Progress update. I had two goals to achieve before my first foray into the wild.
1. Push off from standstill with either foot and not go erratic.
2. Reliably turn without wobbling or unexpectedly widening out.
I can mostly push off successfully and when don't I stop and try again. I won't try to start in a confined space because I am not quite that proficient.
I can reliably turn my intended course. My turn diameter is about 20-30 feet. I feel like I am balanced on a pinpoint and could topple over. However I don't topple and I am getting used to feeling okay about being balanced on the pinpoint. It's curious while in a turn, the turn will tend to tighten and I pedal through it okay.
I have had a few really bad starts and turns that I successfully survived by stopping and deploying the feet. When I am tired I notice my riding gets sloppy and it's time to stop. I know with practice I will get better.
There are some parts of my usual trail that I will have to walk the bike, like a very narrow section under the Lake Street bridge between Calhoun and Lake of the Isles. The bidirectional bike path is about 6 feet wide bordered by a curb and a metal railing separating the walk path.
I also still need to sit strait up when climbing a steep hill when I cannot maintain 5 mph or so. Maybe this is a bad habit, I don't know, but it seems to work for me.
I can imagine sitting up improves the upper/lower body bike connection both from stability and power generation.
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