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.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/30175
Group Riding by JIM JONES I am excited about the upcom- ing Hogs and Rags Rally on Saturday, April 30. Helping with this event I have had the pleasure of meeting a lot of new people. A few have been Steve Adam and Darin Gilderoy of the Cape Fear H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group). Steve and crew will be the ride’s or- ganizers and will lead us to Myrtle Beach. So this seems like an appropriate time to discuss group riding. Although group riding is fun and great place to meet new friends it can be a bit intimidating. The ride is more enjoyable if you are prepared and knowl- edgeable about the ride beforehand. When deciding on a ride you should know what you are getting into. Distance, time and terrain are all contributing factors. Asking yourself if you have the right bike for the ride is very important. Another question you will want to ask is what speeds you will be traveling. If you have questions about the ride contact the organizers. When riding with a group the first thing you want to do is be prepared at the start. That means getting there with your bike ready and a full tank of gas is just polite. Before the start you should have your clothing adjusted so that you will be comfortable during the ride. As the temperature and weather conditions change you need to be prepared. You will want to have the appropriate clothing for the ap- propriate weather and don’t forget about your passenger. Although most riders do not like riding in the rain, the truth is that if you ride long enough you will get wet. So bring your rain gear just in case. Communicating during the ride is extremely important. Talk with the group or ride organizer about hand signals. The lead rider will set the pace and communi- cate by hand signals things everyone will know. Many of these signals will tell you slow down, turn or point to danger in the road. These are extremely helpful for this time of year as pot holes from the winter weather are still prevalent throughout the state. I ride with a small group of guys and we have a set of rules that are helpful to everyone. We don’t over ride our ability. These guys are fast and there is no shame is staying back. If we get to a point that you feel the person behind you is to close or you are riding beyond your ability, then hang back and let the people behind you move up. When we get to a turnoff we wait until the bike behind us catches up before moving on. The person in front of you is responsible to look back and keep an eye on you. If you lose contract then we pull over and after a minute or so we turn back to check on them. This will not be necessary for a ride like the Hogs and Rags ride because we will have a chase vehicle there to help with emergencies or breakdowns. My biggest concern when riding in a group is distance. Your number one safety priority when motorcycling is space. Although it looks cool to ride side-by- side this is extremely dangerous and jeopardizes yourself, the person beside of you and many people behind you. To avoid disaster you will want to stay staggered and be one second behind the person in front of you in the right or left part of the lane) and two seconds behind the person on directly in front of you. This will give you room to brake and swerve in the event of a dog running out or that eventual pot hole that is ahead of you. If you would like to know more about the Cape Fear H.O.G, Chapter check them out at www.CFHOG.com. For more safety tips check out the H.O.G.’s Safety page on their site. If there is a topic that you would like to discuss you can contact me at motorcycle- 4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE! JAMES JONES, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com 18 UCW APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2011 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM APRIL 29 - MAY 1 • GYPSY WOMEN SPRING FLING. Call Legends Pub at 867- 2364 for more info APRIL 30 • HOGS AND RAGS SPRING RALLY. Enjoy a relaxing ride to the beach and help the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, the American Cancer Society and Kidsville News! of Cumberland County. Open to motorcylces, classic cars and convertibles. 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Ride leaves from ASOM at 9:30 a.m. $50 entry fee. www.hogsandrags.com. APRIL 30 • SPECIAL FORCES BROTHERHOOD MOTORCYCLE CLUB First bike out at 1 p.m. $10 per bike $5 per additional hand. Food, music, prizes, 50/50 raffle. Proceeds benefit the Green Beret Foundaton. Contact rjbaugher@ embarqmail.com for more info. JULY 16 • CHRISTMAS IN JULY TOY RUN at Victory of Faytteville. Registration 8 a.m., depart at 10 a.m. Bring an unwrapped, new toy. $15 per rider. Call 426-5082 or 261-4601 for more info. 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 info. TUESDAYS BIKE NIGHT at Chili’s Grill and Bar in Southern Pines. Happy hour, drink and food specials. All bikes welcome. 4 p.m. to close. WEDNESDAYS BIKE NIGHT at Applebee’s, Cotton Square, Fayetteville, drink and food specials beginning at 7 p.m. All bikes welcome. Gypsy Women Spring Fling 4624 BRAGG BLVD. April 29th - May 1st