took off for a nice long ride today in what turned out to be an unusually warm day and possibly weekend... the original plans were to go riding tomorrow and meet up with a couple buddies. but the weather is calling for thundershowers, so we reschedule for today.
the plan was for two of us to meet in smithfield then head to greenville to meet the other guy - if he was showing up. from there, we'd decide what to do...
i took off late morning towards smithfield. i couldn't believe the warm weather we had today. as i was approaching smithfield, i spotted a few clouds that looked like they could be holding some rain. they weren't calling for rain today. soon, i rode under a could of the clouds and could feel the temp drop. the drop in temp gave me a chill and i thought about how cold it felt. then i realized it was still january and this wasn't cold at all. thankfully those were about the only clouds i saw all day - the rest of the day would remain sunny and (relatively) warm.
when i got to smithfield, doug was already there waiting - about ten minutes. figures since i was about ten minutes late. after jabbering for a couple minutes, we headed to hooters in greenville. we decided to opt for the more scenic route. it would get us to greenville a little later than planned, but what the hell?? always better to take a scenic route and more time. besides, there'd be less traffic along this road.
having the gps adds a level of comfort while riding. instead of having to plan out the route, either remember of write down the route and then try to remember to look for all the roads, let the gps do the work. it gave me a lot of confidence that i was along the right roads and knew when i would need to turn. it's really going to make exploring unfamiliar territory nice.
we cruised along for about an hour and a half, enjoying the scenery along the mostly two lane roads. at once point we passed two people on the side of the road painting. they had their canvas on their easels, painting away... i looked across the road to see what they might be painting. to be honest, all i saw was an empty field - can't figure out what was there. and maybe that's what they were painting.
we finally made it to hooters... not too much happening there - seemed kinda dead. a lot more kids and families than i expected. not that there's a problem with it - just not used to seeing so many families and kids. after downing some wings and drinks, we decided to head to the hospital. a friend/colleague was recently injured while riding his bike. he's been in the trauma icu since before christmas. while we knew we wouldn't be able to see him, we thought it would be nice to visit for a couple minutes with his family.
i figured this would be a good test of the gps. i tried to plug in the name of the hospital - no luck, could find it... seems you have to have to correct name - which i did not. i was searching on pitt memorial and i should have been searching on pitt county memorial... so we plugged in the address for the hospital, which doug retrieved from his crackberry. following the directions on the gps only lead us to the wrong place. i kinda got the feeling we weren't going in the right direction when i saw a sign for the hospital pointing in one direction and the gps telling us to turn in the other direction. after ending up in the wrong place, we decided to follow the road signs. even those lead us to the wrong side of the hospital. eventually we ended up in the right place.
we managed our way up to the icu waiting room and talked to dave's wife for a couple minutes. the waiting room was cramped and hot. the heat forced us out sooner than we wanted, but it was time to go. it was getting late and we needed to get home.
deciding not to take a major road home, i tried to use the gps to track our way back to smithfield. i quickly discovered another problem with the gps - i really need my glasses to see the roads clearly. as i couldn't see the roads, we ended up on 264, heading west. not wanting to be on 264 the whole way, we eventually pulled off and wounds our way around on some two lane roads until we got back to smithfield. at that point, we split off and headed home...
it was a great day for a ride - can't believe how warm it was today - hard to believe it's the first weekend in january. well, i guess winter will be arriving tomorrow. as long as it's not snowing or sleeting, i should still be out there - maybe on shorter (much shorter) rides, but i try not to let the temps stop me.
you can check out the 2007 ride map to see the route - this one is in red...
Jan 6, 2007
Jan 4, 2007
here i am...
first, i have to say santa was extremely good to me this year. i'm still pretty sure i wasn't deserving of it, but santa left a gps under the tree for me... thanks santa!!!
took a ride down to the dealership this morning to have a gps mount installed on my bike... now before you go gettin' your panties in a bunch about me not doing the job myself - i have my reasons... first, i'm not sure it's a job i wanted to tackle on my own. believe it or not, the directions had me disassembling half my bike, removing the gas tank among other parts... second, time was of the essence - got an e-mail from a buddy about going to a ride this weekend since the weather is going to be so great. figured i wanted to take along the gps so i wouldn't get lost. or if i did get lost, i'd know where i was!!!
got up early and geared up for a cool january ride to the dealership. i say cool because, being january, it wasn't exactly cold. i was expecting the morning temps to be somewhere in the high thirties, low forties. turns out it was fifty degrees when i left. yup - fifty!! still, not wanting to take too much of a chance, i decided to bundle up anyway.
ride to the dealership, other than traffic was great. nice-n-cool. the way i like it. as soon as i walked through the doors, ned, the service-dood, was checking me in. i tell you, the service department here is very good - at least as far as i'm concerned. they've always treated me right and seem to go the extra step.
i was told the install would take about an hour, maybe an hour and a half... so i cruised around the dealership, checking out any deals they may have had - none to be found. then i sat around the service department, reading and waiting.
it's interesting to watch the people come and go... two cops walked in - i thought they may be there to pick up a bike. seems they just chatted with the service-doods for about thirty minutes and then left. before the cops showed up, someone brought a couple dozen donuts... wait a minute, now i know why the cops showed up!!! the funny part was watching all the other people show up to grab a couple donuts - word spread fast and they came crawling out of the woodwork. i guess if you ever wanted to talk to all the employees, you could gather them by announcing you have donuts!!
the install took a little longer than i expected. the guy was apologetic about how long it took him - said he would rather take his time and get it right than rush through it. i told him i agreed and would rather have it that way. reminds me of flying one time. we all boarded the plane, they closed the doors and pushed back from the gate. then they figured out something was wrong with the plane and they needed to fix it. sure - it took a while, but people were getting upset. complaining - wishing the crew would hurry up. i'm sitting there thinking - doods, take your time, get it fixed right. i'd much rather be on the ground when something goes wrong with the plane than up in the air.
anyway, the dood finishes with the bike and is telling me all about the installation. i think he was as excited as i was about it. a couple people gathered around to check it out before i bolted out of there.
using the gps to navigate was pretty cool - although i did know my way home. one really neat feature i can see coming in real handy is the gps displays the names of the cross streets as you approach - no more looking all over the place for street signs. i was also able to track my way back home - another cool feature. i added the track to my ride map...
so now i don't have an excuse for getting lost. well, i can still get lost, i just don't have an excuse for not finding my way home...
took a ride down to the dealership this morning to have a gps mount installed on my bike... now before you go gettin' your panties in a bunch about me not doing the job myself - i have my reasons... first, i'm not sure it's a job i wanted to tackle on my own. believe it or not, the directions had me disassembling half my bike, removing the gas tank among other parts... second, time was of the essence - got an e-mail from a buddy about going to a ride this weekend since the weather is going to be so great. figured i wanted to take along the gps so i wouldn't get lost. or if i did get lost, i'd know where i was!!!
got up early and geared up for a cool january ride to the dealership. i say cool because, being january, it wasn't exactly cold. i was expecting the morning temps to be somewhere in the high thirties, low forties. turns out it was fifty degrees when i left. yup - fifty!! still, not wanting to take too much of a chance, i decided to bundle up anyway.
ride to the dealership, other than traffic was great. nice-n-cool. the way i like it. as soon as i walked through the doors, ned, the service-dood, was checking me in. i tell you, the service department here is very good - at least as far as i'm concerned. they've always treated me right and seem to go the extra step.
i was told the install would take about an hour, maybe an hour and a half... so i cruised around the dealership, checking out any deals they may have had - none to be found. then i sat around the service department, reading and waiting.
it's interesting to watch the people come and go... two cops walked in - i thought they may be there to pick up a bike. seems they just chatted with the service-doods for about thirty minutes and then left. before the cops showed up, someone brought a couple dozen donuts... wait a minute, now i know why the cops showed up!!! the funny part was watching all the other people show up to grab a couple donuts - word spread fast and they came crawling out of the woodwork. i guess if you ever wanted to talk to all the employees, you could gather them by announcing you have donuts!!
the install took a little longer than i expected. the guy was apologetic about how long it took him - said he would rather take his time and get it right than rush through it. i told him i agreed and would rather have it that way. reminds me of flying one time. we all boarded the plane, they closed the doors and pushed back from the gate. then they figured out something was wrong with the plane and they needed to fix it. sure - it took a while, but people were getting upset. complaining - wishing the crew would hurry up. i'm sitting there thinking - doods, take your time, get it fixed right. i'd much rather be on the ground when something goes wrong with the plane than up in the air.
anyway, the dood finishes with the bike and is telling me all about the installation. i think he was as excited as i was about it. a couple people gathered around to check it out before i bolted out of there.
using the gps to navigate was pretty cool - although i did know my way home. one really neat feature i can see coming in real handy is the gps displays the names of the cross streets as you approach - no more looking all over the place for street signs. i was also able to track my way back home - another cool feature. i added the track to my ride map...
so now i don't have an excuse for getting lost. well, i can still get lost, i just don't have an excuse for not finding my way home...
