Bike Nights

We went to our first "Bike Night" of the year last night (Fri 6/11) over at Bruster's in Glen Burnie. It was just about the perfect evening for a ride, too. I think the temp was in the low 80's and traffic had mostly died down for the evening when we left the house. I'd been messaging Angela H. back & forth, hoping to meet up with her and Clarke so we could ride up together. That worked out well; we met up at the police station over off of Rt. 170 & Rt. 32, then Clarke took the lead a we rolled on up to Glen Burnie and Brusters'. There were probably ~20 bikes there when we arrived, and they even had a DJ playing some "biker friendly" tunes (I was particularly pleased with the selections from .38 Special - and Gary F. would be happy to know that I can still identify Molly Hatchet's "Flirtin' With Disaster" in about a nanosecond!).

As with most of my visits to Glen Burnie, I saw a lot of - well, interesting folks. One obviously pregnant lady had the lowest, most protruding-ist basketball belly I have EVER seen. She wasn't a big gal but garsh that belly was out there! Saw another gal in what looked like a tutu and some sort of make-up around her eyes that looked like small wings. Permanent makeup tatoo, perhaps? Fascinating.

Bayside Believers had a strong showing at Bruster's and I think it was great for the folks to see all of the CMA back patches enjoying a great time of fellowship.

Tonight (Saturday) was to be the very first Bike Night at the Chick-fil-A on Johns Hopkins Rd.. Unfortunately, thunder was rumbling in the distance and weather.com wasn't looking very good with large splotches of green and orange all over. Nevertheless, I was determined to be there since I got the thing organized with the store management. We went ahead and rolled on down the road to Chick and got there before 7 and stayed until 7:30 (enjoying a chicken strip salad whilst waiting) but nobody else showed up. Oh well - maybe next week!

Memorial Day 2010

The weekend of Memorial Day 2010 was a great time for riding. On Sunday the 30th, of course, was Rolling Thunder. That's something I want to do someday, but it just hasn't pushed to the top of my list yet. KarenSue & I had been planning on riding on Memorial Day itself for a couple weeks so as the weekend approached, I was doing a lot of looking at the map and thinking. Gettysburg was and always is a possibility, (as is High Rock) but as KS pointed out, we'd done that before. I did want to visit some place Veteran-related since it was Memorial Day, so I considered the Monocacy Battlefield just south of Frederick. On Sunday, we went on a bicycle ride out on the C&O starting at Point of Rocks and turning around at Brunswick (more on that later) so I decided that we'd visit Monocacy then roll on to Brunswick before looping back around toward home.

I posted a note on Facebook that KS & I would be at the Chick-fil-A on Johns Hopkins Rd. (just south of Columbia off of Rt. 29) at 9:30am on Monday morning and invited folks to ride along with us. Monica B. chimed right in that she and Shawn would be there, as did Chuck R., and right about 9:30 in they rolled along with Darrell B. who we'd met last year on a CMA ride. Shawn prayed over our ride and asked the Lord to keep us safe (which He did), and we mounted up and headed out on our trip.

We started out riding through the new development of Maple Lawn before turning right onto Rt. 216 heading west. We crossed over Rt. 108 at Highland and continued on to Brighton Dam Rd. where we turned left. Crossing the Tridelphia Reservoir on Brighton Dam, we shortly came up to Rt. 650 (Damascus Rd.) where we turned right. 650 basically ends at Etchison where it runs into Rt. 108 coming up from the south, and we continued on in a westward course the whole way to T's into Rt. 27 at Damascus. Coming across 650 and 108 is a beautiful ride through the countryside spotted with very nice homes, horse farms and sod farms. The only "problem" is that the speed limit is mostly between 35-45mph which my beloved Yamaha Raider just does not like to do. It brings to mind that one horse on Ben-Hur that wants to leave the rest of it's team behind (don't worry, I'll tie in Ben-Hur in a moment). KS kept - uh - lovingly whispering in my ear (via our helmet comms) that I was leaving the group behind, so I relinquished the lead to her more stable pace. With four of the six riders wearing CMA back patches, we endeavored to follow the traffic rules to the best of our abilities, and I think we did a pretty good job... as difficult as it was for some of us!

