The Big Ride Part 2 - West Virginia to Ohio (October 23, 2018)

 Once again after a great nights rest got the hotel breakfast and then headed out on the Triumph to Ohio. It was a short ride down I-64  from Cross Lanes, WV to the Exit onto Highway 35.
Highway 35 is quite a road. It is a combination of two lanes and four lanes. Heavy truck traffic but fun to ride with a combination of farms and fields. Not a lot of towns there but there was one I spent some time in. Point Pleasant, WV was a good stop. There I explored the riverfront where I saw some cool murals, the famous Mothman statue (you need to look up the Legend of the Mothman) and some cool monuments and buildings (one at the left). There was also a River Boat Museum but it was mostly boarded up but some cool items outside to be seen. It was a nice break before heading out. Temperature wise it was a bit warmer then Monday, and that was fine, though again my clothing served me well.   

Near Point Pleasant is the Ohio State Line and rolled over the Ohio River and into that state which is soon to be my home. The ride was really nice through Southern Ohio which once again took me past farms and fields. It was a good time to just kick back and ride. The bike performed perfectly and I had a grin on my face. One thing about the cooler temperatures was the bug count was greatly reduced.
I have been to the area quite a few times but did get a bit lost the way I came in. Even referring to the GPS was not a great help. Then I saw an Air Force C-17flying and I hoped it was near the Air Force Base. Amazingly it was and from the base I was able to find the house. After stopping by there, rode out to Mel-O-Dee Restaurant to get a very good bite to eat before parking the motorcycle "for a while". The total of the two day ride ...530.4 miles. It was a remarkable experience.
As to how I got back to Richmond, well that can be found on my "Richmond and Me" blog. Took a different method to get back to the RVA then what took me from it.   

The Big Ride Part 1 -Richmond to West Virginia (October 22, 2018)

 Due to weather this year have not ridden as much as I would like. That changed on October 22. Will be moving with my wife to the Dayton, Ohio area...new roads to explore with a wonderful wife. Had to move the motorcycle. Seemed like the best way to do it, was to ride it. So bundled up and headed up and into the mountains for one last great ride in Virgnia. I got going at 10am and made a favorite stop at Afton Overlook at the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was about the 1/3 of the way point of the ride. Weather was absolutely perfect.

 For a change I bundled up well. Made some nice stops along the way. The motorcycle was perfect and handled the ups and downs of mountain riding perfectly. While chilly I had just about the perfect combination of riding gear on, and had no discomfort during the 330 miles of riding I got in for the day. Took a good number of breaks and took time to "smell the coffee" during the ride.
Funny thing, as I pulled in so did a BMW rider also out on the road. Debbie and I have stayed in this Sleep Inn hotel a few times in the past, and thought this stop in Cross Lanes, WV would be a great place to relax for day 2, and indeed it was as always. I highly recommend this hotel if you are in the area. Got a great nights sleep!   

Morning October Ride (October9, 2018)

Very nice day to get out on the motorcycle. Rode to Canal Walk area where I took the photo at left. Rode out to Varina for a bit of country riding. Stopped at the Fort Harrison National Cemetery where I visited a Union Civil War  Soldiers Medal of Honor grave. Rode back toward Richmond past fields of green and yellow. However still no fall color, as the temperatures have remained in the 80's. One nice thing has been no rain for a week...which has been very unique for this year. It has been a wet one. For the day covered 32 miles in some 90 minutes of very nice riding.

First Fall Ride (September 29, 2018)

First ride of fall though felt a lot like Summer still. Got out to the South of the James Farmers Market, went to see the flooding James River, and visited a couple of the old...imported from England...houses that are here in Richmond (have toured them in the past though not this date).
It was a good ride, once again a short one but a nice ride around the Richmond area. Got out and checked out some of the sights and was fun to get out in the breeze on a lovely day in the RVA. 

Last Summer Ride (September 21, 2018)

Last ride of what I can remember was the wettest and hottest Summer in Richmond history. Actually this ride was just over 15 miles, as the rain happened in the morning, and as I was out on this Friday, clouds were building rapidly.
Have not been able to get out much this Summer, due to many trips to Ohio (where I am planning to move in the Spring) and also nearly constant rain and heat.
Writing this on the first full day of Fall and the forecast this week is...high rain chances to Saturday. 

