Saturday, August 27, 2011

Keep the Iron Side Up


"Keep the iron side up" is a biker's saying wishing a fellow rider a safe ride. A more popular saying is "Keep the rubber side down" and both share the same hopes for a safe ride and would seem to be a half full/half empty sort of thing. "Keep the shiny side up" is a more modern version and refers to the more up-to-date materials used to make today's motorcycles. Anyway you say it friends; be safe, ride well, travel with distinction, and use the road with grace and consideration; 2, 3, or 4 wheels; for that matter even if you are on foot.

Why did I pick "Iron Side Up"? I am an older rider having fairly recently returned to riding after a 25 year or so layoff. Iron harkens back to the days when motorcycles were made from heavier gauge metals, made in small assembly sites as side businesses or start ups, and modified in every garage to suit the style of each rider. Bikes are ridden one or two up and the owner puts his or her own stamp on each bike and each ride; the bike expresses the rider as does the rider the bike. It appeals to me that I can be creative in the way I outfit my bike and myself as a rider. Also, it didn't hurt that nobody has the domain name for iron side up and that rubber side down is a full blown biker site, rubbersidedown.com, and that shiny side up is a site devoted to things CD and DVD. So there you go, nostalgic and practical.

What do I hope for "Iron Side Up"? I hope to have a place to write on a consistent basis by writing about my rides, what I experience on them, what thoughts occur to me, and engage you in sharing your own thoughts, weather you ride, drive, walk, sail, run...whatever. I don't want to engage in bashing of any kind and hope any contributors avoid that as well. While I'm passionate about my choice of rides, the Victory Cross-Country, I won't bash another biker's choice of rides but instead will extol the virtues of my own ride and let each person make their own choice to suit their needs. I will, from time-to-time, write about things not directly related to motorcycling but may find a link to keep things consistent but let's face it, it's my blog, I ride bikes, walk trails, drive freeways, do off-road work, so I'll write about what's interesting to me and hope to keep you engaged. I really hope to develop a writing rhythm for a larger work I am involved in.


So friends, keep the iron side up and tell us how you wish others well and where your style comes from. 

iHg
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1 comment:

  1. Okay, so I posted a comment on here as soon as I read this, but when I checked back just now (days later!) my comment was gone!!! so here goes attempt number 2...I LOVED this post! I am so excited to hear more about your trips and thoughts. I already love your writing voice, and I know you'll have some amazing things for me to think about and read about. Great Job JJ White!

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