Here’s some perspective on just how slow my 25 mph cruises are. This Saturday a bug hitched a ride on my visor, not bug spatter, a little gnat-like something that crawled around for over 5 minutes as I rode. I had to tell myself not to focus on the little critter, but it wasn’t easy because at first I wasn’t sure if he was on the inside or out. Once I realized he was on the outside, it was easier to leave him to crawl around.
But I’m way ahead of myself. My hitchhiker didn’t join me until the end part of my ride. The day was another beautiful fall morning, even with our later start. It was cool enough that as I rode, I had to pull my neck tube up to keep the wind off my neck and keep my visor down. But I prefer this cooler riding weather to the heat.
I started with my usual U-turns and warm up run around half the neighborhood, coming back to my street for braking practice. I stalled once during my braking practice because I had not shifted down to first. I’m not sure if I’m developing a bad habit of checking my gear indicator to ensure that I downshifted to first or not. Older bikes only indicate if you’re in neutral, but newer models have full gear indicators, and I do scan mine regularly. I suppose I should take a day’s practice to try and feel what gear I’m in and not rely on the gear indicator.
No geese in sight today, surprisingly, though I did get to see a marsh hawk gliding on the wind. I did just a little off roading by the neighborhood pool; because I was starting my ride after 11:00, the park already had some visitors, so that parking lot was out. I worked on scanning the intersections on approaches and on stops, doing well accelerating into the turns from my stops.
The day was so beautiful, I couldn’t wait to get Bill’s bike and go cruising with him. I still managed my lane change practice and slaloming in the bus lanes at the school. But the best practice is riding through the neighborhoods with Bill, working on smooth accelerations out of stops, leaning into the curves, and monitoring traffic while enjoying the scenery, especially since the scenery includes all the Halloween decorations.
We were out of luck with our gravel off-roading. Ferry Plantation House had several cars and Lynnhaven House was hosting an event, maybe a wedding as there was a large tent set up. We made up for these losses by hitting extra courts for turning practice. It was as we were finishing our ride in the ritzy neighborhood and heading back to my parents’ that my little hitchhiker appeared. At first I thought he was just splatter on my visor, so I was happy to see him crawling across my field of vision. It’s like it is with the butterflies—three cabbage whites today—the closeness to nature, sharing the fresh air, the elements, even with just a tiny bug. It amazes me how much motorcycle riding emphasizes my appreciation of nature. I have plans of riding and appreciating the countryside, but I like the unexpected pleasures I have discovered interacting with the nature of everyday. It makes each weekly riding practice special and fun.
Flutterby Biker 