I had a really good last run with a couple of guys a couple of weekends ago. Put on just over 300 kms of straight riding. I'd never been riding with them before and didn't know what to expect. We rode from Saint John to Sussex for a stop and then it was non-stop to Moncton. A few stops in Moncton at some shops and then a quick stop for gas. After that, it was a straight out run all the way back to Saint John. No stops for coffee, cigarettes or bathroom breaks...straight out run. It was great and something that I always love. It gives my mind plenty of time to wind out and break down things that have been clogging up the works.
That was the last run for both of them. Stablizer had already been put in their tanks and the bikes were to be stored that very evening. It was pretty much the last run for me as well. I lose my heated parking spot at the end of this month and I'll have to move her to a friends house for storage. I hate thinking that my bike will be so far away, but at least I know she'll be safe.
My plan is to get her there this coming weekend, but it looks like Mother Nature is tossing in the usual curve ball. Tomorrow is supposed to be bringing 25-35 cm of snow and 30-40 km/h winds. I'm really hoping that it doesn't stick around, but it doesn't bode well. I don't need to be trying to resource a trailer to move my bike.
Showing posts with label rides. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rides. Show all posts
The Usual Hangout
All of my riding is solo again. My riding buddies have drifted for one reason or another away and I dropped the riding club that I was part of. It wasn’t fun anymore, it wasn’t about riding anymore, it was about politics and that’s not why I ride a bike. I ride to get away from that shit and it was starting to feel like it was following me everywhere I went. So I dropped it, stepped out completely. I gotta say, it was a huge weight off my shoulders.
So now I ride solo, back to the way it used to be and I still enjoy every minute of it. I go where I want, stop when I want, leave when I want. No schedule, no ride route and no one else to worry about. I do like riding with buddies, but this is the way I learned to ride and this is the way I’ve rode for years.
Where have I been
It's been a hell of a summer, really. The weather around here has been great...hence the minimal posts. August has been a whirl wind of "if it's nice...GET YOUR ASS ON THE BIKE!"
Other things have been sitting on my mind as well, including making one major change in my life. I was all ready to head back to school, but nerves got the better of me and I backed out. We just have way too much debt for us both to be in school. Maybe we'll be a little more solid next year and I'll be able to do something I want, instead of something I need. Also...my work schedule changed...and I'm not too fond of it.
Two weekends ago was my riding club's national rally in Halifax. We packed up the bike and headed out early on a Friday morning. You couldn't have paid for better weather then what we had. And you couldn't have asked for a better time. We met lot's of new people and I slept in a tent for the first time in...shit...I can't remember. Suffice to say...a long ass time ago. I got a few pics that I'll toss up.
We got lost on the way down, due to my own stupidity and instead of learning from it, I got pissed off and just made things worse. Oh well, I'm my dad through and through. Guess I'll mellow out sooner or later.
Last weekend we took a trip down to a little island near the border (Deer Island). It was a nice trip and the island, although small, was quite picturesque. I'll have to do a solo photo trip down there. Hard to stop and take pics when you are in a group ride.
In other news...CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S SEPTEMBER TOMORROW?! ugh...
Other things have been sitting on my mind as well, including making one major change in my life. I was all ready to head back to school, but nerves got the better of me and I backed out. We just have way too much debt for us both to be in school. Maybe we'll be a little more solid next year and I'll be able to do something I want, instead of something I need. Also...my work schedule changed...and I'm not too fond of it.
Two weekends ago was my riding club's national rally in Halifax. We packed up the bike and headed out early on a Friday morning. You couldn't have paid for better weather then what we had. And you couldn't have asked for a better time. We met lot's of new people and I slept in a tent for the first time in...shit...I can't remember. Suffice to say...a long ass time ago. I got a few pics that I'll toss up.
We got lost on the way down, due to my own stupidity and instead of learning from it, I got pissed off and just made things worse. Oh well, I'm my dad through and through. Guess I'll mellow out sooner or later.
Last weekend we took a trip down to a little island near the border (Deer Island). It was a nice trip and the island, although small, was quite picturesque. I'll have to do a solo photo trip down there. Hard to stop and take pics when you are in a group ride.
