Gearing Up for Winter Riding

I am amazed at people’s ingenuity, and one place that ingenuity is on display is in motorcycle gear. In the early days of motorcycle riding, smart riders figured out to wear goggles to protect their eyes and leather to protect their skin. Bill will tell me how in his earliest days of motorcycle riding, the only gear he had was a Bell helmet, but he knew to wear a leather jacket, jeans, and boots.

Now some people in the summer can be seen on their motorcycles in shorts and t-shirts, but that is a choice. In the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) course, they teach riders to dress for the slide. Leather is still one of the best skin protection for the slide, but thanks to the invention of Kevlar, riding jeans can be substantive enough to protect the skin.

But in addition to the safety features of motorcycle gear, there is also the weather adaptability. My leather riding pants have a detachable lining, so I can add a layer for warmth when needed, like on today’s 42-degree ride under gray skies. My leather jacket also has a removable lining for warmth adjustability. I also have three different sets of riding gloves that offer differing degrees of warmth, but all offer protection should I take a tumble.

Luckily (knock on wood) I have not needed the slide protection of my gear. I have needed the warmth protection, though, and it seems I will be needing it for quite a while now as winter seems to have arrived early this year. Next week, I’ll start wearing my balaclava under my helmet to keep my chin and cheeks warm.

We shortened our ride some because the roads still had wet spots from the cold rain that fell on Friday. I didn’t go on the gravel because of the damp, and the skies were dark enough I could see the beams from our headlights. The squirrels were busy, but they stayed out of our way. I spotted a large vulture in the air at the beginning of the ride, and I saw the birds flying away from the water, but I didn’t see any white-feathered heads. Of course, in our shortened ride, we didn’t ride as close to the water.

The best part of the ride was that I was mostly comfortable with just a little bit of cold fingers due to pre-loading, but it wasn’t as bad as last week. And I know I’ll be fine for next week’s ride too.

zipper on black pants — Zipping the lining up at the ankles of my leather riding pants.

Chilly Cheeks Ride

No, not those cheeks! But it does make a great hook. We had a chilly 43-degree day for our ride in bright sunshine, and I layered up. I made sure to close the vents in my helmet and to add the lining to my leather pants. I was pleased, also, that I was finally able to wear the Klim thermal sweater Bill gave me for Christmas four years ago over the Alpinestar’s safety jacket. That’s a concrete sign I’ve slimmed down.

One of the benefits of this pullover sweater is that it has a zipper at the top and a collar, so I could add an extra layer of neck protection. But I forgot to bring my thermal neck tube, so I had nothing to warm my cheeks from the cold air entering at the bottom of my helmet. The chill on my cheeks, however, was not enough to ruin my fun ride.

As we headed out, I glanced up in hopes of spotting an eagle, but no raptors were in sight. Nor was I going to see any butterflies in the colder air. But the squirrels were lively, and we had two cross our paths during the ride.

I was wearing my Klim medium-weight gloves with the heated grips on. However, I was also pre-loading the front brake, which meant my index and middle fingers were not on the grip and got quite cold. I focused during the ride on being careful with the throttle. These thicker gloves tend to block my feel some, so I will accidentally roll on the throttle. I had a few roll-ons as I was braking, but I did control the throttle better.

My U-turns were better this week than last week. I only brushed the edge of the grass on the berm as I did the first on-street U-turn. And my two-parking spot turn in the gravel lot was going great until I spotted a thick branch right at my exit point and had to go wider to avoid it. I missed that branch even thought I rode around the lot first to check for obstacles, which shows me that even when I think I’m aware, I need to be extra aware.

I did get to enjoy Christmas decorations as many people took advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday time off to decorate. I even spotted some people out hanging their lights. I will enjoy these decorations for the next four weeks, but I also know I will feel a little sad when I see the decorations taken down right after Christmas. Someone once explained to me that their family undecorates right after Christmas because they have the time off. But I look for those that hold onto the twelve days of Christmas and keep their décor through to the Epiphany. I will see a few people do this on my upcoming holiday rides.

bright yellow leaves on a tulip poplar tree — Tulip poplar in autumn

Three Eagles Ride

I was going to call this blog What a Difference a Day Makes as today’s weather was opposite Saturday’s dreary, warm rain. Today was cool and sunny, with hardly a cloud in the sky. But then I spotted the first eagle circling in the clear blue, and the ride became more about the sights.

