Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
6/4/08
 

Greetings Riders,
 
Glad to hear that you enjoyed having some fun reading last week's letter. If you missed it Click Here.
 
We are now at that time of year when small groups will get together for Day Rides around the State. Group rides are fun and a good way to spend some time with your friends, HOWEVER..... it can also be a very frustrating time as well if you have some problem children in the group. I'm sure some of you know what I mean already. As with any group activity you do, everyone needs to work together as a team to make it flow smoothly.
 
Let me set up a scenario. Imagine you are on a football team, the 15 minute halftime has ended and your team has the ball to start the second half. Your team takes the field and is ready for the play, but all of a sudden 2 or 3 of your teammates decide they need to go to the bathroom, take a smoke break or get something to drink, all when the play was about to begin. This would most likely cause the team to not be efficient in playing the game and slow the progress down the field. After a move like that,  you would probably not be very excited about having them on the team and might invite them to play the next game. 
 
The same analogy works for riding in groups with other motorcycles. All riders in the group, whether riding the bike or a passenger need to be on the same page to make the day trip desirable for all. I realize that there are many different riding styles, but that will work itself out. What I am referring to are some basic considerations that will make the whole outing flow much better. Here are a few examples of how you can help out the team.
 
Group Leader: Every group of more than 3-4 bikes should appoint a group leader when planning a ride. This person is not the designated "ride nazi" but is merely responsible for keeping the group moving and on schedule, particularly if you are on a longer ride and are trying to reach a destination by a certain time. He is also responsible for letting everyone else in the group know the route that you are taking so that if someone needs to drop off for some reason, they will know where you are going and how to get there.
 
Punctuality: This is a big one with group riding and is a basic courtesy no matter what activity you are involved with. I've been in a group where the start time was 8:00am and the last straggler shows up at 8:50am. If you are one of those people that "move kind of slow in the morning" then DON'T PLAN A MORNING ACTIVITY THAT WILL REQUIRE YOU TO COMMIT TO AN EARLIER TIME THAN YOU ARE CAPABLE OF MEETING! Hangovers, Partying Late, Not Enough Sleep, or general Lack of Energy are not good excuses. Drink a Verve or take some Vemma, get out of bed, meet your obligations and take a ride that will make you forget about everything else.
 
Having the rest of the group wait well past the start time will not endear you to the group, is not respectful of their time and is not a good way to start a ride. If you encounter an unavoidable delay, make sure that you call someone in the group to let them know that you will not be on time and when you could be expected to arrive. At this point the group has the option to wait a reasonable amount of time or you can catch up with them at the first stop. Otherwise, just make it a point to show up on time.
 
Be Ready To Go: When you show up at the agreed upon start location at the agreed upon time, be ready to go. HAVE A FULL TANK OF GAS, A FULL STOMACH AND AN EMPTY BLADDER. I have been in several groups where it is the start time, we are all saddled up and ready to go and someone announces that they are on reserve and will need to stop at a gas station to fill up. Not cool or fair to the rest of the group that filled up on the way TO the start location. One of your responsibilities of being "on time" includes being ready to ride with at least enough gas to make it to the first stop.
 
Food: If you suffer from low blood sugar from not eating every hour, then take some crackers or something with you to tide you over to the scheduled lunch stop. Don't stand around talking and then when it is time to take off, announce that "you have to put some food in your stomach" before you go. Take care of these things as transparent as possible without slowing up the whole group.
 
Bathroom Stops: This is a big one in group riding. If you have 10 people in your group, you are going to have 10 different needs for bathroom breaks. This will usually send the group over the edge faster than anything when you have taken a rest stop for 45 minutes, and then everyone is on their bikes and ready to leave and someone says, "OH, I HAVE TO TAKE A POTTY BREAK". That is the last thing the rest of the group wants to wait for. If you have an active bladder, "pee planning" falls on your shoulders, the group leader cannot do this for you. If you know that you have to go every hour, make that a priority as soon as you stop and then again BEFORE departure time. The group leader will let you know plenty of time in advance of when you are leaving. Don't hold up the rest of the group while they wait for you to relieve yourself.
 
Gearing Up: When the ride leader announces that you will be rolling in 10 minutes, this is your cue to take care of all of your personal needs of bathroom, food, drink and putting on your riding gear. Especially if there is a lot of layering going on and the need to put on and take of clothing at stops. So you need to be cognizant of how long it takes you to put on your jacket, helmet, gloves, glasses, ear plugs, MP3 player, sunscreen and unwrap your lollipop or gum for the ride. It seems like in every group I've ever been in, when everyone else is on their bikes, with motors running, ready to roll, there is always one last person zipping up a jacket or putting on gloves, and we are setting there staring at them. Don't always be the one everyone is waiting for. Spread it around.
 