In other news...CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S SEPTEMBER TOMORROW?! ugh...
Long days
I keep trying to drag out these summer days, but it's not quite working out for me. I need more vacation time...
I hit the road a couple of days back to deliver some newly recovered photos of my cousin's son's birthday party. Three months is a little long for them to wait to get the photos, but they were quite happy and surprised to get them. I logged over 200 Km on a day that started off scorching hot, but slowly turned in to a hell of a lightning storm. It was a beautiful ride down to Oromocto and it was still a gorgeous day once the black clouds started rolling in. I got sprinkled on a bit, but managed to ride out of it and never saw water again until later that night during the storm. I stuffed my camera in the saddle bag, but as usual I never stopped for any photos. I love snapping pictures, but I hate interrupting my ride. Once I'm moving I just don't want to stop. Hell, even pulling into the parking lot after a days ride is tough to do.
In other news, me and Joey celebrated our 7th anniversary this week. Wow...7 years. Where does the time go. Most times I wonder how she even puts up with me. :)
I hit the road a couple of days back to deliver some newly recovered photos of my cousin's son's birthday party. Three months is a little long for them to wait to get the photos, but they were quite happy and surprised to get them. I logged over 200 Km on a day that started off scorching hot, but slowly turned in to a hell of a lightning storm. It was a beautiful ride down to Oromocto and it was still a gorgeous day once the black clouds started rolling in. I got sprinkled on a bit, but managed to ride out of it and never saw water again until later that night during the storm. I stuffed my camera in the saddle bag, but as usual I never stopped for any photos. I love snapping pictures, but I hate interrupting my ride. Once I'm moving I just don't want to stop. Hell, even pulling into the parking lot after a days ride is tough to do.
In other news, me and Joey celebrated our 7th anniversary this week. Wow...7 years. Where does the time go. Most times I wonder how she even puts up with me. :)
Photos and Such
So it took me a little longer then expected to restore my photo library. I also found out that I didn’t recover every lost photo. I’ve permanently lost quite a few good memories, but still have about 95% of my photos safe and sound.
That was my Canada Day photo, but I couldn’t post it until I restored my photo library. So happy belated Canada Day.
Here are some shots from the Atlanticade Rally held in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.
The rally was alright, mostly boring really. Lots of walking and lots of heat. The ride there and back was the best and certainly the highlight of the day.
Hell of a weekend
The third annual Atlanticade Motorcycle Rally was held this weekend. Well, June 30th to July 4th anyway. Held in beautiful St. Andrews, New Brunswick. We got our group together and made a day of it. Lots of things going on at the rally, but in general very boring. Lots of walking, lots of sun…blah blah. It was great to be with friends to enjoy the day, but the ride down and the ride back was definitely the highlight. Logged around 230 Km and rolled Selene over the 40, 000 Km mark.
I’ll post a few pics in a couple of days. It’s taken me just over three months to recover my photos from a dropped hard drive. I thought I had lost 70GB worth of photos, but with time and a lot of patience I have them all back, safe and secure. For a techie, I’m an idiot when it comes to backing things up.
Vrooom
So Friday morning I drag my ass out of bed, grab a shower and wander out to the kitchen to start up my coffee. Slowly gathering my senses so I can get out on the road and ride. The sun is out and the temperature is already rising.
The phone rings and it’s one of my riding buddies that doesn’t get out much. The first words out of his mouth, “Wanna go for a ride?” I can’t deny him, he’s a busy guy so I don’t get out with him much. He wants to head out later in the day, so I lounge around the house for a while and then meet him at our local Tims.
I’m glad I agreed cause I found out he is the same style of rider as I am. Point the wheel and go…no destination. You know you’re having a good time when you both pull up to a stop sign, look at each other and say, “How the hell did we get here?!”.
When that ride was done, I picked up the wife and hopped by the local Tims again. We hooked up with a couple other riding buddies which led to another ride across town. After that me and the wife went out for a bite to eat.
All said and done, over 360Km logged and never set foot in the cage. I love days like that. You just never want to stop.