So with me lovingly whispering directions into KS' ear, we moved north on Rt. 27 for a short piece until turning left on Rt. 80 (Kemptown Rd.). Kemptown Rd. becomes Fingerboard Rd. (still Rt. 80) as it moves on to Urbana where we turn right (north) on Rt. 355 (Urbana Pike). From there, it was a fairly quick ride up to the Monocacy Battlefield where we pulled in to the Visitor Center for a break and a chance to pay respects to a particular group of Veterans. You can read about the battle here.

The Monocacy Battlefield is probably one of the closest battlefields to our local Columbia area which it seems very few people know about. It wasn't an epic battle like Gettysburg, Antietam, or Shiloh, but it was epic enough for the thousands of casualties that day. Outside of the Visitor Center, there were rows of flags (KS thinks she counted 20x24 rows) stuck in the ground to commemorate each of the men on both sides who were killed in action that day. The Confederate Army carried the field when the fight was over, but they'd been beat up badly enough by a Union force a third of it's size that they their movement to Washington was delayed long enough for General Grant to rush reinforcements to the threatened city. The Union commander that day, General Lewis Wallace, said that "These men died to save the National Capital, and they did save it." This is where my earlier Ben-Hur reference ties in; after the war, it was this very same Lewis Wallace that wrote the novel, Ben-Hur.

After the battlefield visit, we moved right up the road about half a mile to have lunch at a Chick-fil-A (no - they're not a sponsor; I just like their food, their organization, and I'll give them a free plug whenever I can!) before heading back down Rt. 355 a mile or so before turning right (west) onto Araby Church Rd. We were only on that road briefly before turning right onto Baker Valley Rd. That was a fairly brief ride as well before we turned right on Rt. 80 again (still called Fingerboard Rd. at this point) and proceeded west before coming to a "T" on Rt. 85 (Buckeyestown Pike). We turned left and rolled on for a few miles until we came to Rt. 28 near Tuscarora. Turning right onto Rt. 28, we proceeded on to Point of Rocks where we turned right on Rt. 15 and moved north for a mile or so before turning left towards Brunswick on Rt. 464. We hit Brunswick after several miles and rolled through town before making our second stop of the day at a little gem that KS and I discovered just the day before called Beans in the Belfry.

Beans in the Belfry is my idea of a great ride destination. It's in a smallish town, serves coffee, milkshakes, sandwiches and desserts (among other things) in a cozy, relaxing atmosphere. As the reader may deduce from the name, this establishment is housed in what was once a church - and they even still have a few pews in there for seats among some other items left over from it's original purpose - which makes the conservative Christian in me cringe a little, to be honest. Oh well.. at least it's not a bar - else it may be named "Pint in the Pulpit" or something similar.

We decided to head on home at a little faster pace then we'd previously been on, so we pulled out of town on Rt. 17 north (Burketsville Rd.) briefly until proceeding straight onto Rt. 79 (Petersville Rd.). That was a fairly brief ride as well before we connected with Rt. 180 and turned right. Again it was a quick ride before we jumped onto Rt. 340 (which merges with Rt. 15) toward Frederick. The rest of the trip was what one would expect on I-70 on a holiday weekend. It was heavy but moving fast, so we rolled up to Rt. 32 and broke off toward Columbia and home after making that last leg of the trip.

Apart from the slow speeds rolling through the countryside, this was a fabulous ride. Lots of great scenery (that you are able to appreciate more since you're going slow) and excellent roads and top-notch destinations made for one very enjoyable ride. One thing I liked about the course was that the various intersections we hit were situated in such a way that there was plenty of visibility to allow for perfectly safe egress onto the new route. There weren't too many traffic signals either, nor did we hit much construction. Those facts, combined with the great time of fellowship with friends served to make this Memorial Day ride one to be remembered!

