Terrible start to Americade

[ridemslow]

+10 FOR YOU!

Originally Posted by flightdoc

I don't hate trucks....I hate truck drivers that don't properly secure their load.

[markclark57]

I try to give the truckers a little extra space and a little extra grace (especially when riding).
Most of the truckers are good folks. The bad ones are easy to spot if you watch 'em for a mile. A$$ holes are a$$ holes regardless of the vehicle they operate. Biker's have 1%er outlaws, so do cager's and trucker's. Let's not blame the bad ones on the good ones.

[ridemslow]

Actually Poncho, the trains cannot deliver to distribution centers, stores warehouses, ...etc. Everything you eat sleep on wear, etc... unless you've made it yourself, or grown it yourself, EVERYTHING we brought to you by a truck. I think the trucks should maybe shut down for ..say... 2 weeks, imagine the dirty diapers, the empty shelves, the endless lines waiting for eggs, milk, bread... you get the picture, but I could go on and on. What happened, was unfortunate, but one possibly bad apple will not sour the entire basket. When I'm riding, I hate them in my way too. Lets keep it in prespective. ;)

Originally Posted by ponch

A lot of the over the road traffic would be cut down if we used rail more. Trains can carry a lot more than trucks.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by ridemslow

Actually Poncho, the trains cannot deliver to distribution centers, stores warehouses, ...etc. Everything you eat sleep on wear, etc... unless you've made it yourself, or grown it yourself, EVERYTHING we brought to you by a truck. I think the trucks should maybe shut down for ..say... 2 weeks, imagine the dirty diapers, the empty shelves, the endless lines waiting for eggs, milk, bread... you get the picture, but I could go on and on. What happened, was unfortunate, but one possibly bad apple will not sour the entire basket. When I'm riding, I hate them in my way too. Lets keep it in prespective. ;)

There could be spurs to distribution centers. There was at one time. From there truck traffic would be local. It was just a thought.

[ringadingh]

Yesterday in Pa, we went by a truck that had just blown a tire. Anytime Im on the bike I try to make sure Im in front of them a good ways. If a tire ever let go next to you, you don't have a chance with a piece of 100lb rubber coming at you.

[ridemslow]

Ponch, you are so right on the not following a truck. I can only say that I saw as a kid of 16, a biker following a truck to shield himself from a misty rain, loose his head literally. When a recap blew, he was too close, the tire broke the mudflap bracket, sent it sailing. The bikers head went into the median, his body went to the guardrail, while the bike, for a short distance followed the truck. The trucker never knew what happened. He had to be 'rundown' and stopped. I was 16yrs old, and maybe 200 yards behind that. Like Ring said about tires sherdding, it's bad, and should one blow beside you, your screwed withoout a kiss. :-/. And a trucker who continues on on a shredded tire needs ticketed. Inspections alone will not solve this problem, as you never know from looking at a tire when it will blow. And cnc, the driver that lost the load kiklling those folks probly will be investigated and ticketed. Like Ponch asys, some freight does need to go by rail, on that I will totally agree. markclark57 has the issue down pat, that some drivers will do anything for a buck. There are bad apples in evry bunch. "It's a very good policy not to follow a truck. Ever." Ponch said this best!

[upside22]

Idiots for city planners that won't allow industrial complexes near railroads where sidings would be feasible have killed the use of the railroad for local delivery. Spurs like there used to be are not feasible because of fuel costs and capital investment costs for small engines.

Yet I agree with flightdoc. I see loads on I-70 through here that I would be afraid to drive because the loads have not one single backup tie-down let alone enough primary tie downs. When I was a youngster I would ride along with my dad delivering farm machinery on his lo-boy. Primary tie downs were sufficient for safe carry but every single primary tie-down had backup just in case. He never lost a load or even had one damaged from movement or shifting.

My Dad would *never* have continued to drive on a shredding tire, he just had too much pride in what he did to put others at risk from his actions.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by ridemslow

Ponch, you are so right on the not following a truck. I can only say that I saw as a kid of 16, a biker following a truck to shield himself from a misty rain, loose his head literally. When a recap blew, he was too close, the tire broke the mudflap bracket, sent it sailing. The bikers head went into the median, his body went to the guardrail, while the bike, for a short distance followed the truck. The trucker never knew what happened. He had to be 'rundown' and stopped. I was 16yrs old, and maybe 200 yards behind that. Like Ring said about tires sherdding, it's bad, and should one blow beside you, your screwed withoout a kiss. :-/. And a trucker who continues on on a shredded tire needs ticketed. Inspections alone will not solve this problem, as you never know from looking at a tire when it will blow. And cnc, the driver that lost the load kiklling those folks probly will be investigated and ticketed. Like Ponch asys, some freight does need to go by rail, on that I will totally agree. markclark57 has the issue down pat, that some drivers will do anything for a buck. There are bad apples in evry bunch. "It's a very good policy not to follow a truck. Ever." Ponch said this best!

