Strider
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Posts: 1409
Why would anyone shave a cow like that?
Broussard, Louisiana
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« on: December 10, 2010, 06:27:35 PM » |
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I was out riding today and thinking of the other day when it was cold and I had thought, "man, I sure have been colder - Aliance, Nebraska for one..." So, I was thinking, what was my worst ride? I am not a fair weather rider, so I have chugged along in rain, snow, hail and sleet before. You gotta do what ya gotta do to get there ya know.....So, none of those would be a bad ride. Sure, riding back through Virginia and having to use the white line on the side of the interstate to make sure I was in a lane all day because the rain had kept me from seeing straight ahead long ago wasn't fun, nor was Hard6 and I getting caught in downbursts and mini twisters on the interstate outside Birmingham. Using hot towels to break the ice off the seat in North Carolina and knowing that was about as warm as it was going to get all day - well, it ain't no fun, but you gotta do what you gotta do - ya know. Anyway, none of those were really a bad ride - just could have been better. Even having to pull over to let the Valk cool down because it was overheating in New York City traffic wasn't that bad - just could have been better. So, thinking about it today, if I had to pick a ride - even though ALL rides are good as long as you get back in one piece - it would probably be coming out of Yellowstone National Park. We had come in through the west side and ridden through the park. We (Hard6 and I) didn't get to see Old Faithful blow because we could see the weather coming in and we still had to get over the mountains to head out through the east exit. It was late afternoon and the clouds were really rolling in and you can smell the rain. Well, we were not very far up the mountain when the bottom dropped out. Water was pouring across the road and off the other side (since there was no guardrails or anything - just a drop). We got to the summit and there was a sign for road construction. Road construction nothing. They had torn off all the blacktop and it was just a dirt road now. Well, what should have been a dirt road was now a MUD road with the pouring rain - that was running across the mud road and cascading off the other side. We figured what the heck, let's keep going because maybe it won't last long. The pavement had been removed all the way down the Rocky Mountains to the Ranger station at the base. After a few miles, you couldn't turn around any longer so your only option was to continue on. Rain and mud for the next 30-40 miles or so. We were doing 20 mph or so all the way down in this mud slop. Anytime you would give the Valk any gas, the rear would fishtail and slide towards the edge - yep, the one with no guardrail - just a sheer drop. When we got to the bottom, I apologized to JP for going so slow - he said, "Heck boy, that was plenty fast!" We found the nearest carwash and sprayed the bikes down since they were both mud from the triple trees to the bottom of the rims. Even that ride was really good all in all - just could have been better and I guess ranked up there with one of the ones I enjoyed the least. Even with the mud and all, it was still good. Heck, the next day we would be riding up through the Bighorn Mountains and into Montana and back down into Wyoming again - one of the BEST days. Just wondered what you thought would have been your worst ride - again, even if I know all rides (that you get there alive) are good ones. 
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« Last Edit: December 10, 2010, 06:32:09 PM by Strider »
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bigdog99
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Posts: 584
1/1/2011 86,000 miles
Kouts Indiana
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« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2010, 06:41:40 PM » |
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20 years old with the wife, left may 12th 42 degrees and raining. on a yamaha 750 special, no windshield or fairing. the only this that kept the rain off of her was me.  we rode 12 hours the 1st day and stopped central MO to visit some family friends. we shivered so hard we could barely hold a conversation, went to bed in the guest room and the old steel box spring squeeked so loud shivering that we started laughing wondering what the famil thought of us.  woke up the next morning and scratched the frost off the seat and left out again. destination NW Arizona. rode another day and a half and got there. riding through New Mexico it was so hot we got sunburned. at the top of flagstaff it was raining, sleeting and snowing all at the same time. thats when i saw i left my helmet on the hnger upside down. the water was already pouring over the top. we stopped in a stucky's to get gas and some warm food the day before and when we went in our fingers were so cold neither of us could get our pants undone. took 35 minutes to thaw enough to peeeeeeeeeee. on the way home passed through nevada. it was so stinkin hot that the motorcycle was pre firing. fyling down the rode was saw a truck that looked like it was on fire, until i got close enough to see the neting over the crates. CRAP  honey bees. we went through the cloud at about 95 mph. a lot of dead ones stuck in the helmet, crotch and all over the front end. the wife had none. coming through colorodo we we through the mountain pass after riding for about 45 minutes with 2 feet of snow on either side of the road. i was glad to see the tunnels thinking it may be warmer. i would have been but the wind needed to get to the other side fast than me. it won. we about froze. and to think she still rides with me today. 
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 VRCC#31391 VRCCDS0239
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alph
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« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2010, 06:52:46 PM » |
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Yellow stone is gorgeous! Especially with a 4 wheel drive truck!! There are some roads that cars are not recommended on.