Mapping Rides

No classwork for a week, so I'm enjoying some time listening to Pandora and surfing all over. Started off with looking at the Raider Forum at MyBikeForums, which lead me to a site called MotoWhere. Very groovy site, it is. I was able to map out some of the rides I've done, and look at some other ones that folks have posted.

The Maryland rides can be found here and Pennsylvania rides here. Fellow Keystone Staters need to get on the ball! Hey Dave - here's the Florida rides. There's plenty to choose from.

Also found a Facebook group called "Fort Meade and surrounding areas Motorcycle Riders". If you're a rider in the area - and on Facebook - look it up. Doesn't look like the group's been around long; only 10 members. But hey - gotta start somewhere. Thinking about starting a Facebook for the CMA (Christian Motorcyclists Association) chapter I'm a member of, Bayside Believers. Hopefully I can get that kicked off soon, before classes start again in a week.

Obviously a Slacker Blogger

Well I had a run of articles for our CMA newsletter that I figured I could blog with - but that was about the extent of my blogging. That was in January..

... of 2009.

Every so often I see something, or think of something that I think is blog-worthy, but I never get around to making the online commentary. Not that I have a large following.. or any following.. but sometimes it's fun to just put thoughts down on "paper" (as it were) and put them out there for anybody who cares.

Random thoughts.. like this past weekend, for instance. Driving back up to Columbia from my cousin's wedding in Richmond (which was a great time, incidentally), I couldn't help but notice a couple different places that were flying ginormous American flags over their businesses. What businesses? Car dealerships. FOREIGN car dealerships. Kia and Toyota, to be specific. After seeing the second flag, I decide to keep an eye out for the flags over American car dealerships. A Ford dealership around Waldorf had a modestly-sized flag flying, and a nearby GM (Government Motors) dealership's flag pole was empty. Granted, I didn't decide to begin my flag survey until late in the trip. I'm going to pay more attention the next time I'm out and about.

"Who's Got the Guts" Ride - New Year's Day 2009

2009 dawned bright and cold on New Year’s day. We had our annual “Guts” ride down to Pirates Cove scheduled, and I was anxious to get out on the bike. It had been too long since I’d had any good mileage put on, and I was going to get out – regardless of the 40-degree weather. Except it wasn’t quite 40. In fact, it wasn’t quite 30. When I left Columbia around 9:30am, the temperature was a whopping 27 degrees in the sunlight.

Properly layered, leathered, and sporting toe and hand warmers left over from hunting season, I headed toward Millersville to meet up with the rest of the Bayside folks brave (and crazy) enough to roll out on the rather chilly day that it was. I pulled into the WaWa and much to my surprise, there were at least a dozen bikes already there. In the end, I believe the final tally of two-wheelers was 19. There were a few back-seaters as well, and Chuck R. showed up in his cage. At least there was one guy with some sense amongst the group!

We pulled out right at 10:30 and headed toward Annapolis and then on to Galesville. The ride was good and uneventful for the most part. We only got separated at one light, if memory serves. Once through Annapolis, Jimmy lead us south along Muddy Creek Road, a great ride and one that I’ve resolved to take again when the temperature is a little more agreeable.

Arriving at Pirates Cove, most of us scampered inside to find a fireplace to sit by or a vat of coffee to dive into. The folks at the restaurant put us out in a side room which under more moderate temps would be great, with a nice view of the marina. The bad news was that the room appeared to be an add-on, and I think they forgot to add-on any heat producing devices. The good news was they rolled a porta-furnace contraption out in the room for us to cozy up to. The worse news was that it ran out of gas after about 10 minutes of use. While working, it provided us with an opportunity for a few pictures of folks raising hands (even the Southern Baptists!) to the heat source which for some reason was at the top of the thing. Too bad for young Miss Gabbie; she was about three feet too short to get her hands remotely close to the heat source.

