Back on the Road Again (March 21-22, 2015)

As noted from the last post....most of February was for the most part a hard blast of winter, as was early March....with a number of days of snow, rain and some brutal cold. I think after the ride to Williamsburg (last post) it barely got over freezing. Plus all the salt and sand, and overall all I got to do was look at my covered bike.
Saturday though, the first full day of Spring it was in the 60s (upper 60's at that) and spent the morning working on the motorcycle. Got in the oil change, changed spark plugs and rear gear oil. Cleaned it up, checked the air in the tires and got out on a ride. Wanted to make sure everything was good so was more of a test ride, but had a great time and covered some 30 miles.
The next day (today actually) I took the photo at left in Shockoe Bottom (a part of Richmond) headed to the Church Hill Irish Festival. Was supposed to be a much cooler day but turned out to be just about as warm as yesterday (Saturday) was and a good day for a ride.

The Festival was a lot of fun, and enjoyed checking out the band(s) there. Even ran into a local weather caster (Carrie Rose on WTVR). Made her laugh when I told her I get up with you every morning. There were bands there, beer and good food, it was a lot of fun.
After the event I went out a bit more, everything running perfect. I took the battery out of the motorcycle when the really cold weather came, I think (and really hope) that should help prolong the life of the battery.
At any case though not a lot of riding, it was a fantastic day to be out.  

Strange time of year, forecast for the rest of the week is sort of up and down temperature wise, but still will be some warm days with one day in the 70's....though that day also looks to be pretty wet.
At any case though, with some curves sure to come its the start of riding season and I for one am ready to get out and do some exploring on this two wheeled wonder as we have done together now for some 10 years. Hope all are also out and enjoying this, and hope to meet up with some of you out on the highways and byways of this great country.

Winter Miracle....Feb 8 Ride

Actually should say there were two really remarkable rides. On Saturday temperatures got into the 60's and got in a good ride around Richmond, VA. Sunday though was even more special, with temperatures close to or at 70...and I took full advantage!

It was a great day to ride. As I headed out toward Yorktown, VA I noted that a LOT of motorcycles were also taking advantage. In fact at stops during the ride talked with a lot of fellow motorcyclists, and did a lot of waving as I passed a number of them.Everyone was grinning from ear to ear too. It was a remarkable day to ride.

I rode up VA5 which is a beautiful road past a number of plantations (one which was owned by President John Tyler), James River views, farms, trees (lots of trees), curves, and just a great two lane road to Yorktown.
To get to Yorktown got there via the Colonial Parkway. Its a great road...sort of (to me) like the Blue Ridge Parkway but without the mountains (damn the luck). What it does have is remarkable views of the York River, these stone bridges (pulled over to get this shot) and it connects Yorktown, Williamsburg and Jamestown. I have in the past been to all three places...all are remarkable and in fact I am sure there are earlier posts from my rides there in this blog.
The road is concrete and kind of rough in spots but well maintained. Going into the Yorktown Battlefield there is a really neat and old Yorktown Victory Monument..plus a lot of really old houses which date to Colonial days. Though the off season it is a lot of fun, and had quite a crowd there...again a lot of which were bikers.
 

This is a view of the York River, amazing in that there used to be Naval battles on it. Just a big beautiful river and Yorktown has a beach (though I believe it is fresh water) and tends to have a lot of jelly fish (as there are warning signs in the area).
Lot of neat shops to see, and also some really good restaurants. I ate at the Yorktown Pub at Yorktown beach...very nice place to dine. Usually can't hardly get into it, as Yorktown Beach gets packed...but was just able to squeeze into a spot at the bar and get some lunch. Price was not bad and the service was excellent !This is Grace Church which dates to 1697. One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence is buried there. I will put that grave photo on my Richmond and me page with some more photos from the ride.

 Rode back down the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown and rode the Jamestown Ferry (which is free) to VA10 and that is route I took back to Richmond. The ride is known as "The Five and Dime" and was my second time to do this. First time was on a date with a woman biker and we rode our bikes on this route (but not in February).
Total ride was some 165 miles (though I did a little extra riding around Yorktown) and just could not believe I was able to do this. Has been a moderate winter (have been able to get a few rides in) but nothing for a lot of weeks quite like this!

