At the May meeting we reiterated the four main areas of concentration to help us to “Ride Safe and Have Fun”.
The four important areas of riding safely are:

• Mental Preparation and Focus
• Riding Skills
• Physical ability to ride
• Equipment

This month we talked about Riding Skills and what we are doing to help us all to improve the way we handle our bikes, the road conditions and of course, the cages.
I have been teaching workshops on how to handle money for years.  One of the points I make is that the highest paid people in the world all have three things in common.  These people are the highest paid because they have skills above others in their field.
The highest paid people in the world are athletes and entertainers.  The three things they all have in common are:

• They practice on a regular basis
• They keep score
• They all have coaches

I believe that in order to be better at anything, we can use the habits of the most skillful and copy what they do.  If we apply that to our riding skills we would…

•  Learn the right techniques for handling our bikes and practice those skills on a regular basis.
• Make mental or written notes about what we are doing well and where our nerves affect us while we are riding.
• Find someone who has the skills you want to get better on and have them help you to develop those skills in your own riding.

Here is what we are doing at NC HOG to make this happen.
Starting in May we will be holding group riding classes on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 10:00AM at Skagit Harley.   The meeting will be a classroom session followed by a short ride.  Even if you have been riding in a group for a long time, this could be a great way to update your knowledge.
We will be scheduling one or two experienced rider courses this year.  We can have 12 people in each class.  If you have never taken this course or if you haven’t taken it in the past three years, you should plan to go to this one.  It will help you with the skills you need to continue to ride safely.
If you want to have your own “Road Coach” we have several people in the club that have agreed to go on a one-on-one ride with you to work on the skills that create your “road nerves”.  Whatever it is that you feel you need to work on, the right person is available to help you. 
We have set up the NCHOG Road Coach Program.  The names and phone numbers of people who have agreed to be a Road Coach can be found on our website.  If you want to work on something, just call them and set up your own private/confidential coaching session. 
If you would like to be a Road Coach, call me at 425-870-8554 or email me at howard@oldwestmtg.com.
And finally… If you have not sent me the mileage on your bike(s) yet, please get it to me.  I am looking for the mileage for the beginning of the year.  If you don’t know it exactly, just estimate it.  We know that as a club, we will ride over a million miles this year.  We just want to document it.
We have a great club and we want to make sure that we all stay safe and have a great time riding.  If you have anything specific you feel we should cover regarding safety, please let me know. Howard

One of my many great joys in life is riding. The wind in my face and the rumble of my engine do more to help keep me balanced than anything else.  However, it is not relaxing and there is no joy unless we make it home safely. My goal this year will be to add a new twist to the standard safety discussions.

There are thousands of things we could each be doing to ride safely and none of us do all of them. Each person has to consider the risks and rewards of riding. Then each person has to determine for themselves what they will do to lower the risks and still get the excitement they are looking for. 

I don’t intend to make judgments on what you should do. We are all adults. I see my job as bringing you new information. You will decide how to use it. You have to ride your own ride.

Here are the areas I will be concentrating on for the upcoming year.
- Mental Preparation and Focus
- Riding Skills
- Physical ability to ride
- Equipment
I have listed them in the order of importance based on accident statistics. 

Wow!  That Was a Great Ride.

At the January meeting I talked about creating a positive mental image for your ride. We did this by picturing the end of your ride in your mind. Imagine making the last corner before you are getting home. Picture yourself pulling into your garage (or wherever you park your bike).  Imagine yourself putting down the kickstand and turning off your bike.
Then say to yourself, Wow! That was a great ride.
 
Store this image in your mind like the pre-shot routine of a golfer. When you are riding and those negative thoughts creep in, go to the positive, safe end of your ride. This technique works for the highest paid athletes in the world.   

Until next time, ride safe and have fun.

We are approaching the beginning of the riding season.  While most of us did what we could to get some miles in over the winter, we do have a few “die hard” members who rode a lot.  (Bruce and Kathy).  Even though the weather is starting to warm up and we have more daylight at the end of the day, it is important to consider your comfort and safety when riding this time of year. 

Whether you have been riding in this area for a long time or if spring in the Pacific Northwest is new to you, we all need to be prepared to face whatever comes at us.     The wind in our face is both a blessed event and a time to be cautious as the weather in this area can change every few minutes or every few miles.  Just because the sun is shining and it feels warm when you leave the house, it doesn’t mean that you won’t experience something else along the way.

Here are a few items that you can carry with you to help you stay comfortable regardless of what mother nature throws at you this spring.
- Do I even need to say, Raingear?
- An extra pair of gloves.  If they have a gauntlet on them it will help with the wind.
- Glove liners.  Just in case.  A pair of latex surgical type gloves make a nice waterproof liner too.
- Buff.  Great lightweight cover for your face neck and even your ears.  Skagit Harley has a great supply for $18.95
- Neoprene face cover.  These are great but a bit cumbersome.  They are hard to adjust but they are really warm and protect your face in case of a sudden rainstorm.
- Leather face wrap.  These are really warm because they have a soft lining.  Again, they’re hard to adjust while you are riding but Don Carter swears by them.
- Beanie Hat.  Most of the heat leaves your body through your head so, if you have a lightweight beanie, you can put that on under your helmet to keep you warm.
- A couple of heavy rubber bands.  If you wear your chaps long, you can pull your chaps down over the top of your boots and use the rubber bands to keep them in place providing an extra layer of protection on the top of your feet. 

Gordon and Mary told me that if you put Vaseline on the tops of your feet before you put your socks on, it helps keep your feet warm.  They said it works on the top of your hands too.  I won’t make any Vaseline or how-to- make-a-marriage-last jokes here, I will leave that up to you.

Just a reminder, if you have not sent me your mileage yet.  Please do so.  We know that as a chapter we ride over a million miles a year.  We want to verify it and we need everyone’s help to do it.

We live in one of the best places to ride in the entire world.  Stay warm, stay safe and enjoy it.