Is the issue due to recaps or does it happen with original tires too?

[ridemslow]

"Is the issue due to recaps or does it happen with original tires too?" About 98% is caps Ponch, but it does/can happen with a Virgin caseing. upside22 You dad was a helluva guy! flightdoc is right about securing the load. on an open deck, there must, by law, be a strap or chain sufficent to hold the load every 2 feet from front to back. Thats DOT regulations. Not all drivers adhere to that. Those are the bad apples.

[markclark57]

As a rule, I may ride in a group that is staggered as close as 1 second from the rider next/ahead of me and 2 seconds to the one directly in front of me. I won't ride tandem beside anyone who is not a trusted experienced close riding friend. Behind a cage its 2+ seconds. Behind a big rig its 3+ in slow traffic and 4+ on the open road. I "try" to make sure they see me before/if I pass. I try not to spend more time than needed to pass big rigs, especially the "ratty" looking ones.

Of course there is the point that none of these "safety tips" would have saved the couple at Americade since they were opposing traffic.

If there is anything to soften the blow of their deaths it would be that they died doing what they loved. I'm not sure a cage would have helped either. I personally refuse to drive an armored tank. According to some of my Army friends, they can kill you in one of those too.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by markclark57

As a rule, I may ride in a group that is staggered as close as 1 second from the rider next/ahead of me and 2 seconds to the one directly in front of me. I won't ride tandem beside anyone who is not a trusted experienced close riding friend. Behind a cage its 2+ seconds. Behind a big rig its 3+ in slow traffic and 4+ on the open road. I "try" to make sure they see me before/if I pass. I try not to spend more time than needed to pass big rigs, especially the "ratty" looking ones.

Of course there is the point that none of these "safety tips" would have saved the couple at Americade since they were opposing traffic.

If there is anything to soften the blow of their deaths it would be that they died doing what they loved. I'm not sure a cage would have helped either. I personally refuse to drive an armored tank. According to some of my Army friends, they can kill you in one of those too.

I thought it is illegal to ride side by side? I do see motorcops doing it, but no one else. I wonder why someone would ride side by side?

[markclark57]

Originally Posted by ponch

I thought it is illegal to ride side by side? I do see motorcops doing it, but no one else. I wonder why someone would ride side by side?

Don't know about the legality part.

It takes a level of trust that only 3 of my most trusted rider friends have EARNED. Most of the MC officers that ride tandem have known each other for years, and know all of the rules. . . thus the trust. Don't even attempt to ride tandem with anyone who's next move you are not secure with and absolutely sure about. You have to KNOW that your co-rider is going to match your every move. Otherwise its too dangerous, don't even try it!!!! BTW one of those riders is a (female) Seattle MC officer.

[unwind2]

Originally Posted by ridemslow

"Is the issue due to recaps or does it happen with original tires too?" About 98% is caps Ponch, but it does/can happen with a Virgin caseing. upside22 You dad was a helluva guy! flightdoc is right about securing the load. on an open deck, there must, by law, be a strap or chain sufficent to hold the load every 2 feet from front to back. Thats DOT regulations. Not all drivers adhere to that. Those are the bad apples.

Just curious...have heard this before....recaps worse about shredding in hot weather? True or False?

[ponch]

Originally Posted by markclark57

Don't know about the legality part.

It takes a level of trust that only 3 of my most trusted rider friends have EARNED. Most of the MC officers that ride tandem have known each other for years, and know all of the rules. . . thus the trust. Don't even attempt to ride tandem with anyone who's next move you are not secure with and absolutely sure about. You have to KNOW that your co-rider is going to match your every move. Otherwise its too dangerous, don't even try it!!!! BTW one of those riders is a (female) Seattle MC officer.

It's not on my list of things to do. I don't even like group riding.

[ringadingh]

Originally Posted by unwind2

Just curious...have heard this before....recaps worse about shredding in hot weather? True or False?

It seems you see a lot more blown tires in the summer than in the winter, at least we do here.