2015 Rides

2014 rides...

50000k...

got some great riding in this weekend... a couple smoke chasing stops, the cape fear 1000 rally hitting 50k on the bike during the ride out to wilmington. more on the smoke chasing and cape fear 1000 rally when i have a couple more minutes to post. but here it is, odometer showing 50k!! and yes, speedo shows 80 but it's a bit off and i wasn't going that fast. seriously, i wasn't...

you can check out where i hit 50k on my 2013 rides map - it's the red icon!

smoke chasing 2013...

smoke chasing stops...

2013 rides...

smoke chasing...

started the smoke chasing grand tour today...

waffle house grand tour

signed up for the waffle house grand tour. here's my progress...

2012 rides...

2011 rides...

marion…

finally took another ride!!! hard to believe it’s only the second ride i’ve taken this year… i blame that mostly on the weather; although other commitments have played a part.

this ride held the promise of warmer weather – in the fifties. definitely better than my last ride… the problem was that was afternoon temps. and i was leaving at five in the morning. with temps in the twenties.

in preparation, and with memories of the last ride fresh in my mind, i purchased ‘lectric pants and vest. purchasing them the day before the ride, i was a little concerned i wouldn’t have a chance test them out before embarking on a longer ride.

saturday morning i plugged up and headed out. needing gas not too far down the road, i decided to set the controls on medium figuring i would adjust it as necessary when i stopped. turns out it was just about perfect. i could feel the heat in the pants and the vest. i was actually surprised at how well they worked.

the ride was supposed to take three and a half hours – i was figuring closer to four with a gas stop thrown in. i was cruising along nicely, actually starting to warm up a little as the sun was rising, when i passed the city limit sign for winston-salem. within a mile of passing the sign, the temps must have dropped by five degrees.

not that might not sound like much, but remember it’s in the twenties. on a motorcycle. going seventy. it got cold!!! shivering cold!!

deciding how long i could make it like this and how soon i should stop, i was comparing the gps arrival time, eight-thirty, to the clock on my bike, about a quarter to eight.

my first thought was the trip was turning out to be shorter than i thought. planning the trip, i was sure i would need to stop for gas. now, by my estimates, i would be able to make it without stopping.

about fifteen minutes later, after merging to another part of interstate forty, the gps recalculates, now showing me about sixty seven miles to my next turn. holy crap!! what happened to thirty more minutes?? then it dawns on me… my clock is set to summer time - it’s only seven!!!

now i’m trying to figure out when to stop for gas. i like to go as far as i can before fuelling. i’m weighing that against stopping sooner to warm up. i decide the need to stop shivering definitely outweighs squeezing more miles out of the tank.

after the stop, i felt much warmer. which was a great relief as i headed further west and started seeing more and more on the sides of the roads.

despite the cold and the time miscalculation, i was rewarded as i rounded a corner, the road ahead of me opened up and in the distance i saw the snow covered mountains. i was struck by the  beauty of the mountains with all the snow. i was wrapped up in the majesty of the view ahead of me and was instantly taken away from the cold harsh winds of the highway. realizing it was the first time riding in the snow-covered landscape, i was hoping it wouldn’t be the last.

i made it to my destination and took care of business. by the time i was ready to head home, the temps were in the fifties. the ride home would be awesome – finally a ride in some decent weather. as i was leaving, people were commenting on how nice of a ride home it would be, forgetting the cold i endured on the way there.

and it was a good ride home. a comfortable ride under the clear, sunny skies. made even sweeter by the memories of the morning ride.

in hindsight, the morning ride may have been the better one.

check out the 2010 ride map – this one in red…

ss1000

got e-mail saying a couple people were riding to daytona. if i was interested, it could be turned into an iron butt ride. i was, so it was… and i completed my first saddlesore 1000 (one thousand miles in twenty four hours) this past weekend.

once a couple more e-mails were sent around, it ended up with three of us going. we had two routes picked out, a northern loop and a southern straight shot. because of predicted snow along the northern route, the night before the ride, we decided to take the southern route. we’ll save the northern route for another time.

saturday morning came, early!! i officially started my trip at sheetz at 4:53am. it was cold morning and i was glad we were heading south. at sheetz, i got my witness form signed and my start receipt. i headed to benson, nc, my first stop and meeting point for the other two riders.

i get to benson, top off my tank and wait for the other riders. i’m glad to get off the bike, move around and warm up a little. after about five minutes, the other riders show up. without wasting time, they top off and we’re off to the next stop.

