Gold Rush XXI: Day 3

On Wednesday morning, Lyn and U2 participated in the SRC (Skilled Rider’s Course) two-wheel and three-wheel seminars and received GWTA Rider Education Program Level 2 rockers.  I really enjoyed the chance to practice the drills on a closed course without risking damage or injury.  In my three-wheel group, we had riders at all  levels of experience.  This is not a pass/fail type of course.  The drills meet you at your current level and provide you an opportunity to develop, fine-tune, and brush-up your riding skills outside of “real traffic” road situations.  The course instructors are there to encourage riders with tips and suggestions and keep you safe.

My favorite trike exercise was the circle drill.  All trike riders know how important it is to maintain awareness of the width of your rear fenders. (This drill is really beneficial to riders who’ve made the switch to three wheels after many years of riding on two wheels.)  Each rider entered into a 40-foot circle of orange cones and continued riding inside the cones in a circular pattern.  The drill instructor walked nearby and noted your outer rear tire’s distance from the cones as you passed each cone.  The object was to get as close to the cones as possible without knocking them down, while maintaining a smooth speed and looking ahead to the next cone – not down at the cone next to your fender.  This is one of those drills that you can’t really practice on the road, and it was great to have someone telling you exactly how close your fender was to each stationary object.   As I repeatedly circled inside the cones without looking down, the instructor would advise me to hold my distance or move closer to the cones until I was able to gauge my distance while focusing on the cones ahead and maintaining a smooth ride.  Each rider practiced this drill in both directions – clockwise and then counter-clockwise until he/she had a real sense of the trike’s width.  

Other drills practiced stopping distances, dodging road hazards, and emergency situations.  Have you ever tried driving directly toward a man in a bright orange shirt, accelerating and shifting up to a steady speed, and then waiting for him to wave his arm at the last minute so you can swerve left or right of him without hitting him?  Kind of like playing chicken, but I'm the one squawking... and I'm not the one in the orange shirt.

I would encourage all GWTA members to periodically take advantage of these SRC events and brush up your riding skills in a pressure-free, closed course environment.   Our group had a lot of fun.  Remember to bring your gear:  over-the-ankle boots, full-fingered gloves, a helmet, eye protection, and a long-sleeved shirt or jacket.  Safety first!!!  And remember, the guys who run this course gave up a good part of their day at Gold Rush to prepare and supervise this activity.  They deserve a pat on the back.  Way to go guys!  (Thanks Ronnie and Kathe!)

During the SRC, other members of our group participated in the Family Games.  These events are always lots of fun.  We always walk away from this event with good ideas for party games at home!  The most challenging game this year was the Rice Game.  Competitors were blind-folded and told to sift their fingers through a bowl of rice grains in search of the tiny safety pins.  The competitor who found the most safety pins won.  Youth was a definite advantage in this competition! All those age-related health conditions and calluses played a big part in your fingers’ ability to detect the tiny pins among all those grains of rice.  RoadRunner ended up getting second place in the adult category… and he only found two pins!  Hammy won the kid’s bean toss game.

Teresa became Chapter W’s hero for a day when she filled in for the absentee host of Wednesday’s Craft Seminar.  On the spur of the moment and with the help of a generous jewelry vendor (Thank you, Christine!), she put together a bracelet making activity.  Jacquie, Hammy, U2, and about 10 other women spent a few hours out of the heat and learned that making fashion jewelry was a fun and relaxing way to spend time with friends and add some more bling to our lives.

Wednesday ended with a tail gate party and a filled parking lot at Beartooth Harley-Davidson.  Ralliers enjoyed grilled hot dogs, chips, and Cold Stone ice cream while being entertained by a live stage band and a few gunfights performed by actors in Old West costumes.

Afterwards, we headed to the Billings ballpark but found the game sold out.  Gold Rush wouldn’t be complete without RoadRunner’s tour of the dicier side of town.  I don’t know how he does it, but RR always manages to find an interesting character during the week who wants to get up close and personal with the trike while RR's fueling or sitting at a red light.

posted on Friday, August 15, 2008 4:51 PM by U2Farmer

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