Anyway. My worse ride was last year October 20ish. I had just flown in to the twin cities from phoenix. Visited my father for the last time. Before we left phoenix, we had an hour delay due to strong storms in MSP. When we got to Minneapolis we were in another holding pattern for over ½ an hour due to weather still. As we circled the city you could see the snow zipping by the window!! I was hoping that by the time we got lower it would have at least turned back into rain. We finally landed at 8:30 at night, we were expected to land at 6. by the time I got to the parking garage it was 9 at night, raining, and a balmy 39*!! Perfect weather for a duck. Apparently it had snowed a little, since there was some snow in spots on the grass. Leaving the parking garage my rear tire slid out from under me, giving you that sick stomach feeling every cyclist loves!! Accelerating on the on ramp, getting up to 60 mph, you feel it again!! It’s still raining, and I’ve got a 90 mile ride. By the time I got to Menomonie my feet and hands were soaking wet and freezing. I thought about stopping but told myself, 20 miles more! Just another 20 miles, I can make it!! as I turned off interstate 94, exit 70, I’m only 1 mile away!! Turn past the bank, and see that the temp had risen to a beautiful 41 degrees!! Of course, I get stopped by a read light, it amazes me, even at 11:30 pm, there are still idiots on the road that will pull up to you and say “hey, don’t you know it’s raining?”. I was too cold to care to respond to that. Turn the corner, and finally I’m home!! As I get off the cycle, my feet and hands are so cold that I’m pretty sure that had I stopped in Menomonie, 20 miles earlier I would have never gotten back on that cycle. I was sooo cold I could barely turn the door knob to get in the house. Thankfully the wife was waiting up, she greeted me all hot and bothered, (and not in a sexual way either!!!) took a nice hot shower, and fell a sleep.
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Promote world peace, ban all religion. Ride Safe, Ride Often!!  
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KW
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« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2010, 07:05:19 PM » |
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Interesting question. I can only answer it with “what I thought at the time” because, as you said, any time you get home safely, it’s a good ride.’ Also, our memories have a funny way of smoothing everything over and often the rides we were miserable on turn out to be the ones we remember most. So. . . with that said;
It was 1992. I had a Yamaha then (I know. . .) We went to the Blessing of the Bikes in Baldwin Michigan. There was a whole “troop” of my staff and other people I work with that were suppose to meet at 0800 hours. It was pouring down rain and a little under 40 degrees. Only ONE person and his wife met us at the rendezvous site. We headed north. It’s about a 2 hour ride from my house. There's no straight shot there. We made it about halfway and had to stop in a small town laundry mat to dry our clothes. Not being the shy type I stripped down to my underwear. (I wasn’t 400 pounds then, so it wasn’t overly disgusting.) A couple of elderly ladies came in during this. One of them came over smiling and started up a conversation with me. She asked me if I wanted to come back to her house and do my laundry there. I politely said 'no thanks.' She seemed disappointed and left (My wife still teases me about that.) We dried our clothes and headed out. It stopped raining just before we reached the airport in Baldwin (where the ‘blessing’ is held each year.) We had a great time and headed out in the early afternoon. About the time we got to US 131 the temp took a sudden drop and it began to sleet – BADLY! The small ‘warrior’ windscreen, handlebars, forks and lights were all coated in ice. I shook so badly as we cut through the wind & ice, I could hardly keep the bike straight. We made it to a town with a Meijers (a Walmart type store, before there was a Walmart.) The girls and my buddy all purchased new clothes so they’d have something dry. I wasn’t fat then, but I was still 6’ 9” so they didn’t have anything I could buy to wear. . . We went across the street and spent just under three hours at a Ponderosa. . . drinking coffee and well, eating. The freezing rain stopped and it actually warmed up slightly. We made it the rest of the way without any problems.
The funny thing is; even though the wife of the guy I was with never rode again (true. I guess she never really had it in her to start with) my bride and I look back on that ride and laugh our butts off now. And, it’s the ‘standard’ that we measure our bike discomfort with. We’ve never come close to being as miserable as we were that one Sunday in May, 1992. So, every ride since – no matter how cold or wet – has been a cake walk by comparison.