I layered exactly right for the 60-degree day, but I forgot to close the vents in my helmet. It wasn’t cold, but I did have cool air blowing across my head. I realized, however, that I might not want to prematurely close the vents; we could still get some warm riding days. On today’s ride the bright sunshine almost became an issue. Luckily, we headed out early enough in the day before the sun hit that direct-into-the-eye angle.

I was enjoying the beautiful foliage still vibrant though many trees are bare. The beautiful elm tree from last week still had its leaves, but they had faded into a paper bag brown. The Japanese maples that have their leaves are a stunning deep red, and I saw enough color to remind me it’s still autumn and not quite winter. The smell of pine needles struck me as I went wide on the on-street U-turn having entered the turn too quickly. I improved on the second turn, and I did great on the gravel turns later.

I spotted the first bald eagle as we passed the neighborhood water tower. At first I had thought it was another buzzard, but then I noticed the white tail feathers and, as the raptor swung about, the tell-tale white head. I pointed upward in hopes Bill would look into his rearview mirror and then up. Instead, I was able to tell him on our stop.

After I spotted the eagle, we headed into a turn. I saw the front end of the Rocket slip and Bill pulled over and parked. I parked alongside him and watched as he walked back to the corner. He rooted around in the leaves along the roadside, and then he came back and showed me three chunks of asphalt that had been lurking under the leaves. It was a reminder that the leaves on the roadway can hide dangers. But it did give me the chance to mention the eagle to Bill. We rode into the cul-de-sac and when we came out and were stopped at a stop sign, Bill took the moment to remind me of the one time he dropped the R Nine T was at this stop. After he made the reminder and started to head off, I called after him because the eagle had made a reappearance. It was, however, soaring up in the thermals and difficult for Bill to spot. But he eventually did spot it.

I also spotted a cabbage white butterfly toward the end of our ride. It came darting out of a clump of yellow mums to make sure I got a look. The other two eagles were over the river, and I saw them as I was loading my gear back into the car. They were circling around each other and soaring higher and higher as they headed down the river. So a beautiful day with a beautiful ride was capped off with another beautiful sighting of bald eagles. I’m hoping for some more sightings on next week’s ride; I certainly will be thankful!

Getting Back to the Gravel

It was a day for motorcycles. I spotted almost ten motorcycles of various models as we headed over for our own ride, and I spotted even more on the way home. Tuesday, Veterans Day, had given us a taste of the coming winter, and I think motorcycle riders wanted to grab the great riding weather while they could. The skies were cloudy but no rain was forecasted, and the temperatures were in the upper 60s.

The sun did peak out every now and then as we rode, conveniently as I snapped a photo of one of my favorite autumn trees (see picture). But it was cloudy enough I didn’t wear my sunglasses under my tinted visor. The gray light softened the autumn colors and would’ve made for a peaceful, calm ride, except we had a quick stop not even a half mile into our ride when a cat darted in front of the Rocket’s front tire. That cat kept one of its lives thanks to Bill’s quick reaction.

The squirrels, for the most part, kept themselves in the yards except near the end of our ride when one felt extra daring. Again, it’s a good thing we practice fast stops and swerves. I spotted one tiny cabbage white butterfly determinedly working its way across road. I remarked last year that it seems the cabbage whites are the first and last butterflies of the season.

We headed into the gravel lot to give me more practice, and I felt more comfortable and confident. The small slips of the rear tire were not as nerve-racking as last week, and I even tried my U-turn inside the two parking spots. I had a large smile on my face as gave Bill the thumbs up to signal an end to my gravel practice. I’m glad I get the opportunity to put the 50/50 tires on a surface other than the asphalt. (50/50 tires are half for road and half for off-road.)

As we headed back to the garage, I glanced out over the water and spotted several egrets sitting atop the pylons on a pier. I realize that as we ease into winter, the wildlife views will become even sparser, but then maybe there will be less fast-stop drama too!

shades of gold on tree leaves — Elm tree with golden leaves

Happy Fall Y’All!

