Just as soon as I brag about riding year round the weather takes a turn, 40 degrees right now with snow flurries expected by the end if the week. And to top it off my heated handgrips ceased, well, heating. I had to tear the bike apart last night to fix what was mostly just a loose wire.
At least I’ve got my new Aerostich jacket to help keep me warm.
November 9th of last year I posted that I would begin riding my motorcycle as my main mode of transportation. In reality, I had been riding my bike pretty much every day since I bought it last March but the final act was selling my ‘rainy day’ car. That clinched the deal.
All those miles across town and around the country have taught me a few things: People are generally inquisitive, friendly, willing to help with directions (which are often wrong), and regularly think helmet/gloves/jacket aren’t valuable. People will generally leave your bike alone and sometimes even give a respectful or excited glance –though, kids are the best for the latter.
Somewhere in the back of my head I thought riding every day would be a hassle. But, getting suited up, just like any other prep, turns into a routine. But the ride is never routine. There’s always some piece of excitement… like junk on the interstate, a driver spending more time reading text messages on their cell phone or deer on the roadside.
This morning, on the ride in I began thinking about the differences between rider types from the motorcycling newbie to the inquisitive onlooker and then the seasoned rider. The differences are quickly sorted out when a someone sees me near the bike – either coming or going – and makes friendly with a question or statement. Here are a few of my observations.
Newbie:
Inquisitive onlooker:
Seasoned rider:
In any case, I have enjoyed it and will likely do it for quite a while. As a side note, if you’re thinking about riding your bike year round I highly recommend it. Just be sure you’ve got all the right pieces of gear and clothing. And, of course, there’s no real substitute for learning to ride correctly and with the proper gear…
• Early voting (often and much) has been completed here in Nashville. As one who doesn’t really care for the unwashed lazy crowds of regular-day voters, I opted to cast my vote early.
Because the democratic system (and the soapbox that sometimes is my blog) allows people of all interests and opinions to be heard I will say this1: It’s time the US began communicating like an adult with its own people AND the outside world, as well as start acting like a country who uses our brain and thinks bigger than our ego/military muscle. It’s time for a new perspective — maybe he has enough experience, maybe not. But I’m willing to give Barack a chance2.
•Had my nephew or his friend been running, I would have considered voting for either one of them.
• I cast my ballot inverse to my wife’s ballot and we have effectively canceled each other out.
_______
1 Doing so probably makes me a unpopular person and a likely target of ridicule during the upcoming holiday visits to see my family.
2. Let me just point out one last thing, Obama is not the savior. He will not magically make everything better. You will all not be healthier, stronger and able to perform quadratic equations in your head. No pill or politician can help cure your ills — if you’re stupid, go back to school; if you’re sick, go to the doctor; if you’re looking for a president who calls the sun and the moon into action every day–it’s just not going to happen.