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« Last Edit: December 11, 2010, 06:58:31 PM by KW »
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Garfield
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Posts: 454
97 Standard
Phoenix, AZ
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« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2010, 07:07:07 PM » |
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This blond I picked up in Flagstaff Arizona about ten years ago 
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Des
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Posts: 298
My Obsession
Coolidge, Arizona
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« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2010, 07:10:48 PM » |
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Damn brother --- hard to pick a "worse" one when was bad but not as bad as it could have been - Guess my "worse" ride was the 1st time I rode my Valk to Tucumcari for our 1st gathering. I was still really new at riding --- had the Valk for about 8 months and had put a good number of miles on her but was still very green. We had rode about 400 miles and was running across US 60 in New Mexico. Weather was good but what was about to happen was probably the worse thing that has every happened to me. We're cruising through a small town (Tatum I think) -- all I remember is we had been heading east and came across our highway headed north up to Tucumcari. We were on a double lane road with truckers and traffic coming / going both directions. Kendall was leading and I was following along. Well a damn 18 wheeler pulled right out at us and he swung out to the outside lane just in time to realize our left hand turn was RIGHT THERE! Well needless to say I was following too close and not paying attention so when he stopped in front of me to turn left --- I was ON HIM before I knew what happened. Grabbed both brakes and starting sliding --- Ohhh hell back end of the valk started sliding coming around to the front and cursed if I wasn't sliding sideways BAMMM right onto the left side of Kendall's valk (saddle bag) --- wasn't smart enough to get off the brake fast enough to control the skid I was in --- but some how (Thank God) I managed to keep the valk upright and Kendall did too --- Crushed the back bottom left side of his I/S saddle bag -- caught him with my engine guard -- but managed to keep upright and get her under control and pulled over to the side of the road. Threw down my kick stand -- jumped off that bike and sat down on the ground and started crying. I was shaking so bad I couldn't catch my breath I was so scared. Kendall --- being the sweetheart he is --- immediately began to tell me how proud he was of me --- yeah the saddle bag was damaged but I had managed to hold onto that girl and bring her under control without laying her down or causing him to go down. Worse yet --- we still had almost 200 miles to go to get into Tucumcari and I was shaking like a leaf on a tree in a hurricane. Nontheless --- that was little over 4 years and 60,000 miles ago --- and still to this day even though it feels like it was "the worse ride" it could have been a hell of a lot worse! 
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"If you're lucky you have at least one best friend in your life ... I married mine"  
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Pete
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« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2010, 07:14:05 PM » |
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Seatle WA to Rawlings WY thru Yellowstone(2 days) in the RAIN, HAIL, LIGHTNING, but thankfully no snow, Roughly 1300 miles in miserable conditions, part of it at night. It rained so hard during part of the night that we could not even see the middle line in the road at 15 mph. Had to stop in the middle of the road and wait for it to slack up, thankfully no traffic at that time.
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alph
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« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2010, 07:17:45 PM » |
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This blond I picked up in Flagstaff Arizona about ten years ago  oh, that's bad!! let me gues, you married her!!!
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Promote world peace, ban all religion. Ride Safe, Ride Often!!  
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Karen
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« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2010, 07:20:19 PM » |
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In September, the Granite State Wheelmen (a bicycling club in New Hampshire) had an annual Bar Harbor Maine (Acadia National Park) weekend ride; the tourists were mostly gone, but it was still warm enough to camp & bicycle. I had a 74' CB750K4 (about 20 years ago), and had mounted brackets on the rear rack so that I could hang the top tube across the back, hang a wheel on each side , & bungee the whole thing on. The back seat held whatever else didn't fit in the saddlebags & trunk. I left Boston after work & headed up to Maine. About 11 at night, I was on a two lane road headed East out of Bangor, when I felt the bike begin to fishtail. I managed to get it onto the side of the road & get the kickstand down, and the bike stayed up when I got off it. Wondering what I was going to do when a car going in the opposite direction turned around & came back. A gentleman asked if I was having a problem, and I said I had a rear flat. He said there was a dealer in Ellsburg, about 30 miles away. He then offered me a ride to go to a gas station to pick up some FixaFlat. Not having any better ideas, I took him up on his offer. It turns out the gas station was in Ellsburg, so he showed me where the Honda dealer was, then we drove back to the bike with 2 cans of Fix a Flat. It actually Worked! Took both cans, and he was kind enough to follow me down the road for about 5 miles. It lasted for about 20 miles, and then started swaying again. I could see a rest area up ahead on the left, so I rode it as much as I could until the clutch overheated from trying to move the load on a flat, and every time the tire went up and around, I thought it would tip over. I got close enough to unpack the bicycle, camping gear, clothing, etc, then got the Honda into the rest area. Blew up the air mattress & went to sleep. Woke up at daylight, packed up the tent & gear, put it all back on the Honda, then rode the bicycle into Ellsburg & had breakfast while I waited for the shop to open. They were unloading new bikes from a tractor trailer, but said they would go pick up the Honda when they were finished. Eventually they did, cleaned the rust off the wheel, mounted a new tire & said be careful for the first 100 miles. Of course it was raining by then. They didn't charge me for the pickup. I got to the camp ground; the rest of the group was out on a bicycle ride. I set up camp & then started riding the carriage trails, where I met up with some of the group. So it was a bit scary, but thanks to some really nice people, it's now just something I can laugh about. Funny how things work out.
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Garfield
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Posts: 454
97 Standard
Phoenix, AZ
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« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2010, 07:29:44 PM » |
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This blond I picked up in Flagstaff Arizona about ten years ago  oh, that's bad!! let me gues, you married her!!! No way, I couldn't get her out of first gear.
