A Great Day For A Ride

Several of you know that my daily (it's not raining) commuter is of the 2-wheel type. Last year I decided that with the hybrid being allocated to child duties, I'd hop on the low fuel, low expense option with a Suzuki V-Strom 650 (DL650).

The nice part about this, when it's a nice day out, it also doubles as my errand runner, my grocery wagon (unless the fridge is completely empty) and pretty much anything else I need to run out for.

Today was Morton's BMW open house, so as soon as we could get the child dressed and the family out the house for some other appointments, I hopped on and rode south on US1 to see what all the fuss was about. The weather was great. I wish I had been able to stay the day since Fredericksburg area Habitat for Humanity was organizing a poker run. Instead I took a shorter demo ride on a new BMW F650GS, a fun bike with little weight, and a sporty engine that purred along the whole way. My ears are grateful. Unfortunately by the time I returned, the line for bbq was long and I needed to get back to the house to hang out with our son for the afternoon.

I was amazed at the variety of bikes present. I wasn't even the only V-Strom. As I was leaving another pulled in. I was parked in a row of Hondas. Something for everyone. What I loved seeing was several 'antiques' that were still being ridden around like they were new. A 64 BMW caught my attention for how smoothly it still ran. There were also several side cars there, with spouses or children riding along. Inside the deals were enticing. I wish I had arrived a little earlier so that I could have found a pair of riding pants in my size. The $299 pants were on sale for just $99. I settled for a $10 pair of riding gloves, and a new safety vest. What a difference several years of road grime can make on neon.

We're priviledged to have Morton's here, the next closest BMW dealer is Lynchburg, VA. There are only 3 in the State. Even if you want a Harley Davidson, you have to go all the way to Orange county. I'm pretty luck in that Extreme Powersports is a Suzuki dealership.

So I'll tell everyone here exactly what my friends ask me about riding. Sign up for a safety course. Even if you're experienced, guaranteed this will improve something in your skillset. If you're new, it will give you tons of pointers. Then find something you can enjoy riding for your situation. A sport bike, as much as I may want one, doesn't fit in my insurance budget. My V-Strom insurance is $100 a year (safety discount included). Lastly, think about all the savings. Gas is one thing and any bike after 2006 has added EPA limits, so the air quality will be better (getting more stringent for this year's model). Think about the other savings, 2 wheels instead of 4, much fewer raw materials, reduced parking requirements. And if that doesn't sway you, how about using the HOV lanes without having to stop at the park & ride lots. Some days this would cut off 1/2 an hour or more. Even for me, why drive an almost 2 ton vehicle to the train station when I can take a 450lb bike there instead. OK, I COULD take my 20lb mountain bike there, but I'm not daring enough to bike up RT3 from the Blue & Grey parkway to Burlington in the evenings.

Water Safety - Stop The Drownings

After 2 drownings this year, lets talk about water safety.


WebMD has a good first step with these safety tips:

1. Whenever young children are swimming, playing, or bathing in water, make sure an adult is constantly watching them. By definition this means that the supervising adult should not read, play cards, talk on the phone, mow the lawn, or do any other distracting activity while watching children.
2. Never swim alone or in unsupervised places. Teach children to always swim with a buddy.
3. Keep small children away from buckets containing liquid: 5-gallon industrial containers are a particular danger. Be sure to empty buckets when household chores are done.
4. Never drink alcohol during or just before swimming, boating, or water skiing. Never drink alcohol while supervising children. Teach teenagers about the danger of drinking alcohol and swimming, boating, or water skiing.
5. To prevent choking, never chew gum or eat while swimming, diving, or playing in
water.
6. Learn to swim. Enroll yourself and/or your children aged 4 and older in swimming classes. Swimming classes are not recommended for children under age 4.
7. Learn CPR (cardio-pulmonary resusitation). This is particularly important for pool owners and individuals who regularly participate in water recreation.
8. Do NOT use air-filled swimming aids (such as "water wings") in place of life jackets or life preservers with children. These can give parents and children a false sense of security and increase the risk of drowning.
9. Check the water depth before entering. The American Red Cross recommends 9 feet as a minimum depth for diving or jumping.

Specifically tips 1&2 and 6 have been factors in the last two drownings.


The city website documents that swimming is not allowed at Old Mill Park. It also states that no one should enter the water without a coast gaurd approved personal floatation device (life vest).


Now, onto what you can do. I'm a strong advocate of teaching children to swim asap.

According to Parents Fredericksburg, contact the following for lessons:

Dixon Pool: 310-0665
Little Fish Swimming (taught at Regency Park): 540-645-0954
Regency Park Sports: 786-8688
SwimKids at Central Park Sport&Health: 446-KIDS.
Tsunami Swimming: 540-371-4369
YMCA pools: both locations, 371-9622
Woodlands Pool: 658-4241

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 4 years for beginning lessons, based on a study showing that whether beginning at ages 2-4, they became proficient at 5 1/2. This article also points out that this doesn't mean you can't start working with children in a pool before that age. I can attest to my brother starting out at a very young age. We both spent a lot of time in a pool which has saved my butt several times.

Motorcycle Safety Foundation course

Oh how I have neglected the blog this week. This weekend I spent sweating it out at the Locust Grove Germana Campus parking lot at the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse. Friday night we spent four hours going over safe riding videos and book work. Saturday we spent the day building up motorcycle riding techniques, then Sunday we built on that with additional techniques. The last day encompasses both the written and riding tests. This was a great class for ANYONE that rides, and if you have many years of experience, they teach an experienced course. For someone with me with, lets admit it, no experience, it's a great way to safely get on a bike. Admittedly, the course teaches you to ride around in a parking lot. However, for my short 3mi commute to the train station, it taught all of the tools needed. Won't be jumping out on I-95 just yet.

As reported in the Examiner, accidents involving motorcycles is on the rise as ridership increases. Riders will find that taking the safety course will cut insurance rates and allow them to bypass the 30day learner period with DMV. Auto drivers will also benefit from the ForCarDrivers course to help recognize bikes on the road.