Jan 3, 2007
'nother hog meeting...
i guess this counts as the first ride of the season... being january you'd expect it to be cold... it was near sixty degrees when i took off for the meeting!!! and the temps are supposed to remain warmer through the weekend!! i'll have to squeeze some riding time in...
i picked up my neighbor on the way to the meeting. this was his first meeting. although he's not a member, he'll probably join. that got me to thinking about our meetings compared to other hog meetings. ours are pretty much the same every time - pledge of allegiance, prayer, reports from the board members, shop talk from the dealership and then giveaways. nothing really super exciting. so are most other hog meetings like this?? i started wondering about what really draws me to the meetings. i think it's the opportunity to ride - just gives me another reason to hop on the bike and ride in the middle of the week...
after sitting around for an hour, the meeting ended and it was time to ride. i was expecting the ride home to be a bit colder. it was actually very nice. this can't be january... the funny thing is our dealership is having their polar bear ride this weekend. the idea is it's supposed to be cold and you're supposed to ride your bike to the dealership. you show up on your bike and they give you discounts as well as have other things going on at the shop. well, i believe saturday is going to be in the seventies - close to record breaking temps... not going to be much of a polar bear ride!!! i won't complain about it - just enjoy it while it lasts...
ride safe...
i picked up my neighbor on the way to the meeting. this was his first meeting. although he's not a member, he'll probably join. that got me to thinking about our meetings compared to other hog meetings. ours are pretty much the same every time - pledge of allegiance, prayer, reports from the board members, shop talk from the dealership and then giveaways. nothing really super exciting. so are most other hog meetings like this?? i started wondering about what really draws me to the meetings. i think it's the opportunity to ride - just gives me another reason to hop on the bike and ride in the middle of the week...
after sitting around for an hour, the meeting ended and it was time to ride. i was expecting the ride home to be a bit colder. it was actually very nice. this can't be january... the funny thing is our dealership is having their polar bear ride this weekend. the idea is it's supposed to be cold and you're supposed to ride your bike to the dealership. you show up on your bike and they give you discounts as well as have other things going on at the shop. well, i believe saturday is going to be in the seventies - close to record breaking temps... not going to be much of a polar bear ride!!! i won't complain about it - just enjoy it while it lasts...
ride safe...
Jan 1, 2007
2007 rides
hopefully the map won't get too junked up, but i'm going to include routes i take on my rides... if it starts looking too cluttered, then maybe i'll create a separate map just for routes...
i realize it may be hard to determine the routes without actually zooming in - but that's the way it goes...
routes:
------ 01/04/2007 - ride home
------ 01/06/2007 - ride to greenville, nc
------ 01/13/2007 - saturday ride around
------ 01/14/2007 - sunday ride to nowhere
------ 01/28/2007 - ride to sanford
------ 05/11-12/2007 - ride to rocky mount
------ 05/13-19/2007 - columbia, sc
------ 06/23-24/2007 - salisbury, sc
------ 07/18-20/2007 - tail of the dragon
------ 08/19/2007 - sunday ride around the "block"
------ 10/28/2007 - sunday ride
------ 12/31/2007 - new year's eve ride
i realize it may be hard to determine the routes without actually zooming in - but that's the way it goes...
routes:
13494
starting the year with just under 13500 miles on the bike... which means i put on almost 5500 miles this past year. i was hoping to put on about 10k, which i would have done had i made the sturgis trip... still, not a bad total considering most of it is casual riding.
no trips planned this year - although my wife is talking about me going to the spring rally at myrtle beach for a couple days. we'll see how that goes. there will also be the yearly trek to the smoke out in salisbury. i might also try to squeeze in an iron butt ride. the seal's put one on that i'm looking at this year... and i'm sure there will be the occasional hopping on the bike, heading out for a day ride...
really looking forward to riding this year...
peace...
no trips planned this year - although my wife is talking about me going to the spring rally at myrtle beach for a couple days. we'll see how that goes. there will also be the yearly trek to the smoke out in salisbury. i might also try to squeeze in an iron butt ride. the seal's put one on that i'm looking at this year... and i'm sure there will be the occasional hopping on the bike, heading out for a day ride...
really looking forward to riding this year...
peace...
Dec 17, 2006
lake ride
looks like the year is ending about the same way it started, with a ride up to the kerr lake... i needed to close up the trailer at the lake and decided to make it part of the ride.
can't believe the temps we're having this time of year - in the seventies. and this is december!!!
i called up my neighbor to see if he wanted to tag along for the ride. he got a sporty about couple months ago and he's been riding quite a bit. i figured it'd be a lot of fun riding with him.
after a quick stop at the gas station, we headed for the kerr lake. as always, it was a beautiful day for a ride. we took rt. 1 north to rt. 158 east, then north on lee avenue in middleburg. after winding our way through back roads, we finally crossed the dam and made it to the trailer.
i got to work opening all the spigots, putting antifreeze in the drains and wiring the windows shut. while i was doing that, bill checked out the property and the lake. took me about an hour to get everything done. once i finished and got the place locked up, we headed back out on the bikes.
i offered to let bill lead... he didn't want to since he wasn't sure where we were going. i confessed and told him that i didn't either - i was just going to look for road signs and hope we didn't miss any. but the beauty of being on a bike is if you do miss any turns, it only makes for a new adventure!!!
one the way out, i stopped at the mailbox to see what might be in there. i pulled over to the side of the gravel road without actually pulling off. bill pulled up behind me. i jumped off the bike and looked into the empty mailbox. i hopped onto the bike and lifted it off the kickstand. as i lifted the bike up, it just kept going to the right... i planted my right foot solid onto the ground - as i did, i realized it was in a shallow ditch. between the weight of the bike leaning to the right, and my right foot being lower than i expected, the bike just kept going over - until it was laying on the ground. yup - i tipped my bike over!!! for the first time!!! it must have been pretty funny for bill to watch. the bike just seemed to slowly fall over. thankfully he was there to help me pick it back up as it was laying partway in the ditch. i told him i'd buy him lunch if the story didn't go any further. he upped it to a beer. done deal!!!
we hopped on to rt. 58 west in boydton and took that to clarksville. we decided to grab some food in clarksville before heading back home. after downing our meals, we headed on rt. 49 to virgilina where we picked up rt. 96 for the last leg home...
even though we were gone for over five hours, we only put 130 miles on the bikes. still, great day for a great ride. was nice to get out again - especially considering this may be the last real ride of the year. maybe if the weather holds the week of christmas, i'll be able to get a few more miles in...
until then, ride safe...
can't believe the temps we're having this time of year - in the seventies. and this is december!!!
i called up my neighbor to see if he wanted to tag along for the ride. he got a sporty about couple months ago and he's been riding quite a bit. i figured it'd be a lot of fun riding with him.
after a quick stop at the gas station, we headed for the kerr lake. as always, it was a beautiful day for a ride. we took rt. 1 north to rt. 158 east, then north on lee avenue in middleburg. after winding our way through back roads, we finally crossed the dam and made it to the trailer.
i got to work opening all the spigots, putting antifreeze in the drains and wiring the windows shut. while i was doing that, bill checked out the property and the lake. took me about an hour to get everything done. once i finished and got the place locked up, we headed back out on the bikes.
i offered to let bill lead... he didn't want to since he wasn't sure where we were going. i confessed and told him that i didn't either - i was just going to look for road signs and hope we didn't miss any. but the beauty of being on a bike is if you do miss any turns, it only makes for a new adventure!!!
one the way out, i stopped at the mailbox to see what might be in there. i pulled over to the side of the gravel road without actually pulling off. bill pulled up behind me. i jumped off the bike and looked into the empty mailbox. i hopped onto the bike and lifted it off the kickstand. as i lifted the bike up, it just kept going to the right... i planted my right foot solid onto the ground - as i did, i realized it was in a shallow ditch. between the weight of the bike leaning to the right, and my right foot being lower than i expected, the bike just kept going over - until it was laying on the ground. yup - i tipped my bike over!!! for the first time!!! it must have been pretty funny for bill to watch. the bike just seemed to slowly fall over. thankfully he was there to help me pick it back up as it was laying partway in the ditch. i told him i'd buy him lunch if the story didn't go any further. he upped it to a beer. done deal!!!
we hopped on to rt. 58 west in boydton and took that to clarksville. we decided to grab some food in clarksville before heading back home. after downing our meals, we headed on rt. 49 to virgilina where we picked up rt. 96 for the last leg home...
even though we were gone for over five hours, we only put 130 miles on the bikes. still, great day for a great ride. was nice to get out again - especially considering this may be the last real ride of the year. maybe if the weather holds the week of christmas, i'll be able to get a few more miles in...
until then, ride safe...