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HayHauler
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« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2010, 07:53:24 PM » |
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This blond I picked up in Flagstaff Arizona about ten years ago  oh, that's bad!! let me gues, you married her!!! No way, I couldn't get her out of first gear. 2 speeds, slow and off...  Hay  Jimmyt
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grizs50
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« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2010, 08:07:10 PM » |
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The day I hit a ford Tempo in the back Side, I was doing 70 and she was doing 20, My dad was a pilot and said if you apply enough thrust you can make anything fly, He was right!! From the impact to where I was resting in the median was 175 feet. The Deputy Sheriff that saw it said I flew REAL WELL, the only thing I can figure is I am aerodynamic like a bumble bee!! BTW I would have walked away if they had let me, they insisted I take a ride in the pretty white truck with all the flashing lights. Now before you say it was luck I will say "If it were luck I would be dead!" It was all God, Although I think my guardian angle needed hernia surgery!!  In case you are wondering, I am 6'4" and weigh 450! I had a slight concussion and a sprained wrist. The doctor ask me what hurt I said only my wirst, he didn't beleive me. I think it was because I was on the front brake so hard! 
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VRCC #15503 "ONCE YOU'VE HAD A FAT LADY, YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK!" 15 minutes on a harley don't make you a biker! "The Government is not your Mommy!" 
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fudgie
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Posts: 10613
Better to be judged by 12, then carried by 6.
Huntington Indiana
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« Reply #12 on: December 10, 2010, 08:28:57 PM » |
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3 come to mind. All rain and cold.  #1 Trailer pick up from Smokin Joe. Left work that cold, snow flurry april day from NE Ind to mid Tn to pick up a trailer from him. Kept thinking go south, itll be warm. Got the trailer and headed right back to Ind. 2 hrs from home I was froze and wet. I had enough of the sleet and darkness. Brought my sleeping bag to sleep outside that night in case I needed to. No way. I was froze. Grabbed a hotel room and hit a bar next door. Hung over I rode the rest of the way home in the rain. #2. St Lu wrench party. Last week of March. Stayed with po & painter at there place that weekend. Their great hosts!  Rode home in 35 deg rain for 10 hours. #3 PGR ride last Oct. Left work that morning. Rode a hour 1/2 in the rain, wind, cold temps. If I wasnt gonna meet J Peebles up there I woulda stayed home. Being soaked we stood for a few hours outside. Rode home wet. Stood in the hot shower for a hour to warm up. Hottest was going thru the Badlands on my way to wounded Knee. Bank there said 104. My handlebar mounted water bottle was warmer then any shower I take. Stopped in gordon NE and drank 5 extra waters I brought as I'm sprawled out on the sidewalk infront of a furniture store.
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 Now you're in the world of the wolves... And we welcome all you sheep... VRCC-#7196 VRCCDS-#0175 DTR PGR
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eric in md
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Posts: 2495
ride hard now we all can rest when were gone !!!
in the mountains .......cumberland md
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« Reply #13 on: December 10, 2010, 10:12:09 PM » |
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hummm #1 going through badlands (i know why there called that) .. 115 degrees and wind blowin sideway at 40 mph damn near draging the pegs going in a straight line . that day sucked bad . #2 going to inzane last yr let house in a rain stop 2 or 3 inches a hour rain roads were flooded in morgantown road throw water i know was 2 or 3 feet deep . o what fun keep going until we couldnt take no more for that day . but i had thousands of miles of great rides..
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PhredValk
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« Reply #14 on: December 10, 2010, 11:12:26 PM » |
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To set this up, it was my first season riding, on a naked GL1100 with windshield and bags I bought from a friend a month before.
My Trip Home from Alix, by Fred Alliston.
Turn north on 21, notice the sky is black where I'm going. Crap. 20 klicks south of Camrose, got the first raindrops. Stop bike, light smoke, dig out raincoat (they only had one set of rain gear in XXX, and it didn't have pants. Got a good deal though). 5 more clicks, rain hurts at 100KPH! Oh goodie; Lightning. Now, I've always loved watching lightning storms, but not on a moving bike in the middle of no-where! Cool, road construction! On a Sunday nite at 7:30. Why are these guys out here? 10 minutes sitting, 5 minutes at 20 KPH, more lightning, raincoat holding out but all else is now soaked. Bike runs cooler though.. Back up to speed, dark like midnight, new pavement, no lines, goggles wet, windshield wet, wind coming from 6 directions "Peterbuilt" fills the mirrors, 80 KPH. Now it's hail...I said that rain hurts, right? I have to get off this cursed road! Off to the shoulder, 65KPH, semi is now passing me and the guardrail for the little bridge is looming. Is there a shoulder on the little bridge? F**ked if I know!?! Road to the right, goes behind some trees. Good, some chance to get out of the rain/lightning/hail. I slow to turn off the Road from Hell and... A tiny little trailer park, just 5 or 6 trailers and campers and a big field WITH A PICNIC SHELTER IN THE MIDDLE!! God, no doubt, rewarding me for a couple days helping friends out. I ride into the shelter, get most of the outer shell off and wave at the faces in trailer windows. No-one gets out or comes to talk. Smoke for an hour until the thunder and hail are gone. Back on the road as I start to realize that this park may have been part of an X-Files episode (still no movement, faces still staring). 20 minutes later road is dry, windshield and goggles starting to clear. Get home to find it never even got cloudy in Edmonton.
