As mentioned before, keeping your eyes ahead and down the road is a difficult but vital task in riding. Closely connected to this is "picking a line" (significantly different from picking your nose or snorting a line, either of which one assumes would be rather difficult while wearing gloves and a faceshield) which simply means tracing, in your minds eye, the route your tires will follow to a given point. Although you know your ultimate destination, however distant it might be, you recognize that to get there you must pass through a series of other immediate/closer destinations which are at the most only a few hundred yards ahead. So while looking ahead to your immediate/closer destination you pick a line of travel, scanning that line for potential hazards (like bumps, slick spots, or dead animals) and continue doing so as you move through that line. You don't look down directly in front of your tire, but constantly look ahead and extend the line to a new point. And you continuosly repeat this process until at last you arrive at your final destination.
This sounds quite easy but in fact is not because, as discussed in the Sept 10 post Looking Ahead, our natural tendency is to look at our immediate surroundings for imminent danger. To survive we have learned to focus on the problem close at hand. The difficulty with this evolutionary turn in our modern world is that imminent has become a relative term; when one is traveling at 50 MPH imminent can look a long way down the road when in fact it is ... well, imminent.
So it requires great discipline to pick a line, keep you eyes ahead, and then follow that line without staring at it but instead keep tracking ahead to pick a new line. You have to trust the decision and course you have chosen. And of course implied in this is that as you are picking your line, should you observe a potential danger you would adjust to a different line to avoid that danger with plenty of time to spare, thus avoiding the need for any sudden inputs which might result in disaster (as discussed in the Oct 25 post ... see how this all goes together!?).
For example, just the other day I was traveling to work on a dark and stormy morning (oops, literary theft) and following a van which blocked my direct line of sight. In such situations one increases the following distance and makes certain to ride to the outside of the lane in order to increase the possibility of escape in an emergency.
Now, here in the Seattle area I am learning about "Northwest Nice" which means there is a general tendency to allow pedestrians the right of way. The exception proves the rule, however, as some folks do ignore it. We approached a curve and I could see 'round the bend the flow of traffic; at the same time I observed a crosswalk with a pedestrian waiting even as traffic continued to move in disregard of Northwest Nice ... perhaps there is an exclusion for rainy mornings at rush hour? At any rate, I immediately assumed that the fellow in front of me WOULD exercise Northwest Nice and I had better adjust my line of travel to make sure that should he suddenly hit the brakes I had someplace to travel other than his rear bumper, as four wheels stop much better on slick surfaces than do two wheels (remember that "suddent inputs" stuff?). Sure enough, he hit the brakes, I had to slow to a controlled stop, and because of my pre-emptive actions (adjusting line AND slowing down) I stopped with no problem. Whew!
It seems to me that this concept of picking a line has great value in achieving a goal as well. In business circles they might call it following a process, but by whatever name it smells as sweet (more theft - my apologies to the Bard). For example, in my current church we are discussing how we might best leverage our highly desired downtown property to better provide ministry in our setting. Many attempts have been made to do so over the years, but as I have read all the documentation it appears that not enough was done in the way of picking a line; instead folks tended to jump to conclusion - ultimate destination - far too quickly. Frankly some of these conclusions I have found absolutely brilliant, but without a process - a line of travel to follow - they simply were never able to be actualized. When confronted with the need to adjust because of changing circumstances, there was no mechanism to do so.
You can't just look down the road, you have to look through the road, through the line of travel, to discern the best route to the destination and then trust your decision as you move forward. Only then can you avoid potential dangers and be prepared to adjust to changing circumstances.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Slow and Steady
I once took an advanced riding course from a professional racer - the point of the course was not to turn us into pro's, but to reinforce the lessons learned long ago and improve our skills. We focused a great deal on curves - entering, exiting, apex, lines, etc. - and at one point the instructor talked about the importance of "slow in, fast out" in curves. We watched videos of the best riders, like Ben Spies and Valentino Rossi, and he pointed out over and over again how they entered the turn slowly (relatively speaking!) and exited at a higher rate of speed. As he was talking about the point at which to begin acceleration, I said something to the effect of that being the point to "punch it." The instructor smiled and said, "We never punch anything; all inputs are slow and steady."
