People you work with.....that dont ride

[SacDuc]

I've got some coworkers who followed in my footsteps and got motorcycles, I think we all went through some sort of crisis period and had to get new toys.  Others have their activities they're so passionate about, some which I just simply do not understand, but fortunately no one has eyed me strangely for riding.  We'll see how the situation is at my new job I start August 16th.

I used to golf a lot more, now I think 9 holes is enough, 18 holes is too much.  I also used to be pretty good, now I'm atrocious.  I don't golf for the satisfaction of getting a low score, it's just getting outside away from the crap I have to deal with and just relax while having a cigar with buddies as we insult one another in good humor.

I enjoy riding the motorcycle for the opposite reasons, I find it exciting and gets my blood pumping.  I did a really nice ride this past Sunday with Sac and Junk (see what I did there?  ) and I'm a new rider still by most standards, so I was pushing it to keep up with them.  When I finally go home my hands were shaking a little (Sac knows why I was spooked), but it's nice to feel alive.  Golf doesn't make me feel alive, it's just a timeout from the bullshit with less danger.

Don't beat yourself up. Everyone reading this has blown a turn now and then. You had a clean road with little traffic and a good line of sight. There are worse corners to blow. It was fun riding with you and getting to know you during the 3 hours we were waiting for Bacon Junkie to show up. We'll have to hit the 33 again soon. And don't worry about "pushing it to keep up" Ride your ride. We would never leave you out there. We constantly check our rear view mirrors and occasionally slow up to let people catch up. If they take longer than we think they should we will circle back and make sure there was not an accident. Missing out on a few minute of bench racing isn't worth a potential crash caused by riding above your limit.

On the other hand, pushing yourself is why we go to roads like that in the first place. Its fun trying to learn to go faster. Just make sure you are pushing yourself and that you are not using others as a gauge for how fast you should be going. Your own comfort level is the only safe judge of your speed.

Let's ride again soon!   [moto]

Cheers.


sac



/also, make the beast with two backs golf

[NoisyDante]

Thanks man, it was good riding with you guys as well, and I definitely wanna get back out sooner than later.  Silly mistake slipping off the brake, and I did go in hot, but the next turn was visible so it wasn't completely blind and I didn't make a huge effort to correct it immediately, so it looked worse than it really was I guess.

Best way to get better is to ride with those better than you, and I definitely learned some stuff.

And of course, with anything in life, an immediate Big Lebowski quote came to mind.

Over the Line!!!!

[DRKWNG]

None of my coworkers ride.  In fact, I work for one of the least ride friendly employers in this country, the United States Air Force.  I can't even begin to count how many times I have had someone "senior" to me tell how much of a bad idea it was to ride a motorcycle.  Well, I recently moved into a new area, and new workplace and have gotten stuck on staff duty (HOORAY!!).  We were sitting through the three star's staff meeting this afternoon when the conversation topic changed to the dreaded 101 critical days of summer, which we are halfway through.  Well, turns out some one had commissioned a research project to determine the most likely way for other service members to punch that big ticket, and what do you suppose the result was?  That's right, motorcycles.  At this point, said three star looks around the room and states "I sure hope I don't have anyone on my staff who rides motorcycles.  Does anyone here ride?".  Two people turn and look straight at me, so I tell him that I do, knowing what is about to come.  His response didn't surprise, nor disappoint.  He looks me dead in the eye and says "Son, I want you to give that up before you hurt yourself".  I thanked him for his concern and waved at him later as I got on the bike and rode home. 

So yea...  I love my job...    

[mraff]

My wife told me that she was okay with the motorcycles, but she'd leave me if I took up golf. Since I can't get a golf bag on my Monster, it's not a problem.

http://www.ironhorsecaddybag.com/

[redxblack]

  I thanked him for his concern and waved at him later as I got on the bike and rode home. 

So yea...  I love my job...    

That's a pretty rotten situation, but you handled it well. My wife was pretty hard freaked out when I started riding due to statistics. Since I've been riding, she's been paying attention to the wrecks, riding habits and general rider culture. It's too bad that "motorcycles" get the tag instead of cruiser road pirates and stuntas. Sure, anyone can go down at any time through their own fault or that of others, but realistically the people on this forum are much less likely to be hurt than the "three beers on bike night and sunglasses as gear" crowd.

