Mission Bay Triathlon w/ Spyder Leader (Video)

I've found that when you give to the world around you, the world gives back. Today was an example of the world giving back to me. I think all my volunteeing has paid off. Race Director for the San Diego Triathlon Series Rick "Koz" Kozlowski was kind enough to let me lead the bike leg of the race with my beloved "Can-Am Spyder". As you can see from the video below, it was a great morning.

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Luckily, I'm registered in the Clydesdale Division and our start time was after the lead athlete arrived at the Bike-Run transition. This guy was moving at 25-30mph (40-50kmh) the whole way, we really had to keep it moving. We arrived at the transition, I said my goodbyes to our police escort. I then found a parking spot on the edge of the expo where the majority of spectator foot traffic occurred hurried over to the shore so that I could run my triathlon.
While I was out on the course there were crowds of spectators checking out this slick new vehicle. With over 1,500 participants and thousands of supporters and volunteers I was able to distribute plenty of Spyder booklets. I also found that every last SpyderSanDiego.com card and booklets were removed from the roadster when I returned after crossed the finish line.
After it was all over, the people had plenty of questions. One person asked if we could make a bike rack that attached to the accessory platform on the tail. What a cool idea! I managed speak to a few people who gave some very positive interviews.

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After helping out some of the volunteers, I was done for the day.
Time for a burrito... haah!

Overall it was a great time and I think I'm ready for a nap...

Mission Bay Triathlon Expo

After all of the excitement of the Boot Camp Challenge, I had to get over and do my volunteer work at the Mission Bay Triathlon expo. When I arrived, the Spyder quickly became the center of attention.Being parked in right in front of the expo entrance made it impossible for people not to be drawn to the Can-Am Spyder. I spoke with quite a few people about how much fun this roadster is and answered many questions. I even had the pleasure of meeting a young man who was ranked 11th in the nation for his age group racing 60cc Honda dirt bikes. I was told by his grandmother he went straight home to his father to tell him about the cool new Spyder he got to ryde today.

Since I was out of booklets, I made a trip down to Fun Bike Center which was just up the road to stock up. When I walked in the door I saw two guys checking out the Spyders on display. I was still charged up from my last ryde and so I couldn't help but tell them how much fun I had. I proceded to answer all of their questions. Before I knew it they were asking if they could go outside and check my Spyder out. When Eric, the Spyder Specialist arrived, these guys were ready to test drive my favorite arachnid roadster.

Now time to rest up for the race tomorrow morning.

Boot Camp Challenge w/ Spyder Leader (Video)

Every Tuesday and Thursday evening for the past three months I have been training a group of military family members to compete in 5k Run laced with military drill instructors and obstacle courses at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot's Semper-Fit in San Diego. This was my second year on this project and I enjoy motivating these people. I like to think I carry a good rapport with my trainees and their friends and families. They really liked the Can-Am Spyder and so did other military patrons every time I worked there. Today marks the last day working with this group and the day of The Boot Camp Challenge.

Race Director "Brent Poser", who helped build the Camp Pendleton Race Series, was kind enough to allow the "Can-Am Spyder Roadster" on the race course as the lead vehicle I arrived at 6:00AM and parked next to the start line in anticipation for the 9:00AM start. I assisted in setting up the starting line and I took a break from my work to answer questions every time I saw someone checking out my favorite arachnid roadster. As it got closer to race time, we learned that this event had 3,500 registered participants. A great crowd and a great race!

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After leading the racers out the gates I proceeded to patrol the course to make sure everyone was recieving the motivational benefits donated by the United States Marine Corps best Drill Instructors. These guys had a way with words and kept the groups moving through the course.

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When I was finished with my patrols, I headed back to the start to begin the race on a five person team with the Triathlon Club of San Diego. I parked the Spyder on the edge of the expo for maximum exposure.

Our team got 4th in the coed division and we had a blast forging our way through the warlike environment. In the end I was able to distribute all of the media I had on me and was witnessed by thousands. I really enjoyed seeing the race from the front of the pack on my "Can-Am Spyder Roadster".

Miramar Air Show & Carlsbad

I headed down to the Miramar Air Show. The traffic was okay until I hit Miramar Road. Everyone seemed to be going to the show. I receive a lot of attention driving on base from other drivers and Marines. The parking situation did not work in my favor. I parked with some other motorcycles but there was no foot traffic in my parking area. Everyone parked and seemed to disperse. There was no place to congregate and no stream of foot traffic. I stayed for a while and talked with some other motorcycle riders and Marines but decided to call an audible and head up to Carlsbad for their Octoberfest.

