Circling The Bowl...

[DDT (12)]

Circling The Bowl...

Well, this road tripping gig has surely turned into a mixed bag! One day I'm floating up in the clouds, but another day I'm circling the bowl... Weather, and particularly heat and humidity, is reintroducing this aging rider to the hazards and hardships of climate extremes.

Worse, those doggone tough days are bringing into serious question just how much longer this increasingly wimpy wannabe can hold up to the ardors of long riding... Some wonder if we'll make the million-mile mark... I'm wondering if we can even make it to the 800K milestone together! Our girl is good to go, of course, but her rider is fading faster than he'd like!

Some days I can almost taste one of those juicy burgers in Greybull, WY: But the very next day... well... When I'm nearing the end of my rope, it's hard to think about anything but putting our girl to bed and letting my headbone slam into a pillow!

So, is Greybull still a possibility? It depends upon which day you ask, I reckon... Tuesday evening, I could easily have been talked into permanently settling down right there in Oxford, AL... Wednesday afternoon, however, Greybull was looking very doable...

We departed Ocala just after sunrise Monday morning, and all had been good... until the last hour or so. Not bad, really, and this rider was still respectably 'fresh' enough by evening for a short ride to some BBQ. Tuesday, however, turned into a rigorous gauntlet, resulting in a shortened ride after all.

It might not have been so bad if I hadn't missed a turn in Opelika, AL, and ended up riding through the heart of town... and then right through the middle of contiguous Auburn, too! Slow traffic, tons of traffic lights that we seemed to catch most of... Heck, we even got stuck behind a funeral procession at one point!

Naturally, the mercury steadily rose in the tube of the thermo-meter as the day progressed, and the 'air we wear' continued to thicken... as the suspended moisture burden seemed to steadily increase. The needle on my 'misery meter' was pegging!

I was so beat by the time we arrived in Heflin, that I altered our destination and route to the much closer Oxford. A quick walk to the Wendy's next door for din-din, then a cold shower, and then... "Oh sleep, it is a gentle thing, beloved from pole to pole..."

That latest bit of discomfort, however, was mercifully the last for a while! We glided out of Oxford towards our next 'home' for the evening, and the 'cold' front that had passed over us during the night had brought some most welcome relief! The ride kept getting better, too... As we rode north and higher in elevation, things only got even better! I removed my jacket at a stop around midday, but I put it back on within fifty miles! Now that's what I'm talking about!!!

Jamestown, TN, is in an area known as the 'Cumberland Plateau'. It lies roughly between I-40 and the Kentucky state line, and between Nashville and Knoxville. I've known for decades that temps are always a bit lower up there than in the surrounding areas; however, each time I go there I seem to realize that wonderful difference more than before. This time I had my name added to the waiting list for an apartment near Jamestown!

The motel I've stayed in a couple of times before was ready for us with plenty of vacancies for two nights... After that, they were booked solid for an event that weekend. No problem for us, as we planned to be departing for the DRU Friday morning... Restful, cool, and pleasant in all respects. I'm going to grade this ride a '12' overall despite the struggle of the second afternoon.

DDT (12)

[thedon]

Great read Bruce. Hang in there, we have more to talk about.
Until next time.
Don

[Oss]

50 when I left Ossining for the Bronx
High will be 70

sunshine  light breeze

This is the stuff that stirs my soul (except for the work part, the major deegan expressway and dodging those electric unlicensed scooters)

New England is having great weather now, just sayin.  But the weekend will be a washout

Rest when you need, you never get un tired on a ride once you are officially tired

[t-man403]

Man……this threads title had a totally different meaning for me!! 

[3fan4life]

Not having nearly the time or miles in the saddle as you my friend, I almost feel unqualified to comment on this subject.

However, I am far from being a spring chicken and am starting to feel some of the effects of an aging body while riding.

As I am sure you know as you get older it is no longer about how far you go in a day.

It's about staying in the saddle for as long as you can.