Riding Style: This is a problem in some groups. Usually when you ride with a group you are pretty similar in riding styles, that's why you ride together. But occasionally there will be a new person that will join the group that just "doesn't feel comfortable enough to keep up the pace". That is fine, we would never ask anyone to compromise the way that they ride just to keep up with the group. That is not safe or fair. But, it is also not fair to slow down a group that likes to ride the speed limits and take away their style. What do you do? If you don't feel comfortable at certain speeds, make sure you find out from your ride leader the directions to the next stop, take your time and ride at your own pace, they will understand. But don't expect the rest of the group to adapt to your style. The fun part of riding is enjoying the pace at which you like to ride.
 
Conclusion: I know a lot of you reading this right now are shaking your head in agreement saying, "we've got one or two of those in our group". We all do. But there are some people that don't realize they are doing these things, and then there are some that don't care. The ones that "don't care", don't get a call the next time a ride comes along. The ones that "don't realize", you can forward this letter to them.
 
I don't want this to sound like going on group rides with friends is supposed to be equivalent to a military maneuver. It is not by any means, and if it was, I wouldn't do it. It is supposed to be fun, relaxing and a way to see the country in the best way possible, from the seat of a motorcycle and share it with friends. We have all been guilty of one of more of these nuances along the way. I know I have. The bottom line is, that we all need to consider if we are a consistent violator of any of these points above, find a way to improve on them and to respect the time of our friends.
 

Time is something that is hard to come by these days and we want to use it wisely. Going on these types of day rides are usually the only window of riding some of us have for the entire week or possibly the month, and making this time the most enjoyable possible should be very important to all of us. So if we could put the "It's all about ME" aside for the group and show up on time, full of gas, food, water and low on excess bodily fluids at every stop, the group riding world would be a better place.
 

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Featured Bike Night This Week
 
E's Grill in Estrella Mountain Ranch.
Take a beautiful evening ride out to E's Grill in Estrella Mountain.
Huge Outdoor Tree Covered Patio, Great Food, Live Music with Dok & Gal at 7pm.
Click Here to View.

 
Highlights This Week
 
Saturday, June 7th
Renegade Classics Grand Opening Party. After opening nearly two months ago
Renegade Classics is quickly becoming the biker accessory place to shop
and is celebrating with a Grand Opening Party on June 7th that includes 20% off the entire store.  

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This Week's Bike Night Events 

This Week 

Next Week 

Friday and Saturday
June 13th and 14th
2nd Annual Rumble On 66. The roaring sounds of motorcycles will be heard in Williams, Arizona June 13th & 14th with the 2nd Annual Rumble on 66 Bike Rally. A large number of riders are expected to return to the cool pines of Northern Arizona to attend the Rumble which is sponsored this year by Wild West Junction, Twister's 50's Soda Fountain and Route 66 Place and the Williams Grand-Canyon Chamber of Commerce.  Special Events that have been planned include bike games, a bike show and a Williams to Flagstaff ride to the Arizona Snow Bowl. Special discount coupons will be offered to all registered riders for the "Sky Ride" at the Arizona Snow Bowl for that day.  Lots of Vendors and live entertainment featuring "Shut up and Drive" will be happening both Friday and Saturday. Special reserved bike parking will be available on Route 66.

The welcome/on site registration booth will be open from 12pm to 8pm Friday June 13th and 8am to 8pm on Saturday June 14th. Bike games, bike show and northern Arizona ride will all take place on Saturday. A special limited edition Rumble shirt and pins will be on sale all weekend to commemorate the event. You get these items free with your pre-registration of $25 per rider. To pre-register or for more information on this fantastic event log onto www.wildwestjunction.com or call Jan at 928.635.4512 or the Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce at 1.800.863.0546.
 
Saturday, June 14th
Inaugural Bike Night at Chase Field. Join Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson as we take in a ball game at the Inaugural "Bike Night at Chase Field"! Ride with us from the dealership at 4 PM to watch the Diamondbacks take on the Kansas City Royals. Pre-Ride Refreshments available at 3 PM. Motorcycle Parking will be available in a designated lot by the ballpark for $5. All purchases include a ticket to the game, Ride Bag compliments of the Law Tigers, and a $3 donation to support MDA. First 25,000 fans will receive a free D-Backs Floppy Cap. Baseline Box - $35, Baseline Reserve - $23. Bull pen Reserve - $18. Click Here to learn how to purchase your tickets online. Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson is located at 13850 N. Cave Creek Rd. in Phoenix. For more information call 602-971-3400. 
 