After a tough week at work, I was eager to ride, and I was given a gorgeous day of partly cloudy skies and 70 degrees. I was back in the Klim jacket, and I enjoyed a cool and comfortable therapeutic ride.

The squirrels were a little less squirrelly today; they crossed the roads in progressive leaps well out in front of us. I had fun creating wakes in the leaves along the roadway, and the autumn colors are nearing peak, so the sun was glinting of gorgeous burgundies, greens, golds, and umbers. Next week may actually be peak colors, though some of the Japanese maples are already there.

We did encounter three golf carts out on the roads during our ride, and Mr. Recumbent Bicycle was out again, but this ride he had the sense to have someone in front on a regular bike to help with visibility. I’m not sure what’s going on with the golf carts. There are plenty of neighborhood sidewalks for walking, and the day was perfect for taking a stroll. But when I thought about it, aren’t the golf carters doing what Bill and I are but in their own fashion? Aren’t they out riding in the elements, enjoying the feel of the cool air blowing across them, the lack of barriers between them and nature? So while the carts’ puttering speeds are a little annoying, I didn’t mind them so much. I recognized them as fellow riders of a sort.

Of course in a golf cart one can’t do cool U-turns with a lean or feel the slosh of the rear tire riding on gravel. I went in the gravel lot and have noticed a loss of confidence on that surface. I mentioned that to Bill after our ride, and he suggested we include the gravel lot more often. I still managed some tight U-turns on the gravel, but I didn’t try the two parking spots because there were some large branches down and the gravel was obstacle enough.

The only butterfly I spotted was a little cabbage white darting over the fence as I put on my riding boots. We have some mid-40 degree days forecasted for the upcoming week, so my butterfly spotting is just about over for this year. But that just makes me look forward to my upcoming rides.

Making the Most of Today’s Ride

We’ve been blessed with some fantastic weather this fall. Today was another perfect day for motorcycle riding—sunny skies and 72 degrees. We were eager to get started despite noting lots of extra parked cars around perhaps gathered to watch a big game.

I really appreciate how much stronger my legs feel in controlling the nearly 500 pounds of the motorcycle especially on the steep camber of the road. But I’m wondering if it wasn’t just mental. I was struggling against the weight of the motorcycle, trying to come up with braking tricks to help me control it on street cambers. When I discussed my tricks with Bill, he told me I needed to have the strength to control the motorcycle with my legs. And it seems just like that I was controlling my bike with my legs.

I wasn’t lifting heavier at the gym, so I hadn’t made strength gains. So I do think it was a mental issue. I thought the R Nine T was heavy, so it was heavy. I thought I need to control the R Nine T with my legs, and now I can control the weight with my legs. It is both a great feeling of strength but also a reassuring feeling of control over the motorcycle. And controlling the motorcycle with my legs is extra important now that it is autumn and the leaves are clumping onto the roads. We had one stop where I noted the leaves pasted against the asphalt and was careful to make sure of my footing as I braked.

It was a wonderful ride. My on-street U-turn left a yard of pavement free on the side. And my footless stop was spot on. I did manage to spot a monarch butterfly that I first thought was a falling leaf as it was just drifting before opening and flapping her wings. Another monarch may have been warming herself on the roadway until the Rocket zoomed by and disturbed him.

I also spotted two cabbage whites—both as we unloaded our gear at the garage and at home. I had to make the most of today’s ride because I will be out of town next week with no opportunity to ride. Bill will get his ride in as the Rocket is due for inspection, but I will have to wait two weeks before I can get the R Nine T to 2500 miles—1800 of those miles ridden by me.

black and orange monarch butterfly on green plant with small flowers with lake behind — Photo by Chris F on Pexels.com

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Sunny skies and 74 degrees and a motorcycle to ride—now that’s getting close to heavenly. Officially, May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, but please be aware that October is also riding season. In some ways I think autumn is busier for riders than spring, but that could be because people are shopping for motorcycles in the spring. But I also think it’s due to motorcycle riders making the most of their riding opportunities before winter sets in.

