There is snow on the ground!

There is snow on the ground, that is obvious. My cycle is in the garage and has been for weeks, and will probably stay for more weeks. I am longing for a long ride. I have been looking at maps and web pages and maps and calendars and planning for next year, which is almost here. I have been concentrating on the west coast. I have been focusing on a little known road in California with a single digit number. Yep! You guessed it, hwy 1. Sometimes referred to as the Pacific Coast Highway or Cabrillo something, and even joins with 101 once in a while. You know what I'm talking about. Next year should be amazing.

This year was good. We went to Yellowstone, again. It was fun, and I don't want to be negative about it, it just wasn't the most fun ever. I know that not everything will be the most fun ever, I'm not Suzi. It was just lacking something.

I think it was riding time. We didn't ride our asses off. We stopped more than usual and I was sick, that didn't help.

I think the lack of miles was one thing that made me not have the best time ever. I think the size of the group was a deterrent as well. One day we split up and rode back to camp with smaller groups and it seemed as though each group had a better time small than we all did together.

I also think that the chase vehicle, while very handy, supportive, fun, convenient, friendly, great... It was just too much to try and coordinate and wait and watch for... Maybe it would be better if it were coordinated better, I don't know.

If our goal was to include everyone and to ensure that everyone had a good time, then mission accomplished.

If our goal was to ride and see America from the seat of our motorcycles, I might say we got a C+. Maybe a B-.

We did way more touristy type things on this trip than we ever have before. I felt like it was warranted, being in Yellowstone and all. Maybe Yellowstone will always be that illusive Great Ride. Maybe I will have to return again and again thirsting for that same feeling of mind blowing satisfaction, like the first time I was ever there.

Maybe I am just beyond satisfying and will find fault with whatever we do.

Overall it was a Great year for the Wells Angels. Everyone is alive and well. Families are well and flourishing and growing. Futures are getting brighter and smarter...

May 2011 bring us more two wheeled adventures, and may I be more satisfied, I do ride with some of the best guys around. Happy New Year!

I should just do what the shirt says. I plan on it!

Are We There Yet?

Happy Birthday America! I have the day off today in order to celebrate America. What a wonderful country it is. I love the contrasts of America: desert, mountains, plains, coasts, rivers lakes, basins, rocks, red states, blue states, red uniforms, blue uniforms, four wheeled machines, two wheeled machines... the list goes on and on. We all share many differences. We also share many similarities: love, life, and the pursuit of happiness. Sorry to wax philosophical, but I did see Toy Story 3 and am still feeling my emotions are close to the surface.

Here are some pics of Brighton in June. It was brisk in the canyon and the run off was near or beyond record levels. There was still an abundance of snow and Silver Lake was still frozen. I have not been up there since. It was just Luke and I.

The big ride is all but upon us. The time has passed swiftly and will continue to do so. You better get ready, it will be 6am Thursday morning, before you know it. I am looking forward to Yellowstone again. I am looking forward to bringing my son on his first Big Ride. I am looking forward to miles and miles each day and innumerable curves to challenge and devour. I am looking forward to Monte Christo Pass, Bear Lake, Red Baron Drive In, Palisades Reservoir, Victor, Id., Warm River, Mesa Falls, Macks Inn, Big Springs... and that is just the first day! Yellowstone will be amazing on the Motorcycle. Cody will be hospitable and welcoming for a good night's rest, The Bear Tooth Highway will be a fond spot in our memories for decades to come. Lets leave tomorrow morning!

Just over two weeks! We will be on the road! I hope we stay warm and dry! I hope we all ride safe and return with only the best of memories. I look forward to this each year!

Shut Up And Ride!

First of all... This looks fun!

http://www.hellscanyonrally.com

Today was one of those days that will be remembered for a long time. They may even write tales of yore concerning this day. Have you ever had a day like that? I guess the whole day wasn't great, just two fun hours.

The day started pretty bad, actually. I must have turned the alarm clock off last night as I elegantly slipped into bed, I always slip like that. No alarm means too much sleep according to my job. I start work at 7 and did not awake until 6:45. I love that feeling in the morning when I realize I'm late... like a good scare.

Work was usual... I was fitting for Shep the welder and Josh was far away fire caulking, so it was sort of slow. We spent all day on two welds, tomorrow too. They just won't stop leaking. They are in the corner and impossible to get to.

I had my wheels and new tires in my truck: I had an appointment with the BMW place to get my new tires mounted and balanced for only $30! It would have been $50 if I hadn't taken them off. So while I was waiting for my tire, I (this is where it gets good) test rode a 2010 Triumph Tiger...