Dec 6, 2006
hog meeting
rode to the hog meeting tonight... although we've been getting warm weather lately, the ride in was a little cool. again i decided to dress in layers and wear the face mask. i tell you, the face mask has really paid off the few times i've worn it. i didn't realize it would help as much as it does...
ride to the meeting was pretty uneventful. got there and got upstairs to find everyone eating. doh!!! i forgot we were having our christmas "party" at this meeting. the meeting must have started at six or six thirty instead of the usual seven. most people were finishing up their dinners as a few of us straggled in, late.
i decided to throw a sandwich and a brownie on my plate. along with a bag of chips and a soda i was set. all except for a place to sit. there were a lot of tables set up, but no room at any of them - the pitfalls of showing up late!! i sat down in an empty chair and proceeded to eat - carefully balancing the plate on my knee. i managed to get through all the food with out dropping the plate - whew... i can imagine the comments that would have been made - all in jest of course.
the meeting was pretty packed - must have been the free food!! there wasn't really much to address at the meeting, so the meeting itself went quickly. a couple of final dollars to charities, talk of some goals for next year and that was about it. of course the best part of the meeting is the fifty-fifty drawing at the end. tonight's pot was the biggest it's ever been - one hundred ninety plus dollars. that'd make a nice christmas present. and guess who won?? yeah, i don't know either - it wasn't me. damn, that would have been a nice one to win...
ride home was good. got all bundled up before heading out. since the meeting got out a little early, i decided to stop by the store to get my wife some flowers. of course by the time i pulled into the parking lot, took off my gear, locked up the bike and got to the door, the store was closed. missed by minutes. i hate that - it would have been such a nice surprise for her. another time...
ride to the meeting was pretty uneventful. got there and got upstairs to find everyone eating. doh!!! i forgot we were having our christmas "party" at this meeting. the meeting must have started at six or six thirty instead of the usual seven. most people were finishing up their dinners as a few of us straggled in, late.
i decided to throw a sandwich and a brownie on my plate. along with a bag of chips and a soda i was set. all except for a place to sit. there were a lot of tables set up, but no room at any of them - the pitfalls of showing up late!! i sat down in an empty chair and proceeded to eat - carefully balancing the plate on my knee. i managed to get through all the food with out dropping the plate - whew... i can imagine the comments that would have been made - all in jest of course.
the meeting was pretty packed - must have been the free food!! there wasn't really much to address at the meeting, so the meeting itself went quickly. a couple of final dollars to charities, talk of some goals for next year and that was about it. of course the best part of the meeting is the fifty-fifty drawing at the end. tonight's pot was the biggest it's ever been - one hundred ninety plus dollars. that'd make a nice christmas present. and guess who won?? yeah, i don't know either - it wasn't me. damn, that would have been a nice one to win...
ride home was good. got all bundled up before heading out. since the meeting got out a little early, i decided to stop by the store to get my wife some flowers. of course by the time i pulled into the parking lot, took off my gear, locked up the bike and got to the door, the store was closed. missed by minutes. i hate that - it would have been such a nice surprise for her. another time...
Nov 28, 2006
lunch ride
met a couple of coworkers for lunch today... can't believe this awesome weather we're having...
to prepare for the ride, i put on the usual tee shirt with a henley over it. i decided to wear my leather coat with the liner - to help keep me a little warmer. i figured i probably didn't need my electric gloves, not quite that cold.
i headed out for the ride... ended up making two mistakes... first was dressing too warmly. although if you're not going to dress appropriately, it's much better to wear too much than not enough. luckily i was dressed in layers and could shed some of the clothing for the ride home... which is exactly what i did. ended up removing the liner in my coat, not using the henley and riding with my summer gloves. ride home was much nicer - especially since i took the back roads home...
second mistake was leaving too early. got my times confused and ended up leaving thirty minutes earlier than i needed. and i didn't realize it until i was about five minutes from the restaurant. not so bad - it gave me a chance to people watch. although there really wasn't much going on or to see...
again, ride home was nice because i was on two lane roads the whole time. they're much less crowded and have more twists and turns. great for riding on a day like today...
to prepare for the ride, i put on the usual tee shirt with a henley over it. i decided to wear my leather coat with the liner - to help keep me a little warmer. i figured i probably didn't need my electric gloves, not quite that cold.
i headed out for the ride... ended up making two mistakes... first was dressing too warmly. although if you're not going to dress appropriately, it's much better to wear too much than not enough. luckily i was dressed in layers and could shed some of the clothing for the ride home... which is exactly what i did. ended up removing the liner in my coat, not using the henley and riding with my summer gloves. ride home was much nicer - especially since i took the back roads home...
second mistake was leaving too early. got my times confused and ended up leaving thirty minutes earlier than i needed. and i didn't realize it until i was about five minutes from the restaurant. not so bad - it gave me a chance to people watch. although there really wasn't much going on or to see...
again, ride home was nice because i was on two lane roads the whole time. they're much less crowded and have more twists and turns. great for riding on a day like today...
Nov 18, 2006
saturday ride - smithfield
took a ride down to smithfield today... as usual, it was a great day for a ride...
it started out with a short ride around the corner to attend our homeowners association meeting. what a joke that was. we're got a board that doesn't give a damn about what the home owners want and a bunch of homeowners that want to stick their heads in the sand. i was the only one who stood up and said anything at the meeting. of course, talking around the neighborhood, people tell you, i'll back you up. did that happen?? no... for the second year in a row, i put my name up for a position on the board. didn't win, again... at least i'm trying to make change instead of just whining about it...
after the meeting i was ready to ride... i needed to ride. as i threw my leg over the bike, i'm mumbling expletives in my head about the meeting, f-this, f-that, blah, blah, blah... i'm probably less that five miles down the road when the thoughts in my head are changing... i'm starting to think about the ride, the weather, the surroundings... before i knew it, thoughts of the homeowners meeting were totally out of my mind and i'm enjoying the hell out of the ride...
for me, that's one of the beauties of riding - it can be so relaxing, so meditating. it takes me to a different place - literally and figuratively!! it give me a new perspective - instead of looking at the negative and complaining, i start looking at the beauty in things.
i was prepared for a cool ride this morning. i bundled up in layers, put the face mask on and even geared up with the electric gloves. surprisingly, it was warmer that i thought it would be. i decided to start the trip to smithfield without the electric gloves and face mask. good choice because i didn't really need them and would have probably been a lot warmed that i needed to be... it was sunny and the skies were clear, except for a few white, puffy clouds floating around. again, a great day for a ride.
the ride down was uneventful. a little more traffic than usual. but that's not bad... the occasional person riding too slow... not that i wanted to be a speed demon, but at least keep up with the speed limit. it gets really frustrating to get behind someone going slow on a two lane road. especially this two lane road because there aren't many chance to pass. when you do finally have a passing lane, it's usually too short to pass, or the inevitable cage coming in the opposite direction. but, it doesn't matter, i'm enjoying the ride, being part of the countryside that i'm riding through.
got to smithfield and met up with some friends. we hung out for a couple hours and it was time to leave. ride home was gorgeous... didn't seem to get behind any one going slow... seemed as i approached people that might have been going slow, they turned off before i got to them.
while riding was nice today, it was also nice to get home...
it started out with a short ride around the corner to attend our homeowners association meeting. what a joke that was. we're got a board that doesn't give a damn about what the home owners want and a bunch of homeowners that want to stick their heads in the sand. i was the only one who stood up and said anything at the meeting. of course, talking around the neighborhood, people tell you, i'll back you up. did that happen?? no... for the second year in a row, i put my name up for a position on the board. didn't win, again... at least i'm trying to make change instead of just whining about it...
after the meeting i was ready to ride... i needed to ride. as i threw my leg over the bike, i'm mumbling expletives in my head about the meeting, f-this, f-that, blah, blah, blah... i'm probably less that five miles down the road when the thoughts in my head are changing... i'm starting to think about the ride, the weather, the surroundings... before i knew it, thoughts of the homeowners meeting were totally out of my mind and i'm enjoying the hell out of the ride...
for me, that's one of the beauties of riding - it can be so relaxing, so meditating. it takes me to a different place - literally and figuratively!! it give me a new perspective - instead of looking at the negative and complaining, i start looking at the beauty in things.
i was prepared for a cool ride this morning. i bundled up in layers, put the face mask on and even geared up with the electric gloves. surprisingly, it was warmer that i thought it would be. i decided to start the trip to smithfield without the electric gloves and face mask. good choice because i didn't really need them and would have probably been a lot warmed that i needed to be... it was sunny and the skies were clear, except for a few white, puffy clouds floating around. again, a great day for a ride.
the ride down was uneventful. a little more traffic than usual. but that's not bad... the occasional person riding too slow... not that i wanted to be a speed demon, but at least keep up with the speed limit. it gets really frustrating to get behind someone going slow on a two lane road. especially this two lane road because there aren't many chance to pass. when you do finally have a passing lane, it's usually too short to pass, or the inevitable cage coming in the opposite direction. but, it doesn't matter, i'm enjoying the ride, being part of the countryside that i'm riding through.
got to smithfield and met up with some friends. we hung out for a couple hours and it was time to leave. ride home was gorgeous... didn't seem to get behind any one going slow... seemed as i approached people that might have been going slow, they turned off before i got to them.
while riding was nice today, it was also nice to get home...
Oct 26, 2006
new brakes
took the bike in to get new front rotors and brake pads that were found during the 12500 mile service...
it was a good ride in - a lot warmer than my last ride to the dealership. today's the kind of day you just want to blow off work and keep riding. but, on the bright side, i am out and riding a bit, which beats not riding at all.
i got to the dealership before they opened. i have a knack for doing that. i guess coming in so far, my fear is getting stuck in traffic and being late. i would much rather show up a bit early than late. so i had a couple minutes to kill waiting for the shop to open. made small talk with some of the mechanics before they headed in.
took a couple minutes but i finally realized the shop doors were open - so i could go inside and wait. scan through a motorcycle rag or two while i'm waiting. i looked on the shop floor and saw the mechanic that i thought was going to work on my bike. he was the one who would have worked on the bike had that parts been in stock originally - i just figure he'll be the one doing the work...
after a couple minutes, the service counter dood shows up, punches in on the computer and start printing out some paperwork. i figure i'll give him a couple minutes before i check in. before i know it, he's handing some paperwork to the mechanic who's supposed to work on my bike. after the exchange, he looks over at me and says i'm all set, should be about an hour or so. i'm thinking cool... this is the way service should be!!!
i sit back, relax and read through some more rags, just killing time. after reading for a bit, i decide to watch the guy work on my bike. i don't know why, but i feel kinda odd doing that. it's almost like i'm at a zoo or something, watch the exhibits. and i'm wondering what these guys are thinking about people watching them. of course i think it goes something along the lines of, what a bozo, doesn't know how to work on his own bike. and maybe that's true...
