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IF YOU WANT TO STAY

DRY

DONT RIDE!

A BIKERS GUIDE TO THE HAZARDS

OF THE ROAD

By Andy O'Neal

IF YOU WANT TO STAY DRY, DON'T RIDE! 1/33


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This work is licensed under the Creative Commons

Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivs 3.0 Unported

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Andy O'Neal

307 360 8771

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Table of Contents

ABOUT ME..............................................................................4ESSENTIALS FOR THE ROAD..................................................5

HELMET............................................................................6

SHADES............................................................................6

SHIRTS ..............................................................................7

PANTS .............................................................................7

FOOTWEAR ....................................................................7

VEST ................................................................................7

GLOVES .........................................................................7CHAPS.............................................................................8

COLD GEAR....................................................................8

SPECIAL GEAR................................................................9

TOOLS..............................................................................9

KNOWING YOUR BIKE.........................................................12

KNOWING THOSE THAT RIDE WITH YOU...........................14

PLANNING THE TRIP............................................................15

YOU'RE OFF!........................................................................16

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR.............................................16

GRAVEL, SAND AND ROCKS.......................................17

WIND..............................................................................17

RAIN...............................................................................19

HAIL................................................................................20

FOG ..............................................................................20

COLD.............................................................................20SNOW ...........................................................................21

ANIMALS.......................................................................21

NIGHT RIDING...............................................................23



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RESPONSIBILITIES WHILE RIDING.........................................24

WARNING OF AN APPROACHING HAZARD.............25

WHEN YOU ARE IN THE LEAD.......................................25FOLLOWING OTHER RIDERS.........................................26

RIDING TAIL GUNNER...................................................26

OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD....................................27

WHY I MUST BE IN FRONT OF THE TRUCK AHEAD ......27

CRASHING....................................................................27

GAWKING.....................................................................29

ALWAYS WATCH EVERYTHING..........................................31

BE SAFE AND HAVE FUN.....................................................31



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ABOUT ME

I was born and raised in San Diego. My fatherwas a Motorcycle Officer with the San Diego

Police Department from 1950 to 1971. My

younger brother rode with many of the clubs

without joining any but BELLYMEN

WORLDWIDE. Both were avid bikers and

completely enjoyed making fun of me for riding

ethnic bikes. Well, I could climb a brick wall inmy day and came back with You may out run

me on the road, but youll never catch me when

I pull a Steve McQueen and jump the fence.

Didnt matter, they still laughed.

Well, theyre both gone now, and I miss

them, but they ride with me still. With almost fortyyears of riding experiences under my belt and

aspirations to start a touring business, I thought it

was time to pass on some of my observations

and advice. I have learned from dirt biking and

touring. I have survived four serious crashes with

little or no damage to myself. Surviving two

because of the gear I was wearing, and actually

all four by the grace of God. When its your time,



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the best gear and training in the world wont

matter. Till then, Ill pay attention and gear up.

ESSENTIALS FOR THE ROAD



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HELMET

We all go without once and a while, but, agood DOT approved helmet is HIGHLY

recommended I prefer a full face, with

some sort of sun visor. I wore a helmet in

two of the four crashes I was in, and

needed one both times. I sometimes

carry a second half helmet for slow

riding, like in Yellowstone or Glacier

National Parks. If you cant abide a full

face or shield, youll want to consider a

thermal face mask (bugs, wind, rocks,

cold AND you cant believe how much a

piece of hail hurts!!!).

SHADES

UV protection is needed on bright beautiful

days. Polarized and prescription make

the scenery so much nicer. I suggest a

good pair of wrap arounds or even the

goggle type that seal against your face.



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SHIRTS

Anything you like. I bring a light colored longsleeve dress shirt for hot or desert riding,

cuts down on sun block

PANTS

Anything you like. I prefer Levi type because

they are durable and cut down on roadrash.

FOOTWEAR

Once again, anything you like BUT

Durable lace up 9 to 11 boots add

support to ankles and bracing when yougo down.

