Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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Happy New Riding Year! by JAMES JONES Happy New Year means a Happy New Riding Year! One of the best parts of the holiday season is looking forward to riding in the New Year. With that, I am already thinking about new rides, new roads, new adventures, new places and new faces. Few people just wake up in the morning and hit the road for a few days. All trips take some degree of planning. Planning and good communication are key to a I would like to say that plansuccessful trip. ning a trip is just as exciting as riding, but that would be a lie. There is nothing more exciting than the ride itself. Planning a long-distance ride takes coordination and patience. Finding the balance for a ride often requires juggling time, terrain, weather and cost. My biggest concern is when to go and where to stay. For the majority of us, we have to coordinate our riding life against our work life. You may have other concerns, but planning ahead will reduce frustration. If you have ever tried to ride with anyone, other than yourself, you will realize that the better you communicate, the better the ride will be. There are many aspects to planning a trip. Here are a few things to think about: • When are you going? The weather will drive what type of roads you take, the clothes you wear and how to rig your bike. A well thought out packing list is always good. I have actually planned a trip only to find out that one of my riding buddies was a day off on the departure date. • Plan your bike for the ride. Does your bike need service or tires? Depending on the distance you want to ride, you may need to plan for a service or new tires along the way. Develop a good packing list. Include everything you can think of and then reduce, as space will be the ultimate judge of what you take. Be sure to add your tools, tire-repair kit and spare parts to your list. A road-side service is good, but for something as simple as a nail in the tire, a good tire-repair kit will have you back on the road in 10 minutes versus losing a day of riding. Taking a trial run will do you wonders, especially if you are taking a passenger. Adjust your list and space as needed. • Ride your plan. If you have destinations, goals or reservations that require you to be at a certain place and time, then leave room in your schedule to be there on time. When I ride, I want to be flexible enough to enjoy various sites and roads. However, depending on where you are riding, finding lodging can be tough if it is a busy time. If you know it is a busy time, make your reservations ahead of time and plan your ride accordingly. If you are free wheeling it, then you can use your GPS or smartphone to call ahead to make reservations. Ask about local dining accommodations and times. This will cut down on your stress and let you know how to plan. •Plan your friends. If you are riding with another rider or passenger, then you will have learn to get along. Prior planning will help everyone understand one another. Communicate your details and agree upon goals, distances, speeds, sleeping arrangements and expectations before hand. Talk about what to do in the event you become separated and how to link back up. If for some reason you find yourself not enjoying the ride, let the other person know and if need be you can always separate. Riding is a great way to start up a new year, so I hope everyone gets out there and has some fun. If you do not already have rides in mind here are a few to consider: • February 22 to 24, Charlotte Progressive International Motorcycle Show, Charlotte, N.C. • March 8 to 17, Daytona Bike Week, Daytona, Fla. • April 27, Hogs and Rags Rally, Fayetteville. • May 10 to 19, Myrtle Beach Bike Week Spring Rally, Myrtle Beach, S.C. • August 5 to 11, Sturgis, S.D. • October 2 to 6, Myrtle Beach Bike Week Fall Rally, Myrtle Beach, S.C. • October 17 to 20, Biketoberfest, Daytona, Fla. Keep checking out the Free Wheelin' Feelin' section of this paper to see local events. If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE! JAMES JONES, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 18 UCW JANUARY 9-15, 2013 JANUARY 13 •POLAR BEAR RIDE Starting 10 a.m. Reg $35 per person including free admission to the Richard Petty Museum, a T-shirt and lunch. Preregister by phone or the day of the event at 9 a.m. at Cape Fear Harley-Davidson. Contact Jerry Aaron at 910-850-3298 or info@rpmuseum.com for more information about the event. JANUARY 19 • RELAY FOR LIFE CHILI COOK-OFF/ POKER RUN Visit www.capefearhd.com for more information. PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse group of patriots from every state that come together to honor fallen soldiers at funeral services across the country. Visit www.patriotguard.org for more information about the group. Pool Teams Appreciation Tournament January 5th - 7 p.m. Call for more information 4624 BRAGG BLVD. )$<(77(9,//( 1& ³EHVW EULVNHW ,·YH HYHU KDG´ Wouldn't you love to see one of these? 5LFN %URZQH %DUEHFXH $PHULFD 1$7,21$/ $:$5':,11,1* %$5%(&8( %,.( 1,*+76 /,9( 086,& &5$)7 %((56 0,&52%5(:6 $/(6 287'225 &$7(5,1* :,7+ +2*=,//$ )25 %$1' /,67,1*6 )22' '5,1. 63(&,$/6 $1' &$7(5,1* 0(186 9,6,7 0DF6SHHG6KRSFRP Your free community paper lets you race around in many ways. You read our printed publication at your own home at your own speed, you can zip around our website with no limits, and you can even zoom through our content on your smartphone. That's speed without limits. Another sign we're working for you. Free Papers Working For You WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM