I am known rather well in a senior living community which is located very near where I live. I sorta joke that I live on the “outside of the asylum looking in,” but perhaps it’s the other way around. When I go there, frequently I am on my Harley. All of my friends and neighbors know that I love to ride my bike, even in cold weather. I just leather up and go!

I received a phone call about a month ago from one of my senior buds who lives over there saying that his friend was turning 90, and had been talking about wanting to do something “outrageous” on her birthday (which was yesterday). The last thing she wanted to do was go to some lame birthday lunch “with a bunch of old biddies” (her words.) She wanted to go skydiving. She wanted to try bungee jumping. Her doctor and her children promised her head on a platter if she ever did those things. Lacking the permission to jump from on high, she wanted to ride with a “bad-boy biker on his Harley.”

Well, I don’t know how “bad-boy” I am, but I am a biker, and I have a Harley. On the appointed day at the appointed hour, I showed up in the parking lot of her church on my Harley, decked out in leather from head to boot (helmet was fiberglass, but who’s counting?) This is the place that my friend who was arranging this surprise thought would have the most “dramatic effect.” We were fortunate because rain was predicted earlier in the week, but we were graced with a sunny and pleasant (55°F, 13°C) day.

My friend’s friend came out of church surrounded by several of her friends. They parted the way, and she saw me idling at the curb. I revved the throttle. The Harley roared and returned to its grumbly growl.

She lit up!

The only problem was, she was wearing a dress. It wouldn’t quite work for her to crawl on the back of my bike for a ride. However, anticipating something like this might happen….

I put the sidestand down and opened the TourPak. I pulled out a jumpsuit that one of my sisters let me borrow. The birthday girl jumped into it, zipped it up, then hopped (literally) onto the back of my bike! Spry as a Spring chicken and ready to rumble! It was all I could do to get the spare helmet out and help her put it on before she was coaxing me, “come on, let’s go!”

I put my helmet back on, restarted the engine, revved it for effect, and off we went.

All I could hear for the next few miles was, “let’s go faster!” By the way she was grabbing me (especially at first), I thought I was going fast enough. I picked out some nearby less-traveled back roads with curves and nice scenery, so I couldn’t go that fast anyway. We rode for ten miles, which I think was plenty. She loved it.

Happy Birthday, M! What sheer joy that you brought to MY life!

Life is short: share the love!

I admit it… I “wussed out.” That is, my motorcycle club had a ride scheduled yesterday that revisited an annual odd but fun event that I went to last year.

However, unlike last year, it was 32°F (0°C) at the time I would have had to leave my home to meet up with the others. That’s freezing. Man-oh-man, that’s below my limit of tolerance. I do not have heated riding gear, and do not intend to get it. While I love to ride my Harley, I have my limits. Riding in freezing weather, even with heated gear, is just no fun. Plus, this ride yesterday included going over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Man, if it’s cold on the highway, it’s absolutely frigid on the bridge.

So I made the tough but realistic decision not to go on the ride. Some avid cold-weather bikers may imply that the decision was an act of cowardice. Some may simply say that I “wussed out.” However, I dealt with competing choices. Did I really want to be exposed to that deep morning cold for a ride? How would I feel about being gone for a whole day and not seeing my elderly aunt who needs daily attention? Would my three sweet old ladies who I take grocery shopping be able to wait a day with short notice? How would I feel about my partner struggling through his disability in doing autumn chores such as raking leaves and preparing our home for winter, which he would try to do without me?

While I would have enjoyed going on the ride, the weather contributed to my decision not to go this year. Had it been warmer, I would have worked it out. The cold really made the decision for me. The results are a cleaner yard, leafless gutters, and a happier partner (not necessarily in that order.)

After doing all the work around the house, I did get the Harley out and gas it up and take a short ride, so all was not for naught.

Life is short: do what you have to do!

An old adage of experienced bikers: If it looks slippery, assume it is.

While autumn is my favourite season, it comes with one of the worst road hazards for motorcyclists: wet leaves on roadways. Wet leaves are worse than ice. At least with ice, you know you have absolutely no traction, and it’s not likely you’ll be on the road. With wet leaves, it’s usually still warm enough to be riding weather, yet you can and you can’t have any traction and you don’t know which — so always assume that wet leaves are slippery. Period.

Lately, I have not been riding my Harley very much. My main reason for not riding has been a busy schedule at work. But beyond that, it has been raining a lot. It has been drizzly and sprinkling more days than usual for autumn here in Maryland. Unlike some other places, we do not have a “wet season” or “dry season.” It is customary to have rain throughout the whole year, about once a week or so. But we go in cycles of no rain for weeks and then days like these past several weeks, where it drizzles for two or three days at a stretch, much more like the damp weather in the US Pacific Northwest than the US East Coast.

Wet roads aren’t enough to stop me from riding, but wet roads covered with wet leaves causes me to think twice, and hop in the truck if I have to go somewhere instead of the saddle of my trusty iron steed.

