail trail goes over the hudson into highland too. out east of potown i can't even tell where it runs and, every now and then, i'll come across a new trail entrance as i'm driving out east of potown.

[AHTOXA]

i'm gonna have to start off on the roads, and the roads around here are hilly as it is. i haven't been on the trails in a long time (13 years?!) and i know some of them have been closed off, eliminated (new construction) or abandoned, so that, on top of needing to be in shape for the trails, will probably keep me off most of the trails at least initially. i can bike up to the FDR trail (which is better maintained than most trails - run by the national parks service) and take that over from Valkill (Eleanor's estate) to FDR's house. there's also a trail that goes behind Valkill, but that is probably more hilly than I think, based on the topography behind Valkill; not sure if bikes are allowed there though...
[img]http://www.hydeparkny.us/images/TrailsR ... rm.jpg[img]

You guys have nice, maintained, mapped trails? That's freakin sweet. In my corner of RI there are a few official named/semi-mapped trails but most are not like that...gotta read up on bicycling forums, trail review sites, and local forums, spend time with Google/Bing/GIS/etc satellite/aerial views, as well as just keeping your eye out for bicycles/tire tracks in what appears to be public land. Where I used to live in RI there were even fewer mapped/official/named trails.

A few of the offroad trails, such as the one by my house that I ride are actually mapped and labeled on google maps and seen in regular view. I'm not talking about rail trails or park trails, I'm talking about mild to wild as-MTB-as-it-gets trails.

Dallas is into MTB quite a bit in general - pretty popular around here.

[potownrob]

came across reading about 1x11 gearsets at b&n tonight. looks intriguing, but costly, and probably years off for me either way. I'm happy with aiming for someday riding a 2x10 setup; have to get on the bike i already have first