Category: rides

Speed Bump

The ride this past weekend was fun albeit a little drama. Even worse, the drama was partly my doing.

It started off well enough. Beautiful day, great weather. We met up as usual. A couple new riders as well as some regulars. No one really wanted to lead so I stepped up to lead the first half of the route. I made it pretty clear I was a tad vague on one section of freeway (or so I thought.) Long convoluted story short, I got confused on one of the exits and my hesitation (and veering across a lane) caused one of the riders to miss the turn and get separated from the group.

We did go back for him but thru a serious of errors, we never found each other. Normally, if a rider gets separated you just continue until the next stopping point to rejoin the group. Why he chose not to do this is unclear but its irrelevant at this point. The point is he got separated in part due to my hesitation. 

Afterwards, the lost rider left a rather biting message on the group message board. I felt it was over the top but having had issues w/group leaders myself, I was willing to look beyond it. Besides, we all say things out of anger we don’t mean at times.  And never being one to back down from controversy or my own behavior, I replied via the group owning my mistake. I explained what happened as well as re-iterating my previous offer to take him to dinner to make up for it. To my surprise, he replied back and apologized for his “snarky” comment, as he put it. [1]I also got several personal emails from guys thanking me for being ‘brave enough’ to speak up. Whatever that means. I plan to redeem my invitation this weekend if he is around.

The rest of the ride went well. The guys were a tad annoyed w/me whining about leaving a rider but other than that we had fun. We stopped for lunch at a burger/shake place in St Helena and pigged out. OY, was I full afterwards. lol The strip thru Napa Valley and back down thru the petrified forest is great for moto riding. Nice country side with windy roads snaking thru it. The only sucky part was the traffic. Naturally, the holiday weekend had people out in droves.

This weeks ride is fast approaching. The irony is the route starts off the same as the last one. But this time, I don’t take the exit!

References

References
↑1 I also got several personal emails from guys thanking me for being ‘brave enough’ to speak up. Whatever that means.

Ruh Row

Well, I only got one piece of hate-mail after my last rant. Actually, most of the replies by email have been quite civil. Most people who were upset w/me apparently missed the part about me stating, “I am disappointed with our current Prez”. The distinction is I still see hope thru some of his recent screw ups. I rarely rant about politics mainly as I get annoyed with all the vitriol from both sides. Everyone LOVES to complain but so few of us ever do anything about it. /rant

And now for something more trivial…

Had another good moto ride this week. Well, it started out great but didn’t end so well. We took a jaunt down to Alice’s restaurant in Woodside. Alice’s is a favorite spot for bikers and relatively easy to get to. Plus, the surrounding country side is very beautiful and has lots of windy roads to trek on. I’m normally the sweeper [1]the rider who brings up the rear and makes sure no one gets left behind. but since our normal leaders weren’t in attendance, I got nominated to be the leader. I didn’t mind as I knew the route well. That said, I don’t think I make a very good group leader. I worry too much about the group and have a hard time focusing on the ride ahead. I kept slowing down, afraid I was going too fast. Speed up, slow down,  speed up, slow down….I’m sure it was worse than hooker with ADD.

We took a round about route so the ride would be a tad longer. My favorite part was coming back up Hwy 84. Its a very windy road with curves that are uneven so its almost like being on a race track. [2]No, we weren’t racing.

There is an optical illusion  in this pic. We are actually standing on a a steep grade and I’m squatting a bit. I found it amusing how short I looked. lol

After a very filling lunch, it was still kinda early so we decided to head on up to Big Basin. Now that was a bit more rough. A very typical one lane bumpy mountain road. On a sport bike, it tends to leave the wrists and buttocks sore. Luckily, its only about 5 miles before cresting the top and it opens up again. We stopped at the top to give everyone a break, including myself. OY.