VEST

Vests are essential because it can be

your signature/luck/remembrance

display. Plus, they look cool.



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GLOVES

A light set helps keep your hands cleanand helps with road rash. Heavier sets

that are insulated or even electric, warm

up the coldest rides.

CHAPS

Have you ever been hit by a

grasshopper at 70 MPH? Make sure these

fit long.

COLD GEAR

Two insulated sets of gloves or one

electric and one insulated.

Under Armour or thermals of some

type.

Vest, insulated, to fit under your

leather jacket.

Over jacket, to fit over your leather

jacket.

Ski pants, to fit over regular pants

with thermals. Rain pants with zippered legs, to fit

over ski pants.



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Rain jacket, to fit over your over

jacket.

Over boots or leggings.

Scarf or bandanna I find the leather

fleece lined warmest.

Extra thick socks, or an electric pair.

SPECIAL GEAR

My back surgeon has suggested that

I wear my brace whenever riding.

Kidney belts have long been

popular.

Motocross has given birth to armor

that some bikers have started taking

to the road. Lip balm and sunblock are a must.

Careful though, sunblock in your

eyes will sting for a really long time!!!

TOOLS

We all know that our beautiful, prize

winning bikes will never break down. But,

what if someone else has problems? A

tool kit assortment is a great thing to



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have. You can buy various sizes and

complexity at your bike dealer.

Less expensive kits can also be ordered

out of several bike catalogs. There are

also a few things that I would suggest:

Screwdrivers a really long Phillips

and Straight slot, plus, a good multi bit can save the day.

Jumper cables these dont have

to be the bulky ones that everyone is

used to six feet of #10 gage red

and black with ends bought at the

hardware store, are really very

compact. A tire patch/ plug kit along with a

CO2 inflation kit will save hours of

waiting for rescue in the middle of

nowhere. If you have tube type tires

(anything with spokes), you may also

want a pair of tire bars. Aerosol tire

repair products are notrecommended for motorcycle

applications, and definitely wont

work with a tube. In a pinch they will



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inflate a tubeless tire, though. A

special note here: When a tire goes

flat, it can sustain a fair amount of

damage not visible to outside

inspection.

Take care and ride at a slower

speed to the shop. You cant afford

a high speed tire shredding event.

A pair of long nose vice grips arealways handy.

Lastly.. Allen bits and star bits that

can fit your multi driver are also

handy.



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KNOWING YOUR BIKE

In this area, time is your most valuableinvestment. Head out to an open dirt field. Here,

practice circles, right and left. After a time, break

into figure eights, right and left. At some point,

shift to straight runs of varying speeds, shifting up

through third gear. You probably dont need to

go faster, you are feeling out the bike. During

these straight runs, practice breaking. Useprimarily the rear brake, saving the front brake for

backup if you arent slowing fast enough in a

quick stop situation. Using only the rear brake

allows for a smooth even stop. If you slam on the

front at higher speeds, your forks take a dive that

could throw you forward and off balance or,

over the handle bars. Too quick an application of

the fronts can also cause a skid, a wobble, and

very possibly loss of steering control.

After spending some time on dirt and

gravel, find an empty asphalt parking lot and

start the process over. By now, you should be

used to the rear tire slide and shift. Here you cango a little faster. Stay sensible though, you and

the bike are still becoming friends. A couple of



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weekends following this method and you should

be fairly comfortable with turns and breaking.

You will be ready to tackle the streets and

highways. WRONG!!! Please be aware: You

encountered no traffic here, and the biggest

hazard was yourself. An accredited motorcycle

safety course is always a plus and sometimes a

requirement.

All of the preceding were aimed at

riding. You also need to know how to check tire

pressure, check oil level, how far can you go on

a tank of gas, and how many hours your butt will

stand being in the saddle without falling off. Time.

Time. Time. You really should spend a few weeks

learning your bike, before you do a road trip.