Fred.
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Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional. VRCCDS0237
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Oss
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Posts: 12610
The lower Hudson Valley
Ossining NY Chapter Rep VRCCDS0141
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« Reply #15 on: December 11, 2010, 04:43:34 AM » |
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great stories My worst ride is also one of my best Sorry if some of you have heard this July 3, 2005 leaving Lawrence Kansas on my way to Denver on I 70 Listening to the Kansas500 on the CBN on my Valkyrie Interstate, this is before I got the Russell Day Long seat and my ass in on fire it is so sore from the 1st two days ride from ny. I had stopped in Pittsburgh to visit a HS friend and in the Indy area to visit another friend. Anyway a few hours into the ride I hear this beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep noise which turns out to be some kind of tornado warning. Some dont like Kansas cause its flat but it also is beautiful because you can see forever and see clouds that rise 50000 ft plus from the side as they scoot south of you Well you hope they pass you !!  At Salina I stopped for gas and some crunch bars and continue moseying along at 70 nice and easy and enjoying the view of nothing in particular except some birds soaring and there goes that beeeep again SOftball size hail in Salina it says and funnel clouds. Well I lean back and look up and you can guess what I see. and there are like 4 of them funnel things but not touching the ground.....yet  Where did they come from and why am I here ? Stopping was not an option Ever hear the expression feet dont fail me now? It started to hail on me and I opened the throttle, closed the bakers and scrunched low behind the fairing and tho I was probably clear in 10 minutes did not stop until I was close to the border of colorado as I hit reserve Rested a bit then went toward Limon. Coming into Limon I got caught in a terrible thunderstorm no place to hide till I got to town and took refuge in a gas station. An hour later about 3pm I am asking truckers if the weather is clear to Denver and I hear yep its fine and I saddle up. DO NOT TRUST TRUCKERS at least the ones that stop in Limon to speak with bikers with a NY accent I had just gotten to the exit for 50 which could take me to colorado springs when the skies open up and it gets black. I pull under an overpass and I swear to you I am tryin to get my frogg toggs on and I keep falling down from the wind even leanin on the sloping side of the overpass and my bike is rocking. I jump on the bike to keep it from falling over and we are being pushed out ofthe overpass. The wind is howling as loud as I have ever heard wind. Now I dont see well at night and was worried about it being dark and raining and the fear of where I was was greater than the fear of the unknown so as soon as I saw it was getting less wind that I could hold the bike up I rode out of there leaned way over left cause the wind was so strong Tumbleweeds hitting me trying to knock me off and the double trucks flying by me and their wind really shakin me up There is NOTHING between Limon and Denver not even houses or a gas station till right next to the city When I got to denver I couldnt open my hands and couldnt register in the hotel the gal at the counter had to do it for me Bonnie was following my progress on the weather channel and asked me if I knew about the tornados in kansas and the 91mph wind at Limon Yep I heard about that I said Picked up Bonnie at the airport at 8am and we rode out to Vail and then Glenwood Canyon and Aspen-Snowmass , one of the best days of many there would be that week Now I know why they call it tornado alley I would also ride thru the hurricane on the way home just for variety
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« Last Edit: December 11, 2010, 04:58:43 AM by Oss »
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If you don't know where your going any road will take you there George Harrison
When you come to the fork in the road, take it Yogi Berra (Don't send it to me C.O.D.)
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hubcapsc
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Posts: 16781
upstate
South Carolina
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« Reply #16 on: December 11, 2010, 04:48:13 AM » |
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I've got nothing compared to some of you... but it seems most "worst rides" involve either cold/wet or crashes... on a particularly wet Knoxville ride last spring I started getting kind of chilly around about Franklin, boots squishy, gloves soaked, water starting to come in at my neck. Then trees in the road. Then hard to keep the helmet face shield clear enough to see through. Then chillier... then cold. By the time I got to Clayton and there was one more hill to go over before I got back to South Carolina I wasn't fit to be riding a motorcycle and it wasn't fit to stop. I was a pretty clumsy zombie coming down the final quarter mile of dirt road back to the house... sounds like some of y'all had all that and temps down to freezing... brrrrr...  -Mike
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Hoser
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Posts: 5844
child of the sixties VRCC 17899
Auburn, Kansas
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« Reply #17 on: December 11, 2010, 04:58:55 AM » |
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Geez, Oss you've seen more tornadoes than I have and I've lived here my whole life! Course this one came through my town while I was gone in the Navy. Hoser
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I don't want a pickle, just wanna ride my motor sickle  [img width=300 height=233]http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/
