My entire motorcycle ride was done in pain. The pain wasn’t due to the cold; this ride was the first in the forties for the season. Many more to come before spring gets here. But I was well insulated in my lined leather jacket, lined winter riding pants, and my warm mid-weight gloves. I even managed to fully close the chin vent in my helmet to eliminate the little bit of cold air blowing in. No, my riding pain was self-inflicted and had to do with my hairstyle.
I’m sure it is evident in these blogs that I am not vain nor concerned with my appearance on the motorcycle. While I do have amazing, high-quality gear, I have an abundance of safety gear that makes me look like a barrel on top of my bike. I’m about safety first and then comfort on the motorcycle. I extend the safety and comfort to my hairstyle usually. My first care is to make sure my hair doesn’t get into my eyes. My second concern is that my hair is not a knotted mess after my ride that will take long, painful hair brushing to smooth out. I have tried different styles including using a hair wrap (these fall out on the ride), braids (fine for the length but not the short layers of my cut) and today, a segmented ponytail.
I used four hair elastics to create the ponytail. The first elastic was to hold back the shorter layers and, as I wrapped the band around my hair, I did wonder about the impact of my helmet on this top band. I figured it would be a learning experience and continued with the segments of the ponytail. And sure enough, as soon as I set my helmet on my hair, the top ponytail bump dug into the back of my scalp. I tried to adjust the helmet to relieve the downward pressure, but it was to no avail. I rode the entire ride with a non-stop chorus of “ouch” playing in my head.
I didn’t, however, let the pain ruin my ride. The sun was out with only a few wispy clouds in the sky. As we headed up the road to complete on on-street U-turns, the sunlight lit up the crimson leaves on some Japanese maples to stunning effect. I also had a second chance and a third to ride up the brilliantly lit road with the array of fall colors spectacularly laid out. Bill led us up the road twice to enjoy the stunning scenery making sure to point out the beautiful gumball tree with all of the colors of autumn on display.
Due to the cold, there were no butterflies about, and the only flutterings were from falling leaves. There were some ducks chilling in the river and some Canadian geese about. The only large birds I saw circling in the deep blue sky were turkey vultures.
My ride went really well including my emergency braking. I was noticing some small rose bushes in bloom when Bill decided to turn suddenly in front of me. Luckily, I was far enough back to brake quickly as he cut across in front of me. Funnily enough, five minutes earlier I had been pondering the best distance at which to follow Bill. If I’m too far back, cars will cut in between us; if I’m too close, I run the risk of tipping the bike as I try to avoid a collision. Clearly on this ride, I had found the ideal distance.
I’m in for more cold rides, probably for quite some time, but I don’t mind. I’ve already decided to try a barrette in my style next week for better head comfort, and I haven’t begun to add all of my layers for warmth. No matter the temperature or the hairstyle, I certainly will enjoy my ride.
Flutterby Biker 