so i start to watch him and notice he doesn't even have the wheel off yet. hmmmmm, maybe this is going to take a little longer than expected. which i really don't care about - i'd rather the job take longer and be done right than rushed and wrong.
i keep switching from reading to watching, waiting for the wheel to come off. i do believe they have to take the wheel off to replace the rotors. could be wrong... before i know it, he's riding my bike out of the shop. a couple minutes later he returns and says it's done. wow!! that was quick. he says he took the bike down to be detailed but it didn't look that dirty. he offers to take it down there anyway. i decide to pass. and finally confess that i had only ridden the bike once since it was detailed last. so they busted my chops a bit for not riding more. of course i wasn't going to offer any excuses since they would only give me a harder time and there weren't really any excuses for not riding...
the ride home was beautiful. temps had warmed up a bit and the brakes felt sooooo much better. it's amazing how much your confidence increases when your bike is in top shape - or at least you believe it is but just don't know any better.
i was enjoying the ride home so much, i decided to stop and pick up some flowers for my wife. it'll be a nice surprise for her.
it was a good ride in - a lot warmer than my last ride to the dealership. today's the kind of day you just want to blow off work and keep riding. but, on the bright side, i am out and riding a bit, which beats not riding at all.
i got to the dealership before they opened. i have a knack for doing that. i guess coming in so far, my fear is getting stuck in traffic and being late. i would much rather show up a bit early than late. so i had a couple minutes to kill waiting for the shop to open. made small talk with some of the mechanics before they headed in.
took a couple minutes but i finally realized the shop doors were open - so i could go inside and wait. scan through a motorcycle rag or two while i'm waiting. i looked on the shop floor and saw the mechanic that i thought was going to work on my bike. he was the one who would have worked on the bike had that parts been in stock originally - i just figure he'll be the one doing the work...
after a couple minutes, the service counter dood shows up, punches in on the computer and start printing out some paperwork. i figure i'll give him a couple minutes before i check in. before i know it, he's handing some paperwork to the mechanic who's supposed to work on my bike. after the exchange, he looks over at me and says i'm all set, should be about an hour or so. i'm thinking cool... this is the way service should be!!!
i sit back, relax and read through some more rags, just killing time. after reading for a bit, i decide to watch the guy work on my bike. i don't know why, but i feel kinda odd doing that. it's almost like i'm at a zoo or something, watch the exhibits. and i'm wondering what these guys are thinking about people watching them. of course i think it goes something along the lines of, what a bozo, doesn't know how to work on his own bike. and maybe that's true...
so i start to watch him and notice he doesn't even have the wheel off yet. hmmmmm, maybe this is going to take a little longer than expected. which i really don't care about - i'd rather the job take longer and be done right than rushed and wrong.
i keep switching from reading to watching, waiting for the wheel to come off. i do believe they have to take the wheel off to replace the rotors. could be wrong... before i know it, he's riding my bike out of the shop. a couple minutes later he returns and says it's done. wow!! that was quick. he says he took the bike down to be detailed but it didn't look that dirty. he offers to take it down there anyway. i decide to pass. and finally confess that i had only ridden the bike once since it was detailed last. so they busted my chops a bit for not riding more. of course i wasn't going to offer any excuses since they would only give me a harder time and there weren't really any excuses for not riding...
the ride home was beautiful. temps had warmed up a bit and the brakes felt sooooo much better. it's amazing how much your confidence increases when your bike is in top shape - or at least you believe it is but just don't know any better.
i was enjoying the ride home so much, i decided to stop and pick up some flowers for my wife. it'll be a nice surprise for her.
Oct 11, 2006
12500 mile service...
took my bike in for it's 12500 mile service today. was a good morning for a ride - the ride in was a little chilly, but not cold or nasty. the ride home was awesome - perfect temps, clear...
as i usually do, i decided to wait for the bike while it's being serviced. i also asked them to check out the front brakes because they seem to shutter or shake when i apply them. nothing bad, but it seems to be getting worse.
while they were working on the bike, i decided to pick up a face mask... i figure if i'm going to be riding in the colder weather, i might as well get one. i've been using my wife's, but it's a little small and tight - not something i want distracting me while i ride...
after my purchase, i wander back to the service area. they tell me the front brake rotors are warped - they have the parts in stock and are going to replace the rotors and brake pads. after about thirty minutes, they realize that what's listed as stock in the computer doesn't match what's actually on the shelf - they're short on rotor. they've ordered the rotors and i'll have to come back to have them replaced - no big deal...
in the meantime, they've sent the bike to be cleaned and detailed - a nice service they throw in for preferred customers. i wait... and wait... and wait... and wait... seems it takes them longer to clean the bike than it does to service it... not that i'm complaining - they do a really good job. at this point, i don't know if i should be happy or starting to get upset. it is taking longer than expected - but i guess that means they are doing a thorough job. i guess i just wasn't counting the added time to clean the bike and wanted to get back to get out of there.
i finally get the bike back. i must say, it is really clean - nice looking. what's really nice is i got it cleaned after my trip to the tail of the dragon and i didn't have to do it myself!!! i guess it was worth the wait...
so, 12500 miles... don't really know if that's more or less miles than i've expected to put on it by now... i guess if i was still working at an office and riding, i would have a lot more miles. but since i work from home and most of my miles come from weekend riding, that's not bad... i know it's not a while lot of miles, but it does seem like some sort of a milestone. wonder if i'll be able to squeak out 15000 before the end of the year??
ride safe...
as i usually do, i decided to wait for the bike while it's being serviced. i also asked them to check out the front brakes because they seem to shutter or shake when i apply them. nothing bad, but it seems to be getting worse.
while they were working on the bike, i decided to pick up a face mask... i figure if i'm going to be riding in the colder weather, i might as well get one. i've been using my wife's, but it's a little small and tight - not something i want distracting me while i ride...
after my purchase, i wander back to the service area. they tell me the front brake rotors are warped - they have the parts in stock and are going to replace the rotors and brake pads. after about thirty minutes, they realize that what's listed as stock in the computer doesn't match what's actually on the shelf - they're short on rotor. they've ordered the rotors and i'll have to come back to have them replaced - no big deal...
in the meantime, they've sent the bike to be cleaned and detailed - a nice service they throw in for preferred customers. i wait... and wait... and wait... and wait... seems it takes them longer to clean the bike than it does to service it... not that i'm complaining - they do a really good job. at this point, i don't know if i should be happy or starting to get upset. it is taking longer than expected - but i guess that means they are doing a thorough job. i guess i just wasn't counting the added time to clean the bike and wanted to get back to get out of there.
i finally get the bike back. i must say, it is really clean - nice looking. what's really nice is i got it cleaned after my trip to the tail of the dragon and i didn't have to do it myself!!! i guess it was worth the wait...
so, 12500 miles... don't really know if that's more or less miles than i've expected to put on it by now... i guess if i was still working at an office and riding, i would have a lot more miles. but since i work from home and most of my miles come from weekend riding, that's not bad... i know it's not a while lot of miles, but it does seem like some sort of a milestone. wonder if i'll be able to squeak out 15000 before the end of the year??
ride safe...
Oct 9, 2006
why motorcycling is so much fun...
so i was trying to help a female with her bike. she had been running the engine on with the choke, which kinda fouled the plugs, and she was having problems getting it started again.
i went over to her, made a couple adjustments to the bike and got it started. i decided to try to clean the crap out of the engine, so i revved the engine - high and long... next thing i know, she's got a startled/surprised look on her face. didn't take me long to figure out what was going on - especially since she was still sitting on the bike. as i rolled off the throttle, she gets a grin on her face and says, "now i know why motorcycling is so much fun." not quite knowing what to say, i just kind of smiled and walked away...
i went over to her, made a couple adjustments to the bike and got it started. i decided to try to clean the crap out of the engine, so i revved the engine - high and long... next thing i know, she's got a startled/surprised look on her face. didn't take me long to figure out what was going on - especially since she was still sitting on the bike. as i rolled off the throttle, she gets a grin on her face and says, "now i know why motorcycling is so much fun." not quite knowing what to say, i just kind of smiled and walked away...
Oct 6, 2006
trip report - tail of the dragon...
what a busy but great two days... before i get too far into the trip, i again have to send props and thanks out to my wonderful wife. without too much detail, the kids were out of school, i was on vacation and we were supposed to do something as a family. well, appointments were scheduled during the week and we never did plan something for the family. instead, my wife talked me into taking a couple days and riding the dragon. although that's probably not totally true... my original plan was to hold out and not go - especially since we were supposed to do something as a family. my wife kept talking about me going and the thoughts of riding the dragon became too much - the next thing i knew, i was agreeing to go... so, my plan fell through - but i wasn't complaining...
wednesday morning i packed up the bike for my overnight trip. i left around noon, figuring that would give me plenty of time to get to hickory by 1600. plans were to meet doug at the hooters in hickory. he was spending the morning having his bike serviced in charlotte. i tried to get my bike serviced before i left, but it was kinda short notice. i called the dealership tuesday afternoon but they couldn't get me in that evening. the guy did offer for me to drop the bike off wednesday morning and he could get it back to me by friday... uhhhh, that's not gonna work. so, i'll get it serviced after the trip...
it was a little after three when i got to hooters. doug was already there - which surprised me a little since i wasn't expecting him until closer to four. this was either going to give us an earlier start on the rest of the trip, or some extra time to kill a few drinks at hooters. we ended up doing both... we killed a little time having some leisurely conversation and a couple drinks. i had never really thought about it, but the place is a little slow in the late afternoon/early evening. i was tempted to get my camera from the bike, but there really wasn't much reason...