It was a very sweet ride. the motor was very smooth and willing. The ergos were comfy and natural. The brakes were outstanding. All in all it was a great bike to ride, I would love to get it up East Canyon and really try it out.

Next I test rode a 2010 R1200GS Adventure. It was very impressive. I could see riding it very far with ease. When I got on the freeway and punched it and shifted quickly I was surprised when the front wheel came off the ground. I was turned off by all the computerized junk. I could see it being useful, but what about down the road when it all goes awry? Surprisingly flickable.

I was then privileged to test the Triumph Street Triple. I have been a fan for some time and even more so after riding it. It was amazingly powerful and quick for a 675. It was quite small for my fat arse.

It was much different than the other two I had ridden and was great for the niche it fills. It would be painful to ride long distances on, but to race around on is a hoot.

There you have it. Two hours of blissful test riding. I highly recommend it.

The best part is that after ridding the best that Triumph and BMW have to offer, I was not that impressed that they were thousands of dollars better than my "Little Red Wee".

Shut up and ride!

JP

First Spring Ride of 2010! It was COLD!

At the end of the first week of spring it was quite chilly. I guess 80 mph can be pretty chilly at most temps. It was a lovely jaunt across the salt flats and into Wendover, Ut. The Oquirrhs are white and snowy. The Stansbury's are white and snowy, especially around Deseret Peak. The subsequent ranges were dusted on the tops, but nothing substantial. Pilot Peak was a standout fully white and beautiful, it is a 10,000 footer. The Toano Range just beyond Wendover was nicely painted white as well.

I was wrestling with the idea of trying for an IBA ride. I was too tired and with the cold, I thought better of a 24 hour ride. The 6 hours I spent today in the cold were delicious. I have been eyeballing this ride for some time.

The worst part of this ride is getting across the flats. I really had some convincing to do as I rode past many possible ride destinations, and kept droning west on I-80. The return trip seemed quite quick. I was playing a game with my GPS. It gives an approximate arrival time, so I would push consistently above the speed limit to see if I could hasten my arrival. I watched for the first change, then the second, and then I would try and calculate when the next minute would fall: about every 8 minutes I would loose a minute.

The Byway was great. The road was very nice, rough enough to have to pay attention, but never very menacing. There were a few sand sections that give a good pucker, but other than that is was gravel and dirt with a few smaller rocks. The scenery was beautiful and ever changing. There are quite a few smaller roads or trails that cut through the mountains that look very fun and challenging, I explored one but thought I should save that for a time when I wasn't solo. Get your bike Shawn! It is about a 60 mile loop from the Sinclair and back. It was a little sketchy finding the starting point. The road did not match the GPS, but they did have nice, new looking signs to help.

There is a little Mexican/American diner at the gas station, it was pretty good. I had the chile verde burrito, but the eggs and chorizo looked great! I will have to revisit and try them, maybe for Speed Week!

JP

Take Exit 4 and head North... Get a Map!

Spring is coming...

I look out the window and there is a lovely blanket of snow on the ground. Spring is coming. I have had to wear extra shirts at work on account of the cold, moist air. Spring is coming. I went for a ride and had to wear my insulated pant so I wouldn't freeze. Spring is coming. I saw the red, red, Robin bob, bob, bobbin, in a snowstorm. Spring is coming.

I love the fact that we have four distinct seasons here in Utah. I also enjoy the changing of the seasons. Right now we have winter hanging on for dear life as spring tries to take it's place. Sometimes I do think it would be nice to have San Diego weather all the time, but I think the specialness of a warm day in January or a snowstorm in June would be greatly missed.

So, Hooray for "Indian Summer"! My apologies to the indigenous. I guess that is St. Martin's day in Europe. That is nicer. it just makes fun of Catholics, which I can get behind.

What is it called when it is a really warm day in winter, or a really cold day in summer?

A WARM DAY IN WINTER

"Sunshine on de medders,
Greenness on de way;
Dat 's de blessed reason
I sing all de day."
Look hyeah! Whut you axin'?
Whut meks me so merry?
'Spect to see me sighin'
W'en hit's wa'm in Febawary?

'Long de stake an' rider
Seen a robin set;
W'y hit 'mence a-thawin',
Groun' is monst'ous wet.
Den you stan' dah wond'rin',
Lookin' skeert an' stary;
I's a right to caper
W'en hit's wa'm in Febawary.