Soggy
So it started off dry…
Then got really wet…
It got too bad and with the threat of thunder storms, we bailed before leaving the city. We did get our pledges in and got the parade around the city done.
There was a decent showing even though the weather was threatening all morning. Hopefully there was still a large amount of pledges collected. Hate to see a cause like this suffer due to Mother Nature.
Tomorrow's Ride
Looks like we may get sprinkled on during the Ride for Dad. Iffy weather like this usually makes for a low turnout which is really disappointing. I’ll be there regardless…with my rain suit…that I probably won’t even wear.
Ride for Dad
June 5th is the 3rd year for the Ride for Dad in my area. My own father lost his prostate due to the monster known as cancer, so my whole family has a vested interest in this ride. I made it to the first, missed the second due to my own surgery (hernia), but intend to make the third.
It’s a tri-city ride, meaning that the three major cities here have three separate rides that meet in one central location. It’s the last year for that type of set up and it’ll be a shame to see it change.
It’s always good fun and of course this year it falls on a day that I have to work, forcing me to burn yet another vacation day to go on a motorcycle ride…twist my rubber arm…please.
September 1st...ugh...
Can you feel it? The impending doom that is the end of riding season? Well, at least the end for us that actually experience winter. I know I'll be doing my usual "push riding season as far as I can", but I'm gonna miss those hot summer days. I'm working on getting something to help out with the cold while riding, but it will be a while before that pans out.
It's September and I'm wondering where the hell my summer went. I remember everything that we did, but it feels like it all happened in one day. I guess that's the joy/pain of having a summer full of things to do. You enjoy it and remember it, but it goes oh so quickly.
We had our trip to PEI...in the midst of a hurricane that didn't really happen. Bill was fore cast to pummel the Maritimes, but barely did anything. We had beautiful weather the whole trip and only got wet because of the late evening fog as we rolled back into town. The wind was a battle on the way back and Joey thought we were goners a couple of times...ah the joys of solid rims. No matter though, it was an awesome trip made better with the accompaniment of friends. And the Confederation Bridge? What a blast to ride across!
After that it's been work for the club and getting to the events that I can. It's odd to look past September and see months with no bike events. Man...winter is going to be boring.
In other news, I dropped my bike again. No excuses, just lost my footing in a parking lot. Thankfully no one was around. Once again my left saddle bag took the brunt of the damage. It's all scratched up and will have to be left for the winter to get repaired. We just can't afford to get it done right now.
Two upcoming things that I'm looking forward to in September though? Sons of Anarchy starts up next week so there is some quality motorcycle oriented TV watching right there. The day after that premieres our local Harley Davidson dealer is having a Test Our Metal demo day. I think that will be an early day...I want to get my butt in the seat of one of those Road Kings. You know...so I can further cement into my head that I want one.
It's September and I'm wondering where the hell my summer went. I remember everything that we did, but it feels like it all happened in one day. I guess that's the joy/pain of having a summer full of things to do. You enjoy it and remember it, but it goes oh so quickly.
We had our trip to PEI...in the midst of a hurricane that didn't really happen. Bill was fore cast to pummel the Maritimes, but barely did anything. We had beautiful weather the whole trip and only got wet because of the late evening fog as we rolled back into town. The wind was a battle on the way back and Joey thought we were goners a couple of times...ah the joys of solid rims. No matter though, it was an awesome trip made better with the accompaniment of friends. And the Confederation Bridge? What a blast to ride across!
After that it's been work for the club and getting to the events that I can. It's odd to look past September and see months with no bike events. Man...winter is going to be boring.
In other news, I dropped my bike again. No excuses, just lost my footing in a parking lot. Thankfully no one was around. Once again my left saddle bag took the brunt of the damage. It's all scratched up and will have to be left for the winter to get repaired. We just can't afford to get it done right now.
Two upcoming things that I'm looking forward to in September though? Sons of Anarchy starts up next week so there is some quality motorcycle oriented TV watching right there. The day after that premieres our local Harley Davidson dealer is having a Test Our Metal demo day. I think that will be an early day...I want to get my butt in the seat of one of those Road Kings. You know...so I can further cement into my head that I want one.