Winter Riding (January 25, 2015)

Have not posted in a while...too long in fact. Course it is winter in Richmond....and that makes riding at times range from difficult to impossible We have been lucky here in that we have not had any real snow (did get some on the grass a few weeks ago) but nothing of note to this date. February though is a difficult time, and tends to be much colder and the ground gets coated white. Still some days in the 50s have happened (and I have even rode in the 30s). Took this photo a few weeks ago in front of the new GWAR bar ( a Richmond based very hard rock band) during one ride.  

Was not riding when I took this photo (was at a bar for one of the NFL playoff games) but did see this very fine Kawasaki Ninja. Its an older one (you can tell by the non-digital cockpit as well as the design) but a classic nonetheless.
You see people riding in almost all kinds of weather....and that is very cool. I am often one of them, but I do have my limits. You can bundle up to a point-but the point does come where almost nothing works. Still, even a short ride in the very cold is better than no cold at all. The motorcycle is also one of the best battery chargers out there.  

Took this photo on January 25, it is Richmond as seen from one of the vantages at Church Hill. Was a good ride in that I got to that location, went via West Broad to Short Pump, and then back down to Monument Ave. Most of the rides so far this winter have been around Richmond. I did get in a very good ride on New Years Day, and so far have been able to get out once a week (with a few exceptions). By the time I get off work, the sun is going down, and so is the temperature.
 

This was also taken on the 25th....this is Monument Ave. Some fantastic houses there, and some cool monuments (this one is to Jefferson Davis). Most Civil War and Confederate though there is one to Tennis legend Arthur Ashe as well. Fun road to ride and check out.
I hope to get some more rides in this winter....though the forecast tomorrow is for the first measurable snow this winter so far (as noted, nothing but a trace so far this winter...was there in the early morning, gone by around 9am that day) and that has made us very very lucky.
One of the things you have to watch out for in winter on icy (we have had some of those  days) is salt and sand. Salt because it is very corrosive to bikes (and cars for that matter) and sand cause on a bike it is very slick.
Riding in the winter calls for some different skills, some serious cold weather gear and some first rate preparation to get ready for what is, and what may, come up during the ride. As always....ride safe.    

Blue Ridge Parkway Ride (October 25, 2014)

 To the Blue Ridge Parkway...told it was peak color and frankly hate those times I have not made this trip (the very few there have been). This was my second time this year to make this ride..got up early for a 7:30 am start time. It was a rousing 41 degrees, had to stop a few times to warm the hands (did a good job on clothing but the gloves could have been a bit warmer). Rode up I-64 to Exit 99. Was told the traffic would be bad, but frankly was a very pleasant ride, and riding on the Parkway was not bad at all...busier than the last ride there, but still could cruise. Photo at left was the first stop there.  

One of the stops was of a Mountain Farm....not really a replica though cause while brought from other places are all original buildings. There were a number of places to see there.
Up on the Parkway I rode a total distance of 60 miles...30 out and 30 back. Made a lot of stops to see the lookouts and some of the sights.
Must have been a Porsche rally there, passed a large number of large groups of cars there (going the other way) which was pretty neat.
At any case, was fun to ride down those roads...felt sort of like flying at ground level. Great curves, good pavement (had been repaved since my last visit) and views not to be believed.

 This was another shot, one of many. Headed back out after a few hours and back on I-64. Lots of dead deer on the side of the road-apparently they have been breeding a lot, but still have a lot of problems with that car/truck thing.
Ran at a pretty good clip, keeping up with traffic meant not running at the speed limit. I was not in a hurry, but everyone else seemed to be. Not being in a mood to get run over I ran along with them. Few police to be seen and if the semis went flying by...figured I was pretty safe.  