I have been thinking about that a lot as I adjust to a new climate in the Northwest. I have spent the last seven years riding in Arizona, with a large number of wide, straight, flat dry roads that are pretty forgiving for sudden inputs of throttle or brake. Now I am experiencing a learning (actually re-learning) curve as I constantly remind myself that on wet, curvy, hilly, leaf cluttered roads you never, ever, never-never-ever, "punch it" if you want to stay upright. All inputs should be slow and steady, with nothing fast or sudden.
As I adjust to my new professional position the same rule applies: slow in, fast out, with no sudden inputs. When you find yourself in a new position there are all kinds of possibilities and folks tend to be very excited. But there is also a certain amount of nervousness as people adjust to one another. There is the tempation to leverage that excitement and "punch it" in order to get things done, but I am not sure that is wise. I think there is far more wisdom in taking time to learn about folks, about their habits and preferences, to discern the difference between local tradition versus simple habit, observe discomfort zones, and then set up your line as you work towards a goal.
Slow in, fast out, with no sudden inputs. I know it works on wet streets and I'll let you know how it works in new jobs.
I have been thinking about that a lot as I adjust to a new climate in the Northwest. I have spent the last seven years riding in Arizona, with a large number of wide, straight, flat dry roads that are pretty forgiving for sudden inputs of throttle or brake. Now I am experiencing a learning (actually re-learning) curve as I constantly remind myself that on wet, curvy, hilly, leaf cluttered roads you never, ever, never-never-ever, "punch it" if you want to stay upright. All inputs should be slow and steady, with nothing fast or sudden.
As I adjust to my new professional position the same rule applies: slow in, fast out, with no sudden inputs. When you find yourself in a new position there are all kinds of possibilities and folks tend to be very excited. But there is also a certain amount of nervousness as people adjust to one another. There is the tempation to leverage that excitement and "punch it" in order to get things done, but I am not sure that is wise. I think there is far more wisdom in taking time to learn about folks, about their habits and preferences, to discern the difference between local tradition versus simple habit, observe discomfort zones, and then set up your line as you work towards a goal.
Slow in, fast out, with no sudden inputs. I know it works on wet streets and I'll let you know how it works in new jobs.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Pump It Up
I went to put air in my tires the other day - after a 1500 mile transport to a different altitude the tires had lost pressure, as expected. One of the worst things you can do is run a bike on low tires - at best it promises a sure-fire prescription for wearing out your tires very quickly, or at worst sluggish response when you need it most. It's too simple a matter not to take care of on a regular basis.
So I checked the tires (I have four different tire gauges - keep trying to find the one that will do the most work for me) and sure enough each bike was low. I don't have a compressor with me and no longer have the advantage of free air just a mile from my home, so it was off to find an air pump. Back In the Day every gas station had one and you could use it for free, but no longer. Up here the water is free but the air costs $.75 per use, which is a pain in the you-know-where. First on the list when we move into our new house is an air compressor.
Anyway, I found a pump at a station just up the block, loaded up on quarters and started the process. As I was filling-checking-filling-checking the tires, I started thinking about how I am not so good about checking my own air pressure and sometimes run low. And I am not talking about air in a metaphorical sense, but real oxygen in the lungs kind of low. We get used to breathing shallowly and forget what a big difference a good cycle of inhale/exhale makes in everyday life. We run on low tires.
When I was training/competing in karate, I was reminded over and over again to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth; the same pattern is used in simple weight training. Inhale and then exhale on the exertion move. Meditation teaches the same technique, whether it is Yoga posture style or just sitting zazen: breathe in and out. Shoot, you can use it to help you open a jar of pickles! But we forget this simple technique in regular moment to moment living. We run on low tires.
The Judeo-Christian creation myth reinforces this understanding of the need for air, for breath. In Genesis it states that God "breathed the breath (ruach in Hebrew, spiritus in Latin) of life" into humanity. At the most basic level there is an understanding that breath is a very foundation of life. No breath, no creation.
So don't forget: Just breathe.
So I checked the tires (I have four different tire gauges - keep trying to find the one that will do the most work for me) and sure enough each bike was low. I don't have a compressor with me and no longer have the advantage of free air just a mile from my home, so it was off to find an air pump. Back In the Day every gas station had one and you could use it for free, but no longer. Up here the water is free but the air costs $.75 per use, which is a pain in the you-know-where. First on the list when we move into our new house is an air compressor.
Anyway, I found a pump at a station just up the block, loaded up on quarters and started the process. As I was filling-checking-filling-checking the tires, I started thinking about how I am not so good about checking my own air pressure and sometimes run low. And I am not talking about air in a metaphorical sense, but real oxygen in the lungs kind of low. We get used to breathing shallowly and forget what a big difference a good cycle of inhale/exhale makes in everyday life. We run on low tires.
