Have you ever had a friend that is always late? Really annoying isn’t it?
I have never been considered a patient person….ever! I tend to live my life in a structured way and I find myself often wondering why many people in the world get caught with their pants down every now and then. Nowadays with all the things going on in the world, “prepping” has become a catchphrase you hear all over the place. Everyone is prepping for the next big disaster or getting ready for the next collapse of the financial system. Personally, I don’t worry about things like that too much. There isn’t a whole lot you can do about it and I imagine when the next big disaster hits I will find myself in the mix like everyone else trying to figure out what to do next. My daily life, on the other hand, is something that I am always prepped for. As I said, I tend to do things in a very structured manner and that includes getting ready to ride.
Time is something we don’t get a lot of and as the world moves at a faster pace I find myself feeling like I am always behind. This isn’t due to lack of effort, it's due to my personality. I am always striving to get to the next thing. I don’t know why, but this is just the way I think. I have a sense of regret that builds if I waste time and that always keeps me moving. My family is constantly telling me to relax, but that’s just not something I do well.
That being said, it’s bad enough when I feel like I am wasting time, it’s twice as bad when someone else is wasting my time. Nothing bothers me more than when I finally get some time to go riding and the people I am riding with are not prepared. Doesn’t matter if I am going street riding or off-road. Having that buddy that is always late and gets to the ride with all sorts of problems really drives me nuts! You know the guy. The one who shows up late, no air in the tires, the bike won’t start because the air cleaner hasn’t been changed in months. The guy that spends half the day doing all the stuff he should have done days ago when you decided you were going. The guy that stops over your house with a flat tire and says he needs a hand getting it changed when you were supposed to be on the way to the track. Yeah…That guy!
Listen…If you go riding with your friends, don’t be that guy! Off-road riding, just like street riding, is dangerous, so over the years, I have made it a habit to always make sure I have a buddy along just in case things don’t go my way. Having a reliable buddy to go riding with is essential. Having a guy that just sucks up your day because they spent their time doing what they wanted to do instead of getting ready to go is useless. If you want to have people to ride with, make sure you check everything over the day before the ride. Start the bike, change the oil, clean your air filter and check your tire pressure. Make sure you pack your gear and have it in the bag ready to go. Pack your lunch and throw it in the fridge, and for god’s sake set your damn alarm so you get to ride on time! If you do these things you will always have friends to ride with simply because they know they can rely on you. You will be known as the guy that’s always Ready to Ride!
(This article was originally published in Go FAR Magazine July 2014)