after the few drinks, it was time to saddle up and head out. we managed to get going before four. the earlier start was good because it would be late by the time we got to the "inn" and it would be dark. not that i necessarily mind driving in the dark, i'm just not so sure about in on unfamiliar, twisty mountain roads.
we decided to take i-40 / rt 74 / rt 129 to get to robbinsville. we had reservations at the two wheel inn - which was just south of robbinsville. the trip from hickory to robbinsville was about four hours. while we wanted to get there, we did take our time and make it a leisurely journey. i took the lead towards the end of the trip because it was getting dark and i seem to have particularly bright lights.
we ended up missing the turn off for the inn. how the heck are you supposed to find a driveway on a two lane road in the dark without some sort of sign?? well, they do have a sign, but it's apparently not lit up at night. figgers... so we turn around and pull up to the office. as we're reading the notes taped to the office door, one of the owners comes around the corner. seems they had just closed the office and were heading home for the evening. instead of just bolting out of there, she showed us our rooms, and opened the garages for our bikes. yes, garages for our bikes.
the neat thing about the two wheel inn is every room has a garage for your bike. it's a really nice set up - and what more could you ask for?? towels to clean your bike?? they supply those. it's great being able to store the bike away for the evening. i would highly recommend the two wheel inn to anyone traveling in the area.
after unloading the bikes and getting them into the garage, we relaxed for a couple minutes. it was probably getting on ten and we were getting tired. the ride out was about 380 miles. a good ride i would say. weather was nice, not too many idiots on the road - the kind of ride you want to have...
thursday morning was up by six. kinda sleeping in for me since i normally get up at five thirty. even after the longer ride the day before, i felt rested. i peeked outside to see a fairly dreary day - i was hoping it was mostly fog and it wouldn't turn to rain. if it does rain, will i still ride the tail of the dragon?? i guess part of that would depend on how hard it was raining. assuming it wasn't raining hard enough to make it a total bust, would i still ride?? since this is my first time riding it, i would be real hesitant. in fact, i might not ride it - but that would be a bust after riding all the way out here. i'll keep my fingers crossed this is just a foggy morning and it will burn off.
i killed some time watching the news and waiting for doug. we didn't plan a specific time, so i wasn't sure what time doug would get going. i guess it didn't really matter since we weren't tied to a schedule - which is one of the beauties of motorcycling. as i was waiting, the fog was starting to burn off. they were calling for some rain, but later in the day. looks like it's going to be a good day for a great ride.
we killed an hour or two waiting for the fog to burn off. it was burning off, but slowly. we packed up the bikes, checked out of the rooms and caught some breakfast before heading up to the tail of the dragon. by the time we finished breakfast, the fog was pretty much gone and i was ready for the day.
doug led the way to the tail of the dragon. i find it's a little easier following someone on unfamiliar roads. you can watch then to see which way the road goes and you can judge the appropriate speed if they are slowing down or speeding up.
the roads leading up to the tail of the dragon are nice. not too twisty - enough to lean the bikes a bit through the turns. as we get closer, the turns start getting tighter. now i'm trying to imagine what the twists and turns are like on the dragon. will they be too much?? you hear about people wrecking... and there is the tree of shame...
but plenty of people have ridden it without problems. no need to psych myself out - if i just ride within my limits, pay attention to what i do, i will have no problems. besides, this ride up to the dragon is practice.
until we cross fugitive bridge. then the road narrows and the turns are tighter. the turns must seem tighter because the road is narrower. whatever, i figure this is going to be the way it is. besides, this is probably mild compared to the way it is. no need to panic - doug and i already said we were going to take it slow. at least the first time through.
we're cruising along the winding road, twists and turns... we pass a sign, "stay in your lane." a reminder this is a double yellow line, two lane road. then another sign, "do not cross the centerline." i don't actually remember if there were skulls and crossbones on the sign, but i do remember some sort of message of death for failing to heed the signs. hmmmmmmm, must the beginning...
twists and curves... just concentrating on the road - applying what i know about turns and counter steering... looking ahead at the line i want to follow into the turn. after the first couple curves, i can feel myself getting into a groove. of course, the more relaxed i am, the better i ride. this is actually a lot of fun. now i can understand what all the hype is about.
i'm managing to stay on my side of the double yellow, which was probably my biggest concern. i realize going off on the shoulder side of the road wouldn't necessarily be a walk in the park, but crossing the double yellow is worse in my mind. at one point, we had three or four cruisers pass us in the opposite direction. the last one was crossing the double yellow into our lane - that was not a good feeling. and now i really understand why they say not to cross the double yellow.
we were cruising along at what i think is a decent speed - especially our first time through. before i know it, i'm being passed by a sport bike. didn't even see this guy coming, next thing i know, he's between doug and me. he stays there for a couple curves and then passes doug. boom, he's gone. i can't necessarily say i agree with what he did... but i never did feel that my safety or riding was compromised by what he did - he didn't interfere with me at all. i guess i can't blame him for wanting to go faster and he managed to do it without affecting me. let him...
before long, we're pulling off at an overpass. kind of a nice break, but i was hoping to ride the whole dragon without stopping. well, i really can't complain, i needed a potty break, which some low-lying shrubs provided great cover. besides, the view was so beautiful.
after admiring the view and exchanging pleasantries with others, we hopped back on the bikes to ride to the end. i decided to lead the rest of the way... we didn't get too far before we realized the overlook we just left was the end. so we found a nice place to stop and turn around. funny, in what seems like the middle of nowhere, we find the official tennessee state toilet.
we're heading back and i'm in the lead... we only got to the overlook before we stopped again. this time it was because we were behind a ridiculously slow cage. not that we were trying to speed back through or anything, but the vehicle was going so slow i could have probably walked faster!!! we decided to let it get some distance before heading out again.
after a couple minutes of watching people come and go, we decided it was our turn again. i took the lead as we pulled out. this time through, i was going a little faster. although to someone who's ridden the dragon a few times i probably looked like a snail going through. it was fast enough for me. i seemed to take the curves a bit faster, dragging the floorboards a couple times. i was definitely enjoying the ride.
there were more people out as we rode back. some riding, some pulled over on the side of the road at pullovers. at one of the larger pullovers, there were quite a few bikes pulled over. i glanced at them, resisting the urge to watch - fearing i would end up with them instead of still on the road. as i passed them, i noticed one bike in the ditch. although it was a quick glance, what i think i remember was a white bike, harley davidson, female rider, she appeared to be okay, and there were two or three other people over there helping her. i do remember thinking how lucky the rider was to have not gone over the other side of the road.
we reached the end and we pulled into the deal's gap motorcycle resort to stretch our legs, take some pictures, buy some mementos, admire the tree of shame and be thankful no pieces of our bikes ended up on the tree today. we talked to a couple other riders, commenting on how nice the ride was, how beautiful of a day it was and each other's bikes. here i am standing at the sign...
after riding the dragon, we headed back into robbinsville. we decided to catch some lunch before heading home. well, i was heading home, doug was continuing his motorcycle adventure with a couple more days in western nc.
we ate at wendy's. while i don't usually mind fast food, i was definitely getting tired of it. i can't wait to get back home and have some real food. it seems like every meal has been fast food.
the journey home begins. it was actually a nice ride home - fairly uneventful. doug and i stay together until asheville - he split off to head a little north. i kept heading east. two stops and six hours later, i was home. and while it was an awesome trip, it sure was nice to be back home. eight hundred miles in two days - not a bad trip at all...
wednesday morning i packed up the bike for my overnight trip. i left around noon, figuring that would give me plenty of time to get to hickory by 1600. plans were to meet doug at the hooters in hickory. he was spending the morning having his bike serviced in charlotte. i tried to get my bike serviced before i left, but it was kinda short notice. i called the dealership tuesday afternoon but they couldn't get me in that evening. the guy did offer for me to drop the bike off wednesday morning and he could get it back to me by friday... uhhhh, that's not gonna work. so, i'll get it serviced after the trip...
it was a little after three when i got to hooters. doug was already there - which surprised me a little since i wasn't expecting him until closer to four. this was either going to give us an earlier start on the rest of the trip, or some extra time to kill a few drinks at hooters. we ended up doing both... we killed a little time having some leisurely conversation and a couple drinks. i had never really thought about it, but the place is a little slow in the late afternoon/early evening. i was tempted to get my camera from the bike, but there really wasn't much reason...
after the few drinks, it was time to saddle up and head out. we managed to get going before four. the earlier start was good because it would be late by the time we got to the "inn" and it would be dark. not that i necessarily mind driving in the dark, i'm just not so sure about in on unfamiliar, twisty mountain roads.
we decided to take i-40 / rt 74 / rt 129 to get to robbinsville. we had reservations at the two wheel inn - which was just south of robbinsville. the trip from hickory to robbinsville was about four hours. while we wanted to get there, we did take our time and make it a leisurely journey. i took the lead towards the end of the trip because it was getting dark and i seem to have particularly bright lights.
we ended up missing the turn off for the inn. how the heck are you supposed to find a driveway on a two lane road in the dark without some sort of sign?? well, they do have a sign, but it's apparently not lit up at night. figgers... so we turn around and pull up to the office. as we're reading the notes taped to the office door, one of the owners comes around the corner. seems they had just closed the office and were heading home for the evening. instead of just bolting out of there, she showed us our rooms, and opened the garages for our bikes. yes, garages for our bikes.
the neat thing about the two wheel inn is every room has a garage for your bike. it's a really nice set up - and what more could you ask for?? towels to clean your bike?? they supply those. it's great being able to store the bike away for the evening. i would highly recommend the two wheel inn to anyone traveling in the area.
