The Blind Corner Dilemma

There it is, up ahead, the blind corner!

When I chat with and train riders and we talk about what the most challenging part of riding is and corners always become a center of conversation. This is no surprise and of course when I ask what type of corner they like the least the dreaded Blind Corner always takes the case.

In reality a blind corner isn't technically any more difficult than a normal corner, it is just more of a mystery to the mind because of what is yet seen. The corner itself gives a lot of clues in regard to the turn itself and if we assume that it will be a decreasing radius turn we are prepared for the worst in regards to the path. From there we need to gain an entry that allows us to see what lies around that corner as soon as possible and to be prepared for just about anything.

This is of course the moment that anxiety slips into the equation and makes that corner all that more difficult. Without anxiety we can think clearly and do what we need to do, but with it we tense up and then things seem to happen faster than they actually do. Until we relax we simply will never be comfortable with the Blind Corner.

About a month ago a student said to me that he just didn't encounter Blind Corners anywhere else in life that was a vulnerable as his bike, even when barely moving and that in a car he just didn't drive the same sort of road. We talked a bit about corners of building and the like and then I asked a simple question.

I asked if he ever had to run into a rest room after a movie or during a ball game. He said "of course!" So, I asked how much anxiety he had as he entered the restroom?

The light went off.....because you see....there it is.




So, the next time you run into a restroom without a door realize that you already know how to handle a blind corner without anxiety.....or the next time you're on your bike and headed towards that dreaded turn...pretend you are headed to the restroom!

Riding with the iPhone

Yeah, I’m an app junkie! I can and have ridden without apps, but being a fan of more knowledge and information I’ve found some that really have enhanced my riding ability and enjoyment. You can find thousands of apps in the iTunes App Store that can work for motorcycling and a hundred or so that are motorcycle specific. But as of today these are what I classify as the Birdman Top Picks.

Now, you'll notice that I'm not going to try and hard sell you on anything here, these are simply apps I use or have found interesting. Any of the ones I have, I purchased and did not receive for free, so I'm not paid to push any app at all. The links provided should open a web page and not force open your iTunes program.

Enjoy and please feel free to share your personal favorites as well.

Harley Davidson Maps - .99¢ *
Make no mistake, this is a Harley Davidson branded app, so the complete listing of nearby HD shops will be displayed. If you can get past that what you get is the best maps that the folks from Mad Maps can provide.
Right now the app costs .99 cents and includes your choice of 5 rides anywhere in the country. Additional rides are .99 each. The average trip is about 200 miles, so well worth the money. Keep in mind these are routes designed by riders, so they are scenic and include the best amount of twists possible. Check out the link to see what else is included.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/harley-davidson-motorcycle/id351423914?mt=8

Mad Maps - .99¢
This app is essentially the same as the HD app above, thus I count it as the same. It may have stories that differ from the HD, but since I have the HD one I am not sure. This one only includes one free map at this time, whereas the HD one comes with five. If you don’t mind also know where the HD dealerships are it is worth the purchase.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mad-maps/id326707710?mt=8

Motorcycle Test .99¢
Prepare for your state motorcycle skills or brush up on your knowledge of laws and procedures. You custom design tests from 5 to 100 questions/
Most states Driver’s Manual and Motorcycle Manuals can be downloaded as a PDF and saved on your phone for use later.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/motorcycle-test/id299251528?mt=8

Cycle Trader - Free
Probably know as the best way to look for a used motorcycle the Cycle Trader app allows search by GPS location and Zip Code.
Looking for that perfect used bike has never been this easy. Heck, it even saves your searches.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cycle-trader/id334867956?mt=8

Cycle World – Free *
This is the mobile edition of the popular Cycle World magazine, complete with editorial and photos. Also included are staff blogs.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cycle-world/id332675076?mt=8

Motorcycle Theory Test - $6.99 *
Euro and the UK have the most stringent rules and testing procedures in the world when it comes to riding a motorcycle and this is the official theory test, all on the iPhone.
Take a look through the guide and you’ll see why this is on my “must haves.”
Over 900 multiple-choice questions, formatted just like the real test.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/motorcycle-theory-test/id304488056?mt=8

Riding Test - $2.99
Yes, it is another Riding test, this one complete with signs and a simulated test. While I don’t think a rider needs all these test I do believe the more you keep fresh the better rider you’ll be.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/riding-test/id299467705?mt=8

MOTO GP (Lap by Lap) - Free
This app is the best way to keep up on the MotoGP series as it happens, lap by lap.
Live Coverage the way it should be including everything you’d see at race central. If you are a MotoGP fan, this should be downloading already.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id312688739?mt=8

