Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Dirty, dirty bike
My bike is really dirty. I don't mean a little dust...I mean filthy, nasty, corroded, muddy, dirty. After a season of winter riding it is in dire need of a deep cleaning.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
February 8th, 2015 - Ride to Pic-A-Lilli Inn
Today's run was a short one. The Pic-A-Lilli Inn is considered local to us. We logged extra miles because we rode up to Lakewood to the usual meeting place, Wawa. Barbara made this ride which was nice; she hasn't made many rides and she hasn't had a chance to try her electric heated gloves.
The weather was fantastic for the middle of winter. It was mostly sunny and the temperature topped out at about 52 degrees. I was finally able to make it out of the driveway.
We rode up to Wawa where we met with the usual cast of characters and a few extras too. We usually only have 6-8 bikes but today we had 13. We left the Wawa a few minutes after 10:00 and header down Rt. 70.
We wound our way through the Pinelands until we got to the Pic-A-Lilli Inn. There were quite a few bikes there, as was expected because of the nice weather.
After we signed in we were given a table large enough to seat all of us. When you consider the number of people there we were lucky to get seated quickly. Lunch was fun. This crowd always has a great time when together...lots of good natured ribbing.
The weather was fantastic for the middle of winter. It was mostly sunny and the temperature topped out at about 52 degrees. I was finally able to make it out of the driveway.
We rode up to Wawa where we met with the usual cast of characters and a few extras too. We usually only have 6-8 bikes but today we had 13. We left the Wawa a few minutes after 10:00 and header down Rt. 70.
We wound our way through the Pinelands until we got to the Pic-A-Lilli Inn. There were quite a few bikes there, as was expected because of the nice weather.
 Dan, Casey, Charlie, Jack, Craig, David and Barbara |
We went inside and signed in. Today I had enough points to get my Polar Bear patch! |
We left the restaurant and worked our way back up to Chatsworth where Barbara and I split from the crowd and headed home.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
March 22nd, 2015 - Polar Bear Grand Tour Ride to Brian's Harley-Davidson
My son Chris was supposed to go on this ride today but he sent me a text saying he wasn't going. Too bad...we spent a good part of yesterday installing HOG Tunes on his bike. I would have liked to do a little work on my bike but we ran out of time.
Since Brian's isn't very far we met at the Wawa at 10:00. When I pulled in to the Wawa there was a commotion around the gas pumps. Apparently a bus had cut too close to the concrete posts protecting the pump island and ended up hung up on one of the posts. Lots of debris...no injuries. I filled the bike and joined the other riders. While we waited to leave I hooked up my electric gloves. I left the house hoping it was warm enough to do without the electrics but my hands were a little cold.
We left Wawa right after 10:00. There were 10 bikes today, a good size group. If there's more than 10 bikes we have to split into two groups. It was a nice ride to Brian's. The weather was clear but a little breezy. When we crossed the Calhoun Street Bridge in Trenton the winds blowing down the Delaware River pushed the bikes around on the steel grates of the bridge.
Since Brian's isn't very far we met at the Wawa at 10:00. When I pulled in to the Wawa there was a commotion around the gas pumps. Apparently a bus had cut too close to the concrete posts protecting the pump island and ended up hung up on one of the posts. Lots of debris...no injuries. I filled the bike and joined the other riders. While we waited to leave I hooked up my electric gloves. I left the house hoping it was warm enough to do without the electrics but my hands were a little cold.
We left Wawa right after 10:00. There were 10 bikes today, a good size group. If there's more than 10 bikes we have to split into two groups. It was a nice ride to Brian's. The weather was clear but a little breezy. When we crossed the Calhoun Street Bridge in Trenton the winds blowing down the Delaware River pushed the bikes around on the steel grates of the bridge.
We arrived at Brian's around 11:40. There were fewer bikes there than we expected. We parked the bikes and went inside to sign in for the Polar Bear Grand Tour to get credit for the ride.
Inside the dealership they were hosting a free lunch...meatball sandwiches, macaroni salad and drinks. After we ate we checked out the store. Brian's has a very large and well stocked inventory of clothes, accessories and parts. I wasn't in the market for anything except women's shirts but there weren't any worth buying in the clearance rack.
 |
| Me getting ready to leave Brian's |
When everyone was done looking around we geared up and headed out. We did a quick stop at Jack's mother's house in Bensalem to drop something off. The ride home took us along the Neshaminy Creek through Bensalem, Hulemville and Croydon. We crossed the Delaware River again over the Burlington Bristol Bridge. When we crossed Rt. 206 I split from the group and headed for home.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
January 18th, 2015 - Polar Bear Grand Tour Ride...not!
