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Safety Tip of the Week
Ride Your Own Ride - Whaaaat????
This is a
statement you hear many road captains say before a ride that I used
to be so confused about, to this day you will never hear me say it.
It's time for some clarification.
What does it
mean? How do you do it when you are riding in a group?
Obviously
the group dynamic prohibits a rider from completely riding his own
ride. If each member of a group were to ride his own pace in
his chosen lane position, this would be a goat rodeo. There would
be giant gaps, riders sharing your lane or worse splitting your
lane, getting out of formation riding with no hands, even
performing stunts; yes I've seen it.
So what does it mean? I have deduced my own meaning for this
seemingly incomprehensible phrase. Even when following
strictly regimented practices of group riding, motorcyclists must
remember that they are not sheep obliviously following a shepherd;
they are ultimately responsible for their own individual
bikes. Do not run a red light for fear that the forward part
of the group will leave you behind. Stop at intersections and
check traffic for yourself instead of just rolling blindly right on
through. Watch for pot holes, road kill, and other hazards
for yourself instead of relying on a signal to be passed
back. If you need more space or perceive it appropriate to go
single-file when it has not been designated by the group leader,
feel free to signal your intentions to the other riders in the pack
and then do it. Do not out-ride your skill level just to keep
up with the rest of the group. Trust that the ride leaders
and road captains will do their job and make sure that your needs
are met by pulling over at a safe location to allow you to catch
up, adjusting the group pace to compensate for lesser skill level
of newer riders, and so on. Do not assign
responsibility to them for your carelessness and naive indifference
to your own riding safety.
Group rides are a blast, done right, a definitely positive aspect
of the motorcycle experience. Done wrong, it can be a cluster. As a
Road Captain, I would encourage you to never use this phrase to a
new or inexperienced rider without explanation! See you on the next
group ride.
Road Captains
New Sheriff in town
Starting today we have a new Head Road
Captain, Bob Bloom. Please make sure he gets all the sign in
sheets and contact him to make any changes in rides such as leads,
sweeps, times and locations. You may contact him at headroadcaptain@ancientcityhog.com.
New Members
I 'd like to extend a warm
welcome to our new members: Brandon Black, David Bryan, Karen and
Rodney Coffey, Kevin Frasz, Ivonne Grau, and David and Kim Rhoden.
I know we have recognized and I have personal met most of you but
what attracted me to this chapter form the beginning was the warm
and friendly people, that and the rides. One of you has
already become a familiar face and rider. Congratulations Brandon
on completing the SMART Class. Do we have a possible new recruit
for a Road Captain, BOB?
HOG Stuff
Ride 365
2018 is over. Its
time to get that mileage documented for next years contest. Lets
show the other chapters in Florida who rides! By the way, you can go to any dealer to get your
mileage documented.
SMART - Smart
Motorcycle And Riding Technique
This is the FDOT
funded class taught by police and sheriff motor officers. It is a
similar format to some of the commercially taught classes that
begin with Ride Like A … I think this is actually better and
it is free, well paid for by tax dollars. Nothing is free. More
instructors, more room, more cones, more personal hands on
instructions. Gainesville Police got their funding again and will
begin classes again in January. Watch the calendar and
future newsletters for details.
Monthly Meeting
Meeting for will be Saturday,
February 9, 2019 at the VFW-6184 US 1 South, St. Augustine. Please
join us for coffee at 9:00 a.m. and the meeting begins at 9:30
a.m. A short ride to Oceanside in Flagler Beach will follow.
.
Renew Your Membership
Dues for year-$20
They
are $20 and this is probably the best bargain I get all year.
Up and Coming
Monthly Meeting - VFW 6182 US 1 South,
St. Augustine February09, 2019
Join us for coffee at
9:00 and the meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. A short lunch ride
to Oceanside in Flagler Beach will follow.
Merle will lead and Alan will sweep.
Rosy's Mexican Cantina -
Jacksonville January 26, 2019
Meet at the Racetrac at SR 16 and I-95
at 9:30 a.m...KSU at 10:00 a.m.
Charles will lead and
Lyle will sweep.
Tid Bits
Thanks
Thanks to all the
riders who showed up for the SMART class - ride to Gainesville.
This time we had seven riders show up from Ancient City HOG.
Everyone agreed it was a blast and all agreed they learned a few
things and went away a better rider for it. One rider, even said he
thought he knew how to ride a motorcycle before he took the class.
Another, not one of ours complained about soreness. Interesting,
possibly an idea for a future safety topic. I lead and so thanks to
Alan for sweeping.
Thanks also to Fred and Marc for their part in the ride
to Backwoods Smokehouse. Knowing those two Road Captains like I do
I'm sure it was a fun and interesting ride. I hope the SMART class
didn't cost me any new "rabbit trails"
Inspiration
“It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.”
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Please
Share - Send us stories and member info to share with your Chapter
Friends and then see it here! Just shoot it via email
to: director@ancientcityhog.com
Come Out and Join Us On Our Rides...Hope To See
You Soon... Terry
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