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KNOWING THOSE THAT RIDE WITH YOU

Knowing the people that ride with youand the way they ride is a huge plus. It makes the

trip far more safe and enjoyable. However it is

not always possible. There is always someone

new that wants to come along. What about

riding for a cause or if you join up with some

riders that are headed in your direction? There

will be many instances when you find yourselfriding with folks you dont know. Its all good.

Give a little distance for a while and keep an eye

out for them. Communicate your moves by turn

or hand signals. Be careful until everyone gets

used to each other. Part of the fun is sharing the

experience with those around you.



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PLANNING THE TRIP

Any ride starts with two options: Do youplan the trip or pick a direction? You are truly

fortunate if you are able to pick a direction and

just take off. I have done it several times and had

a great time. Most times though we must plan

our trips accounting for days off and gas money.

My best advice is to take the time youhave to ride and cut it into thirds. Figure out how

many miles you can cover in a day, comfortably,

and draw a circle on the map. Many times I

have opted to cover four to five hundred miles a

day in the first couple days and mosey my way

back at a leisurely pace. In this great USA, the

adventures are almost endless. You may evendecide to join a guided tour. Some outfits offer

GPS self guided tours. No matter how you cast

the stones, free yourself and live the adventure.



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YOU'RE OFF!

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR



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GRAVEL, SAND AND ROCKS

Whenever I ride through gravel or sand,my guts tighten a little. My first wreck was due to

my lack of experience with sand on asphalt. If it is

thick, you can lose control. If it is on a corner, it

could cause your rear tire to slide out from under

you. Be watchful, slow down, be careful how you

apply the brake. Apply hard and you will lock up

and lose control. A light pressure is best, and staycalm on the corners. Be steady. As to rocks, one

inch to one foot, they appear on the road at

times. Just watch out and avoid them.

WIND

The only time wind is your friend is whenits at your back. Everyone knows the feeling.

With the wind at your back, its great sailing. Gas

mileage picks up. Traveling becomes so easy, its

a virtual breeze.

For those of us on two wheels, a head

wind buffets you around, but creates a situationwhere your muscles are constantly tense. A



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person tends to tighten shoulders and neck to

support their helmet and just hang on.

It just gets worse in a cross wind. In a

cross wind, you will find yourself leaning the bike

to compensate. That takes a bit of doing, but

you also have to be ready for gusts that tear at

your glasses and helmet. These gusts can also

throw you to the side with surprising force. Added

to this is the turbulence created by big rigs.

Combined, these conditions can make you feel

like youre in a paint shaker. All of this tolls on a

person. Make your stops more frequent and have

consideration for newer riders that are with you.

Watch also for anyone having trouble or tiring

out.

Before we move on, here are a couple

more things to watch for when the wind

becomes a problem. What I refer to as wind

shearprobably has a more correct definition, but

that is what it feels like. It happens when you ride

through a cut bank in the road or pass a truck orsemi. Youll be leaning into the wind, and all of a

sudden, BANG, NO WIND. Youve just entered a

calm spot with absolutely no wind. If you are not



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ready, your overcompensating can throw you

towards where the wind was coming from.

The other thing to watch for is this, in a

higher wind situation, if the wind is coming from

your left, an oncoming semis turbulence will

most always hit you a lot harder than normal. If

you are on the inside track, try to move to the

right a few car lengths before you pass to lessen

the effect.

RAIN

I know many people who refuse to ride if

the forecast calls for rain. I get ready to ride and

they back out. Thats when I started saying IF

YOU WANT TO STAY DRY, DONT RIDE!!! Company

is nice but, not one of my criteria for a ride. When

you get caught in a rainstorm, rain gear and a

helmet with a face shield, will cross your mind if

you dont have them or have left them home.

Another alternative can be a face mask and

goggles. This is also the reason I carry a second

pair of insulated gloves. Actually, my second pair

is electric. You cant believe how cold your



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hands can get at 65 MPH when they are wet. The

only good view if a thunderstorm is in your mirror.

HAIL

Once again, the helmet and face shield.

This is one time you may be forced to take cover

if there is any depending on the intensity of the

storm and the size of the hail. Imagine getting hit

with a ball bearing or marble.