Here’s all our bikes parked in a row. [3]Gerrad, notice yours is up front, per your request Aren’t you proud of m I remember to bring the camera two weeks in a row! Good homo! lol

Sadly, things did not end well. On the way home I somehow managed to leave my jacket zipper open and my wallet blew out on the 280 freeway. *sigh* My buddy Christopher pulls up next to me thinking something blew off my bike. I immediately thought it was my phone as I have a horrible habit of cramming it in my side leg pockets which tend to bend when I’m riding. Luckily it wasn’t. Completely irritated, I had the bright idea to walk down the side of the freeway looking for the wallet. To be clear, the freeway here has a very wide shoulders on both sides. I wasn’t actually in traffic…yet.

The very thought of going to the DMV emboldened me to search for the damn thing. About a half a mile of backtracking on foot, I began to find the remnants of my life strewn all about. I found my broken bank card first, 30 more yards I found a $20 blowing on a weed, another 50 yards I found yet another credit card bent all to hell. I walk for a bit more and am about to give up when I see my wallet blowing in the freeway. Naturally, it looks completely empty from being run over and blown all about. Even worse, its on the other side of the damn freeway now. Hoping against hope that my driver’s license was still in it, I waited about 15 minutes, timing the space between cars, before making a mad dash across 5 lanes of traffic to grab my wallet. Oh yes, 5:30pm on a Friday and yours truly is running across the 280 freeway! I know, I know, stupid but I wasn’t ever really in that much danger. This occurred South of SF in a very open stretch of countryside. The inside shoulder also had a 6ft wide dirt median which is where I spent most of my time walking. The only real risk came from running across the freeway.

Of course, I found everything but the damn ID. I’m quite sure given more time I would have found it as well. The chippies showed up and shooed me away. Actually, the guy was very nice and was shocked at how far I’d walked when he drove me back up to where my bike was parked. The funny part of all this? CHP never got a call about me walking on the freeway just a motorcycle being parked on the shoulder. How’s that for a kick in the rubber pants?

References

References
↑1 the rider who brings up the rear and makes sure no one gets left behind.
↑2 No, we weren’t racing.
↑3 Gerrad, notice yours is up front, per your request

Do You Moto?

Ok, its a cheesy rip off but I thought it was funny.

I had another great ride yesterday. We did a route very similar to last week but in reverse. It was warm again and only a tad windy. Well, the City was actually a little but cool but outside the City was warm.  As usual, we deviated a bit from the route but only a tiny bit and only added 20-30 miles. Still very fun.

The Friday rides are becoming are regular thing and I find myself looking forward to it all week. I know, I’m a dork but we all need a hobby right? Well, besides THAT. I am gay man after all. And lets face it, Daddy has needs! On a quick side rant, the boy is doing well. He called and woke me up this morning on his way to the dentist. He had to get a filling over a root canal from last week. Ouch. Anyway, I just melt inside when I answer the phone and he says, ‘hi daddy!’ Go ahead, laugh, joke, and giggle bitches. I can take it.

Ok, back to the topic. We stopped at the Los Vaqueros Watershed for lunch. [1]We picked up cheese steak sammiches for lunch in Brentwood.  Being Friday, it was completely deserted except for this one contingent of old folks that split soon after we arrived. We hung out goofing and talking. A total relaxed environment even though we did get off on a serious subject toward the end.

Here we are getting arrested for indecency in public (just kidding). lol William had the idea to take pics in front of the sheriff vehicle. At the last minute, they decided to pretend they were being searched. I’m taking the picture so I got to skip it. *g*

Left to right, Tom, Don, William, and a new guy to the group, Michael. I think Michael was a little disappointed as he wanted to go fast and race the curves. He seemed a little bored but made the best of it. From my point of view, that can be fun but its better solo or in pairs. Group rides should be more about the group vs pushing your skills. The group has several newer riders and it isn’t fair to push them into a situation where they not only feel left out but could also hurt themselves trying to keep up. Don’t get me wrong, he didn’t have an ego, he just wanted something different.

Actually, one of the things I love about this group is the lack of egos. All the guys so far have been super cool and really eager to be part of the group. To me, its as much about comradere [2]Bastardized spelling of the word as it is the ride itself.