after unloading the bikes and getting them into the garage, we relaxed for a couple minutes. it was probably getting on ten and we were getting tired. the ride out was about 380 miles. a good ride i would say. weather was nice, not too many idiots on the road - the kind of ride you want to have...
thursday morning was up by six. kinda sleeping in for me since i normally get up at five thirty. even after the longer ride the day before, i felt rested. i peeked outside to see a fairly dreary day - i was hoping it was mostly fog and it wouldn't turn to rain. if it does rain, will i still ride the tail of the dragon?? i guess part of that would depend on how hard it was raining. assuming it wasn't raining hard enough to make it a total bust, would i still ride?? since this is my first time riding it, i would be real hesitant. in fact, i might not ride it - but that would be a bust after riding all the way out here. i'll keep my fingers crossed this is just a foggy morning and it will burn off.
i killed some time watching the news and waiting for doug. we didn't plan a specific time, so i wasn't sure what time doug would get going. i guess it didn't really matter since we weren't tied to a schedule - which is one of the beauties of motorcycling. as i was waiting, the fog was starting to burn off. they were calling for some rain, but later in the day. looks like it's going to be a good day for a great ride.
we killed an hour or two waiting for the fog to burn off. it was burning off, but slowly. we packed up the bikes, checked out of the rooms and caught some breakfast before heading up to the tail of the dragon. by the time we finished breakfast, the fog was pretty much gone and i was ready for the day.
doug led the way to the tail of the dragon. i find it's a little easier following someone on unfamiliar roads. you can watch then to see which way the road goes and you can judge the appropriate speed if they are slowing down or speeding up.
the roads leading up to the tail of the dragon are nice. not too twisty - enough to lean the bikes a bit through the turns. as we get closer, the turns start getting tighter. now i'm trying to imagine what the twists and turns are like on the dragon. will they be too much?? you hear about people wrecking... and there is the tree of shame...
but plenty of people have ridden it without problems. no need to psych myself out - if i just ride within my limits, pay attention to what i do, i will have no problems. besides, this ride up to the dragon is practice.
until we cross fugitive bridge. then the road narrows and the turns are tighter. the turns must seem tighter because the road is narrower. whatever, i figure this is going to be the way it is. besides, this is probably mild compared to the way it is. no need to panic - doug and i already said we were going to take it slow. at least the first time through.
we're cruising along the winding road, twists and turns... we pass a sign, "stay in your lane." a reminder this is a double yellow line, two lane road. then another sign, "do not cross the centerline." i don't actually remember if there were skulls and crossbones on the sign, but i do remember some sort of message of death for failing to heed the signs. hmmmmmmm, must the beginning...
twists and curves... just concentrating on the road - applying what i know about turns and counter steering... looking ahead at the line i want to follow into the turn. after the first couple curves, i can feel myself getting into a groove. of course, the more relaxed i am, the better i ride. this is actually a lot of fun. now i can understand what all the hype is about.
i'm managing to stay on my side of the double yellow, which was probably my biggest concern. i realize going off on the shoulder side of the road wouldn't necessarily be a walk in the park, but crossing the double yellow is worse in my mind. at one point, we had three or four cruisers pass us in the opposite direction. the last one was crossing the double yellow into our lane - that was not a good feeling. and now i really understand why they say not to cross the double yellow.
we were cruising along at what i think is a decent speed - especially our first time through. before i know it, i'm being passed by a sport bike. didn't even see this guy coming, next thing i know, he's between doug and me. he stays there for a couple curves and then passes doug. boom, he's gone. i can't necessarily say i agree with what he did... but i never did feel that my safety or riding was compromised by what he did - he didn't interfere with me at all. i guess i can't blame him for wanting to go faster and he managed to do it without affecting me. let him...
before long, we're pulling off at an overpass. kind of a nice break, but i was hoping to ride the whole dragon without stopping. well, i really can't complain, i needed a potty break, which some low-lying shrubs provided great cover. besides, the view was so beautiful.
after admiring the view and exchanging pleasantries with others, we hopped back on the bikes to ride to the end. i decided to lead the rest of the way... we didn't get too far before we realized the overlook we just left was the end. so we found a nice place to stop and turn around. funny, in what seems like the middle of nowhere, we find the official tennessee state toilet.
we're heading back and i'm in the lead... we only got to the overlook before we stopped again. this time it was because we were behind a ridiculously slow cage. not that we were trying to speed back through or anything, but the vehicle was going so slow i could have probably walked faster!!! we decided to let it get some distance before heading out again.
after a couple minutes of watching people come and go, we decided it was our turn again. i took the lead as we pulled out. this time through, i was going a little faster. although to someone who's ridden the dragon a few times i probably looked like a snail going through. it was fast enough for me. i seemed to take the curves a bit faster, dragging the floorboards a couple times. i was definitely enjoying the ride.
there were more people out as we rode back. some riding, some pulled over on the side of the road at pullovers. at one of the larger pullovers, there were quite a few bikes pulled over. i glanced at them, resisting the urge to watch - fearing i would end up with them instead of still on the road. as i passed them, i noticed one bike in the ditch. although it was a quick glance, what i think i remember was a white bike, harley davidson, female rider, she appeared to be okay, and there were two or three other people over there helping her. i do remember thinking how lucky the rider was to have not gone over the other side of the road.
we reached the end and we pulled into the deal's gap motorcycle resort to stretch our legs, take some pictures, buy some mementos, admire the tree of shame and be thankful no pieces of our bikes ended up on the tree today. we talked to a couple other riders, commenting on how nice the ride was, how beautiful of a day it was and each other's bikes. here i am standing at the sign...
after riding the dragon, we headed back into robbinsville. we decided to catch some lunch before heading home. well, i was heading home, doug was continuing his motorcycle adventure with a couple more days in western nc.
we ate at wendy's. while i don't usually mind fast food, i was definitely getting tired of it. i can't wait to get back home and have some real food. it seems like every meal has been fast food.
the journey home begins. it was actually a nice ride home - fairly uneventful. doug and i stay together until asheville - he split off to head a little north. i kept heading east. two stops and six hours later, i was home. and while it was an awesome trip, it sure was nice to be back home. eight hundred miles in two days - not a bad trip at all...
Oct 3, 2006
tail of the dragon...
was talking to a buddy of mine yesterday... he tells me that after he gets his 6k service done on his ducati, he's riding the tail of the dragon... i mention how nice that's going to be - of course he invites me along... i can't - although i have the week off work, i have stuff to do appointments. besides, i'm teaching this weekend and i need to make sure i'm back in time for that. he says if we ride the dragon on thursday, i can be back in plenty of time to teach on friday - probably so...
later in the day, i mention to my wife that doug is riding the dragon. she says i should go. well, it's not like i don't want to go... it's just that i had taken a week off work thinking we could do something together - maybe the beach for a day or two, something. but, with life the way it usually goes, the kids were going here and there and we didn't really have time to get away like we wanted... so she's pretty much pushing me to go. and i had my defenses up pretty good, resisting her efforts to get me to go. don't get me wrong, i wanted to go - but i really wanted to spend time with her.
well, i don't know what happened, but she talked me into going. not that that's a bad thing - i just wanted to hold out and spend some time with her. well, i know i'm on the hook to make this one up to her - and i will. all i can say is that she's the greatest - i'm really lucky to have someone like her... thanks boo.
okay - enough being mushy... so now it looks like i'm finally going to ride the tail of the dragon. i was supposed to ride earlier this summer with my bro, but somehow that fell through... it won't be the same not riding with my brother, but it will still be fun. three hundred eighteen curves in eleven miles - that's crazy!!! you'll hear plenty about it when i get back...
later in the day, i mention to my wife that doug is riding the dragon. she says i should go. well, it's not like i don't want to go... it's just that i had taken a week off work thinking we could do something together - maybe the beach for a day or two, something. but, with life the way it usually goes, the kids were going here and there and we didn't really have time to get away like we wanted... so she's pretty much pushing me to go. and i had my defenses up pretty good, resisting her efforts to get me to go. don't get me wrong, i wanted to go - but i really wanted to spend time with her.
well, i don't know what happened, but she talked me into going. not that that's a bad thing - i just wanted to hold out and spend some time with her. well, i know i'm on the hook to make this one up to her - and i will. all i can say is that she's the greatest - i'm really lucky to have someone like her... thanks boo.
okay - enough being mushy... so now it looks like i'm finally going to ride the tail of the dragon. i was supposed to ride earlier this summer with my bro, but somehow that fell through... it won't be the same not riding with my brother, but it will still be fun. three hundred eighteen curves in eleven miles - that's crazy!!! you'll hear plenty about it when i get back...