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ILcruiser
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« Reply #18 on: December 11, 2010, 06:13:51 AM » |
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Fall, 1970. I was in college at UNM in Albuquerque, some friends and I decided to take a nice day trip up and back what was then North Highway 10 up the East side of the Sandias to Santa Fe. Had a great time sightseeing on the way up, through Golden, Madrid, etc. Tooled around Santa Fe, just a perfect day. It had been in the low 70s and sunny on the ride up; I was in a t-shirt, denim jacket, no gloves, on my '69 BSA 650 Thunderbolt. Just a perfect riding day, nothin' between me and the breeze. We stopped in Santa Fe for some great Mexican food, and being 18 and immortal, used our fake ID's to get a beer or three. When we left the restaurant, we saw some of the most ominous clouds I've ever seen rolling in, and decided to outrun it by taking I-25 home. Well, we didn't outrun it; just South of Santa Fe, the hail came. We pulled off the road, as did any other vehicles with drivers stupid enough to be out there in it. No overpasses in those parts, so we just sat there and got pelted. Finally, it stopped, so we resumed our journey. It was so cold and wet that my hands were frozen and numb, plus I was soaked to the skin and shivering so much I was shaking the bike. It got colder and colder, then I saw the semi in front of me start to lose it; it did a real slow 270 in front of me, and ended up on its side across both lanes, then stopped cold. I got on the brakes, and then hit what the semi had hit, a patch of black ice. The whole bike started to slide, but somehow stayed upright, and I was able to get off the road. Just in time to see my riding companion slide by, followed by his similarly sliding bike (a nice Kawi Mach III). You had to know the guy, but he was howling and laughing his azz off. We collected our bikes and bodies, did a physical assessment, and miraculously, other than a bent clutch lever on his Kawi, all was well. The semi driver was out of his truck and ok, so we settled into the role of oncoming traffic-warners, waving our hands, jumping up and down, etc., which only had the effect of having everyone slam on their brakes. Pretty soon, we had a collection of cars in the ditches on both sides of the slab. Amazingly, no one ran into the downed semi or anyone else. So, we were out there in the wide open spaces, left to wait for help to arrive. And watch the ice form on our bikes. We were out there a couple of hours, it was dark by now, and finally the state police showed up with two gigantic tow trucks and a bunch of smaller ones. They were able to drag the semi off of the slab, and we were finally able to get on our way. In the dark. After knocking enough ice off our bikes so they'd actually start. I think we averaged about 15 the rest of the way home. It was 40 years ago, and even though I've lived in the midwest most of that time since then, I've never been colder in my life. Or more carefree.....
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1999 Valkyrie Standard
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Michael K (Az.)
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Posts: 2471
"You have to admire a healthy tomatillo!"
Glendale, AZ
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« Reply #19 on: December 11, 2010, 07:11:18 AM » |
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After reading all these great stories, I guess that going down or having a buddy go down would really qualify for the 'worst' ride. BUT For me it was riding one summer day in Daytona Beach, Fl. in 2004, during Hurricane Charlie! Suffice to say I was really, really going sideways and crap was hitting me with varying results to my bod, but even after all that, what made this my worse ride was that I was riding to work! 
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"I'd never join a club that would have me as a member!" G.Marx 
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stormrider
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« Reply #20 on: December 11, 2010, 08:26:26 AM » |
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October 19, 2007. Set out in a pouring rain, no problem, to meet up with the Fall Color riders. Got a little over 120 miles from home and hit a slick spot in a curve and, well, I laid my baby down. Surgery, bummer. It was still a good ride. I got up and rode another 100 miles before my knee said that's enough. A friend from Rome, GA trailered me and Honey B 1/3 the way home to meet my other Honey and son with my trailer. The ride was great, the stop not so. Other than that it's all been great.
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Freedom will ultimately cost more than we care to pay but will be worth every drop of blood to those who follow and cherrish it.
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#2944
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Posts: 185
Zots #2944
Grand Rapids, Minnesota
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« Reply #21 on: December 11, 2010, 11:06:12 AM » |
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My worst ride is anyone I can't go on..... ! Zots
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Just ride it!
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CajunRider
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« Reply #22 on: December 11, 2010, 06:46:00 PM » |
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April 2009...
Flew to Virginia to buy a Triumph Thunderbird Sport. It was beautiful.
Drove it for 5 hours and fell in love with the machine.... then some cager pulled out in front of me and totaled it for me.
I woke up in the hospital several hours later and was told about the wreck... I remember nothing.
That trip started out awesome, ended awful.