Clearly, we have fun hanging out together. lol And not only did I remember to take the camera, but we used it! See, I’m getting better. Anyway, the guys are fun and I like hanging with’em. I’m sill a bit of a newbie to the group but they have welcomed me with open arms. I’m so shy, lord knows I need all the help I can get. Not buying it? Damn! Anyway, I’m enjoying getting to know everyone. A few guys I already knew from around town, the gym, etc, but it is nice getting to know them better. We all have very different jobs and backgrounds which adds to the mix IMHO.

Here’s all our bikes together like wayward children. lol Front left is Tom’s, front right is Don’s. Back left to right is William’s Ducati, my blue gixxr (GSXR) and then Michael’s Kawasaki.

Today, I have absolutely nothing planned other than minor errands and the gym. I need some new tenny’s, and hygiene product. Oh very exciting to know right? I did indulge myself and have sushi though. I haven’t had sushi in a few weeks and I’m way overdo. Is a beautiful day out so I  might go for a short ride around the city too.

Oh and before I forget, I showed the apartment to a prospective roomie today. Uh, no. I care more about finding a good fit than just having a roomie. A good fit he was not. One, he smoked which was a deal breaker in itself. He also rambled on about how often his boyfriend would be staying over, strike 2. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he had the balls to tell me how drab my furniture was and that we ‘would have to make some changes’. Bless his heart. Better yet, he was genuinely surprised when I gave him the bad news. Whatev’s, me and my drab furniture will keep looking.

😛

References

References
↑1 We picked up cheese steak sammiches for lunch in Brentwood.
↑2 Bastardized spelling of the word

Good News & Stuff

First off, we (the Union) were able to come to an agreeable compromise last week that resulted in not only our own staffing not getting cut but also saved another 900+ jobs citywide. [1]The caveat is 2 ballot initiatives in November have to pass.

*

We had a good ride again this last Friday. We only ended up taking a couple pics. At least I don’t look like a beached whale in this one. I loved the route, we ended up going thru a lot of the windmills North of the City. I’ve always had a thing for windmills. I guess because we never had any in Texas. [2]Texas and windmills, yeah right!

We had a our first girl join the group this last week. She was sweet and fit in well but I kind of got a kick out of how she pulled turns. I’m thinking maybe because she was so petite she has to pull her weight more to lean that big Ducati she drives. It was a bit comical watching her pull her body to the side on regular turns as if she was doing a really tight turn super fast. [3]If you’ve ever ridden a bike, you know that you can almost do anything with a bike just by shifting your body weight. She was cool though and we had fun with her. We have another ride coming this Friday. A similar route in reverse this time. I’m stoked!

*

People have been asking about the boy. Yes, I’m still enjoying being a new daddy. No, I ain’t sharing those stories. [4]They ARE juicy though. What I will say, he is as charming and endearing as ever. He always seems to put a smile on my face and a chub in m pants. What’s not to like? Seriously though, if he lived closer, I’d be in trouble.

*

I got more than a few emails about the last post. Some people felt I was “attacking” religion. Two things, read it again and I don’t care. I’ve picked my side and completely comfortable with that.

References

References
↑1 The caveat is 2 ballot initiatives in November have to pass.
↑2 Texas and windmills, yeah right!
↑3 If you’ve ever ridden a bike, you know that you can almost do anything with a bike just by shifting your body weight.
↑4 They ARE juicy though.

Ride Away

I went on a ride this past Thursday with the boys. It was good except one of the guys ended up going down on his bike. He was ok except for some minor road rash and bumps. His bike was more banged up than he was. Naturally, he was more upset about that.  lol I could totally relate.  Luckily, he had an EMT and a nurse along to doctor him up.

Other than that, the ride went well. I find myself riding more and more these days. I’m loving my beast so much. I know I’ve said it before but I can’t believe I waited so long to upgrade to a bigger bike. I’m doing my best to make up for lost time.