When I was training/competing in karate, I was reminded over and over again to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth; the same pattern is used in simple weight training. Inhale and then exhale on the exertion move. Meditation teaches the same technique, whether it is Yoga posture style or just sitting zazen: breathe in and out. Shoot, you can use it to help you open a jar of pickles! But we forget this simple technique in regular moment to moment living. We run on low tires.
The Judeo-Christian creation myth reinforces this understanding of the need for air, for breath. In Genesis it states that God "breathed the breath (ruach in Hebrew, spiritus in Latin) of life" into humanity. At the most basic level there is an understanding that breath is a very foundation of life. No breath, no creation.
So don't forget: Just breathe.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Balance
When you start a new job you are filled with excitement and enthusiasm, just rarin' to go. And if you have half a brain you hit the ground running, trying to learn new systems, new cultures, new people. Add to that the confusion of living in a new town in a new State - you don't know where to find the grocery store, post office, cheapest gas or any of the other bazillion things that are a part of everyday life and you end up running out of gas.
Although there are many important secrets to riding a motorcycle, the most basic is balance. In the Motorcycle Safety Foundation basic course one of the things often asked o fthose who have never ridden a motorcycle is "Can you ride a bicycle?" If you can then learning to ride a motorcycle is just a matter of adaptation because you already have the most basic skill: balance. all those years of my childhood riding that Schwinn I had no idea I was in training for riding a motorcyle. Pretty cool.
The curious thing is that it is easier to maintain balance on a motorcycle at high speed than it is at slow speed. A motorcycle is built to travel in a straight line and if you just point it straight and give it a little throttle, you will have no trouble keeping your balance. People think going fast is the hard part, but it ain't. I've ridden tens of thousands of miles and never once come even close to tipping at high speed. But in parking lots at about one mile an hour ... I once dumped a bike before I even got it started. Had ten things going on in my head, wasn't really paying attention when I jumped on the bike, leaned it too far right as I mounted and over she went. Nothing like a parking lot full of people thinking "Yikes! If he can't even keep it up before he starts it I never want to see him on the road!" to keep your ego in check. Moron.
Try walking straight ahead at a fast pace. No problem, right? Now stand on one foot and lift the other up as high as you can. Big problem!
We all know of the danger of losing balance when we are going fast, when work or school or something else consumes us, but I want to suggest that it the transition points of life, when we are slowing down and coming to a halt, that are potentially more dangerous. We think we are safe, we think we are in control, but it actually takes more mindfulness and skill to handle the parking lot than it does the fast lane.
Although there are many important secrets to riding a motorcycle, the most basic is balance. In the Motorcycle Safety Foundation basic course one of the things often asked o fthose who have never ridden a motorcycle is "Can you ride a bicycle?" If you can then learning to ride a motorcycle is just a matter of adaptation because you already have the most basic skill: balance. all those years of my childhood riding that Schwinn I had no idea I was in training for riding a motorcyle. Pretty cool.
The curious thing is that it is easier to maintain balance on a motorcycle at high speed than it is at slow speed. A motorcycle is built to travel in a straight line and if you just point it straight and give it a little throttle, you will have no trouble keeping your balance. People think going fast is the hard part, but it ain't. I've ridden tens of thousands of miles and never once come even close to tipping at high speed. But in parking lots at about one mile an hour ... I once dumped a bike before I even got it started. Had ten things going on in my head, wasn't really paying attention when I jumped on the bike, leaned it too far right as I mounted and over she went. Nothing like a parking lot full of people thinking "Yikes! If he can't even keep it up before he starts it I never want to see him on the road!" to keep your ego in check. Moron.
Try walking straight ahead at a fast pace. No problem, right? Now stand on one foot and lift the other up as high as you can. Big problem!
We all know of the danger of losing balance when we are going fast, when work or school or something else consumes us, but I want to suggest that it the transition points of life, when we are slowing down and coming to a halt, that are potentially more dangerous. We think we are safe, we think we are in control, but it actually takes more mindfulness and skill to handle the parking lot than it does the fast lane.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
A Twist of the Wrist
Not too long ago I read an article about the number of sport bikes with less than 500 miles on them that one could find in the moto-graveyards. The point the author sought to make was that the sportbikes available on the market today are WAY more powerful than most average riders can handle. When you have 150 horses right out of the box and can do the quarter mile in under 12 seconds but don't have the proper training or situation in which to do so safely, it is a prescription for disaster. Even though we know better, the simple truth is that most of us men, regardless of our training or actual ability, imagine that we can handle it. The axiom here is "If you have Throttle you will use Throttle" and whether or not you know what you are doing is moot!