Friday 20 mile Richmond Ride (September 7, 2018)

Back from an extended trip up North (see Richmond and Me blog for details) and as it was sunny (rain expected over the next few days) got the Triumph out for a ride around Richmond. It was hot and pretty humid.
As it has been awhile, checked tire pressures....before a ride especially when its been awhile it is a good idea to check your motorcycle over. A good preflight (as with flying) can save your life. Course I refer to riding as "Flying at ground level" and that is what it feels like to me when I am out. 

Took these two photos in the Church Hill area of Richmond, actually at Libby Hill Park. I also rode up Grove Avenue and into Cary Town, visited a cool old Cemetery along the way, rode around Richmond itself a bit, and then took a ride down Riverside Drive.
As with so many rides this year, this was a short one. Heat really gets to be a factor..with a heat index of over 100 gets to be like riding into a furnace. Still it was a lot of fun.
Also during the ride got my inspection sticker for next year. Bike passed with flying colors. 

Thursday at the James River (August 16, 2018)

Another short ride between the storms (in fact it rained this night after the ride). Just covered 31 miles but a nice time out in the country earlier and then ended at Riverside Drive where I got this photo at the Z-Dam. During the ride did see some deer along the road and just enjoyed a very wonderful if very hot and humid ride. Summer is in full effect still, yet the days of Summer are getting shorter at last. 

Friday Ride (August 10, 2018)

Got out on a nice but warm August Friday. Rains had stopped after another period of rain. This has been one wet summer here in Richmond. Took this photo at Tredegar which during the Civil War was the Confederate Armory. Some of the original buildings are there (and that is the reason for the cannon at middle left). They are doing some work to cover the old ruins which is the new building seen at around middle left.
Enough of that though. It was a nice day to get out and traffic was light. Toured some downtown and rode out a bit actually getting close to the Richmond International Airport. In a rare thing for me, did not ride near it on this day (love airplanes though). Headed back toward Richmond via the highway after riding around the backroads for awhile. All in all covered a distance of 24 miles and had a fantastic time out on the motorcycle on this fine day. 

Sunday River Ride (August 5, 2018)

Finally once again, the rains held off (though it rained later in the day) so got out on the Triumph for a nice ride along the swollen James River. While we have gotten a lot of rain here, and most every day, the amounts are nothing compared to the mountains or the Virginia Beach area which is getting flooding. I can relate as we had a lot of flooding during the massive Spring rains here. So far a very wet spring is being followed by a very wet Summer. There seems to be no real end in sight. 
At any case it was a nice ride, even went down a few new roads. I was not out very long with this being a 90 minute ride. While it was not raining at the time, the temperature was rising into the 90's. Got home having covered a grand total of 34 miles. Certainly this has been the lightest year of motorcycling that I can remember and it is all due to the weather here. Still, even a short ride is a good ride, and I enjoyed being out in the breeze on what started as a beautiful Sunday in Richmond, VA. 

The Redskins Ride (July 27, 2018)

 Once again has been some terrible weather in Richmond with days and days of rain. On the bright side has not been as bad as it was during the Spring when the rain broke an all time day and month record for rainfall. Still though it has been terrible riding conditions.
Finally though the rain ended and happened on the second day of Training Camp for the Washington Redskins. That's me under the entrance, where I made a quick visit. Sure it was dry but it was also very hot and humid. In fact the heat index was over 100. While it is always a good time to ride, that tested that old saying of mine in a big way.
Wandering around the camp was fun.  They had a walk through practice and watched them do that for a short while. With the heat I did not stay long, plus wanted to get out on two wheels for a while.   

I did get a few miles in after. It was great moving but at red lights it got awfully toasty. Nice thing was that the traffic was light and sure felt good to be back in the saddle again.
Made a stop at Forest Hill Park before getting home. I had checked the oil level before the ride and when I got home gave the motorcycle a quick bath before getting out to "blow the water off" after that in a second quick ride. All in all I got in a total of 24 miles for the day.
Oh and by the way later in the afternoon.....it rained again. 