We took a brand new route this time. We rode up thru Orinda and around thru the back roads. Not growing up here, I’m a bit clueless when it comes to the routes, however I am learning fast. There are some really great roads in the Bay area. Some were super windy which makes for a good time. Being mid-day it wasn’t too busy. I finding I like riding in smaller groups. It is easier to keep everyone together and makes for more fun over all. I usually play the sweeper [1]The last rider who keeps an eye out for everyone and makes sure no one gets left behind.

I remembered to bring my camera this time. Can ya tell? lol Don’t ask me how but my angle and shirt conspired to make me look 4 sizes larger than I am! I know for a fact because I bought my riding pants a size small on purpose and they fit now!

Anyway, I made the mistake of letting William get a hold of my camera and he went off on a bender taking Princess Barbie pics. [2]See the stream *Mental Note* Never let William near the camera.

I’m hoping to ride again before my vacation is over, however the Aids Life Cycle is this weekend and everyone is tied up with that. There are a couple different rides proposed for tomorrow so I’m bound to pick one. The biggest problem is getting my lazy ass up early enough to make it.

References

References
↑1 The last rider who keeps an eye out for everyone and makes sure no one gets left behind.
↑2 See the stream

Speedy

Officer kristaki and I went for a round-a-bout ride today. I met up at his place in Richmond. [1]I’ll skip the getting lost part We started out driving over to Fremont so he could put a deposit down on a rifle he has been wanting. The guys at the gun shop were hysterical and scary all at the same time. The crowning moment was watching this very white trash couple buying his/hers guns.

Here is kristaki looking all butch. Of course, we didn’t get a pic of me dropping my bike. lol I was only moderately embarrassed. As we are pulling into the parking space, I’m making a U-turn and made the classic mistake of going too slow and over-braking. I didn’t drop it so much as laid it down. Kristaki got a kick out of seeing me do it, the bastard. I came away with only a minor scratch on the exhaust. [2]Those sliders finally came in handy On a side note, the leg workouts are paying off. It was nothing for me to lift the bike. I distinctly noticed how light it seemed.

Here I am at lunch looking very high in this pic. I won’t post the other pic of my funny face. It was not pretty. Kristaki gave me a nice compliment, telling me how big my arms were getting. He was instantly forgiven for laughing at my previous little accident. heh heh. I’ll even sport for a nice gift when he gets married later this year.

This was only the 2nd time kristaki and I have ridden together since I started riding. We rode together once a few years ago back when I still had the GS-500. Since I had virtually no idea where we were going, I let him lead and was impressed at how aggressively cautious he was. He, like me, likes to be aggressive w/o being stupid and making rash decisions. We played follow the leader weaving thru traffic and I had a blast. There was one scary part. This cadi came flying onto the freeway at I can only guess 120 mph. We were doing about 85 mph at the time and this guy easily shot passed us while entering the freeway. I’m thinking to myself how absolutely crazy he is when I see him almost crash.

He is roughly about 3 blocks ahead of us when I see him swerve across three lanes of traffic. He lost control of the car and almost flipped it over. I shit you not, two of the wheels came off the pavement at one point. Luckily for him, he managed to regain control w/o crashing or killing anyone. Kristaki and I had already moved to the far right lane to make sure we were well clear of his bullshit.

We are supposed to go on a more proper ride tomorrow. I’m hoping to take him down South Hwy 1.


Here I am striking a nice pose on the beast. I had the sudden urge to flex but decided against it. lol
It was a very nice day for a ride, if a tad warm. I overdressed and had to “de-layer” a bit while we were stopped getting gas.

*

I finally broke down and got a Fastrak today too. I’m not sure why it took me so long to get one. Ok I do, say it with me…pro-cras-ti-nate. They’ve gone all digital so registering was a snap. The irony here is the toll booth I went thru today was broken. The guy waved me thru so I’m assuming all is good.

All in all, I was proud of myself today. Kristaki has been riding quite a few years longer than me. The first time we rode together, I sort of felt like a total amateur. Today, I felt completely at ease while we were riding.