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Sent from my Apple IIe
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Kendall
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« Reply #23 on: December 11, 2010, 07:22:34 PM » |
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Boy this is a tough question!! Ive never had a completely bad ride?? Been in two wrecks,,, a few flats in the boonies,,, Rain that was so hard i couldnt see the off ramp to get off the freeway with semis riding my tail cause the crazy biker must be able to see the road,, fog so bad i couldnt see more than about 15ft and couldnt pull off because 3 or 4 cars were on my tail cause the crazy biker must be able to see the road,, rode in 120 degree heat trying to melt myself,, But all in all none were really completely bad, but the coldest ive ever been comes close! It was dec 1979 living in Ca and got a job in Az , inital move to work the first couple weeks was on a honda 750. Wasnt able to leave till 3 pm due to paperwork and started work 7am the next morn. Danggg i got Cold by the time i got to central az, didnt really have riding gear so i was wearing a military field jacket levis and long johns. I remember somewhere along the way a gas station had hand dryers in the bathroom and i sat under them for a lil while. But overall it wasnt a terrible ride either
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RP#62
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« Reply #24 on: December 11, 2010, 08:17:41 PM » |
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I've only had one ride that I would consider a bad ride. We were riding from Pittsburgh up to Niagara Falls to meet up with PIBIT and others. Cheryl was on a Virago back then. She couldn't get Friday off and we needed to meet up with the group midday on Saturday, so we got a few hours of sleep after she got off work and left about 2:00 in the morning. We got up to Erie without a problem and stopped and ate breakfast, then proceeded east on US 20 into NY. The sun was just coming up as we got to Silver Creek NY. We had bike to bike radios so we're talking to each other the whole time. As we were approaching an intersection the light changed and I told her I'm going for it, she said she's going to go ahead and stop (she was about 50 yards behind me). About that time I head something unintelligible on the radio and looked in the mirror just in time to see her bike go down and her rolling across the highway. I will never forget that feeling. I was able to get my wits about me and did a u-turn and parked my bike across the road to block traffic. She was trying to get up to get off the road but she couldn't walk. Found out later that her heel bone was shattered in 7 pieces. All things considered, where and when this happened was probably the best possible place it could have happened. We were 1/4-mile from the regional hospital, the guy in the car behind us was a paramedic on his way to work and the guy behind him was the county sheriff. Since the light had changed, the semi coming the other way was stopped ahead instead of where she ended up. Ten minutes after she hit the blacktop, she was in the emergency room.
Turned out she broke her heel, 3 ribs, her little finger and her elbow. Once we got home (had to rent a car) I asked her what happened. She said when she went to apply brakes to stop at the light, the bike came out from under her. The sheriff told me they have had several accidents at that intersection from antifreeze on the road from the truck traffic. She told me one minute shes riding and the next she's rolling on the asphalt, there was no bobble, skidding or anything like that and it was a straight section of road. Took several months before she was able to ride again. This was definitely our worst ride. -RP
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GreenLantern57
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Posts: 1543
Hail to the king baby!
Rock Hill, SC
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« Reply #25 on: December 11, 2010, 08:41:16 PM » |
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2005 Needed some MCC info from a plant and got the OK to ride my 83 V65 Magna down to Plant X south of Earth. Beautiful May day, started high 50's and hit mid 70's. Everything was green, the roads were in good shape, was an absolute beautiful day. Then, engine started acting up on the way home. Thought the fuel filter was plugging up. About 300 yds from a store at the edge of home, I heard a funny noise and pulled in the clutch at the same time the timing chain let loose. Valves went through 2 pistons.
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Valkahuna
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« Reply #26 on: December 11, 2010, 10:09:51 PM » |
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I was going to talk about a 4 day, 1600 mile trip Paul and I took, where it rained all 4 days, and the highest temp we saw was 45 F. Got below freezing for part of it. It was bad then, but a great adventure now! Or the rides where a buddy went down and we had to ride back without him. Or the rides on an Old Pan Head HD in Ohio, where I ended up riding "bitch" on the back of a buddy's Sporty. (More than once!) Or the rides in DC, Rolling Thunder (and others) where it was so hot that the bikes pinged at idle, and shut down (yup, they were H-D, but others had issues also), and we were so hot we were leaving sweat trails on the road. Or the ones with mechanical failures, and riding 80 miles plus with the throttle cabble wrapped around my finger, and me pulling on it to go. Or the clutch cable failures, and riding through traffic trying to time lights to not have to stop. But, like I said, no matter how bad then, if you survive, they make you a better rider, and become the adventure you will never forget. 
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The key thing is to wake up breathing! All the rest can be fixed. (Except Stupid - You can't fix that)
2014 Indian Chieftain 2001 Valkyrie I/S
Proud to be a Vietnam Vet (US Air Force - SAC, 1967-1972)
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Dubsvalk
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« Reply #27 on: December 12, 2010, 06:04:56 AM » |
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Back in the mid '60s we rode Brit bikes all winter in W.Va. Not much in the way of good gear to wear. We rode as long as the roads were clear; a lot of rides in the low 20s. We would stop at small stores along the way and literally hug the pot belly stoves they had to heat the place. But those really weren't bad rides. Bernie
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Vietnam Veteran 1968/69 MSF Instructor PGR
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valkmc
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Posts: 619
Idaho??
