ProSimex
RUN SCREAMING!!!
This is my attempt to write down some my evening ride.
Dinner was good, I stick my plate in the kitchen and head upstairs to change. My daily uniform for this past week has consisted mainly of a pair of swim shorts, but they will not do for what I have in mind. I throw on a pair of jeans, grab some socks and head downstairs. "going out for a ride" I mention to my wife as she fusses over our son. I grab my vest and boots from the front hall and head for the back door. My son sees me picking up my helmet and instantly knows that I'll be gone for a bit. He toddles over and I kiss him on the head, "I'll be right back I say" he begins to whine cus he doesnt want me to leave the house. I give my wife a pained look and head out.
I ride a 74 TX650, nothing special, just some nice VM34's, PMA, cheap clubmans, and overall is stripped down to what I need, and what my vanity dictates. I push it out through the back gate into the road and, kicking it to life, let it warm up as I put my kit on.
I have no intention of riding like a hooligan tonight, just poking around some back roads so I'll be an idiot and forgo the leather jacket, gloves, and full face and stick with just the half helmet and bandanna. Its warm out, don't judge.
I head over to my favorite gas bar to fill up on 91. I choose this place cus it has dedicated pumps for each grade of fuel, so I can feel fairly confident Im not getting whatever crap the last guy got. As I'm paying the guy asks me what style of bike I would call it. I tell him most people would call it a cafe racer, this seems to satisfy him and I leave.
I pause on the road a few blocks up to secure the bandanna over my face since its dark now and I figure the bugs might get bad. Looking behind me I see no one is coming and, dropping it into gear I peel off the sholder and down the road. This, this is great, this is what I think about all day when Im driving transport trucks, cooking dinner, changing the baby, watching TV. This is why I have pretty much quit drinking, something I never thought I could do. I cant ride if I'm drunk, and I cant buy parts if I spent all my money on beer. Ride or drink, seems like an obvious choice. At this point Im starting to really get jamming, just up through the gears, down again, brake, lean into the corner, and off again. I remember seeing some video from Pipeburn I think (I could be totally wrong) called "Its better in the wind". I'm thinking about this as I ride and decide that I hold this statement to be an absolute truth.
Eventually enough right turns takes me back to my neighborhood and out of the countryside. I leave one light stuck behind a few cars at what is one of my favorite stretches. Two lanes merge into one and then its a straight line for about a mile and a half through fields. Smooth, straight, and with a light on either end that pretty much assures you of having the road ahead clear of traffic, if you are first that is. I think about hitting the merging lane and getting ahead of everyone else to I can really explore the power of my bike. I then remember the no jacket, no gloves, no full face, and the self promise of no hooligan riding. Ok fine.....
I get closer to my house and make a right onto a fairly fast road, accelerating up to about 70mph I'm having fun when I notice there is some bastard in a car right on my ass. Eventually he gets into the fast lane in his little Jetta TDI and takes off. This is in a 50 zone BTW,
pisses me off.
He gets stopped at the light in the same left turning lane that I need and I briefly entertain the notion of running up and dragging him out of his car, but the light turns green, and skidding his little commuter car like he's in a rally, takes off. I let him go secure in my knowledge that hes an asshole, and I'm not. I poke home on the side streets and flipping the toggle switch that powers my whole bike, shift into neutral, and coast silently into my back yard. Everyone is happy to see me, the near beer is cold in the fridge, and I had a great time in the wind.
Dinner was good, I stick my plate in the kitchen and head upstairs to change. My daily uniform for this past week has consisted mainly of a pair of swim shorts, but they will not do for what I have in mind. I throw on a pair of jeans, grab some socks and head downstairs. "going out for a ride" I mention to my wife as she fusses over our son. I grab my vest and boots from the front hall and head for the back door. My son sees me picking up my helmet and instantly knows that I'll be gone for a bit. He toddles over and I kiss him on the head, "I'll be right back I say" he begins to whine cus he doesnt want me to leave the house. I give my wife a pained look and head out.
I ride a 74 TX650, nothing special, just some nice VM34's, PMA, cheap clubmans, and overall is stripped down to what I need, and what my vanity dictates. I push it out through the back gate into the road and, kicking it to life, let it warm up as I put my kit on.
I have no intention of riding like a hooligan tonight, just poking around some back roads so I'll be an idiot and forgo the leather jacket, gloves, and full face and stick with just the half helmet and bandanna. Its warm out, don't judge.
I head over to my favorite gas bar to fill up on 91. I choose this place cus it has dedicated pumps for each grade of fuel, so I can feel fairly confident Im not getting whatever crap the last guy got. As I'm paying the guy asks me what style of bike I would call it. I tell him most people would call it a cafe racer, this seems to satisfy him and I leave.
I pause on the road a few blocks up to secure the bandanna over my face since its dark now and I figure the bugs might get bad. Looking behind me I see no one is coming and, dropping it into gear I peel off the sholder and down the road. This, this is great, this is what I think about all day when Im driving transport trucks, cooking dinner, changing the baby, watching TV. This is why I have pretty much quit drinking, something I never thought I could do. I cant ride if I'm drunk, and I cant buy parts if I spent all my money on beer. Ride or drink, seems like an obvious choice. At this point Im starting to really get jamming, just up through the gears, down again, brake, lean into the corner, and off again. I remember seeing some video from Pipeburn I think (I could be totally wrong) called "Its better in the wind". I'm thinking about this as I ride and decide that I hold this statement to be an absolute truth.
Eventually enough right turns takes me back to my neighborhood and out of the countryside. I leave one light stuck behind a few cars at what is one of my favorite stretches. Two lanes merge into one and then its a straight line for about a mile and a half through fields. Smooth, straight, and with a light on either end that pretty much assures you of having the road ahead clear of traffic, if you are first that is. I think about hitting the merging lane and getting ahead of everyone else to I can really explore the power of my bike. I then remember the no jacket, no gloves, no full face, and the self promise of no hooligan riding. Ok fine.....
I get closer to my house and make a right onto a fairly fast road, accelerating up to about 70mph I'm having fun when I notice there is some bastard in a car right on my ass. Eventually he gets into the fast lane in his little Jetta TDI and takes off. This is in a 50 zone BTW,
pisses me off.
He gets stopped at the light in the same left turning lane that I need and I briefly entertain the notion of running up and dragging him out of his car, but the light turns green, and skidding his little commuter car like he's in a rally, takes off. I let him go secure in my knowledge that hes an asshole, and I'm not. I poke home on the side streets and flipping the toggle switch that powers my whole bike, shift into neutral, and coast silently into my back yard. Everyone is happy to see me, the near beer is cold in the fridge, and I had a great time in the wind.
