I'm a new (65 year old) rider with my first bike ('07' Ultra Classic) and successfully completed a riding course last fall. The dealer lost the title and by the time it was found and I was able to get the bike registered, the weather turned bad and was able to only get about 50 miles of riding.

My wife and I were anxiously waiting for summer to get here so I could get some miles in and gain the experience, skill and confidence necessary for my wife to ride with me. (We both have brothers who ride and want us to ride with them.) Last week I put all my gear on and rode down the driveway to get onto the gravel road that leads to the highway. I just pulled onto the gravel when I felt myself sailing off the bike and then hitting the ground. The good news is the bike didn't get even a scratch. The bad news is I will need surgery on my ankle and possibly my shoulder. (The doctor said I would have had much more serious injuries if I hadn't been wearing boots, leather and a helmut!)

I think my wife has lost all confidence in my ability to ever ride at the level she would feel safe sitting behind me. I'm now starting to share her concern.

My brother has been sending me information on trike conversion kits, and I'm wondering if that may be the solution to our concerns. We are retired and can't afford one of the permanent kits, but we might be able handle one of the less costly ones. I've been researching the forums for information, and although there lots of threads, I haven't seen anything comparing the three most common kits: Voyager, TowPac (InstaTrike) and Trigg Trike. Does anyone know which of these is best when comparing craftsmanship, safety and ease of driving?

I realize this may not be the appropriate place to pose this question, but I'm new at this and don't understand forums protocol very well.

 

this would be a great question for the "Hacked, Triked, and Trailering" area

Glad your semi-OK....

IMO an Ultra Classic is a big bike for a first time rider....
and gravel can be challenging for an unexperienced rider....

not sure how much a trike kit costs... but you could spend the money on a used Blast or some Jap Crap (small bike)... get comfortable riding and then move back up to your UC...
sell the learner and go on down the road...

Don't know if it an option or not... but wanted to throw that out there...

CC

 

Howdy and welcome from The Republic!

 

Welcome from Portland Oregon.

 

Don't know if you're already convinced to do the trike conversion thing or not, but if not, I wouldn't worry too much. My Mother started riding her own at 60, and yes, she did have a little bit of a difficult time learning "slow maneuvers", but once she did she was fine. Between being a new rider, a top heavy bike, and gravel thrown as well. That could (and has) happened to a lot of us. I'd dust myself off, lick my wounds and get back out there. You'll do fine.

 

Welcome to the forum! If it's any consolation, gravel is tricky for even experienced riders, so don't let your accident shake your faith in your ability to ride. Trikes are certainly a valid option, but if you prefer to stick with 2 wheels, I'm sure that some non-gravel riding time will rebuild your confidence, as well as your wife's. Accidents can happen to anyone, whether on 2, 3 or 4 wheels.

 

I agree with this and would add that gravel can be challenging for an experienced rider. After 40 years of riding, when I'm on gravel I am extremely cautious so don't beat yourself up too badly.

You probably need to "win back" your own confidence as well as your wifes. With your ankle recovery I'm sure there will be some rehab involved. Get you ankle and shoulder back and then show yourself and your wife you are serious about riding again. Here is what I would do before going the Trike direction.

You say you are 65 and I admire you getting your 1st bike but make sure you are in good riding shape. Join a gym and get your legs and core (abs, back) in really good shape. Doing this will help your strength and your balance, both of which are important at our age (I'm 62) to have years of safe rding to look forward to. If you want to carry it a step further work on the rest of your body parts also and change your diet if it needs changing.

I want to be able to ride until the day I die but at our age it might take some work in the gym and at the dinner table.

Good Luck

 

Hi there and welcome from Bristol, England.

First off, I would say dont rush into doing anything drastic.

I've been riding since I was 17 and started off on much smaller, lighter, less powerful machines. Personally I would always recommend this course to anyone who asked me.

However, there are many riders on here who have started off with a Harley as their first bike and done so very successfully.

Dont be too hard on yourself about the small fall. Gravel is a tough surface to ride on even for experienced riders and can catch us out if we dont have our wits about us.

I think you need to get some appropriate experience to rebuild your own confidence and this is my suggestion:

Consider taking the riders course again.

Failing that, or even if you do it, then try and find an area such as a dissused car park where you can spend a few hours practising lots of slow speed manouvers, turns, stop starts etc until your really confident with them. If the road outside your house is gravel, consider getting an experienced rider to take the bike to the surfaced area for you.

If you dont gain confidence at this stage, you might want to consider getting a cheap second hand small bike to gain experience on.

Once you feel ready for it, take the bike out on the open road. I suggest avoiding busy roads and busy times of day.

I wouldnt even consider taking the wife on the back until you've felt comfortable riding solo for quite a while. When you think your ready to carry a passenger, see if you can get an experienced rider to take you on the back of your bike a few times so you appreciate what its like to be the passenger.

Then take an experienced rider as your passenger for a few trips. You wont need to worry about how they will behave and you can concentrate on controling the bike.

After your wife sees the experience you've gained and your confidence, she MIGHT be tempted to try riding behind you. Dont push her to do so, but if she does, make sure you ride well within HER limits. Dont be flash and try to show how good you've become (definately no wheelies lol). If you scare her she may never get back on again. She almost certainly WILL be scared the first time(s) so concentrate on being safe and smooth.

 

I agree with all that has been said. Do whatever you are comforatable with and welcome from Kentucky!

 

As far as the gravel goes. Did you use the front brake with the front wheel turned? It will pull you down very easy. At very slow speeds try to only use your rear brake, you will have better control.
Confidence after going down? I can tell you I have been riding for over 35 years and never went down. A few years ago in Montana I got stuck in a rain soaked contruction zone. Where they were supposed to have gravel they only had wet clay. It was no safer than ice. I went down with minor damage and a helmet saved my skull.
The state of Montana even payed my claim. Why am I telling you this? I did nothing wrong. It was slow speeds on wet slippery clay. Even though it wasn't my fault. It did cause me to lose my confidence for a long time. I still get tense in contruction zones.
Whether it's more practice on a smaller bike or your current bike it will get better. If not, a trike isn't a bad option. I would consider a Lehman conversion.
Good Luck!!!