More importantly, please notice when it

starts to accumulate on the road. A river of small

ice balls makes for instant hydro plane. This will

be a good time to locate a coffee house or

underpass. In the case of the latter, remember

your flashers.

FOG

For those of you who have not spent

time on the coast, fog is like riding in a cloud, but

worse. In fog , YOU CANNOT SEE. For the love of

God, SLOW DOWN. It also makes the road wet.



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COLD

Cold conditions cause change in howyour body feels and reacts, subtlety. It makes

your face and hands lose feeling and become

numb. I have actually found myself in the middle

stages of hypothermia. As your body becomes

colder it becomes more difficult to recognize

what is happening. The best advice here is that if

you find yourself even slightly uncomfortable, pullover and break out the cold gear.

SNOW

If you are riding in snow, you are riding in

cold. You should already have your cold gear

on. Heated gloves will become your favorite

thing if you ride like this often.

When the snow starts coming down, start

looking for a place to hold up. When it starts

sticking to the road, use utmost caution. Slow

down and look for a place to stop. If I go slow

and am real careful, I have made it throughthree inches of accumulation (before I tipped

over). Find a place to stop that has hot coffee.



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You must stop when your rear tire starts

to slip.

ANIMALS

My last crash involved an antelope that

sprinted from the right side bar ditch. I was

cresting a hill on the way to work one morning,

the light was good, there had been a light rain

earlier but the road wasnt too wet. It happenedSeptember 10th 2002. During fall, the grass along

the road is antelope colored.

I had glanced to my left for a brief look

at the mountains and when I looked back, its

forelegs were on the pavement and she was on

a dead run. She was probably 75 feet in front ofme and I was doing 70 MPH, or 103 feet per

second. No time to react. I hit her square and she

came right up into the windshield. For a second I

thought I was going to be able to stay up. Then

the bike went down on the left side. I let the bike

go and slid 273 feet down the pavement on my

back and side. The bike flipped about halfwayand was I happy to not be onboard.



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I was lucky. I had six stitches in my elbow

and a cracked shoulder blade. I also had a

supplementary insurance plan , and it paid for

my stainless Smith and Wesson, a 357 with a 2

inch barrel.

The point of this story is that even the

most careful rider can be caught off guard. In

my opinion, animals are tied with other people

on the road as the scariest things to watch for. I

live in the Upper Green River Valley of Wyoming

and I seldom ride after dark. There are just too

many creatures that move after dark and they

start moving at dusk. A rabbit or dog can take

you down. Id really like to avoid an encounter

with a cow or moose.

NIGHT RIDING

Riding in the declining light presents a

different set of problems, sunglasses become a

hindrance. A rider needs to shift to clear eye

protection or be wearing photo grays to keepperception sharp. Dusk has a period of time

when everything becomes harder to distinguish.

The headlights make no difference. This is



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another time for extra care. Think about this If

you are on a trip, you want to see what is around

you. If you ride after dark, you are just hurrying to

the motel. Try to plan the stages of the trip to be

at a stopping point before the sun sets.



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RESPONSIBILITIES WHILE RIDING



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WARNING OF AN APPROACHING HAZARD

Be aware of oncoming bikes, cars ortrucks gesturing, having their hazard lights on, or

especially if they are flashing their lights. There

may be something ahead you want to be

careful of. Slow down a bit and become more

watchful. It might be an accident or a road

hazard that you are coming to. It might be a cop

and your slowing down just saved you aspeeding ticket. And if its nothing, so what, at

least you are safe and no harm done.

WHEN YOU ARE IN THE LEAD

Being lead bike carries certain

responsibilities. You set the pace. You shouldknow where you are headed. Keep an eye in the

rear mirror, watch out for those who follow. Be

aware of the range of the smallest gas tank in

your group. Try to be aware of the comfort level

of the least experienced rider. You shouldnt

baby them, but dont push them so hard that

they become too tired, panic or become ahazard. Make sure that if someone becomes

uncomfortable that they feel free to say so at the



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first opportunity. The ride should be enjoyable,

not a race.