Stopped at Michie Tavern in Charlottsville to eat there (building dates to the late 1700's). Like that place, but there was a good line (found it was homecoming at Virginia...they lost to North Carolina in the football game that day) so ate at MickyD's (also in Charlottesville) and gassed up the bike for the ride back to Richmond.
Beautiful day, temperature in the 70's (a little cooler in the mountains) and a beautiful ride which covered a total of 258 miles beginning to end (thanks to the trip meter).I was so glad I did this..have been on a lot of rides since my last post but this was one of the longest in some time. I have more photos on my Richmond and me page.  

Riding with my Lady (August 16,2014)

 I like this photo. Took this lady on a motorcycle ride on a fine Saturday...74 miles in all down the very scenic Riverside drive, and down the Huganot Trail. Nice ride, and great company. Did not get a lot of photos, but did have a very good time. This was her first ride in many years, so cool that we got to do that. I am told there will be more, and I am looking forward to that. 

Went to Shockoe Bottom where I saw this very fine Harley (love the look of it) and the BMW (which is one of the best sport bikes out there.
It was a wonderful Saturday and I had a very, very good time.
Looking forward to the next one, and hope there are many more ahead!

A Ride with Purpose (August 10, 2014)

Good time today. Been a strange weekend, it was supposed to be a heavy rain weekend, at one time we had a 70% chance. Never got a drop. It was also supposed to be cool and less humid...that did not happen either. Oh well, a good day to ride. I got the bike out of the storage unit, for the last time...rates have been going up (and up, and up) and frankly looking at some of the bikes that stay out and under covers they look fine. Figure what the hell...be nicer at home. Stored it 1.3 miles from here, but be a lot better when all I have to do is walk outside and ride it. I also went out and got a parking sticker for work (at work) so can ride it in from time to time there.
I also then went out for lunch at Alamo BBQ in Church HIll...like that place and got the Cuban with some potato salad, and an Arnold Palmer (which is Lime-Aid with ice tea) and very good. Got to say, that is my second one.      

Got to wander some around Church Hill...a very old and very cool neighborhood. If you ever wanted to live in restored (for the most part) 100+ year houses, this is your place. Has a lot of history there (as does most of Richmond) and is one of my favorite places to explore. Also, and not just Alamo some very good places to eat.
Headed out later to roar around Richmond for a bit and then headed to Manchester for a stop at Legend Brewing for (one) Legend Brown Ale. I really enjoy that place a great deal.
After that got back, and waiting for the bike to cool down. I came in a bit early, as the skies took on a dark cloudy look, but that just passed over.
Cleaned up the bike after the ride, and its ready for the adventures to come ...  

To the Dentist...and beyond (July 29, 2014)

Had a dentist appointment....on top of that it was 81 degree day with low humidity. So....got my dental visit in (always better on a motorcycle, as are most everything) and then rode for a while. Photo here was the turn in ...A Harley Sportster is also waiting for the light to change on Midlothian Turnpike.
From there, rode back toward NC150 and then down I-95 to VA10. Rode that to Chester and then to Chesterfield....some interesting sights to see there, and visited a few. Went to a neat place..one of two I know of...which is a shopping area and apartments; a big one in NC was Birkdale Village.    

Here I am at the Chesterfield County Airport, which did not have much going on Tuesday morning. Still I like planes and saw a few (none really interesting though) and not a lot of flying going on either.
Rode out from there to Carytown and had lunch at Mellow Mushroom. They have a real good lunch special, have been there a few times this year (sadly, its only Monday thru Friday, so have not been there as often as I would like) but nice to do that.
Following that, headed downtown for a while, and did a bit of riding in Richmond. Always enjoy doing that, its a real fun place to explore.  

While in Richmond, did a bit of the Floodwall Walk which is in the Manchester section of Richmond.
Ride took me around some 80 miles...a good time out and enjoyed the day a great deal. For the first time since Spring, wore a jacket, as it was closer to 70 in the morning when I first started riding.
Glad I got out, as the weekend forecast for the first week of August calls for rain, and starting as I write this on Friday...that sure looks to be the case.
At any case though, this was a very fun ride and enjoyed it a great deal.