No more riding
At least for a while, but I'll get to that in a minute.
Yesterday was "ride it like you stole it day" for me. It was my last day to ride for a while and I took advantage of it as much as I could. I took Joey out for a spin before she went off to work and then the rest of the evening was mine. I hit the back roads and did some of the most aggressive riding I've done in quite some time. Nothing too far over the speed limit, but I was pushing my own limits on the twisties. it was great though and I haven't felt quite that "alive" in some time. It's nice to ride with my group and go on leisurely country rides, but every now and then you have to break out. Yesterday reminded me of why I usually ride alone.
I took my camera with me, but for some reason I didn't want to stop. Stopping meant taking me out of my groove and I was having way too much fun to do that.
Now to the reason I won't be riding. I have to go in for surgery tomorrow and it's going to put me out for a bit. No heavy lifting for two months, no work and no riding for a minimum of two weeks. So you can see why I hit the road as hard as I did yesterday.
I have no doubt that I'm going to be a bear to live with and every sunny day is going to make it worse.
I'll report back when it's all said and done. We'll see how long I'm actually kept off the bike...
Yesterday was "ride it like you stole it day" for me. It was my last day to ride for a while and I took advantage of it as much as I could. I took Joey out for a spin before she went off to work and then the rest of the evening was mine. I hit the back roads and did some of the most aggressive riding I've done in quite some time. Nothing too far over the speed limit, but I was pushing my own limits on the twisties. it was great though and I haven't felt quite that "alive" in some time. It's nice to ride with my group and go on leisurely country rides, but every now and then you have to break out. Yesterday reminded me of why I usually ride alone.
I took my camera with me, but for some reason I didn't want to stop. Stopping meant taking me out of my groove and I was having way too much fun to do that.
Now to the reason I won't be riding. I have to go in for surgery tomorrow and it's going to put me out for a bit. No heavy lifting for two months, no work and no riding for a minimum of two weeks. So you can see why I hit the road as hard as I did yesterday.
I have no doubt that I'm going to be a bear to live with and every sunny day is going to make it worse.
I'll report back when it's all said and done. We'll see how long I'm actually kept off the bike...
Ah yes…
It’s 4C (39F) with high percentages of sand and water on the roads, but I got out for a ride today. Selene got a little dirty, but not quite as bad as I expected. I put on around 20km (12mi) or so, just far enough to take Joey to work, get me home and get my hands cold.
The roads are in ridiculous shape. I didn’t realize how bad they were until I could actually look down and see them. Some places aren’t even pavement anymore. It’s so chewed up it may as well be dirt. It will be interesting to see if they actually have a budget to fix them after the horrible winter we’ve had.
I can’t say I’ve ever had an issue with riding a motorcycle with a lot of dirt around. Hell, I learned how to ride my first street bike on the dirt back roads of my home town. You just have to keep your wits about you and not enter turns fast or on a steep angle. Selene took it all like a champ and it was nice to be able to completely dodge the pot holes littering the streets.
One other thing I kept in mind was to increase my follow distance with cars. Not only did this have the benefit of keeping them from spraying me with dirty/salty water, but it also allowed me to watch for the pot holes obscured by the car. Keeping the distance to two/two and half car lengths seemed good for the amount of water on the roads.
I have to say, it was great. Even with all the obstacles to avoid, it was a great little ride. It’s great to be back on two wheels.
Still going strong
It's December the 6th and I'm still riding. As a matter of fact, I rode into work today in my coldest temperature yet: -11C (12F). Any colder then that and I won't be able to handle it without some added protection for my hands. My body stays at a fine temperature for the ride in and could easily take a ride of an hour or so, but in the 15 minutes that it takes to get to work my hands are practically numb. I'm not complaining or anything, I know I'm bringing this on myself...willingly...hehe.
The coming week looks a bit iffy. There is a rather large cold front just south of the Great Lakes which is carrying a lot of snow with it.
Every other day next week is slated to have either rain or snow or a mix of both. Here's hoping that it stays mild here.