It's raining. I've ridden in the rain and don't exactly care for it. Especially when it's about 35 degrees. Like Jack said, "It's no fun if you have to start out in your rain gear".
So it's no ride today...maybe next week.
So it's no ride today...maybe next week.
Monday, January 12, 2015
January 11th, 2015 - Polar Bear Grand Tour Ride to Upstream Grille. Lake Hopatcong NJ
Today's run was a cold one. I wasn't quite sure about going. Not so much because of the temperatures but because there had been some winter weather a few days ago and I was unsure about the road conditions where we were going. I text-ed Jack to ask about the roads and he assured me they were clear.
When I went outside it was about 14 degrees. The big red bike was reluctant to start but on the third try it turned over and roared to life. While the bike warmed up I went about hooking the trailer up to the Jeep. I have the trailer hooked up and ready to go whenever I go on these rides...just in case there's an incident.
Because of the temps I wear alot of clothes. At this point on top I had on a performance long sleeve T-shirt, a performance insulated top, on 'old school' insulated top, a turtle neck, a sweat shirt, a hooded sweatshirt and my riding jacket with liner. It may seem absurd but each layer has a purpose. I hope to order a new coat this week which will do away with the need for some of the layers. On the bottom I wear high athletic socks, performance insulated bottom, above the knee heavy socks, 'old school' thermal bottom and a pair of heavy, heavy lined blue jeans. On my feet I wear a pair of heavy, mid-height, Harley-Davidson boots. On my neck I wear a full neck gaiter which I pull up over my nose and on my head I wear a full face helmet. With the face shield pulled down my face stays warm...but there is a fogging issue whenever I come to a stop. To finish things off I have a pair of electrically heated Gerbing gloves.
Fully dressed, bike warmed up I headed out...very carefully. My driveway was the trickiest part. Once on the road it was go time. I headed up to the Wawa in Lakewood to meet the other riders. I got a few strange looks and shaking heads when people saw me on a bike in these temps.
At the Wawa were the usual characters, but no Charlie. We had our coffee, chatted then headed out for Lake Hopatcong. It was going to be a high speed ride up; the Parkway to 287 to 206 to 80 to 15. At 75mph the wind chill was about zero. The ride was without incident although the traffic was a little heavy, especially on 206. We made one stop in South Bound Brook for the bathroom and coffee.
When we arrived at the Upstream Grille there were already alot of bikes there. Many more than we expected with the low temps. The parking lot was almost clear, with only a few tiny spots of ice...but those spots will drop you if you're not careful.
We went inside to sign in to get credit for the ride. I also had to sign in for my participation in the January 1st Chilly Chili Ride. Because I forgot the wrist band from the ride they were reluctant to let me sign but finally relented. By now I should have enough points for my patch so I'll get that on the next ride. We had a nice lunch even though Dan's chili 'sucked' and he was also way overcharged for extra bratwurst.
As we went to leave Jack discovered that his heated gear was blowing fuses. Not good. He couldn't pin down the cause right away so he decided to ride home with out heat. We headed home under cloudy skies with a temp of 26 degrees. For the ride home we hopped off of the high speed interstate about half way and took 'back roads'. We stopped at the Englishtown Wawa for the bathroom, coffee and fuel. While we were stopped Jack isolated his electrical problem to his heated jacket liner. The rest of the ride home was smooth. The sun had come back out, the temps rose to about 35...a nice finish to a good day.
When I went outside it was about 14 degrees. The big red bike was reluctant to start but on the third try it turned over and roared to life. While the bike warmed up I went about hooking the trailer up to the Jeep. I have the trailer hooked up and ready to go whenever I go on these rides...just in case there's an incident.