the plan is to start looking for stations at one hundred fifty miles, stopping before one-eighty. i’m usually good for about one hundred ninety miles. i’ve gone over two-hundred, but was really nervous. i’m good with going one hundred eighty and stopping for gas.

because we were running at slightly higher speeds that i normally drive, my mileage wasn’t quite what i expected. we were at about one hundred fifty miles and i *needed* gas.  that put us in manning, sc for our second stop. i ended up putting a little over five gallons of gas into my advertised five-gallon tank. the new rule is stopping for gas every one-fifty.

stops were long enough to top off the tanks, relieve ourselves and get back on the road. no time wasted. stopped time can really eat into overall time.

with one more stop in midway, ga, we made it to our turn around point in st. augustine, fl around 12:30pm. we were making good time and i was feeling good about the ride. other than a tiny bit of rain on the way down, and being a little cooler than i was expecting, the ride had been great.

after topping off, we talked about lunch. we’re good on time and it’d probably be a good idea to get off the bikes for a short time. without much argument, it was decided to stop at waffle house. we top off our bellies and head back home.

just after entering georgia, we hit stop-n-go traffic. not looking good. one of the guys starts darting in and out of traffic to get ahead. i do my best to keep up. after a few miles, the traffic lets up and we hit the speeds we need. i’m able to catch up to the leader, but no sign of the third rider. all this at about the time i need gas. i indicate i’m pulling over at the next exit. not sure what’s going to happen from here.

at the next stop, i top off, get my receipt and am documenting the stop when another rider pulls up. no sign of the third rider. he waited at the exit long enough to see riders we had passed earlier. surely the third rider was already past them. we try to reach him on his phone and decide to push ahead.

as we’re driving, i’m scanning ahead and behind, seeing if i can find him. no luck… until right before our next stop. he’s on the side of the road, accompanied by a local police officer. oops… our timing must have been perfect because as we pull off the exit, he’s right there with us.

talking to a local at the gas stop, the local police apparently patrol a short section of 95 north. they do their best to get as many people as they can. ticketed him for doing seventy-nine in a seventy. lesson learned…

our next stop is in benson, where we met in the morning. we top off and say our goodbyes. we’ll ride together for a bit and then split off, heading to our final stop.

my last stop is at sheetz, where i started. i rolled in there around 9:20pm. got my final receipt, witness form signed and headed home.

i ended up riding over 1000 miles in about seventeen  and a half hours. according my my odometer, it was 1049 miles. according to the gps, it was 1031 miles. the trip was actually a lot easier than i expected. i didn’t get tired like i expected and my butt didn’t start to hurt, as i expected.

my wife asked, dreading the answer, “what’s next??” i don’t know what’s next. but i do know there will be more…

check out the 2009 ride map to see the route - this one in green ...

sunday loop…

had a chance to take a short ride today… pretty much unexpected since i wasn’t really planning to ride today.

i decided to make some guacamole today and needed to go to the store to pick up the necessary ingredients. it was in the 40s, sun was shining, so i decided to take the bike… while i was gearing up, my wife suggested i stretch it out a little and take a longer ride. sounds good to me…

i needed to gas up the bike first, which ended up being a good thing. when i geared up, i decided, against common sense, to put on my chaps and wire up the ‘letrics. while i was okay making a short trip to the gas station or grocery, i have never made it on a longer ride.

after putting gas in the bike, i threw on the chaps and decided not to mess with the ‘letrics. that was a semi-good choice. definitely needed the chaps and would have been more comfortable with the gloves wired up. note to self, when in doubt, opt to stay warmer.

the tank was topped off and i was ready to roll… question was where?? i didn’t necessarily want to do the lake loop that seems to have become a ritual first ride of the year, but i didn’t want to just putz around town either… i decide to head up to the lake, but through louisburg.

i’m absorbing the scenery as i’m riding along the back roads. while the countryside is beautiful, i take notice of the run down houses, the old farms that are now for sale… i wonder how much of this is progress setting in?? how much of it is a reflection of our economy?? when will it get better?? will it get better??

as i approach louisburg, there’s a bit of new construction. housing, retail, new ground being broken. now i’m thinking maybe there is hope. maybe things aren’t really that bad… who knows??

all i really know is that i’ve been fortunate so far… it’s times like these i realize i should focus less on what i don’t have and be thankful for what i do have… i’m able to top off the tank and head out for the afternoon; i' have a roof over my head; i’m able to provide for my family; i have a wonderful family; i have an awesome wife…

about now, i’m heading into henderson, i’m missing my wife. i blow off the lake and point the bike back home. with a short stop, of course, at the grocery for ingredients.

it wasn’t a long ride, less then a hundred miles. but it was enough.

you can check out the 2009 ride map to see the route - this one in blue...

