I had an awful ride yesterday and need some words of wisdom/encouragement.  I figure you never know when someone will say just the right thing, so here's the deal.  

My hubby came to ride with me after work.  We went a different route that I think I've only ridden once.  Curvy road, 55mph speed limit.  Not sure I could drive that road at 55 in my car!  But the pavement was messing with my eyes.  I was having contact lens trouble and couldn't get it to clear, and couldn't find a spot to pull over to put in some drops.  Rode about 20 miles before finding a good road to turn off to stop.  I was also having trouble with patches in the pavement and dips and places where the road had previously sunken, and had been repatched several times.  Hard to explain, I hope you know what I mean.  There weren't many potholes, luckily.  He said I was slowing too much for the curves, and wasn't even leaning into them very much.  I was scared.  I don't know if it was just the unfamiliar road, my contacts bothering me, cars piling up behind us, or what.  I tell you, it was just miserable.  We finally got around to familiar territory, and the last road was good, and I settled down.  But it wasn't a very fun ride.

Several weeks ago, we took a ride on a curvy road that I had never ridden before, and I did great.  I don't know why yesterday was so bad.  
Any thoughts or comments are welcome....    

 I think you just were nervous,And things just keep getting worst as you think,I have that happen to me at times since I've got older.A drink would straighten that right up.

Contacts? I don't wear them but I've worn glasses 45 years now. I've been offered the choice of contacts but prefer glasses for the eye protection. If something is off affecting your vision it effects your depth perception. Just try closing one eye & riding & you'll see what I mean. Try it again when your vision is clear & you'll be fine.

I would get a close fitting pair of glasses & try them for riding.

On another note, I just got a Scorpion EXO 100 half helmet yesterday & have to say it has the best design features of any helmet I've ever seen.
The coolest part is a visor that is recessed into the helmet & drops down wheen you release it. The liner is removable & made of "quick-wick" material. Got to make an 80 mile run this am so I'll have a chance to see how it is 'in the wind'.

Thanks for the comments so far.  I will consider a new pair of glasses.  Have been comfortable with contacts for over 25 years.  Only had maybe 3 pairs of glasses in that time.  Just don't keep them up to date.  Current pair is a bit of an old prescription.  Last time I went to the eye doc, just a couple months ago, he told me that my next prescription will be bi-focals, so I might as well get used to the idea.  I always heard that getting old was he11, I guess I'm getting to know it personally.  haha   I think peripheral vision for riding is better with contacts, but there are good and bad both ways, I guess.

On a side note, my mother fell one winter, slipped on a piece of ice in her yard, fell into a bush that had been cut down for the winter.  She was wearing her glasses instead of her contacts.  The glasses broke and went into her eye, caused all kinds of damage.  Several surgeries later, she is fine, but if she had been wearing her contacts, she would have just had a bump on her forehead, most likely.    

Otherwise, I'm not ready to give up riding.  I guess I just wanted some stroking that everyone has those kinds of days/rides.  

But I'm still looking for the secret to entering curves on unfamiliar roads..........  

 I have been wearing prescription sunglass for about 15 years,The only thing I don't like about them,It looks like your sitting about 2 inches higher than you really are,I've had 4 different glasses and they all did the same thing ,When I'm on my bicycle its the same thing like 2-3 inches higher than if I take them off. If you like contacts I wouldn't change.

bill67 wrote on 05/06/10 at 08:01:57:

Is that before or after the drink ?

Babyhog Quote:
But I'm still looking for the secret to entering curves on unfamiliar roads..........
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Very simple,....
"SLOWLY"

There is no "secret" to entering curves, on either familiar or unfamiliar roads. It is easy. All you do is go slow enough so you can stop within the distance you can see. If you run faster than your sight distance, you are at the mercy of potholes, oil spills (some people deliberately oil the road for the benefit of motorcyclists), wet leaves, gravel, large vehicles, wildlife, and the list goes on. True, the "go slow" technique isn't very exciting. But you neither need nor want the excitement of a spill or a collision.