[Elist] RUN FOR THE WALL Schedule

Sat Apr 9 01:20:35 PDT 2011

RUN FOR THE WALL

--- On Fri, 4/8/11, James Gregory <bikergunny at msn.com> wrote:

From: James Gregory <bikergunny at msn.com>
Subject: Fw: Sharing the road with trucks
To: "John Del Santo" <mcbwaycool at yahoo.com>
Date: Friday, April 8, 2011, 2:55 AM

Go to www.rftw.org for the whole schedule.

However, we leave LA on May 18th and arrive in DC on May 27th with Rolling Thunder on May 29th.  Come up to Rancho Cucamonga early Wednesday morning to see the riders off or come and ride a few miles with us.  Must see it to believe it.  ABATE was one of the original supporters of RFTW.  This is something the membership should be proud of.

J.

From: John Del Santo 
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2011 4:09 PM
To: James Gregory 
Subject: Re: Sharing the road with trucks

thanks.      Can you email to me the dates for    RFTW  .     Thanks.

John Del Santo
( 619 ) 223-0421   

"QUESTION AUTHORITY"

  Benjamin Franklin

--- On Thu, 4/7/11, James Gregory <bikergunny at msn.com> wrote:

From: James Gregory <bikergunny at msn.com>
Subject: Sharing the road with trucks
To: "Allen "AJ" James" <ajflashback at gmail.com>, "Animoto "RFTW"" <theteam at animoto.com>, "Arnie "Iron Butt" Swift" <kawpoke at yahoo.com>, "Arnie "PostMaster" Swift" <kawpoke at yahoo.com>, "Bill Hawkins" <wc.hawkins at comcast.net>, "Cowboy" <meadroger94 at hotmail.com>, "Daniel "RFTW &F.R.I." A Lopresto" <dlopresto at raytheon.com>, "Dave & Dona Ambrose" <prophet_sunshine at hotmail.com>, "davemilligan" <david.e.milligan at jpl.nasa.gov>, "David "Pegger" G Mc Donald" <pegger0331 at live.com>, "Don "papabear" Stringer" <papabear2653 at hotmail.com>, "FrankPerry" <tadpole315 at gmail.com>, "Greasy" <tfogreasy at alltel.net>, "Greg "Pied Piper" Smith" <gregsmith at cvtv.net>, "Greg Smith" <piedpiperrftw at gmail.com>, GUNNYMIMS at aol.com, "hawgwash" <hawgwash at bigplanet.com>, "I Co Hector Garza" <hectorxgarza at aol.com>, info at rftw.org, "J. E. "Slammer" Gebhards" <jgebhards at centurytel.net>, "J.R. Franklin" <jrfe6 at aol.com>, "james "RFTW" stone" <jestoneiii at sbcglobal.net>, "Jenny Ori"
 <JOri100384 at aol.com>, "Jerry Eibert" <evoredwfmc at aol.com>, "Jim "The Mayor" Frost Frost" <rftwca at hotmail.com>, "John "Dirt" Grimes" <papadirt at frontiernet.net>, "John "Hardcharger" Barker" <hardchargerrftw at gmail.com>, "John "Ice Scott" King" <jekingjr at navajoclinic.com>, "John "Ice Scout" King Jr." <jekingjr at citlink.net>, "John and Linda Anderson" <walltvl at aol.com>, "JOHN DEBBIE BARKER" <jndbarker at q.com>, "Judy "Sugarbear" .. Cockrum" <honorbound at sbcglobal.net>, "Judy "Sugarbear" Cockrum" <judycockrum at gmail.com>, "Judy Lacey - RFTW" <JudyLacey at aol.com>, "Karoni "POW Fam" Forrester" <karoni at mac.com>, "Lee Vela" <lpvela at pyramid.net>, "lee vela" <leevela1778 at charter.net>, "Leonard Green" <leonardagreen at gmail.com>, "Lil Big Mike" <LilBigMike at comcast.net>, "Mark "Straightarrow" Rittermeyer" <mritt52 at msn.com>, "Mark Peterson UAW" <hogxtco3 at msn.com>, "Marla Brundies" <mbrundies at hotmail.com>, "Mike "Enigma" Mendell" <mmendell at verizon.net>, "Mike "Tanker" McDole"
 <RFTWTanker at gmail.com>, "Milo Gordon" <nayber2457 at gmail.com>, "Mustang" <hparmer2 at cox.net>, "Paul "RFTW" Boulanger" <gablig at aol.com>, "Ray McDowell" <rayequip at aol.com>, "RBenve" <RBenve9570 at yahoo.com>, "RFTW Mike33" <mikemc33 at gmail.com>, "Robert "Zoom" Atwell" <Zurn41 at yahoo.com>, "Ron "Hammer" Young" <RFTWHammer at gmail.com>, "Russ "Sheepdog" .. Cockrum" <russcockrum1 at gmail.com>, "Russ "Sheepdog" Cockrum" <RFTWSheepdog at gmail.com>, "SgtMaj Doug" <Doug at Lyvere.com>, "Smoke" <tughill23 at verizon.net>, stephen at van-hecke.net, "Terry & Laurie Porter" <rftwskipper at earthlink.net>, "Terry & Laurie Porter" <rftwskipper at sprintmail.com>, "Tom "Ghost" Titus" <Ranger75th at aol.com>
Cc: "John Del Santo" <mcbwaycool at yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, April 7, 2011, 4:29 AM

