I'm not sure what kind of "fix" you're looking for. There's no good way to ride on a surface that shifts beneath your wheels, and there are some "roads" in LBL that I would never try with less than 4 wheels. I avoid gravel as much as possible.

 

Just an observation here but.. I think its great that all the responses are understanding and helpful with regard to your situation and what happened. That to me reflects very well on y'all.. and I'm right there with ya..big bikes on gravel, grates and the like make everyone think twice.. I'm with everyone else who says you just chalk it up to experience.. and jump right back on the sucker.. I'm glad you didn't get too banged up and I'm also glad your bike is good to go as well.. I would wager to say there aren't many people on here who haven't messed up somehow or another.. I know I have.

Cheers

mav

 

Have you considered getting something like a Reach seat?

at 6'5" I wouldn't flinch at a gravel road because I'm flat-footed on my Hammock seat, if you were able to get both paws firmly on the ground you might feel better about it......

or you could just chalk it up as a " What did you learn?" moment and move on with your life......

 

so i mentioned what happened to a fellow rider here at work
he was relating the story to another co-worker (female) and here is how he related the story:

mark had a lot of trouble keeping it up

finally he couldn't keep up at all

he needed two guys to help him get it up

and then they had to help him to keep it up


---- now thats embaresing

 

Happens to us all at some point. I recently dropped my ride in front of dozens of riders a popular bike stop outside of Sydney. Wasn't gravel but it was a start on an incline with an immediate right turm onto a reasonably steeply cambered road. Started rolling, car came around the corner from the left, hesitated, foot down, no road underneath me and down she went! Had the wife on the back as well just to make it a perfect spectacle.

Mate, I feel your ego pain and also the immediate loss of confidence but I can say it gets better quickly and before you know it the embarrasment of the drop is a distant memory (but hopefully you remember the lesson forever!). It also helped telling the story here and realising that you are not alone - all those "other" riders you see out there have probably also done something simlar if they have been riding long enough, you just weren't there to see it.

 

Dang Mark, thats a pretty big piece of humble pie. I'm 5'8" and understand the vertically challenged issue some what. don't let it get you down. Have you lowered your bike? The reach seat is also a good suggestion. I ride a lowered fatboy with a deep cut seat. I can touch flat footed so it makes the whole worried about stopping on a incline issue disappear. I most likely will be buying a Ultra or SG this upcoming year. The first mods I will make are lowering and a seat. Keep your chin up.

 

try this one...homeward bound from 6 day trip...tired but finally 100 miles from home...stop for that last coffee and gas up...the bride and all our traveling gear is loaded on my flhr...

coming out a parking lot..brake a bit but too sharp of a turn due to a car coming at me..i put the right foot down...right into pothole...over she goes...the bride and all...smack onto the pavement...bride and i sprawled on the ground...so now i have a crowd watching...so quickly to avoid the shame...i lift from the right side with my butt against the seat...and she pulls from left............................................ye ah i flopped it over on the frkin left side..so how does it feel dropping your scoot on both sides within 30 seconds???

i tell you i would kissed somebodies *** who had a bike trailer there that day as i sure didn't feel up to riding that bad boy home..

 

Ridden many many years,Ultra's are not mountain goats,when shortlegs added to golden years,and poor balance get together it can be dangerous and real spooky............Look what solved all those issues for me,Tri-Glide baby.Glad I did it.

 

I hear ya man. Don't hang it up..And, if you dig the Ultra, Hang with that too. I've done the same type things with mine. I'm short at 5'7 , not as powerful now that I'm 60 but damn it..it's THE bike I always wanted. Driving it, even with wife as passenger, is a dream..Moving it around , or my choices of where to park is what had me lower it to the ground 3 times in the last 3 years..Each time, I was 'moving ' the bike around. Twice, the bike wasn't even running. Sandy parking lot..foot slipped out..in the driveway and let it lean too far, and just last week, on grass at a cottage. I forgive myself the first one..the second two, I shouldn't have let it happen by not parking /moving it in those conditions. My ego and pride were hurt each time. Lost confidence in myself each time.. Got back on and forced myself to ride and gain back confidence. A lot of us have had the same type ego-blasting event. Illigetimi non carborundum. 'don't let the bastards get you down'.

 

Love where I live for the rural character but I have to ride 6.5 miles of very badly maintained gravel roads just to get out to pavement on every ride, then the same to get back home. The gravel is like riding on loose marbles among other things, but like anything you get used to it if you have to do it enough. I find a loose grip on the bars and maintaining a steady speed around 20 -25 mph is much better than trying to go slower. The bike maintains forward momentum above those speeds and is easier to glide on through. Kind of like having to ride over a small animal that ventures into the road. Maintaining steady speed, Momentum and straight ahead will usually pull you through unscathed. I've also faced that turn around up hill slope problem many times in Vermont, because its the nature of most of our hilly roads. Again, you gain experience every time you are faced with these situations and it will make you a better rider if you learn from them. My damn Street Glide is pretty heavy in that position, But I've learned pivot points and simple twists of the bars that make the difference for me. Sorry to hear of your trouble. I'm sure the feeling of insecurity was uncomfortable.