Family asleep, I was up watching Dust to Glory for the umpteenth time the other night. One of the great parts of the movie (I feel) is when Rick Johnson is talking about "greatest moments." I'm sure you know the scene, but he talks about how often the greatest moment might not be a win or a championship, but perhaps a corner or something that just was perfect.
I know mine, and racing Vet class, it wasn't a win nor a C-ship, but it makes me smile every time I think about riding.
Yours?
Chris and Amy in Vermont
Dear Chris,
My greatest moment wasn’t a championship either. But that is likely because I don’t have one. If I did I can assure you that would be my greatest moment. But maybe if you are a legend like RJ and you have number one plates stuffed in a box up in the attic somewhere it’s easy to find something else to really enjoy. And I know what you are both talking about. I’ve had those perfect days out in the hills after a rain where the dirt is so loamy and perfect you just want to drop down in it and make a dirt angel. I actually had a day like that this week! I made one of the most amazing outdoor tracks I’ve ever ridden in the hills of Beaumont. That moment could be hitting a big jump for the first time, ripping through a rut or a big berm perfectly or having an epic battle with your buddy on the vet track. Maybe it’s a day at Chicken Licks Raceway where your girlfriend, let’s just call her, Luella, and she is lovely, put just the right amount of mayonnaise on the turkey sandwich in your lunch. Great moments don’t always have to be monumental. Thank God for that because if championships were the only huge moments I would be a sad boy.
PING
Hey Ping,
I wrote to you back in June after suffering a concussion and dealing with getting back on the bike after taking a good spill. I'm still not 100 percent but I'm doing well in my recovery and will be back on the bike soon enough.
Two weeks before I crashed, I had a discussion with my daughter (she's 15 and rides/races with me too) about first aid. Specifically, I taught her about proper helmet removal on a downed motorcyclist. As luck would have it, she was second on the scene when I crashed and actually taught the gentleman who got their first how to properly remove my helmet while I was taking a dirt nap. What's my point in all this? Well, I think everyone that rides should take a little time to learn some first aid! We take the time to learn about suspension, pipes, tires, etc. so why not educate ourselves by becoming familiar with the right techniques to possibly help an injured rider. We're all going to go down at some point and, most of the time, professional help may not be readily available. I used to be an EMT back in the day and still know what to do when someone goes down. Moto webs and magazines always offer tips on wrenching, riding and training - how about adding an occasional "how to" on helping riders with common dirt bike injuries to your web or magazine? Not sure if you can due to liability, but any type of information may benefit somebody down the line. It definitely worked for me!
I really enjoy your column so keep up the good work.
Still Recovering
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Dear Recovering,
I love this idea. I actually pitched it to the magazine but before I could get into the details of the story the company’s attorney ran in and yanked the phone cord out of the wall. I got an email later that said something about liability or something. It’s a litigious world we live in, sir, and offering advice on how to care for the injured, whether written by a qualified person or otherwise, is a slippery slope. Still, I think it is something that needs to be done. If you ride regularly you WILL be around someone who gets hurt and you should know how to provide some very basic care. Something I’ve started doing is paying attention to the address where I’m riding if it is a location without EMS staffing. Where are you going to tell the 911 operator to send help? This is something that even the factory test tracks here in Corona haven’t picked up on yet.
Glad to hear you are okay and hopefully we can figure out a way to get information out there without fear of getting sued for it.
Cheers.
PING
Dear Ping,
What the heck? I suffer through a brutal 90-minute commute every day and the one thing that takes my mind off the retards surrounding me on the freeway is the podcasts you guys do [with Matthes and Weege]. It’s been at least a couple months since anything new has come out and listening to Ryan Seacrest blabber on about the intricacies of getting your eyebrows waxed on the radio is making me lose my mind. I enjoy all the Rhianna songs about having angry sex as much as the next guy but I need some podcasts. Can you get off your lazy ass and make it happen?
Chuck T
Rialto,CA
Dear Chuck,
I understand your pain, Charles. Just picturing Ryan Seacrest with Julianne Hough makes me want to grab her by the shoulders, give her a good shaking and scream, “Really? This guy? Really?”
They say money can’t buy happiness but I bet any single guy would be pretty happy on a date with her. Sorry, I digress. The podcasts are coming. We tried to do one this week but it’s been tough to get our schedules to line up. Weege is on the east coast, Matthes has dog-walking duties and I am either working or taking care of my kids. I’m going to make it happen just for you, man. I know how tough it is on the freeways out there and it’s even more difficult to keep a Corolla going in a straight line when Rhianna keeps screaming about chains and whips and the smell of sex. Dang, what goes on in Barbados anyway? Your highway entertainment is coming soon, Chuck.
PING