Because of the temps I wear alot of clothes. At this point on top I had on a performance long sleeve T-shirt, a performance insulated top, on 'old school' insulated top, a turtle neck, a sweat shirt, a hooded sweatshirt and my riding jacket with liner. It may seem absurd but each layer has a purpose. I hope to order a new coat this week which will do away with the need for some of the layers. On the bottom I wear high athletic socks, performance insulated bottom, above the knee heavy socks, 'old school' thermal bottom and a pair of heavy, heavy lined blue jeans. On my feet I wear a pair of heavy, mid-height, Harley-Davidson boots. On my neck I wear a full neck gaiter which I pull up over my nose and on my head I wear a full face helmet. With the face shield pulled down my face stays warm...but there is a fogging issue whenever I come to a stop. To finish things off I have a pair of electrically heated Gerbing gloves.
Fully dressed, bike warmed up I headed out...very carefully. My driveway was the trickiest part. Once on the road it was go time. I headed up to the Wawa in Lakewood to meet the other riders. I got a few strange looks and shaking heads when people saw me on a bike in these temps.
At the Wawa were the usual characters, but no Charlie. We had our coffee, chatted then headed out for Lake Hopatcong. It was going to be a high speed ride up; the Parkway to 287 to 206 to 80 to 15. At 75mph the wind chill was about zero. The ride was without incident although the traffic was a little heavy, especially on 206. We made one stop in South Bound Brook for the bathroom and coffee.
When we arrived at the Upstream Grille there were already alot of bikes there. Many more than we expected with the low temps. The parking lot was almost clear, with only a few tiny spots of ice...but those spots will drop you if you're not careful.
We went inside to sign in to get credit for the ride. I also had to sign in for my participation in the January 1st Chilly Chili Ride. Because I forgot the wrist band from the ride they were reluctant to let me sign but finally relented. By now I should have enough points for my patch so I'll get that on the next ride. We had a nice lunch even though Dan's chili 'sucked' and he was also way overcharged for extra bratwurst.
As we went to leave Jack discovered that his heated gear was blowing fuses. Not good. He couldn't pin down the cause right away so he decided to ride home with out heat. We headed home under cloudy skies with a temp of 26 degrees. For the ride home we hopped off of the high speed interstate about half way and took 'back roads'. We stopped at the Englishtown Wawa for the bathroom, coffee and fuel. While we were stopped Jack isolated his electrical problem to his heated jacket liner. The rest of the ride home was smooth. The sun had come back out, the temps rose to about 35...a nice finish to a good day.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
November 2nd, 2014 - Polar Bear Ride, Lewes DE
This was the second Polar Bear Ride of the season, the first being the sign-up ride to Cape May. It was about 380 miles although our Road Captain Jack reported 408 miles (a little rounding up for and extra point).
It was a fairly cold and very windy day. When I say windy I mean we were getting blown all over the place. The most dramatic winds were on the Delaware Memorial Bridge. As we came down the Delaware side the sides of the bridge opened up and the winds were very strong. The bikes were actually leaning way over sideways into the wind to stay in their lanes.
The ride home was going to be more direct, to get us home before dark. Two of the riders opted to take a more northern route up 95 to avoid going over the Delaware Memorial Bridge again, due to the high winds we experienced before. This is where my ride fell apart; literally and figuratively. Some where after getting fuel in Dover I was shifting (trying to) when I felt the shift lever just flapping around. At first I though the shift linkage had given way again but this time it was different. At first glance it looked like the shift linkage had exploded. The arm that connects the shift linkage to the shift pedal shaft had lost it's screw and had come off. I looked for a place to pull off as quickly as possible because I knew if I stopped I would never be able to get going again in fourth gear. I pulled into an abandoned gas station, cutting off the 'tail gunner' as I did. I knew no one was going to stop as I saw the group keep going with no signs of brake lights. I turned the bike off, took off my helmet and gloves and assessed the situation. I quickly got a handle on the situation, determined that it was 'riggable' and went about searching my tour pack for tools and materials.
I headed north on Route 1 (I was guessing at this point) in the direction of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I stopped at the first Wawa I saw to use the bathroom and to wash my very dirty hands. (I really need to clean the bike!) I continued north, following the signs for the bridge and crossed back into New Jersey without incident. The severe side winds that we had experienced on the way over had become a strong tailwind for the return trip. I continued on, returning home just as it was too dark to continue with my sunglasses.
Not long after I returned home I received a call from Jack, our Road Captain. He was concerned as to what had happened to me as they noticed upon their return that I was not with them. We discussed the event...no harm, no foul! At least from now on I'll have my mike cord attached so I can communicate with the group.