Monday ride to Colonial Heights (July 9, 2018)

 Nice day once again to get out, heat is still not terrible and the humidity was low but it was rising.
Got out on I-95 and rode to Colonial Heights, Va which is just outside of Richmond, VA. Nice community and also is located just outside of Petersburg, VA. I considered riding to Petersburg but being as that it was early headed back to Richmond. Petersburg has some great places to eat! Anyhow took sort of a wrong turn and ended up at this battlefield site. It was near an old confederate fort and was a Boy Scout project.

Rode down Jefferson Davis Highway into Chester. Nice road and slower then I-95 with some nice things to look at along the way.
Back into Richmond with this photo just off Jefferson Davis. I like the "Ace Cycle Shop" which has been closed all the years that I have been here. Guess it was once a motorcycle shop but real fond of the sign. In the distance is the Model Tobacco factory. Again that is long closed but ia now used for other purposes. Great art deco building. This ride covered 56 miles and I had a great time.

Spring Ride in the Summer (July 7, 2018)

After a day of Rain, cooler temperatures and much lower humidity came into the area. It looked like a beautiful day to ride. Got out on the motorcycle around 10 am and took it on a cruise for a couple of hours.
As is the case most Saturday mornings, the ride was really nice. Traffic was light and enjoyed the breeze that was blowing. Got to explore some places again from the last ride though took different routes.
An early stop was Scoot Richmond. There I saw the new Speedmaster which is the updated verstion of my motorcycle. New one has a bigger engine and is now water cooled. Scoot Richmond also now is a KTM dealer and checked out those motorcycles as well. From there took off down the road and rode by the airport . After that continued on down the road until I got to Nine Mile Road.  /   

New Triumph Speedmaster

New KTM  Motorcycles

While at Nine Mile Road rolled though Highland Springs where I took the photo at left. Continued on down Nine Mile Road and into Richmond again. There I made a short but refreshing stop at Stone Brewing which had just opened at 11. Went back up Hull Stree and then Midlothian taking the long way home. All in all it was a very wonderful 36 mile ride.

Hot Ride in the City (July2, 2018)

Got up early on a Monday morning, with an expected heat index of well over 100 an early ride was in the plan. However, forgot about the morning traffic, which was both slick and slow moving around. I did get in some 33 miles, but also had to turn around a few times and there was also a great deal of road work here and there. Made a ride out to Monument Ave to get this photo of one of the Civil War statues, and got back in after like 90 minutes on the motorcycle. As rides go it was good, but nothing really outstanding. 

Friday Ride to Varina, VA (June 29, 2018)

 Finally here the endless rain has, well ended. Course to replace it now we are expecting a week of 90 degree temperatures with a heat index thanks to humidity approaching 100 degrees. So it is early morning rides for a few days anyhow. Riding a motorcycle in heat like that is like driving into a furnace.
It was not bad though at 9am when I headed out down Highway 5, which remains one of my favorite roads. Made this stop at Rocketts Landing which is a fast growing, and high dollar, section of Richmond, VA. Neat though to see what has been built there and what is going up. It is located along the James River and is a popular location both to live and to have fun. Always have done a lot of things there during different times of the year. So made a quick stop to get this photo before heading on down the road.   

Riding down five there is a lot of Civil War battlefields. Some of the forts were Union held and some were Confederate (they were all Union at the End). Here is one of them with a cannon at the site, my motorcycle behind the cannon and the "Fort" can be seen along the upper right as a grass sort of hill. Back in the day they were a lot more different but still a great part of history.
As for the ride it was really good. I also got in different parts of Richmond and a rough total of around 40 miles. Even made a stop at Wal-Mart before getting back. It was a fun morning on two wheels.     

First Ride of Summer (June 26, 2018)

 Another short ride...first time since June 15. It has been a period of amazing rain. We  set a historic record for rain in June, which by the way we set a historic  record in May as well. Literally came down in buckets, and there was also massive flooding in the city of Richmond. One day flooding even closed the Richmond International Airport for a few hours.
However on this day no rain (at least not nearby) and I decided due to that and the lower heat/ humidity to get the motorcycle out.
In my area there are a lot of bunnies and got a kick out of this little guy checking out my motorcycle. They get quite used to me since Debbie and me don't bother them, so walked up, started it up and headed down the road. First stop was Byrd Park where I checked out the lake and a few other sights. Lots of road work going on in the city...lots of detours.