If shorter riding days are the key to doing that, then so be it.

As an aging rider there is no disgrace in not being in the Iron Butt club any longer.

You more than anyone I know has earned that title, so what if you prefer to stop and smell the roses along the way now.


As part of my planning for next years ride out west I have decided that there will be NO advance hotel reservations made, at least none for more than a couple of hours before the room is needed.

This is partly due to my experience riding out to Yellowstone and back in 2019 and partly from what I've learned from you.


Some parts of this country can be extremely hot at times.

My plan for traversing those places this coming summer is to Start early, take breaks when needed maybe even a long one in the middle of the day and plan to stop for the night at a decent hour.

I see no shame in that plan, if we only cover 150 miles in a particular day then that's what we cover.

If I see no shame in it, certainly a man with your pedigree shouldn't either.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Man……this threads title had a totally different meaning for me!! 

I had apprehension about the story.

Just kidding Bruce, another good one in the ongoing VisionQuest. 

[Avanti]

Left to head west in late August pulling our Aspen camper.  On the first day a Monday we left just before sunrise and rode 450 miles.   We stopped riding at 2:30 and the temperature was pushing over 100 with 80 + humidity. At midnight temperatures still hovering close to 90 and weather showing 7 to 10 days of extremely hot weather in about every direction so we packed up and left to return home.  I map a route to follow as close to the rivers as possible and left  at 1:00am, home before 10:00 am.
One week later start 4 week trip all over again.  Had a great 4 week trip. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

Time and distance are only relevant if you make them so.

May every ride be a great adventure so go take one. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

“Naturally, the mercury steadily rose in the tube of the thermo-meter as the day progressed, and the 'air we wear' continued to thicken... as the suspended moisture burden seemed to steadily increase. The needle on my 'misery meter' was pegging!”



I like to think of myself as pretty tough in these regards, living here in the brutal Mohave Desert. But I just returned from a trip to the Gulf Coast of Texas. I don’t know how you guys do it with that humidity. I felt like I was melting after just minutes in that climate. I never thought I’d feel relief coming back to the desert. 

[Valkorado]

Bruce, even legends drag ass every now and then! 

But, yeah, as a mountain boy I have a very difficult time with sticky hot. Dripping after toweling off from a morning shower is a lousy way to start a day.  And a soggy crotch can be hell on a rider!

Then again, below zero cold has its, um, disadvantages too.  At least during those months I am not tempted to ride.  Oh, I fantasize a lot, but I'm not tempted.  Anymore.  Brings me back a chilling experience.  Dumb ass teen, before legally old enough to drive (ride).  I would bundle up (long johns, etc., no heated gear) and jump on my Honda XL 350 and ride to my buddy's house about 12 country miles away.  He'd jump on his Yamahopper IT monoshock and off we'd go up Ohio Creek.  "Ice bikers" we called ourselves.  Out in the pastures spinning donuts, sliding around, laying them over with regularity.  Well a freak (I think, I didn't watch the weather much then) wet snowstorm came in and dropped the tolerable temps down a good 20° in a flash.  Like a flash frozen flash.  We somehow made it another ten or fifteen miles back to Tim's house, and I was faring much worse than him.  His mom saw me and immediately started drawing up a warm bath.  When I hit the water I was like an ice cube in a cuppa Joe.  Took me a long while to regain temperature regulation again! While I was in the tub Mrs. Russell called my folks, and my unhappy dad came and got me.  He drove me back for the bike the next day, and I was promptly grounded from riding it in the winter again.

Anyway I've almost processed my three cords of wood.  Just kindling and small log splitting left and climbing up on the roof to sweep soot outta the chimney.

Short term forecast looks beautiful here too, and colors are s'posed to be peaking in the next week or so.  Iffn' you get up thisaway.  But bring your heated gear.  Just in case.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Great read as always Bruce. Sure was a pleasure to shake your hand at the DRU by the way.
Safe winds.
Frye