100 BiKE lifts a day for 30 days…
Lifting my 2023 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro 100x a day for 30 days. It is 501 lbs.
I’m halfway through my 100 bike lifts a day for 30 days challenge! (rest days included)
Why am I doing this?
It’s a big, tall bike. And it’s the perfect bike. Putting 8K miles on it while crossing the USA reinforced that. But taking this street model off-road (hear me out… there was an underground missile bunker at the end of a gravel road…) and training with Jocelin Snow (hear me out again :”D…. the training included riding over a car) means a lot of drops…. And I couldn’t always lift it. When someone says “you can’t lift it, so you should get a smaller bike”... well… I don’t let under-performers ‘should’ on me. For those who think it’s ‘dangerous’ to ride a large bike… I’m about 20,000 miles in on road trips with 500 lb Tigers, and 800 lb Harley baggers. Drops included. I haven’t even left with a scratch. Bikes were also okay with just scratches on engine guards. If you don’t want to ride a larger bike, just say that. There is nothing wrong with riding a bike that doesn’t require a learning curve... just like there is nothing wrong with riding a bike that does. When I worked a full time job with limited time to actually ride, I didn’t want the learning curve. I wanted to ride it NOW. But today, my work day can include 100 u-turns and 100 bike lifts from 9am-12pm if I wanted to. And I want to.
I decided I don’t want to keep being the scrawny Noodle / Doodle. I just need to refine the technique, and get stronger. For this bike… it’s worth it.
Yes I was on street tires…. no this Tiger is not the off road version… hear me out… there was an underground missile bunker at the end of this road
Does it hurt the bike?
I’m gently laying my bike down on old car tires (since I can’t do 100 lifts in a row with it on the ground… right now). It’s not made of glass. Challenges and adventure are worth scratches and scars. SW Motech crash protection has kept the bike pretty spotless after many drops. I did ask my local dealer what they thought… they don’t see why it would hurt the bike.. But I can’t say many people have brought in a bike they lifted 3000 times. We’ll see.
Is it safe on your body?
I’ve had a certified BMW instructor check my form to make sure I’m doing it properly (back straight, look up…) and a body lifting friend check my form to make sure I’m not injuring myself (don’t lock your knees - always keep a slight bend in them). But I don’t think this has been done before. Do not attempt. I’m the guinea pig. We’ll see.
Why not just go to the gym? Why do this with a bike?
Uh… because I’m ridiculous. And I hate working out. Distracting myself with something fun like martial arts or ridiculous like lifting a motorcycle 100x a day for 30 days is about the only thing that’s going to keep me sticking to a work out.
After this I started putting tires on the other side too
14/30 days in… I already see a new thigh muscle bulge I’ve never seen before. And this week I dropped my bike thinking the kickstand was down when it wasn’t… when I tried to lift it…. that thing went up like a damn feather!
My biggest obstacle has been going through my whole checklist to make sure I sleep through the night. 6 years battling insomnia has shown me how depleted, weak, and unproductive I can get if I don’t sleep through the night for too many days in a row, and sleep can destroy strength building worse than anything. My routine (including a 1 hr daily workout - I count 100 bike lifts there - they’re really hard) keeps me sleeping 70% of the time. 5/7 days sleeping through the night is a win for me. but it seemed like I needed just one more hour of sleep… Shout out to the Lullir sleep kit (discount code DOODLE) that my dentist actually gifted to me when I was complaining to her about insomnia (uh… I complain about it a lot… to just about anyone who will listen. My eyebrow microbladist also gave me advice on it). Who knew the right combination of aroma therapy could increase my average wake up time from a groggy 5-6am to a deep 7-730am.
Now excuse me, Ima go lift that 500 lb bike…. 100 times…