I haven't had too many days where I can just get out for a ride. It's either windy or just plain cold. I did manage to get out for some holiday shopping, but that kind of turned sour. Once I got out I realized that my list was still at the apartment. No problem, just another excuse to be out longer on bike. Well, once I turned the key in the outer security door things changed a bit. The key snapped off in the lock. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but my cell phone was also in the apartment so I couldn't call maintenance to let me in either. Add to that the fact that the apartment offices had just closed.
I ended up having to go all the way across town to get Joey's keys so I could get back in the apartment and call maintenance. When all was said and done, it was dark out and I had no desire to do any shopping. With a hot coffee, I retired to my computer to let the rest of the day dwindle away.
Stay safe and warm out there, bothers and sisters.
The coming week looks a bit iffy. There is a rather large cold front just south of the Great Lakes which is carrying a lot of snow with it.
Every other day next week is slated to have either rain or snow or a mix of both. Here's hoping that it stays mild here.
I haven't had too many days where I can just get out for a ride. It's either windy or just plain cold. I did manage to get out for some holiday shopping, but that kind of turned sour. Once I got out I realized that my list was still at the apartment. No problem, just another excuse to be out longer on bike. Well, once I turned the key in the outer security door things changed a bit. The key snapped off in the lock. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but my cell phone was also in the apartment so I couldn't call maintenance to let me in either. Add to that the fact that the apartment offices had just closed.
I ended up having to go all the way across town to get Joey's keys so I could get back in the apartment and call maintenance. When all was said and done, it was dark out and I had no desire to do any shopping. With a hot coffee, I retired to my computer to let the rest of the day dwindle away.
Stay safe and warm out there, bothers and sisters.
Pristine Ride
After days of fog and mist and getting wet on the way to work while roads were dry, we were finally blessed with a day to remember.
We had two possibilities on Saturday. One was a charity run and the other was just a run of pure self indulgence. Don't get me wrong, I love charity runs and it's a great place to meet new people, but sometimes you just need to get away from everything. So we decided on the self indulgence run.
As a mater of getting things square, "we"= me and my second officer from my CMC chapter. We were the only ones that showed up for the run and my wife was feeling a bit under the weather. The day added up to one heck of a boys day out.
The previous four days weather made Saint John a fog covered waste land. It was sickening and things were made worse when you knew that ten minutes outside the city it was warm and sunny. Ah the joys of living near the ocean.
When I woke up that morning it was like I had moved to a different country. The sun was blazing and it was already well into the double digits. If it was like this in Saint John, Moncton (much farther inland) would be an oven.
We met up at the local Tims for a quick coffee and realized that we would have to make a straight trip to Moncton on the highway. The motorcycle shop that we wanted to visit (namely Atlantic Motoplex) was closing at 1pm and it was already well after 10am. From Saint John to Moncton it's a good couple hour run. With stock Honda seats you can add more time for butt revival.
The highway run was nothing special, but the warm air and little to no wind made it one of the best highway rides I've had in years.
Sussex (the half way point) arrived in short order and we stopped for a breather...and some cold water. It doesn't take long to get thirsty being force fed dry air.
With my thirst quenched and my companion's addiction stick burnt away, we were off once more.
I was right, Moncton was more akin to an oven then a city. It was a wonderful 27 C (80 F) and even in my full leathers I was enjoying it to it's fullest. Of course, hitting every red light on the way to the cycle shop almost had me stripping layers of leather on the fly.
With 30 minutes to spare we pulled into the parking lot for Atlantic Motoplex. I had heard tons of things about this place, but had never set foot inside. I was more then a little excited to finally have a chance to see and sit on one of my favourite brands...Ducati.
Inside the giant air conditioned building was a maze of motorcycles the likes I had never seen. The main brands were Yamaha, BMW and Ducati, but there were plenty of others there as well. We spent the next half hour wandering and drooling over all the machines and gear. Saint John really needs a place like this...so I can save gas when I want to drool.
I saw my share of Ducati's and fell in love with two. As much as the sport style bikes were beautiful and seemed like they were at top speed standing still, it was the Ducati 696 Monster and the Ducati GT1000. If I had my choice though, it would have been the Monster...it just fit me so well...*sigh*
After cleaning up the puddles of drool for the nice people at the shop we lost some leather layers and hunted out a place to eat. The local chinese buffet hit the spot perfectly. With a window view you could see how popular the beautiful weather was with everyone that owned a bike.
