The End of Long-Distance Riding?

by Gary Klinker

The short answer is no, but I’ll get into it later. The Safe Rider classes are filling fast for the rest of the year. It has been a busy season so far. In just the first month of classes we have had two days of all day rain but thanks to hardy students and dedicated Rider Coaches we have gotten everyone through. The July 13th BRC2 that we set up for the ABATE Board of Directors is now full. Unfortunately, only five board members registered for the class. This is kind of disappointing. If we are to be able to promote safe riding and training, we should be willing to lead by example. What better way to encourage people to get trained than by having the experience yourself?

As I write this, I just returned from the MRF Bikers in the Beltway. We had a good ride, and the lobbying day was very successful. We had many good meetings and gave all Congressional and Senate offices our position papers. Mike, Bob, Danny, and Brillo are good riding partners and we stayed dry the whole trip. Pretty unusual for over 1900 miles. Currently, we are preparing for a week of riding in the Black Hills. I’ll let you know next month if anything exciting or scary happens.

Getting back to the question in the title, I was thinking while on the ride to D.C. about our aging riders and the upcoming Sturgis rally. We can make adjustments to keep riding long distances safely and more comfortably. Eating right and staying in shape are good starting points. Even then aches and pains can creep in that may affect riding. If you are like me, you are willing to do whatever it takes to keep riding. In my case, especially long rides.

After two shoulder surgeries and a torn bicep, riding bike started causing pretty severe pain in my upper arm. Shawn found an upper arm brace that I ordered and figured I would try. It has made a huge difference on the ride to D.C. The brace along with frequent shoulder flexing relieved most of the pain. Another aid to relieve pain in my throttle hand is a wrist brace. It is like an elastic fingerless compression glove with a Velcro strap around the wrist. Even with cruise control your right wrist can get stiff in one position for so long. It works very well. Both are very cheap remedies that can make riding much more comfortable. When you are not thinking about being uncomfortable you can focus more on safe riding.

Another aid for riding has been around for many years, going back to the 20s and 30s. Back belts or kidney belts worked for riders on hardtail bikes or in competition for many years. They are still great for today’s riders. Newer versions have good ventilation and elastic is much lighter than the old leather ones. Even if you have no back problems and have a nice cushy suspension a back brace can add many miles to the day and have you arriving feeling much better than without one. It may even help prevent back problems in the future.

These are some of the things that work for me. As you prepare for the trip to Sturgis or St. Louis for Meeting of the Minds prepare your bike but don’t forget about getting your body ready for safety and comfort. It all adds up to riding longer and later in life, something we should all be striving for.

Ride Safe, 

Gary