Road Captain USA.com

Group motorcycle riding is a sport unto itself, different from riding solo. To illustrate my point please imagine a Blue Angels fighter pilot. He will use different skills and tactics if challenged to a one on one dog fight then when he is flying in formation with the famous 6 plane flight squadron. A group ride is usually planned and lead by a Road Captain. This individual gives his time and takes on the responsibility of leading the group because he enjoys sharing the sport of motorcycling with others. The Road Captain is essential to group riding. He is the warrior leading the tribe through the jungle. He is the strategist predicting what the highway will throw at us and deciding how we will approach the challenge. He is the planner, the navigator and most importantly the leader!

There are Road Captains of all levels. Each is traveling on their own journey to mastering the art of Road Captainhood. No one starts out from day one as a black belt. Like a Samurai warrior or Kung Fu master, the Road Captain develops his skills over time. Someday I hope to be a wise old master Road Captain who can look up at the sky, listen to the wind and know from the flow of energy in the universe which direction to travel, which road to take, how fast to ride and when to take a comfort break. For those of you who travel solo this might sound strange. For those of you who ride in a diverse group, you understand the challenge of trying to please everyone.

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Tags: Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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Like Joker illustrates in his August 23rd post the preride is an integral part of being a good Road Captain. Leading a ride on roads you are unfamiliar with is chancey. You might not like the roads, they may be unsafe or just plain boring. Who knows? You will only know by doing a preride!

I really enjoy planning seasonal trips for First State HOG. In October I’m leading a group of our members up to western Connecticut and the lower Berkshires for a foliage trip… or a peeper trip. Diana and I just got back from our 4 day preride. We’ll post the pictures and the stories soon. Savor the new pictures because the Dianacam may retire anytime now that she has her own big V-twin.

I am so stoked that I did the preride. Just like my spring trip to Mansfield and my Red Roost ride, I don’t like the original route and am able to change the ride for the better. The new route is kick butt awesome! If we hit the fall colors just right this will be a spectacular trip. By doing the preride I have not only familiarized myself with the route, but I have found the strategic butt breaks, gas stations, lunch spots and even the motel. The Preride is not 100% necessary, but it helps tremendously.

On Friday we rode up to the motel in Bethel, CT. I attempted to meet up with Doorman from the Ghost Chapter in Stamford, CT for dinner, but he couldn’t make it. We ate at the restaurant he suggested and it was incredible! It was called Rosy Tomorrows in Danbury and the Fisherman’s Chowder was to die for! I could eat that chowda everynight and be a happy man. Good thing we were on a motorcycle because parking is scarce at this popular tavern.

On Saturday we rode the scenic route up into the lower Berkshires of Massachusetts and then back down to Kent, Connecticut. After we checked out the 200′ waterfall in Kent Falls State Park and riding all day we met up with my buddy, his family and friends at an Octoberfest. This is my best friend from college who I lost touch with over 15 years ago. It was like we never missed a day. After the Octoberfest we went to a party at one of their friends house.

On Sunday my friends John and Margie had a Labor Day party that was unbelievable. We ate and drank from 2:30 in the afternoon til bedtime. I ate so much I couldn’t move. The food was unbeatable. The weather was great! We didn’t do any riding, but we had a great time!

We rode back today and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky all day. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. Reconnecting with John and his wife Margie was priceless. Their boys are fantastic. I am so happy for them and how their life turned out. I rode awesome roads and can’t wait to go back for the real deal in October! It’s all good!

Tags: Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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I was patched as an official HOG Road Captain for the First State HOG chapter earlier this evening. I am very proud of this accomplishment and thank everyone who supported me including our Road Captains, Road Captain Prospects, and members who participate in my rides. 

When I dubbed this website www.RoadCaptainUSA.com I never meant to imply I was a Road Captain. I started going by the online handle Road Captain on other blogs and biker forums only as a way to create visibility for my site. I clearly stated on my About Page that I was the FSH Activities Officer. Some of you may have been disappointed to find out I was not officially a real Road Captain. I considered myself a Road Captain of the Internet; through my blog posts I can guide you and give you useful information that will make your biking experience better.

The more I immersed myself in writing my posts and group riding with our club the position of Road Captain began to interest me more and more. There is sort of an art form to being a Road Captain. It’s like zen biker martial arts with elements of karma, style, intuition, wisdom and the ability to execute the moves correctly. I also liken the RC patch to the black belt. Like Mr Miagi pointed out to young Danielson, it’s your skill and accomplsihments that make you a black belt… not the belt itself.

Now that I have earned the patch, I am glad to finally be legitimate! Thank you all for bearing with me and now that I am legit I hope you continue to read my blog and participate in my rides.

Tags: HOG, News & Announcements, Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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To be patched as a Road Captain is a great honor. The Road Captain can make an ordinary ride into a spectacular ride. The Road Captain leads his club and they follow knowing full well that their Captain will lead them as safely as he can. His focus is to lead the group safely and make the trip enjoyable. Just like a Captain at the helm of a ship, he is going to guide you through the adversity that is the open road.

For the prospective Road Captain eager to learn the ways of the road you can only hope to find a willing mentor. Some of you may be fortunate and join clubs with well established Road Captain programs. Others may not be so lucky. Maybe you are trying to start your own club from scratch. Maybe you live in some distant corner of the planet far away from Milwaukee where there are no other motorcycle clubs to model yourselves after. You may feel lost like Luke Skywalker seeking out instruction from Obi Wan and Yoda.

You can take the Riders Edge Experienced Rider Course. You can watch the Ride Like A Pro DVD series. You can watch the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s group riding video. You can get yourself some good books on riding proficiently. But where I ask… “Where is a Road Captain manual?”

Does your club have it’s own manual?

Do you know of a manual that is available to the public?

Is there a reason that this manual may not exist?

If you have one, can you mail it to me or tell me where I can get one?

Tags: Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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Although many of you on the Internet know me as Road Captain, I am not yet officially a HOG Road Captain. As the Activities Officer for First State HOG I have been put in the position of leading some of of the rides I have planned. Leading members of my own club that I ride with often is OK with me. Today was different. Today I had to lead a group of strangers who I have never met through a poker run course in southern Delaware. I don’t know the backroads of southern Delaware that well. I have been through the course 3 times, but still I worried that I might miss a turn with 20 bikers following me. Those backroads are too tight to pull a U-Turn on with a group that big. The pressure was on! Here are some of the questions and situations I experienced: [Read more →]

Tags: Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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