After lunch and a great time of fellowship, it was time to mount back up and head back to our homes. Many folks took off in their own direction straight away; I suspect that each rider had noodled out in his head the shortest possible route to take toward home. That was my excuse, anyway. I knew Clarke & Angela would be heading the way I needed to go so I tagged along behind them and learned about some nice routes for this coming season. Along the way we  came up to several traffic lights but go figure, for once I was able to blow right through them. I was hoping for some red lights to pop up so I could shake my hands and/or sit on them, but we just kept rolling right along.

Regardless of the cold ride and the time it took me to thaw out afterwards, I really enjoyed my day as this was the third year in a row I’ve kicked off my year of riding with my Christian brothers and sisters in the Bayside Believers chapter. I’m looking forward to the rides, the fellowship, and the ministry opportunities that 2009 will bring and its my prayer that the Lord will watch over us as we ride so we can all gather again for the next “Guts” ride in about 300-some days!

Columbus Day '08 - Gettysburg Ride

The weather reports leading up to Columbus Day looked promising, so I put the word out to the newly formed Columbia Christian Cycles to see if anybody was game for a ride to Gettysburg. I received positive responses from two of the guys (Fred & Mike) so we made the appropriate plans and got ready to ride. Fred and I met at South Columbia Baptist Church at 9am and headed out to rendezvous with Mike along the way.

The traffic wasn't too bad as we jumped onto Rt. 32 west and rolled on out to Pfefferkorn Road where we turned left for a little shortcut over to Rt. 144 where we turned left to continue west. I was pleased to see that 144 was freshly resurfaced which made our short ride out to Rt. 97 north all the more enjoyable. I really like Rt. 144; I could ride roads like that all day long! There are plenty of little towns to go through which allow for gas'n and go'n and the occasional refreshment stop. But I digress...

We went on up north on Rt. 97 until arriving at Rt. 26 where we turned left in the direction of Libertytown. About a mile down the road, we stopped at Metzler's Nursery where we hooked up with Mike and his shiny new Suzuki V-Strom. Continuing west, we hit Libertytown where we turned right onto Rt. 550 towards Woodsboro. Arriving in Woodsboro shortly thereafter, we did a quick gas & go stop before turning onto Rt. 194 towards Taneytown. This was a good road to ride, but we got stuck behind some 18-wheeler's and a farm tractor dragging a rather large implement of the cultivator type.

Reaching Taneytown, we had to sit for patiently whilst an 18-wheeler tried to figure out how to turn onto Rt. 194 without taking out some cars or the traffic lights. The delay gave us a moment to discuss how we hadn't seen any election signs for a particular candidate since we'd left Howard County.

Turning left on Rt. 140, we navigated some major road work for a short time until coming up to Harney Road where we turned right and headed for the PA line. This was a great road! I'd been on it once in the Avalanche but I'd forgotten about the nice twists and curves that this road offers. I'm sure sport bikers would yawn at it but it was a lot of fun on my cruiser. Harney becomes PA Rt. 134 (a.k.a. Taneytown Road) at the state line and it continues along to Gettysburg. This was probably my favorite road of the day; a nice two-lane highway through the country with very little traffic until you get into Gettysburg proper.

We rolled into town and went right to our lunch destination, the Springhouse Tavern which is part of the Dobbin House Tavern on Steinwehr Avenue. The place was built back in 1776 and I think the Springhouse Tavern really hasn't changed all that much over the centuries since. You really get the feeling that you're in a very old place when you go down the narrow stairs and come into the relatively dark and cramped pub area. Their website (www.dobbinhouse.com) says that the Springhouse is “...cozy and romantic...” but when you're with two biker buds, I'd prefer that it would say something like “cool old joint where you can get some good chow.” When I'm there with my wife, then it's “cozy and romantic!” Word of advice: get there early. The doors open at 11:30am. It was packed at 11:50am. I learned that lesson the hard way on a previous ride to the 'burg.