Oct 1, 2006
2nd annual rally in raleigh...
attended the second annual capital city bike fest / rally in raleigh... i'm not really sure what it's called - it seems to go by both names.
the day started out heading down to the dealership for the charity ride. i ended up going down there early because i wanted to claim some warrenty work on my bike. i have some chrome chipping off one of the pipe endcaps. i wasn't going to claim it, but after talking to a qa guy from harley, he said it was contamination in the chroming process. soooo, i decided to talk to someone at the dealership to see what they could/would do about it. turns out the guy is going to file a warrenty claim for it - i'm not holding out much hope. even after talking to someone else who said harley hardly ever turns down a warrenty claim. i'll wait and see what happens.
after taking care of that business, it was time to wait around for the charity ride to begin. and after waiting, it did begin... it was a nice day for a ride - clear, sunny skies. the morning was a little cool, but by the time the ride started, it was perfect weather for riding. the charity ride was to support the united way - bikers seem to want to support charities. i actually think it just gives us another excuse to ride - like we really need one!!
it terms of time, the charity ride was a couple hours. in terms of stops, it was short - only two stops. well worth it, though. the first stop was harris wholesale - our local budweiser distributor. they were offering free drink, of the non-alcoholic variety. the closest they came to beer was o'doules. so i downed a monster drink that was pretty tasty - can't rightly recall what it was offhand. i think they were scraping the bottom of the barrel to make us feel welcome:
after giving us a quick thank you speech, it was time to hop back onto the bikes and head for the local caterpillar plant. this was pretty cool - of course it was more like big toys for big boys. while we were there, they gave us a demo of some of the equipment they manufacture at the plant - digging holes, moving holes, filling holes up... it was pretty cool - but you probably had to be there to really enjoy it. or at least be me!!! a couple of pics from the demo...
after being entertained at caterpillar, it was time for the ride back to the dealership. a couple notes/thoughts about the ride... fisrt, we had over two hundred bikes on the ride. i was kinda of in the first third of the pack. while i saw the beginning of the line several times, i never did see the end. this as easily the largest ride i've been on so far.
speaking of large groups of bikes - it's amazing how many highway drivers have a disregard for motorcycles - even when we're being escorted by police. i was suprised at the number of cars that would just pull into our lane - despite having bikes there. it was crazy. i guess they figured they had to get into the lane on the opposite side of us and just pulled on over. i'm sure that if we, as riders, hadn't been on the look out, some cage would have caused an accident. it amazes me how many cages don't pay attention to motorcycles on the highways. but haven't a group of two hundred bikes?? how can you miss that??
okay - enough about the charity ride. we did all make it back in one group and no one was wiped out - as least as far as i know.
while killing some time at the dealership, waiting to ride into the rally to kick it off, the occ caterpillar bike showed up. not really surprising since they had the bike made and they were also sponsoring the rally. while i can honestly say that i'm not really a fan of occ's, i do watch their show and seeing the bike was pretty neat. they do put some thought and detail into the bikes they build.
after killing time looking at the bike and snapping pics, it was time to ride into the rally to kick it off. kinda uneventful really. more or less stop and go riding - and not really that far. once i got there, i walked around for a bit before starting my stint volunteering. since our local hog club is sponsored by ray price, and he/they're really the ones putting on the event, they asked for volunteers. being the sucker that i am - i worked friday night. i ended up hanging out at one of the entrances - killing four hours.
didn't see much of the rally friday night, but went again saturday. there was more of a crowd saturday andi imagine saturday night was very festive - although i didn't stick around for that...
i think i've run of of things to day - or at least i don't feel like saying any more right now...
the day started out heading down to the dealership for the charity ride. i ended up going down there early because i wanted to claim some warrenty work on my bike. i have some chrome chipping off one of the pipe endcaps. i wasn't going to claim it, but after talking to a qa guy from harley, he said it was contamination in the chroming process. soooo, i decided to talk to someone at the dealership to see what they could/would do about it. turns out the guy is going to file a warrenty claim for it - i'm not holding out much hope. even after talking to someone else who said harley hardly ever turns down a warrenty claim. i'll wait and see what happens.
after taking care of that business, it was time to wait around for the charity ride to begin. and after waiting, it did begin... it was a nice day for a ride - clear, sunny skies. the morning was a little cool, but by the time the ride started, it was perfect weather for riding. the charity ride was to support the united way - bikers seem to want to support charities. i actually think it just gives us another excuse to ride - like we really need one!!
it terms of time, the charity ride was a couple hours. in terms of stops, it was short - only two stops. well worth it, though. the first stop was harris wholesale - our local budweiser distributor. they were offering free drink, of the non-alcoholic variety. the closest they came to beer was o'doules. so i downed a monster drink that was pretty tasty - can't rightly recall what it was offhand. i think they were scraping the bottom of the barrel to make us feel welcome:
after giving us a quick thank you speech, it was time to hop back onto the bikes and head for the local caterpillar plant. this was pretty cool - of course it was more like big toys for big boys. while we were there, they gave us a demo of some of the equipment they manufacture at the plant - digging holes, moving holes, filling holes up... it was pretty cool - but you probably had to be there to really enjoy it. or at least be me!!! a couple of pics from the demo...
after being entertained at caterpillar, it was time for the ride back to the dealership. a couple notes/thoughts about the ride... fisrt, we had over two hundred bikes on the ride. i was kinda of in the first third of the pack. while i saw the beginning of the line several times, i never did see the end. this as easily the largest ride i've been on so far.
speaking of large groups of bikes - it's amazing how many highway drivers have a disregard for motorcycles - even when we're being escorted by police. i was suprised at the number of cars that would just pull into our lane - despite having bikes there. it was crazy. i guess they figured they had to get into the lane on the opposite side of us and just pulled on over. i'm sure that if we, as riders, hadn't been on the look out, some cage would have caused an accident. it amazes me how many cages don't pay attention to motorcycles on the highways. but haven't a group of two hundred bikes?? how can you miss that??
okay - enough about the charity ride. we did all make it back in one group and no one was wiped out - as least as far as i know.
while killing some time at the dealership, waiting to ride into the rally to kick it off, the occ caterpillar bike showed up. not really surprising since they had the bike made and they were also sponsoring the rally. while i can honestly say that i'm not really a fan of occ's, i do watch their show and seeing the bike was pretty neat. they do put some thought and detail into the bikes they build.
after killing time looking at the bike and snapping pics, it was time to ride into the rally to kick it off. kinda uneventful really. more or less stop and go riding - and not really that far. once i got there, i walked around for a bit before starting my stint volunteering. since our local hog club is sponsored by ray price, and he/they're really the ones putting on the event, they asked for volunteers. being the sucker that i am - i worked friday night. i ended up hanging out at one of the entrances - killing four hours.
didn't see much of the rally friday night, but went again saturday. there was more of a crowd saturday andi imagine saturday night was very festive - although i didn't stick around for that...
i think i've run of of things to day - or at least i don't feel like saying any more right now...
Sep 18, 2006
not a virgin anymore...
well, i officially taught my first class this weekend... and it went very well. but that's about all i'm going to say about the class itself and instructing. after thinking about it a bit, there is a certain image we're supposed to uphold. that being the case, and me not necessarily wanting to confine the content here, i've decided not post more about teaching... doesn't mean i might not post about antic dotes or certain aspects of the class - i just won't go into boring detail like i usually do!!!
speaking of boring details - sunday's ride to and from class was a reminder of the brotherhood of bikers... there's just some connection you make with other people on two wheels when you're cruising along. people are friendlier, more interested in taking the time to talk, or help should you need it.
i left the house about 0600, heading for smithfield. the road i take is pretty much two lanes the whole way - which makes riding there extremely nice. not even ten minutes out, there's a biker behind me. what are the chances?? here it is, six in the morning, two lane, rural road and another biker.
as he's following behind, conversations start in your head - wonder where he's (or she's) going, wonder what they're riding, wonder what they're doing out so early, etc. soon enough, we come to a red light and he pulls up next to me. we exchange hellos and i soon find out that he's a cork-maker in zebulon and he's on his way to work. he literally lives around the corner from me. we ride together for a bit longer. stop at another light and talk some more. the nice thing about traveling together so early in the morning is you can chat a little longer when the light turns green because no one is around. and we do... we ride together until we pass through zebulon - then he turns off to head to work. i'll probably never see him again - although every time i ride down his street, i'm looking for him and his bike.
on the way back home, heading north towards zebulon, i pass another biker... after i pass, he turns onto the road behind me. i slow a little, trying to close the distance between us... however, he seems to keep his distance - a constant distance. as i speed up, so does he. as i slow down, so does he... we finally get a red light in zebulon and he pulls up beside me. as we're exchanging hellos, i do a double take... donnie?!?!?! sure is... of course with a full face helmet on, he's not quite sure who i am... i tell him my name, remind him we rode to the smoke out together in june... then the light bulb goes off in his head. about that time the light turned green - unfortunately, he turned at the next light and i was going straight. short conversation...
it's amazing the people and friends you meet when you're out riding... and this is what makes riding so great...
speaking of boring details - sunday's ride to and from class was a reminder of the brotherhood of bikers... there's just some connection you make with other people on two wheels when you're cruising along. people are friendlier, more interested in taking the time to talk, or help should you need it.
i left the house about 0600, heading for smithfield. the road i take is pretty much two lanes the whole way - which makes riding there extremely nice. not even ten minutes out, there's a biker behind me. what are the chances?? here it is, six in the morning, two lane, rural road and another biker.
as he's following behind, conversations start in your head - wonder where he's (or she's) going, wonder what they're riding, wonder what they're doing out so early, etc. soon enough, we come to a red light and he pulls up next to me. we exchange hellos and i soon find out that he's a cork-maker in zebulon and he's on his way to work. he literally lives around the corner from me. we ride together for a bit longer. stop at another light and talk some more. the nice thing about traveling together so early in the morning is you can chat a little longer when the light turns green because no one is around. and we do... we ride together until we pass through zebulon - then he turns off to head to work. i'll probably never see him again - although every time i ride down his street, i'm looking for him and his bike.
on the way back home, heading north towards zebulon, i pass another biker... after i pass, he turns onto the road behind me. i slow a little, trying to close the distance between us... however, he seems to keep his distance - a constant distance. as i speed up, so does he. as i slow down, so does he... we finally get a red light in zebulon and he pulls up beside me. as we're exchanging hellos, i do a double take... donnie?!?!?! sure is... of course with a full face helmet on, he's not quite sure who i am... i tell him my name, remind him we rode to the smoke out together in june... then the light bulb goes off in his head. about that time the light turned green - unfortunately, he turned at the next light and i was going straight. short conversation...
it's amazing the people and friends you meet when you're out riding... and this is what makes riding so great...
