I for one have enjoyed the rides and events this summer.  I am glad that we have had a safe record so far.  Do you think any of "the safe record" is due to the safety guidelines that we follow? Do you think that the small riding groups or the safety gear that we wear or the safety riding's tips are making any differences?  I for one have a great faith in the guidelines that I practice and preach.  I believe in the efforts of the people who have taken time to research and write down what they found.  I believe in the effective methods that GWRRA teaches. 

    I would like to take some time and talk about some of the group guidelines that we follow while on a ride.  Most of the guidelines are easy to make into habits so that we do them without thinking.  Some of the guidelines are very hard to accept and to practice.  One of those is the two second rule.  While riding in staggered formation, we are to be two seconds behind the bike in front of us.  Now some might think that two seconds is not enough time to react and to be safe in case of an emergency stop or breaking situation.  Now, I think we can all agree that the safest way to do emergency breaking or turning or stopping, is to avoid that situation all together.  If you do not get into that situation then you will be safe.  How to avoid the situation is the topic of today.

      The AMA (American Motorcycle Association) has done extensive testing in this area and has come to the conclusion that two seconds is the appropriate timing between bikes traveling together as a group.  They found that the average person reacts in mind in less than one second and less than one second for the muscles to react.  So traveling at one second intervals does not work.  I think we all agree on that.  "Two seconds is the right for most but not sure it is right for me".  I have heard that comment more than once.  If you travel more than two seconds behind the bike in front of you, you are inviting trouble for the whole group as well as for yourself. With larger gaps between the bikes in motion cars and other vehicles will take advantage and squeeze into the position.  We all agree that a vehicle in the group formation is a bad thing.  They are hard to see around, not aware of all the bikes in the group, do not drive with the same guidelines as the rest of us.  Not a good thing to have a car in the group!  You owe it to yourself and as importantly to the group you are riding with to "close the gap" while in the group.  If you do not have the faith in your abilities to ride this close, then please drop out of the group and ride as an out rider.  I certainly will appreciate you more for that decision than for a decision to put me a risk because you are "not sure".  There will come a time and point in your riding abilities that you will have to make a conscious effort to ride in a close group.  After you make that effort you will find that it comes natural to you in habit form.  All habits take effort and practice to become effective.  I believe in all of you and I am comfortable riding with any of you in a group.  I wish you could feel that way too.  There was a time when I could not ride "that close" because I was not confident in my abilities.  I thought I was doing the group ride a favor by being "safe within my abilities" and hanging back while if formation.  While it is true, to a point it is equally true that you must push yourself to achieve higher levels of abilities.  On the next group ride you participate in, make yourself a conscious effort to "close the gap" and keep us all safe and riding together.