Good advise for RFTW.

Gunny

                                 BIG  WHEELS  ROLLING 

by John Del Santo 

 Sharing the road with big trucks can be an advantage because most truckers are better trained and more experienced than the other drivers around us.  A large percentage of truckers are also motorcycle riders, and are  more conscious and considerate of bikes around them in traffic.  To keep from becoming a hood ornament on a Peterbilt though,  we need to show the proper respect for the vehicles length, width, and weight. 

 A Semi, bus, or RV  traveling at any speed is creating big changes in the air around it….the vehicle is pushing a wave of pressurized air out in front of it, like a bow-wave in front of a boat;    there is accelerated air lifting along the sides (the same effect that causes lift on an airplane wing);   and  there is a vacuum swirling and filling behind it. When you pass a Semi going in the opposite direction at highway speeds, there will be a big rush of tumbling air following the truck about two seconds behind it.  If there are heavy crosswinds blowing, the crosswind will be blocked by a passing truck and will hit you again at the other end…be ready for it. 

Size creates an optical illusion that distorts sense of speed and distance…Expect that truck coming at you to be moving faster than it appears, and expect the one you are approaching from the rear to be going slower.  Don’t attempt sharing a lane with a vehicle that already fills the whole lane. 

Construction trucks drive off the paved road and can pick up rocks in their tires.  When they get back up to speed on the highway, those rocks can shoot loose and zero in on you like a duck in a shooting gallery.  Don’t hang out behind open-topped rigs…Full or empty,  the high speed airflow will sweep almost anything out in your direction.  If you’re following a truck and a small piece of tire tread seems to fly out from the wheels….Back Off !    There’s more, and bigger, pieces on the way !    

 Keep an eye on their turn signals.  Tractor Trailers need a lot of room to make a turn;  The back of the truck will cut in closer to the curb,  and the driver cannot see the area by the back wheels in the mirror.  There are many blind spots around a Semi.  The worst are… a blind spot a hundred feet long behind the truck,  and another big one just off the right-front side…..If I can’t see the drivers face in the mirror…The driver can’t see me ! ! 

The massive weight and velocity of a truck creates the need for the driver to keep a HUGE following distance.   If the driver loses his or her following distance,  and is forced to lock up the brakes,  the rig can jackknife across four lanes of traffic…..So if I cut in front of a truck and steal their following distance,  I am digging my own grave and probably putting other drivers in serious jeopardy.  

 So let’s share the road properly with the Big Rigs.  The old (and incorrect ) saying is “those airbrakes can stop on a dime.”   We need to Ride Smart so the dime they stop on is NOT  the one in the pocket of our jeans. 

_______________________________________________
Elist mailing list
Elist at abatelocal6.org
http://abatelocal6.org/mailman/listinfo/elist_abatelocal6.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://abatelocal6.org/pipermail/elist_abatelocal6.org/attachments/20110409/e6c9705b/attachment.html>