The same is true for us men in many arenas; take explosives, for example. My son-in-law Justin (who is really a great guy - I tell my daughter Carly that if she ever gets a divorce I am trading out and keeping him, and she thinks I am kidding!) had some pretty powerful firecrackers one time and just couldn't resist sneaking out to the driveway and lighting one of the little buggers off. The upshot is that he cracked the windshield and blew the trim and blinkers off his wifes car ... who no longer allows him to play with firecrackers!
The point is that power - any kind of power - in the hands of a man is a dangerous thing. Psychologically I suppose it has to do with impulse control, but I prefer to think that we can't help it - it is in our DNA. We are pre-programmed to do stupid stuff; it is our default setting.
Which of course leads to trouble, like blowing up cars or in my case almost having a very long hike. I was riding my Kawi cruiser on a deserted road in western Kansas; it was a beautiful day and I was going WAY too fast. I looked down and realized my carefully calculated MPG had been cut in about half through my over-zealous twist of the wrist and it suddenly became very doubtful that I would reach the next fuel stop. I literally coasted into the gas station. Dumb. But typical. I can't help it - I'm a man. And I have buddies who want me to install a computerized power commander which will boost output. Just what I need, another opportunity to do something stupid. I already scared the bejesus out of myself when I made a few mods to my 1986 Harley and increased torque so much that it jerked my head back the first time I punched it. And the second time ... and the third ... you get the point.
Power of any sort is a dangerous mistress. And we are learning that the seductive nature of power is not limited to men ... the current political situation is demonstrating that a woman is just as prone to mis-using power as any man. It seems that the adage If you have throttle you will use throttle applies to all sorts of situations and can often lead to disasterous consequences.
That's why God gave us a brain and rules, so that we can over-ride our default settings. But it sure ain't easy ...
The same is true for us men in many arenas; take explosives, for example. My son-in-law Justin (who is really a great guy - I tell my daughter Carly that if she ever gets a divorce I am trading out and keeping him, and she thinks I am kidding!) had some pretty powerful firecrackers one time and just couldn't resist sneaking out to the driveway and lighting one of the little buggers off. The upshot is that he cracked the windshield and blew the trim and blinkers off his wifes car ... who no longer allows him to play with firecrackers!
The point is that power - any kind of power - in the hands of a man is a dangerous thing. Psychologically I suppose it has to do with impulse control, but I prefer to think that we can't help it - it is in our DNA. We are pre-programmed to do stupid stuff; it is our default setting.
Which of course leads to trouble, like blowing up cars or in my case almost having a very long hike. I was riding my Kawi cruiser on a deserted road in western Kansas; it was a beautiful day and I was going WAY too fast. I looked down and realized my carefully calculated MPG had been cut in about half through my over-zealous twist of the wrist and it suddenly became very doubtful that I would reach the next fuel stop. I literally coasted into the gas station. Dumb. But typical. I can't help it - I'm a man. And I have buddies who want me to install a computerized power commander which will boost output. Just what I need, another opportunity to do something stupid. I already scared the bejesus out of myself when I made a few mods to my 1986 Harley and increased torque so much that it jerked my head back the first time I punched it. And the second time ... and the third ... you get the point.
Power of any sort is a dangerous mistress. And we are learning that the seductive nature of power is not limited to men ... the current political situation is demonstrating that a woman is just as prone to mis-using power as any man. It seems that the adage If you have throttle you will use throttle applies to all sorts of situations and can often lead to disasterous consequences.
That's why God gave us a brain and rules, so that we can over-ride our default settings. But it sure ain't easy ...
Monday, October 11, 2010
Unknown Samaritans
We made the big haul from Phoenix to Bellevue, WA last week. Lots of friends helped us load the truck over the weekend and we hit the road early on Monday morning. In Nevada it got messy ... very heavy rain, sleet, hail, and an unexpected detour around Hoover Dam. Seems Homeland Security no longer allows rental trucks to cross over major dams. I get it, but it is frustrating to think that in some ways the terrorists are winning.