[DRKWNG]

That's a pretty rotten situation, but you handled it well.

Funny thing is, this same three star knows I don't give a rats ass what he thinks.  I was originally slated to go to a particular office when I moved to the DC area, and it was a spot that I busted my ass to get and was really looking forward to working there.  Well, this guy reviewed my personnel file and decided to have my assignment diverted and place me on his staff so he could "groom me" for my future air force career.  He called me into his office when I first got up here to inform me of the opportunity that I had been given.  Again, I thanked him for taking my best interests into consideration, but also told him that he should have inquired what my interests were before trying to look out for them, as I had no intention of staying in the military longer than the 18 months required for taking these orders.

[mraff]

In fact, I work for one of the least ride friendly employers in this country, the United States Air Force.  
So yea...  I love my job...    

+1,

I get confused if it was the 1st, 2d or 3rd MSF riders course the Army made me take over a 7 year period that was my favorite. My bad, its the dayglow yellow jacket and/or vest I now wear that is my favorite. Yeah, thats the ticket. 

[DRKWNG]

I don't mind the courses.  Hell, I'm a big fan of the free training programs.  The part that gets me going is the fact that the people writing the safety regs for the AF don't have a clue about motorcycle safety.  Take one thing for instance, they let a guy ride onto Bolling the other day in a long sleeve t-shirt (he had his orange road-guard vest on over the shirt), cotton trousers, chuck taylors, what looked to be a pair of golf gloves and a salad bowl helmet.  But then they stop me and tell me I don't have adequate safety gear on.  I was wearing a white Dainese Santa Monica jacket (they have reflective material on them already), full face helmet, Cortech draggin' jeans and my Held Phantom gloves.  I ask the guard how my gear is "less safe" than the guy before me, and he answers "yours isn't bright yellow". 

Thankfully, I don't work on a military base and was only stopping for fuel at Bolling...

[ROBsS4R]

Hang this up at your desk...

hehe I was looking for that poster. Here is another one.

[slyfox]

I've been riding motorcycles since I was 14years old, thats 53years of fun with a capital "F"  I've had one round of golf which didn't ring my bell but, and heres the but, we are all different and shouldn't condem each other for not following our particular sport or hobby we just need to live and let live...

 

well said geoffduc

[slyfox]

http://www.ironhorsecaddybag.com/

They don't need that in Jakarta

[ab]

I learned not to talk about bike related stories with co-workers quickly.  They just don't get it and think it's a crazy sport.  Besides, I heard one of my co-workers say that she wishes she could open the door when a biker passes her by.  That just freaked me out.  In addition, I have a feeling any bike related issues that ties to work (injury etc) will be used against me.  So I limit my conversation to "yeah I rode a little bit".

As for golf, 

[Drunken Monkey]

I'm lucky.

I work with a fair number of motorcyclists (one even races supermoto)
My peers (VP / Director-level types) are all hitting their mid-life crises and want bikes, but their wives don't let them, so they're jealous of me.
Senior VP asked me the other day how I convinced my wife to let me ride and my answer was simple "I was well prepared and developed at least one bad habit worse than bikes to give up before I got married. In my case it was airplanes."

As for golf, it's a walk in nature. Ruined.

[DucHead]

...As for golf, it's a walk in nature. Ruined.

-Mark Twain

[ducatiz]

I learned not to talk about bike related stories with co-workers quickly.  They just don't get it and think it's a crazy sport.  Besides, I heard one of my co-workers say that she wishes she could open the door when a biker passes her by.  That just freaked me out.  In addition, I have a feeling any bike related issues that ties to work (injury etc) will be used against me.  So I limit my conversation to "yeah I rode a little bit".

As for golf, 

i heard a similar coworker say that years ago and i directly confronted HER by saying "So you would commit MURDER just because you don't like something?  That is pretty strong feeling to have about ME."  She turned bright red.

I doubt it's 1:1, but I have noticed the following

Drives {Toyota Sienna|Honda Odessey} eq Hates Motorcyclists.