Carytown and Church Hill Ride (April 27, 2013)

 Something a little different....have more photos of the places I saw on my Richmond and Me blog...but this is The Byrd Theater in Carytown. Started out riding on River Road and then on Cary Street. Got off the bike and walked around here, it is one of the most interesting sections of Richmond more so for the food that can be found there than the shopping (though that is a big deal to some people). It is also a great place to check out some interesting people; a great people watching area. Usually is pretty busy and parking and driving can be a challenge, but if you are up for it...a lot of fun to find there. 

 Here I am from the bike leaving the area, coming up on The Boulevard. Interesting section from Cary Street..go left and you get to Monument Avenue and out to the Diamond (Richmond's minor league ballpark) and to the Right is Maymont and Byrd Park. I went straight through the section called "The Fan" and into downtown. Interesting ride as there are also many places to eat in the Fan, and downtown is also pretty interesting with some really great buildings to see, plus as an extra bonus traffic is lighter on weekends. It is, after all, the state capital and gets to be pretty busy, but as you almost would figure, they tend to take weekends off which makes it good for checking out the sights. Course you will also go past the various VCU buildings all through town and get to see a lot of the campus and students wandering around. The Fan and Downtown are some good areas to explore as there is a lot to see and do there, and can be really amazing what you can come across. These pages have a lot of sights from the Richmond area, and you can see many there.     

 Took this photo of a Triumph in Church Hill which is one of Richmond's oldest neighborhoods. I went there to eat at Alamo BBQ which is a really basic looking place, but happens to have some really good food. That again is a very interesting part of town with some unique and old buildings, and some really interesting parks. I especially suggest Libby Hill Park which is one of my absolute favorites. Richmond has a lot to see and do, and Church Hill has some interesting riding. Do note though that some of the streets can have some interesting surfaces...so be aware and keep alert. You can be on asphalt one minute and brick the next!  

Saw this Honda (which I believe is a Honda CB350) out near Manchester which is another section of Richmond. Fun to ride and to see some interesting motorcycles, especially classic ones. Like that part of town as well, which had seen better days, but is getting a major remake. That seems to happen a great deal; a section of a city will sort of decline, people move in and then so do investors (cause the people are there). This bike for instance was in front of the former Philip Morris tobacco factory which closed and then was turned into apartments. Lots of other cool places to see there. As I said, on my Richmond and Me page I will have some more photos of some of the places, but this ride got to see a number of interesting things ! 

Sunday Ride in the RVA (April 7, 2013)

Kind of out of order but ok....was the best weather day of 2013 on Sunday April 7...sunny and 72 was the high. It was a bit breezy but it was still a lot of fun out there. Got out on I-95 after a ride though Richmond and headed for Prince George, VA. Made a stop at Colonial Harley-Davidson which was open on a Sunday. Wandered around a few minutes: they had a nice selection of bikes, but not all the new bikes out this year from "The Motor Company". I like going there and there were a lot of people there...Harley people tend to gather around Harley dealerships.    

 Made a stop at Tilted Kilt (that is my bike silver colored at the side far left front) to check out some of the race (Nascar at Martinsville) and to see some...women in kilts (better than the alternative). It is located near Colonial HD and also a Japanese motorcycle dealership which was closed on Sunday. Had a nice time there...short visit and then got on 288 to head toward Hull Street. As far as since I have gotten here with the bike, was the longest trip to date...70 miles in total from beginning to end. As the weather gets better the rides get longer, which is pretty cool.  

This was during the Colonial Harley-Davidson visit...its a V-Rod based Drag bike...pretty cool though. As I said a nice dealership, usually has a lot going on there.
As for me, visited a former riding buddy (he sold his bike)...Keith and I got in his car and rode to Buffalo Wild Wings and a new Guitar Center. Nice break in the riding, but then headed back on the bike down Hull Street and Midlothian Turnpike where I store the bike. Did not drive to get it...walked from my apartment to it, and walked back at the end of the ride. It was an outstanding day! 