Saturday, June 14th
Chester's Harley-Davidson Father's Day Celebration. Attention All Father's! Breakfast and Lunch ARE ON US!! We will feed Dad from 9am - 1pm. Try your luck in some Manly Man games to win Chester's Big Bucks. Big Bucks are for in June 14th only. One prize per person. You can also take advantage of HUGE Deals at the Part's Discount table. Need more Torque? $100 off Stage 1 kits for the entire month of June. You will also enjoy a visit from Man's best friend, courtesy of the Humane Society. Chester's HD is located at 922 S. Country Club Dr. in Mesa, AZ. 480-894-0404.
 
Saturday, June 14th
Andrea's Closet Christmas in June Charity Toy Run. This is a Motorcycle/Car event to benefit Andrea's Closet at St. Joseph Hospital. Registration at 8:00am at Arrowhead HD and will conclude with delivery of toys at St. Josephs. Last years event had around 100 bikes (all Kinds) and 25 cars. This year we will be starting at Arrowhead Harley Davidson and ending up at St. Joseph's Hospital. We collected 1300 toys last year and are looking to double that this year. This is a great event for anyone there is no charge, for every toy you bring you get a raffle ticket and we have great raffle items again this year. You can also buy tickets, we are also selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a custom Pat Tillman custom Chopper built by Evolution Custom Cycles buy one for $20.00 and you also get raffle tickets for other great prizes. This is all for kids come out and have fun. More information: Kenny Brunk at 623-556-7608 or andreascloset@aol.com .
 
Wednesday, June 18th
Hacienda Harley-Davidson Ladies Night. ATTENTION LADIES! This is an evening just for you! Event starts at 7pm. $10 admission includes 2 beverage tickets, appetizers, gift bag including a $10 gift certificate. The evening features:
Hacienda Studs Fashion Show, Special Guest Appearances, Shopping Specials, Fantastic Door Prizes, Raffles and More. Invite your friends. All ladies welcome. Reservations for this evening are highly recommended. For more information or to R.S.V.P. call Andreanne at 480-905-1903. Hacienda Harley-Davidson is located at 15600 N. Hayden Rd. in Scottsdale. 

Extras
 
Product Review - Purple Slice One Step Detailer 

Every once in a while a product will come across my desk that actually works and does what they claim it does. Purple Slice One Step Easy Detail is one of those products. I am one of those riders that likes to keep my bike clean all the time and am particular about what I use. So finding a product that will help me do that quickly and easily is of real value to me. After trying many detail products over the years that were just OK, I was not expecting Purple Slice to be any different. But after spraying some Purple Slice on my microfiber rag and making a few passes over my gas tank, I knew this product was different. I don't know what is in this, but it works extremely well as a one step detailer that cleans and leaves a lustrous shine. Another area that Purple Slice excels in is the removal of splattered bugs. This is a problem area for everyone. I've even been known to pull out a razor blade to scrape bugs off. I sprayed Purple Slice directly on my windshield, let it set for 15 seconds and the bugs wiped right off amazing me with every pass of the rag. Not only that, it leaves a nice water-resistant shine on the shield. Purple Slice is also great for chrome, mirrors and even the windows in your house. Contains no flourocarbons, VOC's and is safe and bio friendly. I would highly recommend this product if you are a fan of keeping your bike clean and shiny the easy way.
 
Another product in the Purple Slice family is Wet Wet. Along with a clean bike I also like the tires to shine as well.  Wet Wet is a clear, non-foaming coating that provides a water-resistant high gloss shine. This product brightens and renews and vinyl, rubber or plastic surface. I even spray it on the engine for a nice shine overall. It works especially nice for those with black engines. Once again, I was extremely impressed with Wet Wet and Purple Slice and would highly recommend both. You can purchase and see demos of both of these products this Saturday at the Renegade Classics Grand Opening. Wet Wet is $14.95 for a 12 oz. can. Happy Cleaning. Or you can Click Here to order online.
 
Not sure why this was shot, but it is some pretty good special effects. Maybe someone out there knows where this came from. Click Here to View.
 
I don't know the story behind this one. But someone didn't check the height restrictions before floating their boat under this bridge. Click Here to View.
 
So you think getting on a Southwest Airlines flight is tough? Check out the boarding procedures on this Asian train. That is what I call "packed in". Click Here to View.
 
Everyone likes to watch a good car chase from the air. Here is one from right here in Arizona. This is one lucky guy. Click Here to View. 
 
Until Next Week,
Blessings and Safe Riding To All,

Barry Caraway
"The Road Is Yours -  Take The Ride"