Warm sunshine with only wispy clouds in the sky greeted us for our weekend ride.  The weather was so ideal for riding, a biker gang, the Mutineers, passed us as we drove over to the garage.  There were five guys in their jeans and leather vests with their Mutineers logo emblazoned on the back.  They were riding two abreast which is really not a good idea, and they used hand signals for their lane changes and the exit ramp.

            Hand signals are from the days when motorcycles didn’t have turn indicators.  Bill’s first Harley didn’t have turn indicators.  But as I watched the gang go past, I realized too that the hand signals serve as a command cue, similar to hand signals in the military, to lead the group.  The biker in the front right corner was the first to raise his right fist, bent elbow in the sign for a right turn, and the group followed.  Now their motorcycles could have been old enough to predate indicators; as they were passing me at about 70 mph, it was hard to get a good look at the bikes, but from the sound, I’m pretty sure they were all Harleys.

            My mind wandered from the hand signals to the communication devices available to riders.  But I liked the old school way of communicating with the hand signals.  While there is a convenience to being able to speak directly to a riding partner, there is something meditative about riding with only my thoughts in my head.  I also enjoy the training I get from having to watch and follow Bill’s leadership, working on my reaction speed for quick stops like the one for the indecisive young squirrel.

            Like the biker gang, I was wearing jeans today.  Of course, my jeans are Klim reinforced riding jeans, baggy enough to house the protective gear, not sleek fitting Levis.  I was more comfortable in the jeans on this 80-degree day, only getting hot during slow speed, parking lot maneuvers.  But I was focused on my lean in the U-turns.  As I completed my second on-street U-turn, I felt myself leaning into the turn, and I liked it.

            I’m not saying I have never leaned the motorcycle in a U-turn before.  However, for some reason during this ride, I really felt the lean, and I had no fear of it.  So as we turned around in the cul de sacs, I worked on feeling the lean as an aspect of tightening the turns, and I continued to work with it.

            I also worked on my trail braking into the curves and the fast stop and start.  I had one really wobbly fast stop that caused me to throw both feet onto the pavement, but the rest of the stops went well.  Bill talked to me about working on stopping without forcing the anti-lock brakes on, so that will be for next week.

            Since the sun was shining, I saw plenty of butterflies, including my first encounter with an aggressive black swallowtail that flew at me before heading off to more natural colors.  And there were plenty of lovely colors especially the day lilies that are flourishing right now.  I saw yellows, oranges, and a vibrant flame-colored one.  The hydrangeas are colorful, flowering balls of light blues, whites, and purples.

            In a quiet cul de sac, I spotted a great blue heron hunting in the shallows.  He looked over at us hearing the roar of our engines, watching in perfect stillness, before deciding we weren’t a threat.  The Canadian geese were more offended as we rode past, as they should’ve been as Bill was using the Rocket to herd them off the road.  And just as I despaired of seeing any birds of prey, an osprey soared up into view.  That’s one of the many fun aspects of heading out for a ride; there’s always a surprise around the next corner if you’re looking for it.  And I will be out again looking next week.