Day four of the RCPC was a lot of material again as it was on Day 3. It was also our first chance to peer-teach. Peer-teaching is using the other coaches and students. It’s a great way to get practice with the difference exercises and units since the coaches know what is supposed to happen and can provide feedback on areas you missed.
The two instructors are also doing a good job keeping us in line and are quite patient with all our questions and mistakes. I didn’t write an update last night as I was working on homework. Our homework is a peer-teaching assignment. I’ve been breaking the recommended action steps down for each assignment into little pieces – noting diagrams in the book, and making little talking point notes.
The range assignments are a little more complicated as the demo ride needs to be prepared for, cones placed, starting the exercise, reversing (if needed), and then ending or staging the exercise. These are the pieces that I find are the biggest challenge for me right now. Of course, all of this while staying on a tight schedule. It is a pretty rapid fire pace, and at least one of the coaches is always doing something. While one is giving instructions, the other is placing cones and getting ready to ride the demo.
It will be interesting to try and control a range of twelve moving motorcycles piloted by new riders. I’m looking forward to the challenge.
Day five was more peer-teaching. I finally was able to give my first in-class unit. I think it went pretty well. I had rehearsed a bit last night, and had an extra handout about helmets which wasn’t part of the MSF material, but I thought it helped drive the point home on using a full face helmet over a half helmet. A few of the other coaches liked the handout so much, they kept a copy for themselves. You can check it out here: helmet crash handout.
After lunch today, we started on the range exercises again. The weather conspired against us as it has been the last few days. We will still teach/learn in the rain, but when lightning, hail, or so much rain as to make the cones float away. We call it. The cones started to move around because it was raining so hard, and we retreated inside. My one-piece tourmaster rain gear kept me dry. My gloves were soaked, but I have a spare pair. The others got pretty wet.
We ended the day listening to hail, strong winds, and heavy rain. The ride from the college back to the hotel was interesting too. Normally, I’d exit the parking lot to the right and take the back way. As I pulled up to my turn, I watched a red station wagon pushing a large bow-wave of water in front of it. It appeared the water was above the bottom of the doors. I decided against that road as my SV isn’t a very good boat.
Just as I was turning left, I saw a large, rotund man in shorts, white tank top, and flip flops. He yelled at me asking if I was insane. I replied back if he was the insane one being out in the rain without gear.
Many of the roads were flooded out on the way back to the hotel. The main road, Hwy 7, was flooded along the sides, so I rode close to the double yellow. The edges looked to be six inches deep which I was able to confirm as I pulled into the hotel lot. The water splashed up to my knees.
Here is the photo from two days ago:
Here it is now after an hour of that storm:
The sky is starting to clear up again as I write this, and I can see some glimpses of blue sky. Time to go find some dinner and then more homework.
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This sounds like quite a challenge and part adventure. That is a LOT of water and a great recommendation of the Tourmaster one-piece suit. That is a good handout to have especially with the owners riding experience listed.
ReplyDeleteRichardM: Lots of challenge that's for sure. The tourmaster suit will keep you dry. I've used it in a tropical depression and some crazy colorado rain storms and didn't get wet at all. I'm on my second suit now as the first developed a small leak. The zippers are cheap and both suits have had them break, but the suits are fantastic if you ride in the rain regularly.
ReplyDeleteI liked the chart a lot because it shows were the impact happens. Makes a very compelling case for a full-face (only if you like facts) :)
No such thing as bad riding weather, just bad riding gear....or lack thereof.
ReplyDeleteThose watery conditions would have been fun on your Ural or on my Suzuki V-Strom rig....just saying.
dom
Redleg's Rides
Colorado Motorcycle Travel Examiner
Like Dom said, it just takes the right gear and the right rig :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I took my basic riders course the weather was perfect. I mentioned to one of my instructors how lucky we were to have such nice weather in October. He agreed, but added that he actually liked teaching in the rain. I don't think he meant as much rain as you had :) His point was that students learned that they could do what he was teaching in the rain as well as on the dry. That comment was helpful to me and empowered me to look at rain and wet as just another road hazard to be dealt with, rather something to be feared and avoided.
Thanks for the share,
~k
Dear Chris Luhman:
ReplyDeleteI hope that farmer's field is planted for watermelons! I guess if you can teach the range part of the course in hail, rain, and high winds, you can teach it anywhere. I salute your progress and dedication.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Twisted Roads
Dom: I use that phrase "no bad weather, just bad gear" a lot when people comment on the conditions I ride in.
ReplyDeleteThe Ural maybe if I had high-pipes. It would have covered the exhaust tips. My WR250R would have been great!
Keith: My two coaches also mentioned they like teaching in the rain. After standing it for days, I would agree given the alternatives. The black parking lots get quite hot. the rain keeps things comfortable. I also had a rain day during my BRC. It does help get over that fear.
Dear Jack: I think it was corn. Too bad really. Lots of harsh weather lately, but spring is storm season here. Thanks for the support Jack. It's been a tough but rewarding road.