I was comfortably cool throughout the ride, and even Bill on his large Triumph Rocket, told me he didn’t sweat. Riding is so much more enjoyable when one finishes the ride without having to peel off the sweaty gear. And there is a simple pleasure in feeling the cool air wash over me without getting chilled.

I still felt that dizziness and weakness similar to last week but, since I rode successfully last week, I felt I could handle today’s ride. I’m wondering if my condition is some sort of stress reaction; the week’s stress finally over, my body gets overwhelmed by stress hormones. The problem with thinking that is I exercise every day and eat healthy and decompress every day, so I shouldn’t have that much stress in me on Saturdays. The other issue might be my sleep position since I do sleep in on Saturday mornings. I’ll be working on that this week to see if I can improve my condition. However, I still have the driveway incline to deal with.

Funny, I began the above paragraph with the intent of talking about how much stronger my riding legs are. Clearly my mind had other ideas. But I can tell that my ability to control the motorcycle with my legs has improved immensely. I had no rollback on the camber of the road as we headed out. And I also noticed near the end of our ride, there was no rollback on the one incline stop. I also didn’t feel like I was straining my legs to control the R Nine T. So I’m in riding shape—finally.

On such a beautiful day, I spotted several butterflies. A few seconds after takeoff, a tiny Henry’s elfin butterfly flew right in front of me. I smiled and was hopeful that little guy was a sign of more butterflies to come. I had spotted some cabbage whites in the distance as I loaded and unloaded the gear. But I was lucky enough to spot a black swallowtail fluttering among oak leaves and a monarch butterfly actually flying along in a straight line for once. The fall azaleas were adding beautiful pinks, purples, and reds to the dry greens and burgeoning browns, giving the butterflies somewhere to flutter.

The birds I saw were crows and either two turkey vultures hovering low over treetops or the same one trying to settle on what kind of tree to land in. And of course, the ubiquitous Canadian geese in their every enlarging gaggles. Bill led us to an overlook spot where some ducks were swimming in the shadows. There were more shady spots over the course of our ride as the sun settles lower in the sky. But it wasn’t low enough to be in our eyes—yet. That will come with the approaching winter rides but for now, I’m looking forward to many more beautiful autumn rides.

orange leaf among green — Autumn peeking out

A Simply Wonderful Ride

After a few days of drizzly rain, Friday and Saturday gave us bright sunshine and dry roads with cool temperatures. Our ride was in the low 70s, and Bill and I weren’t the only motorcyclists out enjoying the day.

Our ride was a mix of slow-speed drills and cruising. I remembered to work on my speed into corners without relying on the Rocket’s brake lights to cue me. Perhaps because I rode on my own last week, it wasn’t difficult. I also found my on-street U-turns easy today even when I thought I started to far in on the road. As I came around tightening my turn, I felt a moment of near-stoppage but with the R Nine T balancing. I may be spoiled with my boxer engine and have difficulty balancing on another motorcycle.

We met up with several gaggles of Canadian geese, two groups of whom were trying to cross the street in front of us. The gaggles are larger and the birds seem to be feeding quite a bit. Energy for more migration efforts or adding fat for the upcoming winter I guess. I only spotted on monarch butterfly among the fading blooms, and I realized that I need to enjoy each butterfly I spot over these next few rides.

I must admit I didn’t start riding motorcycles as a means to become a butterfly watcher, but I do think I have the most fun way of watching them. Now, as the leaves begin falling, I find myself watching each movement; most of what is moving are leaves spiraling down out of the trees. But I always look twice just in case it is a butterfly. And I will be out riding next weekend looking for a few more butterflies on the last ride of this summer.

Far Side by Gary Larson cartoon where a group of ink drawn butterflies are flying carrying a large net to trap the butterfly hunter. — I saw this and laughed and thought of you, Readers. I’m glad I don’t “hunt” butterflies in the traditional way.

The Beauty of Change

Autumn is the season of change. The vibrancy of life brought on by spring and summer is nearing the end of its cycle. The green trees transform with burst of gold, orange, red, and brown. The flowers droop and the petals blow away in the wind. And the caterpillars begin their transformation into butterflies.

