AN MOA PODCAST
The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes
The Ride Inside leverages the knowledge a licensed clinical psychiatrist brings to issues affecting riders of every stripe. Mark also interviews experts in fields related to his professional and riding interests and fields questions from riders all over the world, especially in the area of skills and training. Mark also writes numerous product reviews and wrote the book Why We Ride.
Mark Barnes
Mark Barnes is a clinical psychologist and moto-journalist. To read more of his writings, check out his book Why We Ride: A Psychologist Explains the Motorcyclist’s Mind and the Love Affair Between Rider, Bike and Road, currently available in paperback through Amazon and other retailers. If you haven't experienced the camaraderie of the MOA, take a complimentary test ride. Follow this link for a complimentary first year membership and use the activation code MARK270WEB.
The learning process usually begins with un-learning. Whether it’s a natural, inborn reflex or a pattern established through previous practice, we rarely start with a clean slate.
We all long for those open days with nothing standing between us and an extended outing on our beloved motorcycles. No plans or obligations, a pleasant weather forecast, machinery in good working order, and no shortage of route options.
Rider education is a necessity throughout the lifespan of any motorcyclist. It’s essential for maximizing safety as well as enjoyment, and it takes many different forms.
Pain is a familiar concept to us all, but we shouldn’t mistake familiarity for comprehension. That little four-letter word encompasses such a vast array of diverse phenomena it can be very difficult to know exactly what anyone else means by it.
Just as the “outlaw biker” stereotype can be synonymous with motorcyclists in the minds of polite society, the “lone wolf” is a popular rider persona recognized by many within the enthusiast fold—and rightfully so.
Motorcycling is not a cheap hobby. Bikes—even used ones—are increasingly expensive to purchase. Maintenance and repair costs can be shockingly high, and then there are the discretionary outlays for accessories and gear.
As we get older, we find ourselves occasionally struggling to do things we did quite easily in our young-er days. Mark explains the challenges inherent in those things, as well as why it might not be such a bad thing to have to work harder at things that used to come easily.
WHAT’S IN A NAME? A lot, as it turns out, and it’s tied into identity and how we choose to see our-selves as well as how we present ourselves to others. Mark gets into how and why it matters to motorcy-clists in some interesting ways.
In this two-parter, Mark and Dallas Shannon discuss the evolution of the Traction eRAG, the importance of structured training, and the cultural differences in riding education.