Missis gone a-drivin',
Mastah gone to shoot;
Ev'ry da'ky lazin'
In de sun to boot.
Qua'tah 's moughty pleasant,
Hangin' 'roun' my Mary;
Cou'tin' boun' to prospah
W'en hit's wa'm in Febawary.

Cidah look so pu'ty
Po'in' f'om de jug—
Don' you see it's happy?
Hyeah it laffin'—glug?
Now's de time fu' people
Fu' to try an' bury
All dey grief an' sorrer,
W'en hit's wa'm in Febawary.

Spring is coming.

Shut up and ride!

Just because it's January....

doesn't mean you can't ride your motorcycle.

It is cold, and riding takes a bit of extra precaution. I have lots of clothes that I wear to keep warm. I wish I could tell you all the best new age ridding apparel to buy and what is the best for cold, wet, or hot, I cannot. I can tell you what I wear and how little I paid and where you may pick something up so you can ride and not freeze too.

The most indispensable winter item I wear when I ride is my overalls. Nothing ruins a ride faster than frozen knees. It also make it hard to walk. The "bibs" I wear are about $50 at K-mart. They probably sell them at Wally world. (Don't know, don't care) Army navy surplus has many options for under $100. They have simple ski pants for $20 all the way up to snow mobile suits for around $70, on sale. I believe they do have some more expensive stuff as well, it is worth a look.

The next most important Item that can help you enjoy the winter riding is gloves. You may think they should be #1, but this is my blog, so eat worms. I have different gloves for different levels of chilly. The most protective I have are some mittens. They are very warm. It is not as easy to get cheap gloves. $20 is about what I paid for mine on-sale. That is much better than $100 that say "motorcycle". The mittens do take some getting used to. Army navy has some sweet leather mittens with wool liners for about $15 that I have been eyeballing. They look very good. I also have a pair of snowboarding gloves that are very rugged and warm, again in spring all things winter are on-sale. Grip warmers are great, not cheap, and grip guards help keep direct chill from fingers, they are more than good gloves.

Upper body protection is usually the easiest to provide. Any good coat will help you be warm. I don't like my leather jacket when it is very cold, on long rides. It seems to conduct the cold to my body after a while. I usually layer up with some warm fleece or hoody sweatshirts. The most helpful item is a good water resistant and wind proof shell. This will keep the wind out and is remarkably good at not transferring the chill.

Some sort of neck protection will make the difference between a painful experience and just being a bit chilled. A scarf works, bot can be cumbersome. I just bought a new fleece neck tube thing from IFA for under $10. It works very well on even the coldest ride.

Boots are expensive. Something water prof will save agony. I rode with some cheap-o timberlands in the snow and got really cold but they kept the wet out so I warmed up much faster than I could have dried. I have some Wolverine snow/hunting/work boots that do well. I think I paid $69 or so. I would just make sure they are not too big, you still have to shift you know.

I assume you will use a full face helmet. If you don't there are many ski accessories that can help keep your face warm and your wallet full.

I know nobody reads this. I just figured that if I could help someone ride more, be more comfortable, or at least, want to ride more, then my work is done.

One last thing... winter means ice. Be careful out there when the mercury is below freezing!

JP

A very nondenominational Happy Holidays to all!

On October 17th Jeff and I journeyed to Las Vegas to watch the U play UNLV. We started early and headed west to Wendover to play some cards, we thought it would be good to compare the two gaming places. Just kidding! We went through Wendover then south on HWY 93.

I really enjoyed 93. It wasn't curvy, or scenic, but it felt remote and far away. There was not much traffic and the towns were small and far apart. We ate lunch in Alamo, at the local pizza/sub/pasta joint. We each ordered a sandwich, I went with the turkey and Jeff went with the pasrami, after all, it is the most sensual of all the salted cured meats.

Instead of heading directly into Vegas and seeing as how we had reservations at a hotel in Henderson, we took the scenic route through Moapa Valley. I like to say that: Moapa. From 93 we did 168 t0 169 to 167 to 564 right smack dab into Henderson. That back road around by Lake Mead and near the Valley of Fire State Park was pretty impressive. It made me want to go back to Vegas to explore some more.

We rested-up, cleaned-up, and went to the game. We decided to eat somewhere good after the game. Believe it or not, most smaller dinning establishments close at 10pm in Vegas, I was not going to park and walk forever for some over hyped garbage buffet, so we went to Beto's on the strip. Good as ever!

I have not been riding much, the occasional jaunt to school.

Happy Holidays, ride safe.

JP