In doing some research, I found the following information on various websites, but it all said the same thing. Thus, I believe it was pre-written by a knowledgable author and distributed for publication on these websites. It is useful information. I abide by it, and recommend it:

Riding a motorcycle in slick conditions requires the rider to make every movement s-m-o-o-t-h. Slow down and concentrate on making each input into the bike gentle and gradual. Try to avoid turning the bike while you are passing over obstacles. Reduced traction could cause you to slide. Don’t panic if the rear wheel slides a little. It may not feel stable, but as long as the front tire is going where you want it to, physics will hold the bike up.

Besides the misuse of the term ‘panic’ (which means an irrational response to fear), the content of this article is right on. And that’s how I ride: smooth and steady, with very careful application of the brakes when needed.

And I always ride with full protective gear. My cool/cold weather gear includes: solid, tall motorcycle boots with good tread on the soles, layers of clothing for warmth and protective leathers as the outer shell (if not inner, as well), gloves with gauntlets, and a full-face DOT-approved helmet. Always, without exception.

Life is short: ride safe!

Among my 500-or-so daily blog readers, I occasionally receive email and questions about matters about which I write. The other day, someone wrote to me to ask why I take the Metro to work at my office in downtown Washington, DC, instead of just ride my Harley there.

“Wouldn’t riding your bike to work be more fun? Isn’t it faster? Wouldn’t you be able to have a more flexible schedule? Wouldn’t it be cheaper?”

Actually, the answer to all of these questions is, “no.” Let’s examine each question in detail.

The fun factor. While riding my Harley is indeed fun, it is fun only when you do not have to compete with many other vehicles on the road at the same time. Remember, most of those other vehicle operators are driving cars, and because they are not motorcyclists, they often do not pay attention to the fact that a motorcycle is sharing the road with them. All too often, they are yakking on their cell phones and doing other things that draw their attention from their #1 duty: paying attention to driving. When traffic is heavy and stop lights are numerous, it is not fun to ride a motorcycle. Instead, it is tedious and exhausting to keep eyes out for the behavior of other drivers who are not paying attention to you, claim they do not see you, or are just bad drivers and make maneuvers on the road that if you were not paying close attention each second, could injure or kill you.

Speed of commute. In the pattern of my commute, it would take me well over an hour to drive to my office in the morning, yet via Metro, the commute time is cut in half because the train is faster and doesn’t have to stop for traffic. While the train stops at stations, there are far fewer stations than traffic lights. Unfortunately since the terrible Metro crash on June 22, the train has been running slower and is more crowded. But overall, Metro is still faster for me. Portal-to-portal, if I rode my Harley to work, it would take about 80 minutes from the time I begin to gear up to the time I arrive, park, disrobe, lock up, and walk to my office. It would take about 90 minutes to reverse the process going home (traffic is thicker in the afternoon.)

If I ride my Harley to Metro, even by taking an extra five minutes to lock it up and cover it, my portal-to-portal commute is about 45 minutes in the morning, and 50 minutes in the afternoon. Plus, I can read or nap on the train — an added benefit.

Flexible schedule. The train runs frequently enough when I use it (standard work day shifted to “early”) that I usually do not have to wait more than five minutes for a train in the morning or afternoon. If I drove my Harley, I would be at the mercy of hoping that there are no crashes or road construction slowing me down, as well as the weather.

Cost. Riding Metro is more expensive than ever. However, if I were to factor in the wear-and-tear on my bike, added cost of insurance (my insurance premium is lower because I do not ride my Harley to work), and additional cost of gas, then using Metro every day is still less expensive than driving to work. While I can find a place to park my Harley for free near my office, I can also park for free at the Metro station. So the cost of parking is not a factor. But what makes a real difference is that my employer gives me a monthly commuting stipend for using public transit which I would not receive if I drove myself. Thus, my overall commuting expenses are lower than they would be if I drove myself.

Ease of tension. While this question was not asked, it is important for me to say that riding my Harley in traffic, especially in hot weather, is nerve-rattling. When I have ridden my bike to work, I have found that when I get home, my nerves are tense and my body aches from having gripped the handlebars hard and swiveling my head to keep aware of what other drivers are doing (or not doing). I don’t have that when I ride the Metro, despite at times being annoyed by its decline in service quality or by the behavior of some of my fellow passengers.

Overall, riding my Harley to work is not a good choice for me, considering that I live and work close to a Metro station. Better yet, I don’t even have to change from one line to another. In my former job, Metro was not an option, as it was nowhere close to where I worked, so I had to ride my bike and put up with the concomitant traffic and weather hassles. I realize that I am lucky in that Metro is convenient to me.

So now you know why I choose not to ride my Harley to work. Any other questions?

I admit it, there are some days when I wake up and say to myself, “oh gee, same routine … go to work, work-work-work, come home, fix dinner for my partner and me, go to a meeting, get back by 9, go to bed, … rinse, lather, repeat.”

There are some days when I would rather not continue with the same routine. Don’t get me wrong; I love my life and enjoy what I do for a living. But after a while, the routine gets awfully boring, repetitious, and well — so “routine!”

