When The Football Season Ends

by John Reblin

With the deadlines we have to keep in order to get these articles written, checked over and sent in to Betty for editing, I usually start thinking about what I will write about at the beginning of the month. It could be, as you have probably figured, about anything that I have stumbled across, a magazine article, a memory, or even a song. I don’t know where the inspiration comes from and not sure when I start, where it is going to end up.

Right now, we are winding down the football season. The Little Flower has gotten into watching the Packers play the last few years, watching the give and take and hoping the Packers are victorious enough to keep moving ahead extending the season. The longer they play into the season, the longer it is casual Friday at work which lets me wear jeans and a jersey to work.

After one of the games, the newspaper had a picture of one of the players reaching out trying to make a reception that just slipped through his stretched-out hands. The receiver’s coach said that he seemed to mis-judge the ball, that it was a teachable moment, and they would need to watch tape, learn from it, and grow from it. It seems to me that this is true, but you also need to practice by getting out on the field and working on getting your hands on the ball, catching and making these plays.

With springtime rolling around the corner soon, it is getting to be time to get the bikes ready and back on the road. We will all need to make sure our bikes are ready when the time comes that first warm day. We all did the maintenance in the fall before putting the bike away right? Changed the oil, made sure the bike was tuned and those pesky squeaks and rattles were taken care of. That first ride out – walking around before getting on, doing your Tclock. (T-tires and wheels, C– clutch and cables, L– levers and controls, O-oil and fuels, C– chassis items like fork swing arm frame pieces nuts and bolts, K– kick stand make sure it is secure not falling down). You all know the routine you go through, checking your tires for wear and air pressure, then your brake and clutch controls along with the cables and hoses. You bend over to check your fluid levels and make sure all the lights work properly so you can see and be seen while riding. Then you continue to check the chassis items, making sure the belt or chain is ok. You check the suspension to help make sure you keep in contact with the pavement…and remember to make sure your kickstand is ok, and you don’t see any missing fasteners. Making sure your bike is up to the task is only part of the job.

You also need to make sure you are up to the task of riding the bike. Making sure that you’re up to the rigors of getting your leg over the saddle, are able to stand the bike up and handle the buffeting and other demands of your upper body in order to get through the curves safely. Maybe your vision isn’t quite up to snuff and you’re starting to have a hard time seeing the debris on the road, or the lines painted on the surface. Take the time to get your vision checked.

I always like taking the first ride to the closest parking lot by me and play around on my bike. There are no cars around so I can play with the switches while riding and remembering where everything is after not seeing the bike for a couple months under the cover. Then I maybe get a little more aggressive by taking some tight corners to get used to leaning into the curve, making the ride go tighter and smaller until I am riding a tight circle at a low speed. Then turn around and do it again, going in the opposite direction. This is our time to practice, to knock the rust off of our skill levels and to boost our confidence of our riding ability.

But for many of us, it is time to schedule the BRC2 course or take it up a notch and do the UBBC or an ARC class. Work on your skills by improving your ability to handle the motorcycle on the road under situations that you could encounter, but without the traffic. Thinking to yourself, “I don’t need to I ride a trike?” Well why not, take the advanced courses that are available for the 3- wheel vehicles. Whatever you ride, getting some input by a trained instructor who is looking over your riding skills and giving you tips on what you can do better or what you are doing well can only give you an even better chance of getting home safe and sound.

And when your all done with that, get signed up for an Accident Scene Management Course near you just in case you come across the scene of a crash and you can give assistance, if needed, to someone that needs help until the authorities arrive.

Just like taking time on the football field to catch the ball, let’s all take some time this spring to make sure our bikes, our bodies and our minds are all ready for a safe riding season this year.

John