I took note a week ago of some monarch caterpillars munching on the fennel I’ve planted in the yard. I planted the fennel expressly for the monarch caterpillars as I read that the butterfly will lays its eggs on the fennel, and the caterpillars will become their fat green selves munching on it. So I was thrilled to spot one of the caterpillars beginning its cocoon for its transformation. I spotted the back half of the caterpillar with green covering its front.

Before I headed out for this week’s motorcycle ride, I checked in on the chrysalis. It fully covered the caterpillar. As I checked in on “my” chrysalis, I noticed the grayish-white husk of another chrysalis whose butterfly had transformed and flown off. Then I spotted another one; I had missed these cocoons because they are well camouflaged. They look like green leaves while the caterpillar is inside. I will keep tabs on the remaining chrysalis, though the butterfly will probably emerge while I’m at work.

But the chrysalis made me think about change. One change I’m seeing is more motorcycles out on the road taking advantage of this mild August weather. Bill and I passed a cruiser rider as we began our ride; it wasn’t a Harley because it lacked the engine noise, but I couldn’t see the logo to know if it was an Indian. We also had a sport bike rider come up behind us at a stop sign which is very unusual to encounter two riders on our route.

But today was spectacular—sunny skies and mid-70s, with a chill in the breeze. When I first headed out, I thought I’d made a mistake not wearing my neck tube, but as the ride went on, I warmed up enough to be completely comfortable. It was also pleasant to not have my t-shirt plastered with sweat to my back.

We mostly cruised along with Bill getting the drifting monarch butterfly across his line of sight this week. I spotted one monarch then thought I was mistaken and it was a falling leaf before the wings flapped again and the monarch took off. It gave me a better understanding of why monarchs seem to drift; it’s part of their camouflage. I spotted what I think was a dainty sulphur butterfly; it had more orange to its wing shading than the usual yellow sulphurs. I even spotted a tiger swallowtail lofting along above us. It has been a good summer for butterflies.

I let my mind wander a little during this ride, and I need to be careful about that. Mostly we cruised, but I did work on my lean into the U-turns. I noticed my turns are getting tighter, but I did have to dab my foot on one of my right-side turns. I also noted that my ABS always comes on in my fast stops even when I try to use engine braking. Bill said it might be very sensitive brakes. In any case I had fun practicing and will have even more fun during next week’s ride.

green monarch caterpillar halfway into green chrysalis

Getting Spoiled

Another beautiful Saturday in August with partly sunny skies and highs just reaching to 80 degrees; this is the most pleasant August I can remember, and I’ve lived here for decades. The only time I felt a little too warm was during stopping drills in the hospital lot; for the rest of the ride, I was cool and comfortable.

The sun hid behind clouds for most of the ride which helped keep it cool and comfortable. Lots of people were out catching up on yardwork to take advantage of the day. And I spotted a number of butterflies enjoying the day including a monarch that drifted across a foot in front of my visor. One of the butterflies I saw was another monarch hanging out over the lantana bushes where I spotted one last week; I wondered if it was the same one hanging out.

During one of my U-turns, I spotted what I think was a banded hairstreak down close to the road. As we rode further up the road, I spotted another one. But then I wondered if it was the same butterfly and it had hitchhiked a ride up the road. Of course, it wasn’t, but it was a fun thought to have.

My ride went smoothly and my skills practice went well, so I had time to admire the butterflies I saw, including a black swallowtail that flew up next to me. I spotted a few more monarchs, and I noted that they seem to fly by drifting along, whereas the cabbage white butterflies seem to almost buzz with energy as they move about. I was noting a lack of the cabbage whites from the past few rides, but I spotted one on the drive home, so there are still a few fluttering about.

As I zoomed up the road, I noted more colored leaves fallen on the berm. Even as autumn grows closer, I saw flower buds on the young magnolias. I haven’t seen anyone with mums out yet, but I have noticed more of the twice-blooming azaleas with flowers. I am looking forward to fall, but I am sure enjoying the end of summer and these beautiful days are spoiling me.

orange and black monarch butterfly resting on yellow lantana flowers — Photo by Garuda on Pexels.com