Wandered down Monument Avenue and due to detours again headed through some new parts of Richmond. It was pretty cool some nice places out there.
Stopped in Calvary Cemetery where I got the photo of this very interesting grave. Lots of Priests and Nuns buried in that location, plus a lot of people who came from Ireland according to the grave stones. Very beautiful and peaceful place which I have seen before.
Headed back in what was a short but very nice 16 mile ride. Looking forward to the next one as summer is here and this was the first ride of the season. 

Stoney Point Motorcycle Show (June 16,2018)

 Took my wife Debbie to the motorcycle show at Stoney Point Fashion Park in Richmond. Its not a huge show but always one of my favorites because there are a few amazing motorcycles there. For instance check this out....its a Henderson Motorcycle.. Henderson was made from 1912-1931. They had merged with Excelsior at the end (owned by Schwinn Bicycles)

Motorcycle above is simply amazing. It is a very early version of the Excelsior. You can see in this photo the bicycle roots of the motorcycle, even with pedals here and even the earliest belt drive...not carbon fiber though but leather! The motorcycles were made from 1907-1931.

Beautiful motorcycle here is a 1930 era BMW with the classic air cooled Boxer twin. That trype engine is still used to this day in some BMW models. I loved the design of the bike, and thought it was a real show stopper.
The motorcycle show had a number of really fine motorcycles, and I enjoyed visiting it again. It is a nice thing for the mall to do, and look forward to being back there next year.   

City Ride (june15,2018)

 Has been a while, thanks to trips here and there out of town, and also some unreal weather. Richmond set new records for weather after the Ohio trip (and before for that matter) for the month of May. That continued into June.
Pre-ride I checked the tire pressure on the motorcycle, and also lubed the chain. Day was fantastic, not blazing hot early and sunny. It turned out to be a good day to ride. 

Went to some fun places. I visited Riverside Drive, went to part of the the Canal Walk (where a guy asked about my bike, had a Triumph back in this day), visited the Richmond Military Cemetery, went to the airport to see if some favorite war planes from the old aviation museum were finally gone (they were) and out in the country on Highway 5. Stopped for this photo before getting home. Another short ride of just 32 miles but had a great time being out.

Ohio Motorcycle Ride #2 (June 1, 2018)

 Great time on June 1. Lori, Debbie's cousin had me get on the spare Suzuki Marauder for a ride around Ohio. Was a short time to do it as Debbie and I had a lot of things to do but it was a good time and a fine day to explore.
We rolled down a number of backroads in the area and passed a large number of motorcycles along the way.
While Richmond is already feeling summertime type weather, the Dayton area is still largely in Spring. We rode out to this site and stopped for a short while before heading back. On the way and beyond saw some really neat farms and just beautiful conditions. While there is no helmet law in Ohio I wore one, thinking that is the one part of your body in a crash that does not really heal.
Lots of really fun roads and as always got some points to see in a future visit. Other than perhaps by flying, no better way to see an area...really see it...than by motorcycle.         

This was actually the start of the ride. The motorcycles date to 1991 and were very fun to get down the road on. Unlike my Triumph Speedmaster they are water cooled (the current production model is water cooled of the Speedmaster). They are 800 cc V-twin engines, and  have really good performance.
It was a great time and was my second ride in Ohio on these motorcycles, the last was a little while back on a previous visit.
Oho is a great place to ride and saw many fine bikes and people along the way during the visit and the ride. 

Friday Ride into Spring (May 25, 2018)

 Turned out to be a good day to get out on the motorcycle, following a week of some of the heaviest rain I have seen in the Richmond, VA area. Estimated rain was between 8-10 inches officially. Lots of roads were flooded but by May 25 the waters had receded.
Here is a photo of my two vehicles. I find it interesting that the British owned and designed Triumph Speedmaster was built in Thailand, while the Japanese Honda Civic was built in England (the motor in Thailand). Got that last info from the cars window sticker. 

