Skills Day

Once a year at the beginning of the riding season, our chapter of Women On Wheels® gets together to brush up on our bike skills.  We rent a big parking lot and set up an MSF style range full of exercises to practice our skills.  Any member can participate and receive personal instruction from two qualified members in our group.  One of those members is an MSF instructor and the other is a trainer of motorcycle police.

We meet around 9:00 or 10:00 AM to watch some impressive demonstration, then they let us loose!  The most experienced riders with the ability to help with coaching in a skill, will station themselves around the range to help anyone who wants help.

This is one of Cooper's favorite events because he gets to hang out on a long leash for a while.  Then we ride around practicing skills for a while.  There is plenty of social time where he gets to play a little and he gets lots of attention from Aunties and Uncles who he hasn't seen all winter.  He also gets to wander around off leash for a little while when I have time to watch him.  He smells the tall grass, the woods and dirt roads in the area.  He really enjoys that part best.  He seems to get lost in his nose!  He will follow a scent for quite a ways, so I don't like to let him wander unless I can follow him.

A couple of years ago, when my 96 Gold Wing was new to me, I was making the most of this day.  Having a new bike made all he skills feel really different to me.  Cooper was doing well as usual.  He liked the old bike better, but as long as he could come along he was happy.  Everything was going fine until I tried to work on emergency stops.  This bike felt so different from my other Gold Wing.  The weight of the bike felt different when I put the breaks on.  When it was my turn to practice breaking, with cooper behind me on my bike, I was given the sign to go.  I accelerated and shifted through the gears till I got to break with the intention of stopping as fast as I could.  I applied the breaks hard and the bike pitched sideways as it was coming to a stop.  By the time I was at a full stop my bike was on it's side and Cooper was hanging by his harness.

  

As usual, Cooper took this all in stride.  He's so calm about everything.  If I'm ok, he's ok.  He just dangled by his harness until I unhooked him. Once he was unhooked I had him stay while we picked the bike up.  He got right back on the bike and we continued riding on the course.  He's so trusting in these situations.  We completed the course a few more times.  

I was glad for this day for a couple of reasons.  One, I got to get used to my new bike under controlled situations.  Two, Cooper got to experience the upset of being on a bike as it went down.  He learned what to do when something like that happens.  He was very good.  He learned to sit, wait until the bike was put back upright.  Then he got back on the bike with no fear.  As usual, he just did what I said to do and watched me for anything else he was expected to do.

It really was a great experience for both of us.  We both got to see what we would do in a situation like that, and I got to see what Cooper would do and how well he would follow directions.  I was happy to see his behavior.  As usual, he made me proud.