Besides the mechanical problem, it was a great ride. A little challenging with the high winds, especially on the bridge and technically challenging coming up with a quick roadside fix for the shifter.
It was a fairly cold and very windy day. When I say windy I mean we were getting blown all over the place. The most dramatic winds were on the Delaware Memorial Bridge. As we came down the Delaware side the sides of the bridge opened up and the winds were very strong. The bikes were actually leaning way over sideways into the wind to stay in their lanes.
The ride home was going to be more direct, to get us home before dark. Two of the riders opted to take a more northern route up 95 to avoid going over the Delaware Memorial Bridge again, due to the high winds we experienced before. This is where my ride fell apart; literally and figuratively. Some where after getting fuel in Dover I was shifting (trying to) when I felt the shift lever just flapping around. At first I though the shift linkage had given way again but this time it was different. At first glance it looked like the shift linkage had exploded. The arm that connects the shift linkage to the shift pedal shaft had lost it's screw and had come off. I looked for a place to pull off as quickly as possible because I knew if I stopped I would never be able to get going again in fourth gear. I pulled into an abandoned gas station, cutting off the 'tail gunner' as I did. I knew no one was going to stop as I saw the group keep going with no signs of brake lights. I turned the bike off, took off my helmet and gloves and assessed the situation. I quickly got a handle on the situation, determined that it was 'riggable' and went about searching my tour pack for tools and materials.
 |
| Disconnected Shift Linkage |
 |
| Bungee Cord To The Rescue |
Long story short, I pressed the arm back on the shaft and secured it with a bungee cord. Satisfied that it would work, I put on my helmet, gloves and neck gaiter and hit the road. I had lost some valuable time, meaning daylight. This was critical as I only had my prescription sunglasses. My face shield was stuck in the up position so I would have no clear vision protection once it got dark.
I headed north on Route 1 (I was guessing at this point) in the direction of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I stopped at the first Wawa I saw to use the bathroom and to wash my very dirty hands. (I really need to clean the bike!) I continued north, following the signs for the bridge and crossed back into New Jersey without incident. The severe side winds that we had experienced on the way over had become a strong tailwind for the return trip. I continued on, returning home just as it was too dark to continue with my sunglasses.
Not long after I returned home I received a call from Jack, our Road Captain. He was concerned as to what had happened to me as they noticed upon their return that I was not with them. We discussed the event...no harm, no foul! At least from now on I'll have my mike cord attached so I can communicate with the group.
Besides the mechanical problem, it was a great ride. A little challenging with the high winds, especially on the bridge and technically challenging coming up with a quick roadside fix for the shifter.
October 26th, 2014 - Cape May with Ocean Thunder HOG
Today's ride was from Ocean County Harley-Davidson in Lakewood, NJ to the VFW in Cape May, NJ. The purpose of the ride, besides going for a ride on a perfect day, was to register for the 2014-2015 Polar Bear Run season.
We headed out, down Rt. 70 then 539 and Pasadena Rd. to Chatsworth. We continued on through the pines to the Wawa in Mays Landing for a rest stop.
 |
| Ocean Thunder HOG Chapter Patch |
 |
| Polar Bear Logo |
Barbara and I geared up and left our house at about 08:10 to meet at the dealership for a 09:00 departure. When we arrived at about 08:55 there was only one bike in the lot. Hmmmm. We went inside to sign in and by the time we returned to the bike several other bikes had arrived. It wasn't long before there were about 30 bikes. It didn't take long for everyone to sign in and form up. We were on our way by about 09:25.
From the Wawa we continued on to Cape May. After getting separated and rejoining we arrived at the VFW. We parked right in front of the VFW among the multitude of bikes that were already there. We went inside and signed up for the 2014-2015 Polar Bear Ride season. It was $25 to register. If you do enough rides you get a patch and a pin.
We left the VFW and headed over to a closed ice cream shop to take advantage of parking for free in their lot. We walked through the shopping area to a nice little restaurant for lunch. Although it was busy they were able to accommodate our group and seat us all together in a group of tables. After lunch Barbara and I split from the group and went window shopping. It's definitely a place we want to return to when we have a day to spend.
When we returned to the parking lot the other bikes had already left. We mounted up and headed straight home via the parkway. What a great day for the first Polar Bear Ride.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)