Ride was outstanding. I headed out of the city and rolled down VA 6. A very scenic road it rolls into the city of Goochland. That city was named for Sir William Gooch who founded it in 1728. Small but interesting city. What is at left is the Old Jail. There was an older one apparently but i was burned down during the Civil War.
Ride I took covered 63 miles and on the way to Goochland I saw two deers run into the road but they quickly ran back. Ahead of me at the time was a truck. It was a hot humid day but a nice ride with zero problems. I enjoyed it a great deal. 

Pre-Storm Ride (May 14, 2018)

Weather forecast for the week was calling for big storms pretty much all week. Considering that being a real chance got the motorcycle out on a Monday morning for a ride. Also a factor has been early 90 degree heat for this time of year.
Ride was nice, another short one of 23 miles this time. I rode down Riverside Drive (where I took this photo using the camera auto feature) and then into Richmond. I rode to Tredegar Iron Works to see the work they are doing there on the old Civil War cite, and then to Bryan Park. That park which has been in some disrepair is getting some badly needed update and restoration.
It was a very nice ride though near the end of it the heat was already starting to build up. By the end of the ride it was a good time to get home.
As expected by early afternoon big storms with high winds rolled in. As I write this the next day, more are on the way. 

Thursday Morning Ride (May 10, 2018)

 Had a dentist appointment and no better way to go then to get out on the motorcycle. Did a few checks before the ride...chain tension, oil level and found all good. Got to the dentist for the appointment (check up ) and then rode out for a while. Went the long way home and that included a ride though Richmond and a trip to one of my favorite places which is Riverside Drive.
Looked like the river is still up, which is really a surprise. We have not had much rain in the past couple of weeks, but they have up north of us.

I supposed the water level comes from that rain. At any case got a few more miles in and enjoyed it a great deal. By the end of the ride had a two day total of 60 miles. Not a great deal of riding but it was a great deal of fun.
Oh and the check up was fine. After I got home just as a side note we had a huge thunderstorm later that afternoon.
There were a number of neighborhood trees down but thankfully none at my house. It was a very good day to get out. 

RVA Bike Night (May 9, 2018)

First bike night I have gone to in Richmond, before this was not able to as I worked 12 hour days (getting off at 7) and the mornings came really soon. With the change to retired I was able to go. Pretty interesting as it was held in the parking lot of mission BBQ. A lot of really interesting motorcycles were there including mine which is behind the Yamaha V-Max which is in front of my Speedmaster.   

It was a good time. Different as the only concessions were in the restaurant and not any vendors so different than ones I had been to in Kentucky and North Carolina. Still it was a lot of fun, and according to the site there were over 500 bikes. Lots of interesting motorcycles to see and certainly covered a lot of periods from the very old to the brand new.. Even a Honda Turbo 650 (original) was there directly below.

It was a good time. After my visit there, went back to the house via the long way. Nice ride at dusk (stayed at the bike night a bit over an hour). Rode down Riverside Drive looking for deer but did not see any on this ride. The headlight was just cutting the early night dark when I got home. As far as distance it was not a great deal but would add to that the next morning when I got the motorcycle out again for a morning ride. 

Cloudy Ride (May 7, 2018)

 Got out on this overcast Monday. While the rain chances were very low, just was not a real good looking day to be out on two wheels. Temperature was right around 70 degrees. Nice though to put my knees in the breeze though again a very short ride just covering 15 miles. Before the ride checked my clutch adjustment and it was not real bad. Tightened it up a very little bit and took off to The Diamond. Went to see about going to a baseball game on Wednesday but could not get the seats I needed so will try again at a later date. 

Ran around Richmond for a bit, took a cruise though Church Hill and then stopped to get a photo of the train station. That train station in Richmond is old and is really something to see.
After that got into Shockoe Bottom which is a very interesting part of Richmond.
Before heading home, stopped at Legend Brewing for a (as in one) ice cold Z-Dam beer. Had that and then headed for home which is very close to that Brewery. It was a nice ride if short and enjoyed being on out on this Monday.