With tanks full, both human and machine, we rolled off on the scenic portion of our trip. And scenic it was.
We spent the rest of the day cruising the Fundy Trail. Even though I had my camera with me, I just didn't want to stop. It was one of those perfect days. A day that you just have to ride, you just have to keep going. With every kilometer you roll your smile gets that much bigger and you realize what riding two wheels does for you spirit and your mind.
The Fundy Trail runs the coast and hits several scenic areas as it meanders along. It flows through the cozy (and tourist trapping) town of Alma and then winds through the Fundy National Park.
On future runs I'll have to take more pictures and make more stops and also try not to leave the camera at my parents house. There are just so many things to see and capture. Maybe next time we'll take the wives, pack a lunch and make the day of it. But for now I'll have to list this and one of the most pristine runs I have ever done.
Here's to motorcycling and all the joy it brings.
We had two possibilities on Saturday. One was a charity run and the other was just a run of pure self indulgence. Don't get me wrong, I love charity runs and it's a great place to meet new people, but sometimes you just need to get away from everything. So we decided on the self indulgence run.
As a mater of getting things square, "we"= me and my second officer from my CMC chapter. We were the only ones that showed up for the run and my wife was feeling a bit under the weather. The day added up to one heck of a boys day out.
The previous four days weather made Saint John a fog covered waste land. It was sickening and things were made worse when you knew that ten minutes outside the city it was warm and sunny. Ah the joys of living near the ocean.
When I woke up that morning it was like I had moved to a different country. The sun was blazing and it was already well into the double digits. If it was like this in Saint John, Moncton (much farther inland) would be an oven.
We met up at the local Tims for a quick coffee and realized that we would have to make a straight trip to Moncton on the highway. The motorcycle shop that we wanted to visit (namely Atlantic Motoplex) was closing at 1pm and it was already well after 10am. From Saint John to Moncton it's a good couple hour run. With stock Honda seats you can add more time for butt revival.
The highway run was nothing special, but the warm air and little to no wind made it one of the best highway rides I've had in years.
Sussex (the half way point) arrived in short order and we stopped for a breather...and some cold water. It doesn't take long to get thirsty being force fed dry air.
With my thirst quenched and my companion's addiction stick burnt away, we were off once more.
I was right, Moncton was more akin to an oven then a city. It was a wonderful 27 C (80 F) and even in my full leathers I was enjoying it to it's fullest. Of course, hitting every red light on the way to the cycle shop almost had me stripping layers of leather on the fly.
With 30 minutes to spare we pulled into the parking lot for Atlantic Motoplex. I had heard tons of things about this place, but had never set foot inside. I was more then a little excited to finally have a chance to see and sit on one of my favourite brands...Ducati.
Inside the giant air conditioned building was a maze of motorcycles the likes I had never seen. The main brands were Yamaha, BMW and Ducati, but there were plenty of others there as well. We spent the next half hour wandering and drooling over all the machines and gear. Saint John really needs a place like this...so I can save gas when I want to drool.
I saw my share of Ducati's and fell in love with two. As much as the sport style bikes were beautiful and seemed like they were at top speed standing still, it was the Ducati 696 Monster and the Ducati GT1000. If I had my choice though, it would have been the Monster...it just fit me so well...*sigh*
After cleaning up the puddles of drool for the nice people at the shop we lost some leather layers and hunted out a place to eat. The local chinese buffet hit the spot perfectly. With a window view you could see how popular the beautiful weather was with everyone that owned a bike.
With tanks full, both human and machine, we rolled off on the scenic portion of our trip. And scenic it was.
We spent the rest of the day cruising the Fundy Trail. Even though I had my camera with me, I just didn't want to stop. It was one of those perfect days. A day that you just have to ride, you just have to keep going. With every kilometer you roll your smile gets that much bigger and you realize what riding two wheels does for you spirit and your mind.