MyRide - $2.99 *
If you look through the app store you’ll see a few other maintenance apps, but none of them cover the areas that motorcyclists need. This app was obviously written by a rider and even included a safety check list. Supports more than one bike, so check out the link. Well worth the money.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myride/id322560621?mt=8

Motorcycles! - .99¢
Bone up on your ability to identify bikes and learn more about that as you do. This is a fun app and can be a bit of a trivia game to use with other riders.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/motorcycles/id342834510?mt=8

Bike Loan Calculator - Free
Pretty simple, if you’re ready to buy and you need a loan, this quick calc helps you figure out your payment and decide.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bike-loan-calculator/id325373118?mt=8

Wooly Wind Chill – Free
Don’t guess what the conditions will be when the weather turns cold. Use this app first to calculate the wind chill factor and hen use the additional features to add in what the speed on your bike will do to that chill factor. If you ride when it gets cold, this app in invaluable (and currently free.)
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wooly-wind-chill/id347096129?mt=8


Finally, here are some non –moto specific apps I use frequently


FlickTunes - Free
I’m not sure if I would buy this app, but I since it is free why not! While it does not make the iPhone work with gloves it makes the operation of the screens for music a lot faster. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flicktunes/id319486057?mt=8

Spot Shared Mobile - $2.99 *
If you’re a Spot user and you take advantage of the shared pages this is an excellent way to manage them.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spot-shared-page-mobile/id346524744?mt=8

Sol - .99¢ *
This is a simple app that uses know geographical locations to give actual sunrise and sunset times including dawn and twilight. Very important to miss riding into glare or having glare be an issue for other roadway users to see you.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sol-daylight-clock/id285279179?mt=8

Moon Phase - .99¢ *
A very good app to avoid werewolves or alternatively a good way to know when moonlight will make nighttime riding easier.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moonphase-moon-info/id287526650?mt=8

EZ Radar - .99¢ *
If you travel cross-country like I do know when and where you’ll be running into weather is important. While this is the AZ and NM app there are plenty of others including a national map.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ez-radar-az-nm/id310755546?mt=8

Byline - $3.99 *
If you use Google reader to track RSS feeds you know that you don’t always have signal. This app loads all your feeds and the corresponding pages onto your iPhone so they can be read later without any 3G or Wifi connection.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/byline/id284946773?mt=8

Adaptunes - .99¢ *
This app raises and lowers volume based upon speed. Be warned that it uses the GPS to do so and only should be used on trips if you can plug your iPhone into power. Otherwise, pretty cool app.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adaptunes-speed-based-volume/id319479071?mt=8

* - Currently on my iPhone.

Follow The Bouncing Post!

So many services and so many posts.

Please excuse me as I figure out how things are flowing to multiple social site!

Enjoy the Seattle View!

The Things I've Learned!

Sometimes you just have to sit back and think....


Never did I ever think that I'd have to learn so much about the Internet, Web Code and DNS protocol as I've had to do....just to write about motorcycle riding.

Well just last week Google dropped the bomb on those of us using the Blogger service to publish via FTP (File Transfer Protocol.)

We were told that in 30 days they would no longer support the service and that they were building a migration tool, but had no idea when it would become available. If we wanted to could set things up without a migration tool, but instructions were limited.

After a week of reading, using 2 different customer service centers and some help from another Google user (not Google themselves) I think I've got everything back where it belongs and can now continue on my path!

Look soon for the ability to subscribe via e-mail and some cool reviews and stories.

Have Fun and Ride Safe!

Evolution Continues?

Continuing to troubleshoot and figure out issues.

So far I think I have some things sorted, not exactly the way things should work, but time will tell.

Once I get this fixed I actually have some exciting things to announce.

Things Change and We Must Evolve

Navigating the road is a lot easier than figuring out the web, that's for sure. I can't imagine riding a motorcycle would be very safe if you had the instructions given to you in the way that web operators spew forth information, assuming that you know what the term they are using means and when it is applied.

None-the-less since I communicate to you via the web and this blog I need to get it sorted.

Google isn't supporting FTP based blogging anymore and I had to redirect everything back to them, in the meantime the old photo links are in sort of a limbo. So, until I get those sorted you should be able to see them in the blog, just not click to enlage.

Bear with me and hopefully all will be back to normal soon. Additionally the iPhone based posting app I use should work better this way. If this post goes through we are off to a good start.

OK, now back to riding!