FOLLOWING OTHER RIDERS

When you find yourself between the front

and rear bike, always keep a staggered position,

at a proper interval. My preference is two to

three bike lengths, but, I dont like crowding.

Dont stretch it out too far either. Too great aspace between bikes makes a tempting target

for a car or truck to squeeze into the middle of

the group while passing and they always do it.

If a car is passing, be very aware of

oncoming traffic. If it looks like they wont make

it, slow down and let them in. They will come over

anyway and if you fight them, youll lose. Relax

and enjoy. Be cool and have fun. No worries!!!

RIDING TAIL GUNNER

Tail gunner is my favorite position. Any

pressure is on those in front. Your job is to be thefirst responder if anyone gets into trouble. At a

rest stop or gas station, you pull into the travel



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lane and hold traffic until your people are safely

on the road. Most travelers will respect what you

are doing and give you the right of way.

One added plus for me is that I do not

have to watch those behind me. Dont get me

wrong, watching your rear is still a must, just not

as much.

OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD

Hikers, bicycles, horses, critter drawn

wagons (Hey! I live in Wyoming) are just a few of

the possibilities. Show courtesy, even if they

dont. We must share the road.

WHY I MUST BE IN FRONT OF THE TRUCK AHEAD

Trucks and SUVs block your vision. Im

sorry, but it takes away from the joy of the ride for

me. And, many times the vehicle that is blocking

my view has straddled road debris and it only

becomes visible when it emerges from under the

back. Not safe!



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CRASHING

I have crashed four times. Inexperiencewas the main cause of the first. As for the others

who knows? As Forrest Gump says It Happens. I

like to think carelessness was not part of the

equation, but, each case is relative. I know this

NOTHING can prepare you for a crash. You cant

second guess how you will react. Try to remain

calm. Do you best to stay loose. When everythingcomes to a stop, assess your condition as best

you can. Let those on the scene help you. In the

best case scenario, you need to take a break.

If you witness or come on an accident,

remain calm. Assess the situation. Attempt to

help. Sometimes, staying out of the way is thebest. If you do find yourself involved, remember,

DONT MOVE THE INJURED PARTY until

emergency personnel arrive on the scene. When

they show up, LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS. Until

then, have at least one person stay with the

fallen. Keep them still, and try to keep them

awake and talking. If you know first aid, great be available if not, there are other ways to be

useful. Clearing debris and vehicles that block

the road is something that needs to be done.



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Traffic control is very important. Keeping traffic

moving is especially important on narrow two

lane roads like the ones in parks or other scenic

areas. Blocked roads hinder emergency vehicles.

If possible send a person a fifty yards or so in

either direction to hold and release vehicles until

law enforcement shows. If you have been

assisting, and emergency troops arrive, check

with law enforcement before you leave the

scene. What you know or say may be important.

In my opinion, the less bystanders the better.

GAWKING

Gawking: Serious looking around at the

scenery and other wondrous things as you ride.

Gawking is something that is part of

riding; part of the experience. BUT . . . IT WILL GET

YOU INJURED OR DEAD! Worse you might take

someone else down as a result of your mistake.

YOU MUST follow certain rules or precautions in

order to be safe while GAWKING:

You should not gawk while

cornering



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You should not gawk if anything

possibly hazardous is immediately

ahead.

You should scrutinize the road, far

enough so that you can turn your

head and look for a few seconds.

You should develop your peripheral

vision or at least know its limitations

if you turn your head try and keepthe road ahead in the corner of your

eye.

If you feel the need to look longer than a

few seconds PULL OVER AND TAKE A GOOD

LOOK!!!

You can also take several glances as

long as you keep looking back straight ahead to

re assess the road for possible hazards in

between.

And for goodness sake BE ESPECIALLY

CAREFUL when following someone. Make sureyou have several bike lengths between, and

never let the vehicle in front of you out of your

peripheral sight.



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ALWAYS WATCH

EVERYTHING

BE SAFE AND HAVE

FUN


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