2009 rides

routes:
------ 02/15/2009 - sunday ride around - little loop
------ 05/15-16/2009 - smoke out x - rockingham, nc
------ 05/22-25/2009 - rolling thunder xxii - washington, dc
------ 07/03/2008 - matthew's first ride - nc and va
------ ride to drag races (coming soon)
------ ride with wife (coming soon)
------ 10/17/2009 - saddlesore 1000 - nc, sc, ga, fl

blue ridge parkway...

29 September 2008

very late on this post...

after visiting appalachian state, we decided to take the long way home - along the blue ridge parkway... since we were leaving a day earlier than originally planned, we figured we could afford the time. if it got late, we'd just pick some where to stop and pick up the next day.

it was interesting riding along the parkway. it was sunny and warm on one side of the mountain and cool, cloudy and threatening rain on the other. depending on which way we were heading, we'd either be in the nice warm sun or contemplating pulling over to gear up in our rain suits. the conditions would change with each turn we took. thankfully we never hit the rain...

our first stop along the blue ridge. the pictures just don't do it justice...

our second stop at the e.b. jeffress park. again, beautiful and the pictures don't do it justice.

at the park, there were some trails leading down to a waterfall. we decided to spend a little time and check it out...

there were so many overlooks and centers to visit. if we would have stopped at each one, it would have taken us a week to get home.

we did decide to stop at the blue ridge music center. not sure what i was expecting, but this wasn't it. although it was interesting and introduced me to the origins and history of the music in the area.

after getting off the parkway, our final scenic stop was lovers leap in stuart, va. this picture doesn't give you a good feeling for the drop off just over the wall...

a quick stop for some food and fuel...

we ended up making it home that evening - a little late and a lot chilly. but definitely worth going out of our way. this trip has bumped up the priority of riding the whole blue ridge parkway... maybe i can swing it next year...

to wrap things up, a map of our path along the blue ridge parkway...

ride to boone...

28 September 2008

son is in his last year of high school and taking a look at colleges... we decided to make an adventure of it and use the bike as our mode of transportation... at the end of september headed to appalachian state university...

 on the way there, we stopped at crossroads harely... not worth the stop in my opinion - just not much to see in there. about the only reason to stop in there is to get s hd shirt, but their selection of shirts wasn't even that good...

 

after about a five hour ride taking mostly two lane roads, we made it to boone. we checked into the hotel room and decided to get something to eat. the hotel manager suggested canyons. turned out to be a great place to eat - good food, great company, and an awesome view. the building has a rich history that adds to the experience...

in the end, it was a great day... the ride to boone was good, mostly two lane roads, through town and places we'd never see on the highway. the weather was absolutely georgeous. and of coures the mountains in boone made for wonderful riding...

you can check out the 2008 ride map to see the route - this one in light blue...

25k...

hit the 25k mark yesterday...

seems like a big milestone when you're a new rider and have a new bike - something to shoot for. now that i'm there, it doesn't seem like much. the longer i ride, the more i want to ride. i realize it's not about the miles, it's about where you've been, who you've met during those miles.

i look at future miles not so much in numbers, but journies... adventures i can share with my wife. the trips we'll take to get fish sammiches, to the beach or mountains, to see the world's largest whatever, or just to cruise around the back roads, spending time together and building more memories...

check out the ride map to see where i was when i hit the mark....

york trip...

day one - june 8

packed up the bike in the morning and made our way up to manassas. as instructed we called father-in-law to let him know we were leaving. he would be leaving soon as well and call us when he was in position - where ever and when ever that might be...



i had daughter on the back of the bike with wife and left over kids in the chase vehicle... it was a hot day which made for a longer ride. still, i would prefer to be on the bike in the heat than in a cage...



trying to catch up to father-in-law was interesting to say the least. between crappy/non-existent cell phone reception, father-in-law moving locations and no communication between the bike and chase vehicle, it was an adventure. he was in at least two different locations, trying to find the perfect location.