Riding to City Point (April 1, 2013)

It was 70 and sunny, and being off work on a Monday, thought a ride to City Point was a real good idea. It was....just a beautiful day. City Point is part of Hopewell, VA which is a very interesting town of itself, and was a nice ride down I-95 and on Route 10. There I stopped to get a photo of the bike in front of the Union Fort, one of the few left in the area of what was an extensive defense line to defend the massive supply depot there during the Civil War. About all that remains of any of the Civil War forts are the earthworks, but some of the them at other sites are quite remarkable.

This is a view of the Appomattox River which was a big reason for the location of this camp. Here, ships came and unloaded the supplies needed to supply the army and fight the war. It is a very beautiful river, and like the James has been a highway for Richmond and Petersburg, VA. The town has a number of great views of the river, and this was a very good day to be there. Many of the old buildings are original to the Civil War and there are signs to tell people what they used to be...as some of them have gone to other uses over the years. It is a fun place to tour with a number of interesting sights. I have been there many times; and will be back again.

From City Point, went for a ride to Steel Horse and then into Chester until I got to Jefferson Davis Highway. I like that road, which like most of the places in the area have a number of interesting sights. There are stores, restaurants, a major sea battle sight, and a number of factories along the way.
I drive part of it to and from work, have often passed "Ace Cycles" but took a few minutes to stop by. It was not open, but there are bike parts in there, so it might be. Love the sign, and that is my bike in the front of it. In the background you can see Model Tobacco (which once was an old tobacco company I think) off in the background. Very interesting art-deco design on that one.
Rode was very very good, with wonderful weather,and other than the trip on the bike from NC to Richmond (which took some five hours) this was my longest ride in the Richmond area at least distance wise. I have been having a great time on the motorcycle so far; and look to have many more this year!    

A visit to Concord, NC (March 30, 2013)

 Was in Concord, NC on March 30....course I can not ride (bike is now based in Richmond, VA) but had a great time at the "Bikini Bike Wash"...it had a remarkable view. RideNow is a huge motorcycle shop in Concord, sells Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha and Victory Motorcycles, also has a wide selection of Harley-Davidson and some Can Am Motorcycles as well. This was pretty good, I took this one, the site also has some great photos of the bike wash up, and enjoyed those as well though to be honest, with time short, I wanted to check out some of the motorcycles. 

I used to ride (prior to my current bike) a Honda 600 Shadow. Had it for eight years, and it was a great motorcycle. This is another Shadow, this one a 750cc version. I really like the look of it, it is a great bike to check out. Honda has really come out all of a sudden with some amazing motorcycles; some of them are out now, and some of them will be out later this year. Will for sure see some interesting rides. For instance there is another F6B seen in the last photo here, which is really going to be something. Read an article on it on Motorcyclist Magazine and it is quite the bike (based on the Honda Gold Wing). I will bring some more amazing motorcycles from them later this year as they come out. Speaking of motorcycles...it is going to be 70 degrees and sunny on Monday in Richmond, I feel a ride coming on!

 

Good Friday Ride (March 29, 2013)

Another ride which was once again on the chilly side. Decided to avoid the highways (a good rule anyhow) and stick to some slower roads. In this case went up Midlothian Turnpike. Wandered up to the Westchester Mall and (seen at left) Chesterfield Towne Center. Not to shop but just to look - had not been there in some time and just wanted to ride out that way. As I am finding, it sure is a lot more fun motorcycling the area then it is to drive it (though that is ok too)..but all things are better on a bike (well, maybe not cooking). At any case, was a fun time out that way.  On the way back took a ride via some cool back roads to Forest Hill Ave (my current stomping grounds. Got this photo below of the Bon Air water tower. Cool neighborhood, has some very colorful and interesting houses there: like to check that part of the area out.

Finally, got this photo of the Dogwood trees- saw a number of them blooming all over, and these were pretty representative  of them. Nice to see Spring coming, though it sure is taking its time (though it is "offically spring") getting here. We have been below normal temperatures (normal high is around mid-60's this time of year) all month. Thankfully, there are signs that it will be changing soon. Still, bundle up a bit, watch the speed (wind chill on cool days is a factor of speed) and you have some good riding. Did see a lot of motorcycles out, and got to do a bit of waving, which is something common to both NC and VA it seems.
I think I got in another 30 mile (or so) ride; nothing remarkable but a short ride is better than no ride at all. It was a great day to get out, missed the 20% rain chance, and felt good to get my knees in the breeze. Good Friday was a fine day here, and just a couple of days till April. I plan to ride April 1, when I am told the temperature will be (gasp) 70! Will love to see that, and will take full advantage of it! See you then! 

