Things Brought to My Attention

I only made a single blog entry once in July, WOW.

I did ride 355 miles with an average of 24 miles a ride. My smart-alecky fifteen year old now needs to wait for me again so he had to rub it in with some extra rides to total 387 miles, oh to be fifteen again.

It is half way through August and I haven’t made an entry until now.

We had a family road trip (getting to be a lost past time in this instant gratification world) to California. Saw the Grand Canyon, California Speedway (nothing to see there the track is closed to the public), did a walking tour of USC, went to the beach and a family reunion in Ventura. We stopped in Vegas saw a great Summer of ‘69 light show at the Fremont Street Experience and left after a tour around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which is open to the public.

Helmets have been brought to my attention. On a ride yesterday a fire truck, ambulance (Good work South Metro), and two park ranger officers were caring for a cyclist on the path. Besides obvious (obvious due to the amount of the flowing blood and torn skin) head, shoulder, arm and hand wounds there was not a helmet in sight. Helmets are not uncomfortable, they are light and now designed to flow air to keep your noggin cool besides intact. Wear the damn things!! When I say ‘wear’ I mean on your head correctly. You should have two finger widths between the eyebrow and the helmet. That is two finger widths of the wearer not Dad’s big fingers sizing the six year old. The strap should be loose but as you open your mouth wide ( you know that panic of falling yell wide), the strap should tighten, not to choke but not come over the chin. The straps should come together just below and centered on the wearer’s ear lobes (the things holding the large bling pieces). I have seen a female rider on a regular basis that has a desire to have her helmet protect her right ear. How she has been able to adjust it to appear centered over her right ear is well beyond my expertise, I just hope she can aim her fall well. Then we have all seen the rider with the helmet fitted to cover the back bulge of the skull. You can see their full fore head as well as their full receding hair line. They are the ones that usually are wearing them so their children will wear one. Unfortunately the children have them fitted the same way. I have been arrogant enough to offer to adjust a helmet for a child and found that the parent really did not know there was a special way they should be adjusted. Join the movement and see how many kids’ helmets you can adjust in a week.

Next Post; Is It Time to Take The Next Step in Your Training

Ride Safe Out There, and Don’t Run Me Over (please)

“G”