Kicking back at the conference
"Secrets of Veteran Riders" is a session held at the current International Women & Motorcycling Conference, now in progress in Keystone, CO.
The veteran riders on the panel included the following.
Genevieve Schmitt (left) Deb Lower, Kay Gilletly, and Jamine Bluecreek Clark
Genevieve Schmitt is the moderator. Genevieve, in addition to heading up the WomenRidersNow.com online magazine, was a member of the "Dirty Dozen" dual-track riders who recently did a weeklong ride to raise funds for breast/ovarian cancer research.
Deb Lower has held several position with the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, including president, and has ridden more than 500,000 miles on her bikes.
Kay Gilletly is a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCoach and is involved in the Harley-Davidson Rider's Edge program.
Jasmine Bluecreek Clark is also an MSF riding instructor and teaches riding to deaf and hearing-impaired riders.
The panel had their own suggestions for combatting hypothermia, the first topic addressed, but the audience jumped in with their own tactics for unexpected situations.
- Stay hydrated, perhaps by carrying a bladder in your tank bag.
- Always carry your heated clothing regardless of the weather--weather changes.
- As an emergency measure, stuff newspaper in your clothes to provide insulation.
- Wear rubber kitchen gloves to keep your hands dry.
- Put on your rain gear to keep warm.
- Put plastic produce bags on your feet inside your boots to keep dry.
- Always wear layers.
Discussing altitude sickness, Jasmine related the issue one of the Dirty Dozen had during the group's ride. Remedies are to get to a lower altitude, stay hydrated, breathe deeply, and climb to elevation gradually, with numerous stops as you go up.
In case of emergency, cell phones are literally a lifesaver. You should carry the phone on your person, not on the bike. Genevieve told of a rider who went off the road avoiding a deer and was only found because he had a cell phone and emergency personnel could locate him through that.
You should also carry your identification on your person, as well as information on blood type and other medical information.
Kay told the group to be sure to have plans for stops so if you get separated when riding with a group you will not feel pressed to outride your comfort zone trying to catch up. Deb told a story of riding with a friend pulling a trailer and the accident that ensued that might have been avoided if they had talked about their riding plans.
Changing weather conditions call for clear-headed action, and trying to outrun a storm is not a good option. Kay told of riding in pouring rain and having her brakes fail. It was also pointed out that the cars behind you are likely to suffer brake failure, too, so you need to be especially aware and wary of them.
The panelists and audience offered the following list of items to carry when you ride.
- Tools for your bike
- Fully charged cell phone
- Cold- and warm-weather clothes
- Silk scarf
- Two pair of gloves
- Tinted and clear eye wear
- Flashlight
- First Aid kit
- Ear plugs
- Small jumper cables
The International Women & Motorcycling Conference continues through Saturday, Aug. 22.
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