While writing your own obituary… by R. Bruce Thomas I’ve died at least a million times while riding my motorcycles. Not literally (although one time I very well could have), but by being aware of the dynamic environment I am traveling in and processing observed threats: That could kill me Read more…
Tell people!! by R. Bruce Thomas He was sticking needles in my leg as if I was an oversize voodoo doll. And then he froze. He pointed at the wrist bracelet I was wearing. “What does that say?” “Oh, yeah, my cardiologist figured I should start wearing one of these. Read more…
Time, Distance and Vision… by R. Bruce Thomas My hand hit the edge, my feet dropped and touched the bottom, I stood up and looked at the clock. I was happy with my time covering that 25 meters. I’m not aiming for Olympic Gold Medal glory, so Mark Tewksbury can Read more…
And we need to focus… by R. Bruce Thomas I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be focused all the time when riding but, when you are in the vicinity of a trailer, you really need to be focused. Think about it. Many of the trailers we see on the road Read more…
Where you don’t want to go by R. Bruce Thomas Nope. I haven’t lost it. Conventional wisdom when riding is to look where you want to go. So why have I reversed it here? It’s the beginning of March. Riding season is right around the corner and it wouldn’t surprise Read more…
Can be just as much fun coming down by R. Bruce Thomas I recently overheard a couple riders discussing hills. Basically, does one prefer riding up, or down, a hill. I’ve had similar conversations with my riding buddies over the years and, invariably, most riders prefer going up. Especially when Read more…
Get Creative! by R. Bruce Thomas It’s that time of year again where the Advent Calendar, in all kinds of iterations, seems to be everywhere. Most are just something to spend money on and have nothing to do with the religious history of Advent. Chocolates, beer, wine, LEGO. I was Read more…
Make yourself be seen! by R. Bruce Thomas As I slowed to a stop at a dark T-Intersection recently I noticed a woman crossing the main road. I should say “barely noticed” the woman. She was dressed all in black from head to toe and was nearly invisible. My first Read more…
Follow Our Leader by R. Bruce Thomas In August 2023 I had a trip planned that included four days riding a number of the great roads in the Wasatch Mountain Range, a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains, to the east of Salt Lake City, Utah. The riding in the area Read more…
Avoiding, & Recovering from, Punctures by R. Bruce Thomas Knowing how to plug/change your tires makes it easier to keep moving if you find yourself where wind turbines outnumber retail shops. When I started seriously touring and putting down big kilometers I got a bit of a rude awakening. Getting Read more…
Using power – when appropriate by R. Bruce Thomas On my recent ride down east I was sitting at a red light on the Trans Canada in a small community in Northern Ontario behind a car with a Texas licence plate. When the light turned green, the car didn’t move. Read more…
One size fits every bike! by R. Bruce Thomas To start with this month I want to step back a bit to last month and my notes on the Ride for Dad and The Man Van. I’ve long believed every major center should have access to a mobile PSA testing Read more…
Telling you were to go… by R. Bruce Thomas Have you been riding yet? I feel a bit like a stuck record asking that every year. And I’m also thinking that saying “a stuck record” may not be a good analogy in this digital age. But, knowing how the kids Read more…
Breaking it Down… by R. Bruce Thomas In October 2023 a report commissioned by Moto Canada, the Canadian Quad Council, and the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada was released with the title “Economic Impact Study of On-road Motorcycles and Off-highway Vehicle Recreation in Canada” (Press Release). The study is based on Read more…
Read the “Fine” Manual by R. Bruce Thomas Yes, I know. The typical expansion of the acronym at the top of this piece is a little different than what I have used here but that’s because this is a family-friendly organization. At this time of year I find myself thinking Read more…
Remember the Fun Moments by R. Bruce Thomas Ahh, March. In like a lion, we can only hope it goes out like a lamb. But, since we can’t do anything about the weather, and it is still technically winter until March 19, there is nothing quite like curling up with Read more…
Objects & Calendars by R. Bruce Thomas Saying Happy New Year at the end of January always feels a little weird but this is the first AMSS dispatch of the year so it fits. And so far, 2024 is off to a very Happy start. Of course, we had that Read more…
Prepare for Safe Success by R. Bruce Thomas Here we are at the beginning of the last month of 2023 and we’ve only had a small amount of snow. And it didn’t stick around. This nice weather makes me sad as my bike has been parked since October 7, meaning Read more…
Reflection and looking forward by R. Bruce Thomas How is it that we are at the end of October already and there has already been snow on the ground? This year seems to have just sped by and riding season is over for most people. However, looking back at it, Read more…
After a summer of riding! by R. Bruce Thomas 1 – For many years I’ve worn Motoport Kevlar riding overpants and jacket. I bought it for the protection the gear offers me and know it works after “road testing” it when I got t-boned. I never counted on the entertainment Read more…
But they still happen… by R. Bruce Thomas Well, about a week after the last AMSS monthly edition was published the AB Government changed the highway rules for passing stopped vehicles with flashing lights. We’ve had to slow down or move over for Police, Ambulances, tow trucks and firetrucks and Read more…
plus Road Work Season by: R. Bruce Thomas EDIT from AMSS: At the time of this article was written and published (July 31, 2023), the changes were expected to be what you read below – simply adding in snowplows and the move over a lane. At this time, there is Read more…
Big and small considerations for a successful trip by: R. Bruce Thomas With all the border restrictions finally removed it is likely that people are finally looking at heading south of the 49th to ride some of the many great roads in the United States. Perhaps you have a hankering Read more…
And today is not a good day to die by: R. Bruce Thomas (no major spoilers) I had no idea what I was going to write about this month and then my wife and I just watched the series finale of Star Trek: Picard. This three-season series focused on Captain Read more…
Spring Tips to Consider by: R. Bruce Thomas Wow. It’s that time of year again. Have you been out riding yet? We didn’t get tons of snow over the winter so many roads are bare and dry as long as you don’t go out too early when there could still Read more…
