Safety Report - September 2025

Gary Klinker

September 2025

After some pretty hot August weather, we are finally approaching the great riding days of fall. Our Rider Coaches have been some real troopers this year. Many are teaching extra classes and chasing bikes around the blacktop when it is in the 90s takes a toll. The classes are going very well, but there is still time to register. Cooler days on the range are a plus for students as well as instructors.

You will be getting this right about Labor Day weekend. Shawn and I will be getting ready to head for our annual Black Hills week of riding, along with Jonathan and John, two of our regular riding partners. We always look forward to the trip, either in June or September, with fewer tourists and cooler weather. The trip is a great time to see beautiful scenery and to ride other types of roads. It is also a chance to practice riding skills every day for the week, kind of like attending a concentrated multi-day riding class. We all use helmet communications for added safety and planning the daily rides. You never know when someone will need an unscheduled stop or see something worth turning around for.

The fall riding will be more comfortable, but it is also the time for extra awareness while riding. There are deer everywhere, and they are moving more. I think they may be getting out of the woods to avoid the mosquitoes, which are really bad this year. It won’t be long until the leaves start falling on the road, and can get slippery when wet with rain or dew. The hours of daylight get shorter, so there may be more riding after dark. Take extra layers of clothing for when the temperature drops or a nice day turns to rain.

It is up to every one of us to maintain good riding skills, cooperate in traffic, and have a safety attitude. Make the decision to be safe and ride within your limits, whatever they may be. Be smart and don’t overestimate your limits or your skills.

Ride Safe,

Gary