Around Henderson, NV it got really messy - I mean the kind of rain/fog/hail that makes you think "I need to pull off the road NOW!!" They literally were shutting the road down behind us. But as we made a curve and hooked up with another highway, I saw a biker moving on down the road. The guy was an excellent rider with lots of guts and confidence - I had already seen two or three bikes pulled off under overpasses, and I must admit if it had been me on the road I would have been with them.
But like I said, this guy was an excellent rider who kept a steady speed, a very straight line, and didn't flinch even when idiots went roaring past him on the left side, kicking up buckets of water as they passed. Now, when riding in the rain and on a slick road the biggest danger is not falling, for if you run the bike at a reasonable speed and are dressed in good gear you are pretty much guaranteed that if you do go down there will be more damage to your pride than your body. It's the 27 cars lined up behind you whose drivers are not paying attention and run over you that causes the real pain! All those "thump-thumps" over your prostrate body can pretty much ruin your day.
So I pulled in behind him since I figured I knew what to look for if he started to lose it and was going at a speed that would allow me to stop and if anybody hit anything, it would be this honking big U-Haul I was driving instead of him. What the heck, I had bought the extra insurance anyway!
So we headed on down the highway, the biker running great lines, straight and true, and never getting rattled by the boneheads roaring past him. I was really impressed but also wondered what he thought of me ... I am assuming he was not a mind-reader and had no idea of who or what I was. All he saw in his rear-view mirror was a big truck with a driving grinning like an idiot. I was grinning because I was so impressed with his riding, but for all he knew I was grinning because I was planning on running him down! He had no idea that I had his back.
And I began to wonder how many times people had protected me without my ever being aware of it. And not just on a bike, but so many times in life. In my profession you are open to a lot of hits, and I wondered how many times parishoners had blocked a personal attack on me. I wondered how many times my mom or my wife or even my kids had covered me without me being aware of what they were doing. I wondered how many strangers had picked up after me, covered up for my inattention or even protected me from my own stupidity. I mean, I am not the only nice guy in the world, so if I would cover this stranger on a bike, how many others must have watched over me?
So there are guardian angels ... and mostly they don't have wings or big messages from God. Mostly they are just normal folks who take a moment to care about others. Wow.
Around Henderson, NV it got really messy - I mean the kind of rain/fog/hail that makes you think "I need to pull off the road NOW!!" They literally were shutting the road down behind us. But as we made a curve and hooked up with another highway, I saw a biker moving on down the road. The guy was an excellent rider with lots of guts and confidence - I had already seen two or three bikes pulled off under overpasses, and I must admit if it had been me on the road I would have been with them.
But like I said, this guy was an excellent rider who kept a steady speed, a very straight line, and didn't flinch even when idiots went roaring past him on the left side, kicking up buckets of water as they passed. Now, when riding in the rain and on a slick road the biggest danger is not falling, for if you run the bike at a reasonable speed and are dressed in good gear you are pretty much guaranteed that if you do go down there will be more damage to your pride than your body. It's the 27 cars lined up behind you whose drivers are not paying attention and run over you that causes the real pain! All those "thump-thumps" over your prostrate body can pretty much ruin your day.
So I pulled in behind him since I figured I knew what to look for if he started to lose it and was going at a speed that would allow me to stop and if anybody hit anything, it would be this honking big U-Haul I was driving instead of him. What the heck, I had bought the extra insurance anyway!
So we headed on down the highway, the biker running great lines, straight and true, and never getting rattled by the boneheads roaring past him. I was really impressed but also wondered what he thought of me ... I am assuming he was not a mind-reader and had no idea of who or what I was. All he saw in his rear-view mirror was a big truck with a driving grinning like an idiot. I was grinning because I was so impressed with his riding, but for all he knew I was grinning because I was planning on running him down! He had no idea that I had his back.
And I began to wonder how many times people had protected me without my ever being aware of it. And not just on a bike, but so many times in life. In my profession you are open to a lot of hits, and I wondered how many times parishoners had blocked a personal attack on me. I wondered how many times my mom or my wife or even my kids had covered me without me being aware of what they were doing. I wondered how many strangers had picked up after me, covered up for my inattention or even protected me from my own stupidity. I mean, I am not the only nice guy in the world, so if I would cover this stranger on a bike, how many others must have watched over me?
So there are guardian angels ... and mostly they don't have wings or big messages from God. Mostly they are just normal folks who take a moment to care about others. Wow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)