Ocala/Daytona Fl
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« Reply #28 on: December 12, 2010, 06:58:17 AM » |
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Worked at a nuke plant in Oswego NY in the early 80's. One day on the way home from work my F-150 was rear ended and it was not driveable. I owned a CB-750F and had no other way to work so I rode the bike back and forth 16 miles, shift was 4pm to 2am. One day I rode to work and it was 13 degrees, at 2 am it was -1, wind chill -12. I was amazed the bike started, there were cars all over the lot that had to be jumped. I did ride alot of snowmobile so I had gear, nothing like today but full suit, good mittens and a great helmet. I could not go over 50, roads were bare but the helmet leaked some air and if I went to fast the air would sting my face where the shield leaked. It was a bad ride but has provided me with lots of conversation over the years and I did feel a sense of accomplishment when I arrived home.
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2013 Black and Red F6B (Gone) 2016 1800 Gold Wing (Gone) 1997 Valkyrie Tourer 2018 Gold Wing Non Tour
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olddog1946
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« Reply #29 on: December 12, 2010, 08:44:05 AM » |
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Worst Ride???? mmmmm, don't know that I've had a "worst", but do know that I've had some stupid rides.. Like one in Germany, where I picked up a young lady at a local club, rode to her place at some unknown hour, 3 sheets to the wind....and on my way back to the barracks, on a road I'd never been on, went too fast into a hairpin curve...figured I'd take the soft choice and run into a 5 foot bush.. WRONG !! The brick wall behind it stopped my in a bike hurry..however, I broke the windshield with my face, not sure what broke my leg...have no idea how I got from the wreck back to the barracks but woke up in my bed, with said damage...went to sick call..then the hospital..When I finally saw the bike, both hand grips were on the same side of the bike (guess I was holding on pretty good), only about a 3 inch piece of windshield was left....NEVER rode after drinking again.. Or the time I rode over Snoqualmie Pass heading into Seattle to ship my bike to Germany, not realizing how cold it would be and how much snow would still be there...and all I had on was a light weight fatigue jacket..without the liner...it actually wasn't all that cold,,,,but it damn well felt like it was....then there was this time.........Luckily, I have managed to survive all my "stupid" rides, and still enjoy it..
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VRCC # 32473 US AIR FORCE E7, Retired 1965-1988 01 Valk Std. 02 BMW k1200LTE 65 Chevelle coupe, 1986 Mazda RX-7 with 350/5spd, 1983 Mazda RX-7 with FOMOCO 302/AOD project, 95 Mustang GT Convertible 5.0, 5 spd Moses Lake, Wa. 509-760-6382 if you need help
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Chrisj CMA
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« Reply #30 on: December 13, 2010, 08:30:56 AM » |
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Cold today.....very cold for Florida....in the 20's  thats just not right. So Im reading on here. Yep Strider any ride you park the bike and walk away I guess is a "good" ride. I noticed you didnt recall a crash as the worst ride, neither do I.....even though Judy and I prematurely ended a ride last Dec I dont remember it as the worst one. Worst results, maybe........lol Ok, the worst ride was a few years back we were on our way to Daytona for bike week. It had been a cool February week, but nothing too bad. Forecast for the day was low 60's for a high but a cool start. As is our habit on such mornings we underdress a bit and head for the restaurant. Then after we eat its usually just right. Well, not so much this day. The morning started out at 28° and it was less than that after we ate. So I switch to the heavy gloves and we head out knowing as soon as the sun gets higher it will feel great! (or much better any anyway). Its like 3 hrs to Tallahasse and we get to a gas station around noon. Noon is the time things are supposed to be better by!!!!!!!!! Nope. Its so cold I go in the store and put my gloves on the bisquet warmer thing (a big box thing almost like a popcorn popper....sure youve seen them) While pumping gas a couple of guys with their Harleys in the back of a pickup are getting gas too. They ask us if we are going to Daytona. I didnt want to open my mouth and let any warm air out so I gave them a thumbs up. Once inside where we could talk they asked us how far we were going to go that day. I said to Daytona of course. They looked at us like we were nutz, and said not us, its too cold were getting a room for the rest of the day. I guess their heater was out, but still they had a truck and the windows were all good............ Ok, so I figure we hit Lake City then turn south that should be when the pain stops. And I do mean Pain, MAN alive.........the biting cold on my fingers was unbearable. One hand on the bars and one between my legs.....Thank God I had a throttle lock then! Switching back and forth to keep from stopping every 5 miles. Ok Lake city has come we stop for lunch....takes a long time to stop shivvering. Sun is shining, we feel much better, just know the bad part is over and now we can enjoy the ride. Nope. Its blowing wind outside and not quite 40°. Dang......I had to check the map to make sure we were really in Florida. We get to Daytona at the end of the sunshine and it was over 40° there that day but started to cool already so it was still in the high thirties when we pulled in the parking lot at the church. I felt like a GI-Joe little plastic man with those hands that are permanently in the grip position with a hole for whatever you need to make him grip onto. LOL hrs to get the blood flowing. My stomach muscles were flat give out from tightening to keep blood flowing to the core. We really should have got a room like the Harley guys did because........ The next day we woke up to 60° and it warmed to 70° with very light winds.......perfect day to ride with the clothes we had....................wouldnt ya know it Oh, for the record Judy bailed on me, and rode in the cage (church van with the supplies) almost the whole way
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