It is possible my preference of foot pegs over floorboards goes back to
when I was about 10, and Chris Farley’s mom let him ride on the running boards
of her Beetle convertible. The only one in our neighborhood, and perhaps the
first and only time I thought they were cool. It would be another twenty years
until I encountered running boards again, this time on the 1949 F-3 pickup we
used to cut wood in Colorado. Taking the fun out of functional, they were on an
old truck, an old style, that most cars and trucks had abandoned just after
WWII, except VW who kept them until the Beetle finally went away. But it was my
first encounter with floor boards on motorcycles that reinforced my belief that
I preferred foot pegs. On a group ride with mostly Harleys, the road captain
warned of curves going to Big Bear, and to go slow so you won’t hit you floor
boards. I had never heard of any rider being warned not to lean and enjoy the
curves, but here it was, and being on my Sprint ST, I was looking forward to the
curves. But as the Harleys all chugged up the mountain, I decided it was too
nice a day to go slow, and pulled ahead, and passed them all, quickly earning a
reputation for riding too fast. NO-they rode too slow, and why today I avoid
crowd rides as I call them whenever I can.
Now today’s foot pegs have feelers to warn you how far you are leaning, and
how much fun you are having. And I routinely wear them down, on my bikes and
the press bikes I ride. A badge of honor, we don’t ask how it handles, we look
at what is left of the peg feelers. And I do drag floorboards, wearing flat
spots on them, once you get used to the vibration in your feet when dragging
them, you can feel them wearing down, providing any fun you may have missed
otherwise. But having a Rocket 3 last summer, 165hp cruiser with pegs, I noted
the feelers were worn off, along with most of the pegs on both sides. A new
hero, for whoever had ridden this had had more fun than you can have with your
clothes on. And then noticing the license plate bent and shaved, it was evident
this had been wheelied more than once-this guy was my hero! That’s the kind of
fun I want to have!
So when I met a man this last weekend who I hadn’t seen for 5 years, and he
told me about going fast, and enjoying the curves, I listened. And as he talked
of peg scraping, his wife joined in as how they did too-sometimes, and she liked
going fast. I was impressed, maybe someone to ride with, until she mentioned
they rode a cruiser, with floor boards, and suddenly her fast was not mine, and
I was reminded the difference between foot pegs and floorboards. It was only
after I mentioned how I can touch the pegs on a Tiger, an adventure bike with
high pegs, that she confessed, not knowing the difference. She rode, and had
fun....and then the floor boards touched. They ahd only begun to touch the
threshold of fun, and then the floor boards hit. The following conversation
about chicken strips lost me, I use all the tire, and I am impressed when the
fast guys come back with the tires worn all the way across. Someday I will
too-but not with floor boards.
Wednesday nights at church have become incredible. Almost like a graduate
course in the Bible, but led by the Spirit, and watching as we and others grow
in the Lord. Great worship, great music, and a great time with communion
offered if you wish. A time to get closer to God, and let Him speak to us,
instead of us always speaking to Him. A time to see Jesus come alive in the
scriptures, and when applied to our lives He comes alive in us also.
Surprisingly when we meet new people, they don’t attend our church, but are
active in others, but because their church doesn’t offer a Wednesday night
service, they come and are fed with us. And are welcomed. It seems when Jesus
becomes real in your life, you just can’t get enough of Him, and an hour of
endurance on Sunday mornings for some, is just not enough for others. They want
more of their God, they want to go deeper, they don’t want any religious or
denominational restrictions put on Him, they want to wear the feelers off their
spiritual foot pegs, and many have ground away their floor boards on Wednesday
nights, going further and deeper in their relationship with God than they
thought possible. Using all the tire to get all they can, and when we meet
someone who doesn’t, can’t, or won’t come on Wednesdays, we try to encourage
them. Enjoy all God has to offer, leave no chicken strips behind in your
relationship with Him, and watch as life becomes more exciting, more real, and
soon others want what you have, all influenced by the spirit calling out to you,
and you obeying. They are called blessings. You have to experience them
yourself.
Some years ago when I had just bought a new Bonneville, I had two young
guys work for me, who wanted to go fast. So they bought an R6, and a CBR1000,
wanting to go fast into the curves. So one afternoon when they showed up at the
house, we went riding, with me on the Bonneville, and Theresa on back. Against
guys half our age, and with twice as much horsepower. I led, until the first
curves, and then was soon riding alone, I was that far ahead. They had the
bike, the youth, and the desire. I had experience, and had been there before.
And as I went deeper and faster, it was evident they weren’t players yet, and
after licking their wounded egos, never rode with me again. And they had foot
pegs! And so the advice of riding your own ride is important on the road, and
with God. Some will be content in religion, some will wonder if there is more,
and some will just wander, still looking. It is the ones who push the limits,
who grind their pegs, who go on a Wednesday night when not required of their
church, that are growing, and getting more blessings. And no matter how fast
you are, there will always be someone faster. So I am amazed that when I learn
something new, I find out how much I really don’t know. And want to know more,
not so much the knowledge, but I want to get closer to Jesus. He tells us of
the straight and narrow path, showing us how to pick our lines, and using all
the road, but not getting off it. Grind a few pegs with Jesus, go places with
Him you were afraid of before. Watch as the Holy Spirit wakes you up, and
suddenly the ride is better. More blessings! Learning as the more you lean,
the more exciting it gets. Just like leaning on Jesus. That is why we follow
Him instead of leading, He knows the course He set for us, follow His lines and
hang on for the ride of your life.
Now if I could only find who as riding the Rocket that day!
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com