Author: Steve Briscoe

Zen – Part 2

Regardless, whether you ride solo or with a group there are standard safety practices that must apply. Tire pressure, chain or belt tension, functional lights, mirrors and personal protective gear to name a few all apply. Some riders take these safety issues seriously and others give it them a casual thought.

It all comes down to “situational awareness.” I went to a public school so I don’t recall who said, “…with every action there is an equal and opposite reaction…” but I am smart enough to know with regard to a group ride what happens to one happens to all; either directly or indirectly. Maintaining situational awareness is the key to a safe, enjoyable, Murphy-free ride. We all know who Murphy is; he’s the guy who ensures if your bike breaks down it will break down far from civilization. Situational awareness is knowing (relative to your position) where the closest rider is, to know the proximity of that cage coming up behind or beside you, and to be aware of what the cager in that cage is doing. Are your fellow riders alert? Are they aware of you and what you are doing? Is that cager alert? Or is the cager taking a picture or texting their friends about the long bike procession they are driving by. For those who may not know, a “cager” is the name given by bikers for the driver of an automobile and of course the “cage” is the automobile itself. Another part of situational awareness (perhaps more important) is your ability to know, or at least have a hint, what the rider in front and behind will do with regard to what you may do. Every action has a ripple effect in a group ride. What happens to the 5^th rider will affect the 6^th, 7^th, and every rider following the 7^th.

If you ride based on the 1 second rule is it 1 second behind the rider directly in front of you or 1 second behind the staggered rider, meaning 2 seconds behind the rider directly in front of you. Do you ride side by side? Some States have laws that require staggered riding. Side by side riding makes for a really cool procession, but this style of riding does not leave room for error. A rider’s best friend is an escape route. Riding in close proximity with each other, in a non-staggered configuration, will reduce and sometimes completely eliminate your escape route. No escape route means, if an escape is needed you will not escape. Granted, I just stated the obvious but how many of you reading this didn’t think of the obvious until after you read it? In the grand scheme of things I think a prudent person would agree side by side riding or using the 0.5 second rule is not conducive to a positive outcome were Murphy to enter the mix.

Proper spacing and vigilance is paramount when riding solo; even more so when riding in a group.

2014-10-27
Zen – Part 1

Ideas set forth in this series of articles are personal in nature and do not reflect the opinion of any particular club, any state law (unless specified) nor the opinion of that State Trooper who just wrote you a ticket for some seemingly unnecessary reason.

For a biker the only thing cooler than seeing a long procession of bikes on the road is being part of that procession. Riding as a group has innumerable advantages and disadvantages. Advantages range from development of an “Esprit-De-Corps”, group or club cohesion, personal protection, and a grand show of support for a particular event, cause or rally. The list could go on and on, but I think we would all agree, regardless of the premise, a group run is an awesome sight. The more bikes there are the better the show.

However, I believe disadvantages are more numerous than the advantages. Perhaps “disadvantage” is not the correct word here; let’s refer to them as “obstacles” or possible “hazards.” It can be said the more riders you have the more obstacles come into play. This is a true statement for no other reason than the accumulation of different riding styles and varied levels of experience. The people drawn to riding are a different breed; a little more independent, a bit more self-reliant, and slightly more capable of handling adversity than the average person. Perhaps not a hardened rule 100% of the time, but I choose to believe it is the case more often than not. Take all these self-reliant, independent people and put them together and the mix can be precarious at best. Some riders enjoy the leisurely ride down a winding road with the occasional stop at a scenic view while others enjoy pushing the limits of the envelope; going from point A to point B as quickly as possible.

While riding with a group, all personal riding preferences need to take a back seat for the benefit of the group. A maneuver you do every day and feel comfortable with could create confusion with other riders or create an unsafe environment. Some riders prefer the 2 second rule while others use a 4 second rule, still others live on the edge and use the 0.5 second rule. Some ride side by side, others prefer staggered. Some clubs have set rules and are unwavering with regard to these rules. Some understand defensive riding, but feel offensive riding is more fun.

If you ride because it is an economical mode of transportation then you may not understand the premise of these articles. If you ride because it is your passion, your way of life, your reason for existing then it is possible you will find these articles boring because all this information has rolled through your head already while riding that endless road. I would submit to my fellow riders that thinking while riding is all there is to do; that and look for State Troopers. I’ll not bore you with group hierarchy or hand signals; these are, for the most part, universal across this great nation of riders. What I will try to convey to you is a set of ideas that will not only give you a moment of pause (hopefully), but also try and set the stage for a needed sense of urgency for the safe and organized group ride.

More to follow….

2014-10-25
Zen and the Art of Group Riding

If given a choice of riding with a group or riding solo I would prefer to ride solo. However, there are some caveats to that. If riding in a benefit or a community event then the group dynamic is probably what you are going to engage. If I know all the riders in the group and have ridden with them in the past then I don’t mind… So much.

Family and Friends

It’s that new group of people who set me on edge. I don’t know them, I don’t know their riding styles nor do I know their riding ability. There are a number of dynamics that come into play while in a group ride. Some are good and some are not so good.

Over the next few weeks I am going to submit, through this BLOG, a series of thoughts about the group ride. We’ll call it, “Zen and the Art of Group Riding” for lack of a better title.

I hope you will join me and I sincerely hope you will provide to me your ideas and comments on my thoughts. I take constructive criticism very well… unless of course it comes from a family member, friend, co-worker, associate or a stranger.

2014-10-25
Solitary – Without The Confinement

The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge: an annual endurance ride exceeding an average of 9,000 miles. Those who step out and accept the challenge are a very small percentage of the riding community. Some who attempt it do not succeed. Hoka Hey is a call to action and is an Oglala Lakota Native American Indian term that translates to, “It’s a good day to die.” That doesn’t mean those who ride the Challenge are eager to die. What it does mean is to live a life with Honor, Integrity, Compassion and Respect so if you fall in battle you will leave a positive legacy to family and friends. The majority of this book spans 12 days, but in reality, it spans a lifetime of failures, accomplishments, regrets, desires and fears. I took this Challenge to prove something to myself, but what I discovered was something I did not know was lost.

Join me on this journey… Some live a life content to sit on the couch and read an adventure novel or watch an action movie in the comfort of their own home while others live a life from whence adventure novels are born. Do not be satisfied with who you are; do not be complacent with your accomplishments. Step out of your comfort zone and push your limits. You will never know the extent of what you can do until you face failure.

“Solitary – Without The Confinement” is a soon to be published work through Westbow Press. The published work describes what lead up to and the completion of the 2013 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge which was an 8000 mile endurance ride.

If you love true-life adventure you will not want to miss reading this book.

2014-10-24
First Post

This is my first blog post using WordPress. I’ve done BLOG posts in the past only to have my intent pushed aside by OBE. The intent is there – time, patience and endurance is sometimes lacking.

Most of what I say will be worthless I’m sure, but I hope from time to time I spout off something worth repeating.

We’ll see I guess.

Oh yea… OBE is short for “Overcome By Events”

2014-10-24