Two Days, Two Rides (April 29-30,2017)

 Sunday was a very nice day, and got out for a very short ride around the Richmond area. Started as I often do on Riverside Drive which is just turning into a wonderful area for Spring. I love this road, with its twisty curves and great views of the James River. It is truly with the speed limit being low a wonderful place to "stop and smell the flowers'
For a Sunday, traffic was real light which is not always the case. For instance from 3-6 Monday to Friday it is really thick. Sunday was really a great day to ride.   

Made a stop at Libby Hill Park which is in the Church Hill area of Richmond. Nice views from up there, and once again great views of the James River.
The weather is getting to feel more and more like Spring and after a few days of heavy rain the air was also feeling really clean.
As for the ride itself the motorcycle performed perfectly and I greatly enjoyed the ride on Sunday. Did not cover a lot of distance on this one but did get a lot of "smiles per mile" and that is always a good thing. 

Being that the Triumph Speedmaster is a British bike, took it too a British house. This is Virginia House, formerly was the Warwick Priory which was built in England in the 16th Century. It was purchased at auction in 1925 and shipped to Richmond, VA where it was reassembled on its present site. A much longer ride than Sunday I covered a few areas on this day. The ride was a combination of a few places and things I had to do, and fun as well though it was hard to separate the two. In all covered a total of 65 miles both days and enjoyed a wonderful pair of rides. 

Sunday to Hardywood Park (Apri 22, 2018)

 Overcast but warm day, spent the morning getting some things done here. (Mostly spent the morning  getting moving a bit after a very fun Saturday.  At any case got the motorcycle out for a ride.
Did not get too far on this day...total ride was a 16 mile haul. Visited some different neighborhoods in Richmond. Took this photo in Jackson Park....see a lot of street art in the city and this is no exception.
Traffic was real light for some reason, not quite sure why but a nice time to get out and ride. Seemed almost like a Sunday morning in some respects.
Clouds were real bad and figured that rain if not due to come here can not be far away.
Forecast for the week is pretty much calling for a lot of rain so figured a ride today was a good idea. Might be a few days before I get another chance to get out on the bike.

 I did make a stop at Hardywood Craft Brewery. Even that was kind of slow today (which was nice) and had a beverage.
Got back on the road, shortly before getting home the fuel light came on. Filled the tank, and noticed the price of gas is really up...now $260 a gallon.
Still though a short ride was really nice to get out on a quiet Sunday in Richmond, VA. 

Friday Ride in the RVA - New Places to explore, and some old favorites (April 29, 2018)

 Another short ride today, weather was a bit more sunny if not quite as warm, but warm enough to make it enjoyable with a warm jacket and gloves.
Rode up Highway 150 to Patterson Ave, down to Cary Street. Just off Cary Street made a first time stop at "The Cask" just to check it out. Had a frosty beverage and then headed out. I think will have to bring Debbie by here in the near future.

Rode back via Cary Street to The Boulevard, and then down to Riverside Drive. Different section than I was on yesterday, but still a favorite ride. I made a quick stop by Forest Hill Park where I took this photo. The Stone House can be seen in the distance.
Ride was a hair over 90 minutes, and just 23 miles but once again was wonderful. Light traffic and nice sights along the way.

Up and Back on Riverside Drive (April 19, 2018)

 Woke to a rainy day, and a little cooler than yesterday. However, wanted to get a ride in...as the day before was out all day running around with the wife to be.
It was a good chance to check out the James River on Riverside Drive...and it was wayyyy up from the rains earlier this week. It was a big storm as seen by the water running here over the Z-Dam, which is under the river for now.  Fun to see different things here, in the Canadian Geese photo are a number of baby birds. Nice peaceful day to ride. 

At any intersection I saw these deer crossing the road. Actually took a few photos for there were a total of 10 that walked across the road. I got a kick out of that, they are such gentle creatures.
I like to see them when I am out and Riverside Drive is a good place to do so. Often and just about any time (though dawn or dusk is best) you can come across them. 

Made a quick photo at the old Civil War guns. These were found in the river after the war. The one on the left is a gun mold...used to make cannon, and on the right is a cannon. Riverside Drive is one of my favorite roads and this was a nice ride.
Rode out and back cause at the end the dark clouds started building. Not supposed to rain, but sure looks and feels like it. Covered just 24 miles in an hour of riding..less and shorter than I had hoped but a great ride today nonetheless.