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Captain's Report July 11thth
August Newsletter
Road Captain Report
From the Grumpy Old Man:
Signals). Keep up the good work so we can enjoy all rides.
Signals). Keep up the good work so we can enjoy all rides.
For those who were on the ride, I’d like to tell you that I called the CHP (Altadena Station) about the
Tow truck that was dragging approx 30 feet of chain and Hook that was sliding from lane to lane, and
registered a complaint on that issue. Thank God we all dodged a bullet; I mean chain (every body Safe).
The best part of my report is a very, very thanks to Danny and Penny for the Barbecue at their beautiful
residence. All were invited from Chaparral along with their friends and families. Such an easy ride for any
Road Captain when you don’t have to think about a place for lunch. Thanks Danny and Penny. The
lunch and drinks (sodas) HA, HA were out of this world, that means GREAT. At the house you could
swim or get kisses from Rod which Shirley turned her head away to watch the Nextel racing.
Also Penny had a roving kissing booth which again Shirley turning her head away (wrong way) All in Fun
and that’s what Chaparral Club is all about.
Thanks again and to all Good night Vasco
From the Grumpy Old Man:
Signals). Keep up the good work so we can enjoy all rides.
Signals). Keep up the good work so we can enjoy all rides.
For those who were on the ride, I’d like to tell you that I called the CHP (Altadena Station) about the
Tow truck that was dragging approx 30 feet of chain and Hook that was sliding from lane to lane, and
registered a complaint on that issue. Thank God we all dodged a bullet; I mean chain (every body Safe).
The best part of my report is a very, very thanks to Danny and Penny for the Barbecue at their beautiful
residence. All were invited from Chaparral along with their friends and families. Such an easy ride for any
Road Captain when you don’t have to think about a place for lunch. Thanks Danny and Penny. The
lunch and drinks (sodas) HA, HA were out of this world, that means GREAT. At the house you could
swim or get kisses from Rod which Shirley turned her head away to watch the Nextel racing.
Also Penny had a roving kissing booth which again Shirley turning her head away (wrong way) All in Fun
and that’s what Chaparral Club is all about.
Thanks again and to all Good night Vasco
Lets Keep Riding Safe and Fun
How about those slippery little things called Tar Snakes?
Tar Snakes are a result of cracks in the road being repaired with a liquid tar substance to save from re-paving the entire road way.
They are mostly found on back country roads and vary from road to road. They can stretch the entire width of the road or run
parallel to your path of travel. The thing that is important to note here is that Tar Snakes provide about 50% less traction than the
surrounding asphalt. As the temperature heats up they become even slipperier!! Straight line riding and curves requiring minimal
effort are not a problem, it's the back road twisties that need to have your attention.
Linda & I were having a spirited ride home from the No Brainer via the back roads when we were reminded of the Tar Snakes bite.
We both had felt our front tire slipping in corners a little and tried to make an effort to avoid the black lines when possible.
Then we came upon a tight left filled with Tar Snakes. We had no choice but to firm up our control on the bike and hang on. I made
it through ok, but Linda's front tire slipped on a parallel running snake, resulting in Linda's first (and hopefully last) official "Tank
Slapper." This is when the handle bars go from lock to lock uncontrollably for just a few seconds, long enough to make your heart
jump into your throat and your nerves come alive.
To get the front tire back on fresh asphalt Linda straightened the bike for just a second and was able to get the situation under
control, but the remainder of that particular road was just a tad less spirited.
Here's the bottom line…remember to keep an eye out for roads which have cracks repaired with the use of liquid tar, and to have a
little respect for the Tar Snakes left as the evidence of the repair.