it ended up being at a burger king in orange. luckily before we passed it. after grabbing some grub, we headed the rest of the way up to maanssas.

day two - june 9

the final leg up to york... we decided to leave mid-morning, between the morning rush hour and the heat of the day. if all goes well, we could miss traffic in the larger cities and get to york around noon, before the heat of the day hits.



we loaded up the bikes and headed out...

trip went pretty good, mostly back roads and not too much traffic... until we got to leesburg. unfortunately our timing was off a little and we managed to spend about thirty minutes in stop and go traffic. might not sound like much, but when it's already warm outside and you're sitting on an idling engine, it's not what you might call comfortable.



after getting out of traffic and up the road a little, we decided to make our first stop for refreshments. a welcome break...

second half of the trip was uneventful. we arrived at the best western in york. i think we were all happy to get there, out of the heat and into some air conditioning...

after checking in and unloading, we wandered out for some food. leaving the bikes parked and opting to walk, figuring it might be a tad cooler than riding...



a recommendation from the check-in girls lead us to the westgate restaurant and lounge.

unfortunately the 'free' and 'beer' weren't associated other than being on the same pane of glass...

a nice looking diner that i wanted to try - apparently no one else was interested...

in the evening, daughter and i decided to go for a ride. i think the others were still a bit worn out from the ride up. besides, this would give daughter and i a chance to hang out - it was her trip anyway...



not sure where to go, we decided to head to laugerman's, the nearest hd dealer. i plug the location into my gps and off we go...



while a gps is a great too and very handy to have, it's not perfect. and for some reason, the gps decided to route us around every back alley street between us and the dealership. using a conventional paper map, i could have plotted a direct route to the dealership taking us all of maybe three miles. but the gps chose a route for us that was no less than ten miles.



most of the time, this would have been less than ideal. and i was getting kind of frustrated because i knew there was a shorter route. but sometimes taking the wrong turn can lead to greater benefits. in our case, we stumbled upon prospect hill cemetary and quite a site it was...

we finally made it to laugerman's about thirty minutes before they closed - one of the few dealerships that are actually open late. i imagine it has something to do with the proximity to the factory.

we wandered around the dealership, looking at t-shirts and talking them out of a screw-it bandanna. we discovered the dealership has little collection, museum as they like to call it, of vintage and collector bikes. an impressive collection...

after leaving the dealership, we took a little ride around york, looking for the twisty little roads we didn't find on the ride up. or at least a cooler ride we could enjoy. it was a nice ride and a great way to end the day...

day three - june 10

got up, grabbed some breakfast, packed up the bikes and headed to the factory to take on a tour. reading the literature, it sounded like we needed to get there very early in order to have a chance at taking a tour. i wasn't about to miss my opportunity and planned to be pulling the bike into the parking lot as they opened the doors.

once the doors opened, we got our tickets for the first available tour. we wandered around the visitor center, checking out displays and just had some fun...

all the pieces needed to assemble a 2008 road king classic

part of the manufacturing process - from sheet metal to final product...

a couple other artifacts from the museum/visitor center. this is the bike vaughn l. beals was given when harley was purchased from amf.

waiting for the movie to begin before the tour... no picture taking on the tour...

after the factory tour, a quick stop by laugerman's for father-in-law and son to check out... always making memories...

then the trip home... despite the heat, we decided to take the longer route home, figuring heading through the mountains might make for a cooler ride. as well as the fact we'd hit slightly more twisty roads.



the ride longer ride through the mountains were certainly welcome. but we did pay the price when we had to stop on the hot asphalt for about fifteen minutes for road construction. even shutting the bikes off wasn't much relief.



once we got moving again, twisting through the mountains, the misery of sitting in the heat was quickly forgotten.



we made what we thought was our final stop in berkeley springs for an icy treat.

once we got moving again, the skies got dark and the rain clouds rolled in. one final stop to put on the rain gear. we decided to press on in the rain, as long as we could safely see in front of us.



the rain never did get bad enough to stop us. and as i've been discovering in the last few journeys in the rain, i actually like riding in the rain. not that i would chose it over riding on a sunny day, but i wouldn't not ride simply because it's raining...



we finally pulled back into manassas. another great end to a great ride.



looking back, i really enjoy riding with my father-in-law. i'm glad we can share these adventures and journeys. i hope we are able to put on many more miles together. and having the kids with us made the trip that much more special...



check out the 2008 ride map to see the route - this one in  green ...