Hull Street Ride (March 23, 2013)

Good day for a ride in Richmond, 4th day of "official" spring, but not really all that warm, but not bad either out in the breeze. Brought my new bike ramps from NC and much better getting the bike out from where I store it (also better getting it in). Rode up Hull Street, had a few things I wanted to see on that road, did not have a great deal of time (ended up doing under 30 miles) but made a few stops and rode all in all around 2 hours. It was a good day to get out, and with the forecast for tomorrow being a 100% chance of rain and also some snow possible, it seemed like a good idea.  

Went to HondaHouse out there (photo above is my bike at Sunday Park which is a really, really pretty place) but these are Spyders at HondaHouse. Interesting rides, a real variation on trikes, and in fact I know a couple of people who ride them. They have two locations for this dealer, out on Hull Street, and one on West Broad. I think they would be a lot of fun to ride, very sporty and also have some of them equipped for touring which is pretty cool
I am more of the two wheeled type, but think these would still be a lot more fun than a car. 

 Pricy as a car, but a hell of a thing is the new Honda FB6 which is the latest take on the Gold Wing. It is sort of a "bagger" and has more air passing thru it than the Wing does. Rode one of them a few years ago, to me it was just like a two-wheeled car. This would be a lot more motorcycle like. It comes in just under 20k, so it is really on the high end of a bike, but then again that motor is said to last virtually forever and I have no doubt that it does with reasonable maintenance. Honda makes some remarkable motorcycles, and has a lot of brand new ones for 2013. There will be a lot more to see here in the weeks to come.
Honda House also is now selling "Star (aka Yamaha) Motorcycles, and they have a good line up. They are very interesting (I had a Yamaha way back when) and enjoyed it a great deal. This is a pretty new change, but is pretty cool as well. A couple of them can be seen below. 

Finally made a ride to Steel Horse Harley-Davidson, which opened last year, and this was my second visit. I do like the Harley line up, though then again they are sort of pricy, but sure would be among the most loved motorcycles in America. You don't see a lot of people getting Honda tattoos for instance! I do enjoy some of the bikes,have been a big fan of the V-Rod for instance; course I tend to like shaft drive and watercooled motorcycles.
At any case, some nice places to visit and a great ride on a day that I really needed it. Been a tough year and the weather is not all that great, but felt good to get out and enjoy a ride in the RVA!

Downtown RVA and Malvern Hill March 10 ,2013)

 Just a wonderful day here in the RVA, with a temperature in the mod-60s, and blue skies it was time to ride. Got the bike out and headed to Byrd Park where I stopped by the lake for a while. Was a big crowd out there, lots of people on two wheels and four had the same idea as I did. It was been pretty much winter like for the last few weeks so nice to get out and get a little touch of spring. It seems like forever since my last ride, but spring is just around the corner; in fact the first official  day is March 21. I am looking forward to some better weather and an end to winter. 

 I rode though downtown, but also rode out highway 5 to the Malvern Hill Battlefield. This was quite the battle, was part of the Seven Days Campaign (the first Union invasion of Richmond) but this one did not go well. As the Union Army retreated to the James River (and back North) Union forces lined up cannon and stood off Confederate attacks. In fact this battle was one of the classic uses of cannon in the Civil War. The Union Army would come back, but this invasion was the end early in the war. The Seven Days Campaign was one of the most interesting of the Civil War. 

 This is one of the cannon looking out toward what was the Confederate advance. As it was a cannon battle, they have a lot of cannon at this battlefield. Highway 5 has a lot of country, a nice view of the James, and a lot of old houses. It is a good route to Williamsburg; I think the battlefield is like 14 miles from downtown Richmond. I had driven it with the car, this was my first time on the bike down this road, and it was a lot of fun. Unlike many roads in the area, this one was pretty much clear of potholes. On a Sunday like this it was very fine indeed, and I greatly enjoyed it. 
Finished my ride with a stop at Poe's Pub where I saw this very cool looking bike. All in all, covered some 55 miles and was out some three hours, with time for a few stops along the way. It was a great ride!