2 November 08 Road Captains Course
The Road Captain’s Course is much easier the second time around! When you show up at Charlie and Candy Brown’s house for coffee and cookies, you can just focus on learning something new, refining your initial Road Captain training, and you’re not sweating as much as the “newbies” who are attending the course the first time around. Actually Charlie makes it very user-friendly with lots of questions and answers shared by everyone in the group, and you can always sugar-load on the cookies and coffee/tea or soda!
Charlie Brown & Candy went all the way for the group!
We had a great group this second Chapter U Road Captain’s Course. The bikes (and one big trike) kept showing up and filling in the driveway. We managed to squeeze them all in though a few had to squeeze in around Black Pearl. We filled up the family room and spilled into the kitchen and the table area. Charlie had the latest course from National, and had handouts. We browsed through the handouts, he brought up points. We brought up questions, and everyone gave their thoughts, and asked more questions. We didn’t even need Connie Jordan to ask questions with the group that was there this time. We had Court Van Sickler, Sal Pesta, Duke Thompson, Cindy & Mike Edmonds, Robert Renfro, John McClinton and Skip Surre. With Brad and I and Charlie, that made 11 Chapter U participants ready to rock ‘n roll as Road Captains!
Best shots are when everyone is close in the neighborhood!
Now we are moving! Stopped to get on to 281.
Lots of great questions and answers and cookies later, we took a short quiz and went over the answers as a group. Don’t let my 10th grade students hear that I took a quiz and then we graded it as a group….I don’t do that as a teacher but Charlie used the quiz as a chance for us to check what was “by the book” and in some cases, “by the book” acts only as a guideline. We then went out to perform TCLOCS on the bikes (preventive maintenance remember!), breaking into two groups as there were 10 bikes and a trike total. We headed off working our arms and hands as several of our participants didn’t have CBs. Sure glad we had that ride to Bandera on Labor Day to practice those arm and hand signals. I know that everyone in Stone Oak and 281 up and back from Blanco loved knowing we were turning and changing lanes and going from staggered to single file back to staggered formation. In fact some of those pick up trucks and SUVs need to think about using arm and hand signals because they sure don’t use their turn signals. In fact some of them were confused about how to merge but that is typical on 281. We were setting a high standard with first using arm and hand signals and then using the CB. This gives our non-CB riders and co-riders the farthest advance warning of a turn or maneuver while the CB backs it up for those with CBs.
Long way down the road! 2 groups look pretty good!
There was a little excitement along the way as we had to slow down for fire trucks and ambulances (and an airlife helicopter) as a car going south somewhere had managed to go airborne and land on the fence on the east side of the road. Just another reminder of why we want to have everyone enrolled in the levels program of our continuing Rider/Co-Rider education program and encourage everyone to continue building their motorcycling skills and safety awareness. Participating in an Advanced Rider Course, Trike Course or Road Captain’s course is another way of honing your skills and continuing to ride safely and for fun!
Up hill! Accident on the right!
Pulling into our... ...required DQ stop!
We arrived in plenty of time to celebrate Robert Renfro’s birthday at the Blanco DQ prior to heading southbound toward Charlie and Candy’s house. I think we polished off the rest of the cookies before we departed. Nothing like another day of fun and safe riding with Chapter U but what made this day really special is the 8 new volunteers stepped forward to help ensure that Chapter U continues to ride safe and have fun. What a great day! Thanks Charlie and Candy for hosting the training, and thanks to everyone who showed up to be part of a great day and a great future for Chapter U!
Nice break and get a chance to talk about how the way up went!
Jill started the lead on the way back. Bit different behind a trike!
Ride back was easier for some reason!
Also getting late! Finally back.
© Copyright 2007 Chapter U, Texas District, Gold Wing Road Riders Association, Inc.