The Fundy Trail runs the coast and hits several scenic areas as it meanders along. It flows through the cozy (and tourist trapping) town of Alma and then winds through the Fundy National Park.
On future runs I'll have to take more pictures and make more stops and also try not to leave the camera at my parents house. There are just so many things to see and capture. Maybe next time we'll take the wives, pack a lunch and make the day of it. But for now I'll have to list this and one of the most pristine runs I have ever done.
Here's to motorcycling and all the joy it brings.
New Brunswick Motorcycle Ride for Dad
I'm a little late posting this, but work and exhaustion have both held me back from posting.
Saturday, June 7th was the first annual Motorcycle Ride for Dad for New Brunswick. It was a tri-city event between Saint John, Fredericton, and Moncton meant to collect money for research for prostate cancer.
There was a meet-up at the local Mark's Work Wearhouse at 7:30am. They had breakfast and a small booth setup with Ride for Dad T-shirts and such plus a place to register and hand in pledge sheets. It was great to have several members from my CMC chapter at the ride as it gave us a presence and the ability to spread the word about our riding club.
The ride itself left around 10:30am and there was a short police guided parade around Saint John. Once the parade was done, we were free to break off into packs and continue a poker run that was started at the time of registration.
The day itself started off cool and overcast, but as we moved out of the city things changed for the better. It ended up being a scorching day by the time all the riders reached Sussex for the final meet up and prize draws.
Our group managed to stay together for the entire ride and even picked up someone that expressed interest in the group (he eventually joined). We also got an offer to get involved in next years run which I'll definitely be looking into.
All in all it was a great day for a great cause and 430+ bikers raised $22, 000+ for the cause.
Of course my camera never left my side (although I almost lost it off the back of my bike) and here are the pictures I took from the event.
Summer trip
Well, unfortunately due to schedule problems we won't be making a trip to Niagara Falls this year. As much as we wanted to go to the Honda Shadow gathering, Joey couldn't get the time off.
There is no way we could go the entire summer without a trip of some kind, so Joey set up plan B.
Plan B is a two day trip to the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia/Cape Breton. Weather permitting, it should be great. I've heard nothing but good things about riding the Cabot Trail so it Should be a good opportunity to take a bunch of pictures as well.
There is no way we could go the entire summer without a trip of some kind, so Joey set up plan B.
Plan B is a two day trip to the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia/Cape Breton. Weather permitting, it should be great. I've heard nothing but good things about riding the Cabot Trail so it Should be a good opportunity to take a bunch of pictures as well.
What the?
I just looked at the calendar... Did anyone else realize that we are already into July? Ugh, summer is too short and there just isn't enough nice days that correspond with my days off.
Speaking of rides...
Have you ever been out riding and realized that you probably shouldn't be? I went out for a spin yesterday to snap some pictures and found that Selene and I were meshing really well. A little too well. I found I was taking chances that I usual don't and had way too much attitude. I was easily doing double the speed limit in some areas and weaving around traffic in other areas. While I'll admit that it was quite fun and my invincibility seemed to be holding out quite well, there would come a time when reality would smush my little shield and then I would have more repairs to pay for...among other things.
So I cruised home, parked Selene and relaxed for the rest of the day. If I get too many of those day, I'll have to get a track bike.
Speaking of rides...
Have you ever been out riding and realized that you probably shouldn't be? I went out for a spin yesterday to snap some pictures and found that Selene and I were meshing really well. A little too well. I found I was taking chances that I usual don't and had way too much attitude. I was easily doing double the speed limit in some areas and weaving around traffic in other areas. While I'll admit that it was quite fun and my invincibility seemed to be holding out quite well, there would come a time when reality would smush my little shield and then I would have more repairs to pay for...among other things.
So I cruised home, parked Selene and relaxed for the rest of the day. If I get too many of those day, I'll have to get a track bike.
Earlier
So, here is how beautiful Selene was looking earlier this evening
About an hour later I was fighting to keep her upright while Joey fought to not get trapped underneath her. The brand new saddle bags helped prevent that from happening.
Pictures of the damage and an explanation will come when I get up the nerve to go look...
On a side note; we are very sore, but fine.