References

References
↑1 I’ll skip the getting lost part
↑2 Those sliders finally came in handy

Ride & Stuff

IMGP0949

The cliffs south of the city.  I always love taking shots like this. 

It was a beautiful day today so I decided to go for a ride. [1]I’ve been trying to remember to bring my camera more.  I had an awesome time.  It was sunny and warm and very little fog so a perfect day for it.  I had planned to ride with the group but as usual, I didn’t get up in time.  They like to ride early and you know me, I am so not a morning person.  I don’t mind though.  I enjoy exploring and don’t like feeling like I have to rush. 

IMGP0947

 

I always think of Mel Brooks’ High Anxiety when I look down like this. 

This pic was taken about 10 miles before Half Moon Bay.  I tried to geotag the pics but I couldn’t get a cell signal so far out.  I could manually do it but who has the time? lol  Anyway, I wanted to climb down but I had my riding boots on and they aren’t exactly conducive to climbing.  I didn’t think falling and breaking my neck would be a good way to end the day. lol  Click over if you wanna see more.

Continue reading Ride & Stuff

References

References
↑1 I’ve been trying to remember to bring my camera more.

Weekend “Stuff”

This past weekend was rather fun.  I went for a 150 mile ride two days in a row.  The first day I went solo and the 2nd day I rode with a friend from the sports bike group.  The 2nd day was the most fun as we drove down to Big Basin park.  The views were awesome and the windy roads even better!  There was a moment when we were taking a break where this very friendly guy came over to chat with us.  I first pegged him as gay…well until his wife sauntered over.  He was very friendly.  One might say too friendly for your average straight guy.  My friend and I both thought there might have been a ‘story’ there. lol  Anyway, the rides were awesome.  I’m loving the new bike more and more every day. I am kicking myself for waiting so long to upgrade.  As for the shoulder, it is healed up nicely.  I still have some numbness around the wound from nerve damage but it is better every week. 

Friday night I also had dinner with Adam & Brad.  I hadn’t seen them in ages and it was nice to catch up.  They seem very acclimated to life in the big city now. heehee  Brad is looking rather hot as he has been hitting the gym pretty hard.

*

I finished Gears of War on the first 2 difficulty settings. The hardcore mode is proving rather difficult.  I can only imagine what “insane” mode is going to be like. lol  The online mode for this one is way ahead of the previous version.  I have to admit the game has consumed a lot of my free time as of late. 

*

TFA was in town this past week as well.  We had an awesome time, as usual.  He gave me the nicest compliment w/o even realizing it.  While I was undressing (get your mind out of my gutter), he casually mentioned, “someone’s been working out“.  It was so unrehearsed and off-the-cuff I knew he meant it vs just trying to flatter me. hehehe  So…he got it extra hard just for that, twice! 

Ride Baby Ride!

Mine is the blue/white one very left edge with the helmet sitting on it.

Today was my first big ride since the accident.  It was also my first ride with the group.  The guys made me feel welcome and we had an awesome ride. 

I was a little leery as I’ve never ridden in a group before but it was cool.  Everyone got along great and the day could not have been more beautiful.  I actually remembered to take my camera but like a dolt I forgot to put the memory card back in.  I could only snap 3 pics before the cameras internal memory was full. [1]Thank god I’m pretty right?

Apparently, the turnout was more than expected.  About 20 guys showed up this morning.  We ended up splitting into two groups.  My group wanted to do some windy roads and the other wanted speed.  Turns out the other group had a little mishap.  One of the riders slipt and fell and broke his leg.  Not too bad from what I’ve heard but OUCH! 

This was also one of the longer rides I’ve been on.  We drove just over 200 miles round trip. On my old GS500 my arms, ass, and legs would have been jello by the end.  The Gixxr was great.  It performed beautifully and I got a really good feel for the bike’s capabilities.  My wrists and back are a little sore but otherwise I’m good.  My shoulder didn’t bother me one bit. 

Now, I’m home safe and pondering my dinner choices.  Chicken, sushi, or pizza?

References

References
↑1 Thank god I’m pretty right?