Sep 17, 2006
flashing high beams...
and not of the female kind!!!
rode in dark a couple times this weekend... seems everyone like everyone thinks i ride with my high beams on - and want to remind me by flashing their high beams at me. or worse yet, just leaving their high beams on.
i usually ride with my running lights on. which, i will admit, throws a lot of light. and i like primarily for two reasons - one it helps me see better. two, it helps other people see me better. so, i will continue to ride with them on. and i guess i will subject myself to having cages flash their high beams at me.
when people flash their high beams at me, i used to flash mine back at them. this was okay, but usually left me fumbling around a little for the switch and sometimes i was a little late in blasting the cages back. but i've decided to take a slightly different tact. since i know the lights are bright, and a lot of cagers aren't, i'll let them flash me once. if they do it again, i'll flash mine back at them. if they leave theirs on, then, obligingly, i'll turn mine on. seems fair to me...
anyway, the next time someone flashes their high beams at me, i would prefer it to be of the female kind...
rode in dark a couple times this weekend... seems everyone like everyone thinks i ride with my high beams on - and want to remind me by flashing their high beams at me. or worse yet, just leaving their high beams on.
i usually ride with my running lights on. which, i will admit, throws a lot of light. and i like primarily for two reasons - one it helps me see better. two, it helps other people see me better. so, i will continue to ride with them on. and i guess i will subject myself to having cages flash their high beams at me.
when people flash their high beams at me, i used to flash mine back at them. this was okay, but usually left me fumbling around a little for the switch and sometimes i was a little late in blasting the cages back. but i've decided to take a slightly different tact. since i know the lights are bright, and a lot of cagers aren't, i'll let them flash me once. if they do it again, i'll flash mine back at them. if they leave theirs on, then, obligingly, i'll turn mine on. seems fair to me...
anyway, the next time someone flashes their high beams at me, i would prefer it to be of the female kind...
Sep 15, 2006
today's the day...
i finally go live with motorcycle training... i've helped out on a couple classes, but this time it's all me. well, not quite all me, me and someone else. but this will be the first time actually teaching my own class. i'm really looking forward to it. the weather has been awesome today - which means i'll definitely ride the bike to smithfield. i'll have to make sure i pack the lining for my jacket - once the sun goes down, i'm sure the temp will follow.
i'm a little nervous about tonight - but i don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. it will make sure that i take a little time and think about what i need to take and what i need to teach. don't want to be taking things for granted. also, since this is my first time teaching, there will be a lot of administrative stuff i have to clue in to - like signing the contract, filling out the correct paperwork for the students, etc.
well - i guess i'm just rambling here and not really saying much - at least i don't think i'm saying much... guess i'll head out of here and fill you in later...
i'm a little nervous about tonight - but i don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. it will make sure that i take a little time and think about what i need to take and what i need to teach. don't want to be taking things for granted. also, since this is my first time teaching, there will be a lot of administrative stuff i have to clue in to - like signing the contract, filling out the correct paperwork for the students, etc.
well - i guess i'm just rambling here and not really saying much - at least i don't think i'm saying much... guess i'll head out of here and fill you in later...
Sep 11, 2006
tragedy...
a week ago today billy lane, a custom motorcycle builder hit and killed a fellow motorcyclist, as reported by florida today. it's a sad story all the way around... i'm not sure where to start, other than noting the saddest part is the death of gerald morelock.
when something like this happens, the death of a biker caused by the wrongful actions of a cager, the cager usually gets off with a fine for the traffic violation. for example, if a cage makes a left hand turn in front of a biker and kills the biker, the cager is usually just charges with failure to yield the right of way and slapped with a fine. obviously this doesn't sit well with the biker community - which the ama is trying to do something about...
unfortunately this time a biker did it to another biker. through negligence, billy lane, in his cage, was passing two other vehicles on a double yellow line. before he could get back into his own lane, he hit the gerald head on - killing him. those are the facts. there's still speculation whether billy was drinking or not and the tox reports have yet to come back.
looking back on billy's past, i, unfortunately, have to believe he was drinking when this happened. i've seen billy four times in person, each time i've seen him, he's been drinking. no, that doesn't mean he rides after drinking. but i can't imagine he's the type to let someone else cart him around after he's tipped a few. not only that, when he was in town for the smoke out, he was arrested on charges of drunk driving, riding on the wrong side of the road and riding without a helmet. it would seem that billy might have learned from this earlier episode. but he didn't, at least not with his reckless driving behavior. and so it follows that he probably didn't with drinking either.
there's so much speculation about what should happen now. rightfully so, nothing will happen until the tox reports come back. if they show he's been drinking, he'll probably have the book thrown at him. what if they come back clean?? should he get the slap on the wrist and the fine?? should he get charged with something more serious for killing a biker??
and what should billy do?? a lot of people say he should do the right thing. but what is the right thing?? should he try to help out the family for the damage he's caused?? should he let the legal system handle it all?? at a minimum he should give up drinking and driving/riding. since he's been lying low, it's hard to know what he's doing. and i don't blame him - he's under a microscope right now and no matter what he does, someone will criticize him for it. at a minimum, he's got to live the rest of his life knowing he took another biker's life. and that's truly sad.
only time will play the rest of this story out. and not matter how it plays out, nothing will put all the pieces back together again. maybe the third saddest part of all this is stuff like this probably happens daily - we just don't hear about it because a famous bike builder or media star usually isn't involved.
peace out...
when something like this happens, the death of a biker caused by the wrongful actions of a cager, the cager usually gets off with a fine for the traffic violation. for example, if a cage makes a left hand turn in front of a biker and kills the biker, the cager is usually just charges with failure to yield the right of way and slapped with a fine. obviously this doesn't sit well with the biker community - which the ama is trying to do something about...
unfortunately this time a biker did it to another biker. through negligence, billy lane, in his cage, was passing two other vehicles on a double yellow line. before he could get back into his own lane, he hit the gerald head on - killing him. those are the facts. there's still speculation whether billy was drinking or not and the tox reports have yet to come back.
looking back on billy's past, i, unfortunately, have to believe he was drinking when this happened. i've seen billy four times in person, each time i've seen him, he's been drinking. no, that doesn't mean he rides after drinking. but i can't imagine he's the type to let someone else cart him around after he's tipped a few. not only that, when he was in town for the smoke out, he was arrested on charges of drunk driving, riding on the wrong side of the road and riding without a helmet. it would seem that billy might have learned from this earlier episode. but he didn't, at least not with his reckless driving behavior. and so it follows that he probably didn't with drinking either.
there's so much speculation about what should happen now. rightfully so, nothing will happen until the tox reports come back. if they show he's been drinking, he'll probably have the book thrown at him. what if they come back clean?? should he get the slap on the wrist and the fine?? should he get charged with something more serious for killing a biker??
and what should billy do?? a lot of people say he should do the right thing. but what is the right thing?? should he try to help out the family for the damage he's caused?? should he let the legal system handle it all?? at a minimum he should give up drinking and driving/riding. since he's been lying low, it's hard to know what he's doing. and i don't blame him - he's under a microscope right now and no matter what he does, someone will criticize him for it. at a minimum, he's got to live the rest of his life knowing he took another biker's life. and that's truly sad.
only time will play the rest of this story out. and not matter how it plays out, nothing will put all the pieces back together again. maybe the third saddest part of all this is stuff like this probably happens daily - we just don't hear about it because a famous bike builder or media star usually isn't involved.
peace out...
Sep 6, 2006
cool weather...
went to the hog meeting tonight. actually, since i hadn't been out in a while i wanted a reason to go out and ride... not that i really need a reason, i just feel less guilty about taking off and leaving the family behind...
the meeting was pretty much the usual same-ol-same-ol... well, they did talk about the rally in raleigh - capital city bike fest on september 29/30. it was basically and advertisement for the rally and a plea for volunteers. i'll probably end up helping out friday night. would like to go saturday as well, but will probably set aside some time to spend with the family - maybe take a trip or something...
like i mentioned earlier, the real reason to go to the meeting was get out and ride. and what a great night for a ride - cooler temps. after getting home, i was thinking i should have just blown the meeting off and ridden the whole time!!! it's nice to have the cooler weather here. i'd much rather ride in cooler weather and have to bundle up in layers. there's something about being wrapped up in warm layers and feeling the cool air seep in... i love this time of year. ahhhh hell, i like just about any time of year as long as i can ride!!!
the meeting was pretty much the usual same-ol-same-ol... well, they did talk about the rally in raleigh - capital city bike fest on september 29/30. it was basically and advertisement for the rally and a plea for volunteers. i'll probably end up helping out friday night. would like to go saturday as well, but will probably set aside some time to spend with the family - maybe take a trip or something...
like i mentioned earlier, the real reason to go to the meeting was get out and ride. and what a great night for a ride - cooler temps. after getting home, i was thinking i should have just blown the meeting off and ridden the whole time!!! it's nice to have the cooler weather here. i'd much rather ride in cooler weather and have to bundle up in layers. there's something about being wrapped up in warm layers and feeling the cool air seep in... i love this time of year. ahhhh hell, i like just about any time of year as long as i can ride!!!
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