Living inside my helmet.

"It must be awfully frustrating to get a small raise at work and then have it all eaten by a higher cost of commuting." - Ben Bernanke

Actually my raise was not that small.  

I'm still commuting roughly the same distance although now it takes longer than I would like so I guess Bernanke's quote applies.  Commuting into and out of the city of Tampa every day during the height of rush hour is leading me to reconsider what it means for me to be a commuter.  I left work at approximately 5:45 PM today and didn't pull into my driveway till 7:00 PM.  My morning commute took approximately the same amount of time.  

Sitting at a red light in full safety gear for one or two lights because some moron has blocked the intersection does not make me happy.  Especially when the heat and humidity of the day start to climb.  However I try to look at it as part of the experience and keep a good alert attitude about me.

My thinking has changed.  

I always believed in safety.  I almost always do a pre-check before getting on the bike.  The helmet goes on, the jacket, gloves, boots.  ATTGAT.  It's more than a saying to me.  It's always been a way of life.  

My old position had me leaving the house during the mid afternoon; my drive from point A to point B was a simple affair, the roads were relativity clear.  At 1 AM at night the ride home was more about keeping my eyes open for deer and drunks.  Lights were often green and I was the only car on the road many a night.  

Now I pull to a stop at a light, leaving enough room and options between myself and the car in front of me in case the car behind me doesn't stop.  In case I need to pull forward to go right or left in a quarter seconds notice.  I keep my eyes on the mirrors, my ears pealed for that screeching sound.  It's only when there are two or three cars behind me at the light that I relax some.  It's something I've always done, but am slightly more conscious of it now.

I have a headlight modulator, I don't use it in traffic often but I do know that the sun is behind me.  This time of year it's low in the sky...I flip the switch and the headlight starts to modulate.  I try to manage it at times.  A brake modulator is on the "to buy" list (the video below is for example purposes only).  

Blind spots become hugely important, I think about that car and where I am in relationship to it.   Again something I've always done, but am more conscious of it now.

All the safety gear in the world only goes so far.  

 All this should be second knowledge to any driver, either in a car or a bike.  It is for me as well but I remind myself again and again.  Cocky will get you killed.  

I remember something I said to a buddy of mine at work who was having a tough time with someone.    "Control the situation."   I think about lane position, about  road surface.  I'm scanning twelve seconds ahead, four seconds ahead, two seconds ahead of me.  I check over my shoulder with the turn signals on, I switch lanes safely.  Again, something I have always done, but am more conscious of now.

It's only when I'm finally out of city that I start to relax some.  The skills I've learned from my motorcycle safety class are still there.

 They are still in use.  The road changes from heavily traveled and used to more rural, pastoral.  New dangers, new concerns.  No, I can’t let the guard down.  Not till I've reached home.

Here at least I am not so worried about the aggressive driver with road rage or the idiot fighting with someone on the cell phone.  Here the dangerous are animals, living or dead, that find themselves in the middle of the road.  Here the dangers are tree branches, flooded roads, wash-outs, loose rocks and leaves.    

My butt is numb on the seat, I'm hot and sweaty and could really use a drink. I wiggle it, trying to find a comfortable position. "Why?.  Why do I do this?  It's so much easier in my car."  

Then I look out over the fields at the baby cows romping in the fields, the beautiful blue sky, the feel of the air as it flows over my arms.   I smile and wonder if my thinking has changed that much.  

To Modulate or not Modulate, that is the question

For the coming Christmas Holiday my lovely girlfriend bought me a Kisan Path Blazer Headlight modulator kit.  What this does is "flash" the headlight at oncoming traffic...the idea is that it makes the oncoming motorcycle that much more visible.  They certainly do catch the eye, and frankly when I've been riding or in my car, I've always found them to be a little annoying than anything.  You notice them however, which is the point.

I suppose that the best safety gear is the stuff that you never think about.  A fire alarm goes off when there is a fire, but you never really think of it till it screams in the middle of the night.  A steel toed boot is forgotten on the foot of the construction worker till a hammer falls on it.

The picture above shows my full "battle gear" (the woman on the back is my mother getting a photo op).  Each piece of gear serves a purpose, and I no longer think about putting my gloves on or wearing a jacket.  It's become habit, it's became part of who I am when I ride.  Sure at times it's been hot and uncomfortable, but I know it only takes a second for something to happen, and my gear has proven it's worth to me once already.  I will not ride without a helmet, and the few times I've gone somewhere without my jacket have felt weird.  ATGATT or nothing.

So I will be honest, to review the Path Blazer would be a tricky job for me.  Riding the bike, I'm not seeing it.  I will never know if a car was going to pull out in front of me only to see the flashing light and go "Oh, how annoying.  I better stop."  If it helps keep me safe when I ride that is worth the money.  The light only moderates during the day, it has a sensor that shuts it off at night, which I understand is the law.  Plus, would I really want a strobe light effect driving home at night?

Nor did I install the device, having neither the tools or the knowledge to install it.  So I can't tell you how easy or not it was.  However considering the mechanics told me it take about 90 minutes to install it and it took closer to 3 hours...I'm going to go with pain in the ass.

So why write about it at all?

Simply because more cars are using daylight running lights.  Motorcycles, since 1978 at least, have been designed voluntarily to burn the headlight during daylight hours as a way of making them more discernible.  Now, due to more and more cars using running lights, it's became even easier to lose a motorcyclist in the mix.  Will modulated headlights be a standard on motorcycles one day?

Sadly most motorcycles accidents happen either because a car did not see the cyclist or because the cyclist was being unsafe in some way.

At the end of the day...I want to come safe.  So I practice ATTGATT, I (more or less) obey the traffic laws.  I don't lane split.  I am on my bike nearly every day by choice...so if the modulator helps get me home in some small way I recommend it.

I'll recommend it to you too.  Next on the to do list.  Rear brake modulators.