Pictured above from a photo captured from the ‘net somewhere, is where I imagine that I’d rather be, in boots and leather, riding off into the wind down a deserted road — perhaps in the desert such as shown in this photo, on my way to see my best friend and my brother who live in Arizona. (Hmmm, come to think about it, business brings me to Phoenix next week. Can’t wait! Unfortunately, I won’t be renting a Harley this visit.)

Anyway, thanks for sharing this diversion of a daydream with me. Don’t you have days like this? You’d rather be anywhere than where you are?

Life is short: enjoy what you have, yet continue to dream.

Sometimes I talk about group motorcycle rides on this blog. They’re enjoyable and fun when managed well. Let me explain how a typical group motorcycle ride works.

Each ride is led by a person who fills a position titled “road captain.” In serious, safety-oriented motorcycle clubs, the road captain will plan a route for a ride well in advance, including pre-riding the route to note any potential road hazards, difficult turns, narrow roads, etc.

The club will announce the ride in advance, so others can see that it is coming up and decide if he/she wants to go. But in all honesty, most people make the “go-no-go” decision on the morning of the ride, since (obviously) motorcycle riding is a weather-dependent activity. One does not have to register in advance — riders just show up. The number of riders can vary from a handful to over 50, depending on a number of variables (weather, competing choices, duty to family and home, etc.)

One club with which I once rode announces rides via email only one or two days before a ride. Due to the poor announcement timing, I have not been able to ride with them in years. (That group operates on “gay time.” If you don’t know what that means, don’t ask.)

On the day of the ride, the road captain shows up at the designated location from which the ride will depart at least a half-hour early. He or she greets and welcomes all riders. At the designated start time, the road captain will gather those who have assembled and go over group riding procedures and describe the route, noting anything he/she learned about the route during the pre-ride. A well-prepared road captain will provide a “ride sheet” which details information about the ride route in writing, noting turns and distance of each leg of the trip.

The road captain often designates another road captain to be a sweep rider. This person rides in the very back of the group. His/her responsibility is to follow and stop with anyone who may have to pull over due to a mechanical difficulty, or help if there is a crash.

The leading road captain will take the front left position and assemble the group, two-by-two, behind her/him. Once everyone is assembled, the ride takes off.

We ride at the posted speed limit in a staggered formation (not two-by-two). Not all riders have the same skills, and some feel very uncomfortable if the ride goes too fast or the group falls apart. The road captain will use hand and turn signals to pass information back to the rest of the riders about upcoming turns, stops, or road hazards such as railroad tracks, potholes, road kill, etc. He or she may stop along the way to allow the group to catch up if they got divided at a turn or stoplight.

Usually group rides are to a destination such as a restaurant. As they say, “live to ride, ride to eat” (smile.) We have an enjoyable meal together, then saddle up and make our return. Sometimes people choose to return on their own, and some ride together. The return is often by a different route, and gets back to the general area where the ride started. But by then, most people turn off and make their way home, wherever that may be.

The road captain will turn in a report to the club, noting the number of riders, and any notes about anything that may have happened on the ride.

And that’s it…. A well-organized and managed group ride will be well planned, announced well in advance, and will be able to accommodate riders of various skills and abilities. The overall theme of a group ride is to “ride and have fun,” and that’s what it’s all about.

Every biker faces the dilemma that I faced yesterday morning. Based on what I was observing out my window, as well as what I was hearing on weather reports on television as well as reading on-line, the question was, “will it rain and should I go on that ride today or not?”

Sunday night, quite unexpectedly, it rained. Monday morning at dawn when we awoke, the ground was wet but the streets were dry. The clouds, though, were low and leaden. The weather forecasts from six different sources were all over the place. None were in agreement.

It is very difficult to predict weather in the part of the United States where I live. The Chesapeake Bay is not that far away, nor the Atlantic Ocean for all that matter (meteorologically speaking). Both of these bodies of water strongly influence our weather. There are mountain-ettes (foothills of the Appalachian chain) to my north and west. Then there is all that hot air from Congress… (but wait a minute, they’re not in session right now.)

Anyway, I had cleared my calendar to be able to go on a long motorcycle ride with my club. However, it really looked like rain. It felt like rain (by that, I mean that I was achy.) The scheduled ride was toward the west, where the radar on television indicated that rain was falling and would be worse as the day went on.

I called the club’s phone number where ride updates are posted, to hear if the ride leader had cancelled the ride. He didn’t….

… but I made that difficult and very disappointing decision not to go on the ride. Being the superstitious sort, I figured that if I did go on the ride, it would rain cats-and-dogs. However, if I did not ride, then it wouldn’t rain.

The latter proved true. It did not begin to rain until 4:30pm. I would have been home by then (or close to it!) I don’t get to ride very often with my club, and I missed a great chance to do so. Oh well… nothin’ I can do about it. I guess, overall, I would rather be safe and dry than sorry and wet.