One my way into Carlsbad I was actually flagged down by another car who was asking about the Spyder. It was a first! They were yelling out questions. I signaled them to pull over and we could talk. It was a nice couple that apparently had been following me for a while. The women was highly interested in getting a Spyder. She wanted something to get to work on and couldn't believe that you don't need a motorcycle license in California. I answered their questions and gave them an info card. I told them were the closest dealer was and they said that was their next stop.

Next I hit the Carlsbad Octoberfest. There was a couple hundred people there. I parked right in front of a police car. As I strolled around the grounds I saw a few guys check out the Spyder. I headed back and spoke with some and then called it a day.

Friday - Coastal

I stayed in my neck of the woods on Friday... hitting up Swami's Park and a local coffee shop. Swami's is a local hang out for surfers, cyclists, and anyone wanting to gaze out over the pacific ocean. What a stress buster! It sits up on a bluff and you can see for miles. I grabbed a sweet parking spot and hung out talking with several individuals about the Spyder. One surfer and I talked for a while. He had a lot of questions. Besides the fact he thought it had great style, his interest was in finding a better way to commute to & from work. He loved the fact that you don't need a motorcycle license in the state of California. And he wanted something that's better on gas than his SUV. One of his lines was, "I need to do something... get a Spyder or start putting vegetable oil in my car". After talking with a few at Swami's I headed over to the E Street Cafe. I grabbed a Latte and sat out front. Again, the Spyder was a popular attraction. Patrons walking in and out stopped by to talk with me about the roadster. I passed out info cards and answered their questions. Even the gal who cuts my hair walked by and chatted for a while.

I decided to make one more stop... Moonlight Beach's overlook. I sat there and talked with some out of towners and my old swim coach.

It was a good evening... staying local but getting exposure and educating the public about a new riding experience!

Why Name it Spyder?

On the surface, the Can-Am Spyder resembles a spider from the front. It's when you take a deeper look that you begin to understand that there's more than just what meets the eye. After spending some time on the Spyder I'm beginning to understand a deeper connection.

A spider is known for its keen senses. Like in the comics / movies... Spiderman would say, "my spider senses are beginning to tingle". Spiders have little hairs on their bodies that act as receptors and are extremely sensitive to their surroundings. These receptors sense stimuli such as air currents, vibration, humidity, etc.

Much like a spider, the Can-Am Spyder senses it surroundings utilizing a highly advanced electronic system. At the head of it is a Vehicle Stability System (VSS). The VSS features anti-lock breaks, traction control and stability control. This all sounds fancy but the bottom line is it helps keep you safe. It will assist in maintaining control during sharp turns, sudden braking, and other hairy situations. The Stability Control System (SCS) senses when the Spyder becomes unbalanced such as when going into a turn too fast and will actually decelerate the roadster. Unbelievable! To round off the Spyder senses we have power steering, multi-point fuel injection, and a digitally encoded security system.

When you think Spyder, think about the correlations between both looks and functionality. Think heightened senses attuned with the surroundings. Think safety in harmony with performance.

Oceanside, CA

It was the first time I took the Spyder north of Encinitas along the coast. I headed up the 101 through Carlsbad and into Oceanside. It was around 6:30 PM and a heavy fog was rolling in. My helmet visor was beading up with water from the air. I passed several people out walking, running, and dog walking along the way.

My destination was the Wicked Rydaz Bike Night located at McCabe's Beach Club. When I arrived there were only a few cars in the parking lot and no motorcycles. I stayed a spoke with a few patrons as they entered the establishment; no one seemed to know about the bike night. Perhaps the weather deterred them... or maybe bike nights are over for the summer... or it might have been a little too early. In any event, I'll have to do some more research.

Next I headed down to the Oceanside Pier and parked down by the beach. I talked with some folks passing by about the Spyder. Everyone had something to say. Today's theme or phrase was, "That thing is sick!". They meant it in the best way possible :)

By the way, I took some interesting photos overlooking the ocean. The sky was a swirl of color and you could see the moisture in the air.

Although the bike night turned into a bust, I still got some good exposure along the Pacific Coast Highway and spoke with several people about the Spyder. It was also good to broaden the scope of the exposure into new areas. Some of the places I've been on the Spyder include: downtown, El Cajon, Mission Valley, San Marcos, Mira Mesa, Coronado, Mission Bay, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside. Between Buck and I, we're covering some ground and taking names.