After lunch, we rolled on over to the new Visitor's Center for a quick look around. We thought about buying a ticket to get in and check the joint out, but the weather was just too nice to be inside so we got back on the bikes and rolled around the battlefield for a while. We enjoyed the views and considered the events that had transpired on that hallowed ground – until a handful of deer exploded across the road right in front of us. I hadn't seen deer move that fast since that last time I'd missed one in buck season. These critters were moving like they'd seen a Reb ghost out in the field.

We decided to head back toward home so we got going south on Emmitsburg Road toward Rt. 15. After a quick stop at Rider's Edge Yamaha (to allow me to droll over the beautiful Royal Star Venture in the showroom), we pointed our noses south and headed toward home. We took Rt. 15 south as far as Rt. 140, where we jumped off and got moving toward Taneytown and Westminster. Rt. 140 between Emmitsburg and Westminster is a great road (with the exception of hang-ups in Taneytown) but to add to the fun, hop onto the Old Taneytown Road (Rt. 832) at the roundabout just past Taneytown. It runs parallel to Rt. 140 and is a little more scenic.

The rest of the ride was relatively uneventful. We took Rt. 97 south at Westminster and Mike jumped off when he got close to home. Fred and I went on back to Rt. 144 east and cut across to Clarksville on Folly Quarter Rd. We split up at Clarksville and headed back to our respective HQ's and called it a day. All in all, we put just about 150 miles on the bikes on the round trip from/to Columbia.

I missed my CMA chapter's “Fall Foliage Ride” because I was away on business, but this ride more than made up for any of the sights that I may have missed. The scenery was just spectacular! The trees are turning, but there's still plenty of green left up high which really adds to the beautiful reds, oranges and yellow's that are really showing right now. The weather was absolutely perfect for the ride; cool enough for chaps in the morning but warm enough for the t-shirt in the afternoon. Makes me wish I had a few more vacation days to take so I could do some more fall rides.

This was the first ride for our newly-formed Columbia Christian Cycles. We're hoping to get the word out about our group so more Christian brother and sister bikers in the Columbia area can join us for rides and fellowship and most importantly, introduce Christ to the unchurched biker community around us through our testimony and relationship with Christ and each other. Contact Chuck Dean at srchiefchuck@gmail.com for more information.

The Cornwall (UK) Ride

I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited England a few times on business over the past couple years and each time I’m here, I think about how cool it would be to tour the countryside on a motorcycle. While I was planning my current visit, I did a search on motorcycle rentals in Cornwall and was pleased to find a place called Cornish Wheels in a town called Redruth. I sent an email with several questions to their info address and within a day or two I heard back from David, who runs the joint. He told me about the kinds of bikes they have, the cost (rental, insurance and gear), and what sort of documents he’d need for the rental.

The weather was promising for the weekend so I went ahead and told David I’d be there at 9am on Saturday to pick up the bike. He opened up the shop and pulled out the bike I’d requested, a 2008 Triumph Bonneville America. I’d never ridden a Triumph before, but I’d heard good things about them. Besides, one should ride an English bike when in England, right? He also loaned me a great Harris riding coat, gloves, and a helmet. I would’ve loved to have had my own helmet since the “Large” helmets he had, weren’t. I really didn’t want to lug a helmet across the pond for one day of riding, but judging from the headache I had when I was done for the day, it probably would’ve been worth it.

We got the paperwork taken care of, David did an inspection on the bike and I got suited up for the ride. I told him that I was planning on heading down to Land’s End, so he suggested that I first head over toward St. Ives and head down the coastal highway. He said that the scenery was beautiful and that it was a great ride apart from the tourist traffic and farm vehicles during the summer. David gave me a couple pointers for riding in England, specifically Cornwall, where the hedgerows are walls of rock hidden by bushes. In some parts of the country a rider can possibly make an emergency ditch into a hedgerow. Not Cornwall. You’ll just bounce off the hedgerow and end up getting clobbered by the oncoming threat anyway.

David offered to have me follow him out to the A30, where I started my day of riding. He broke off and I proceeded south for a few miles getting use to the Triumph on a good road. Turing west on the A3074, I moved on into St. Ives. I cruised through town and took in the sights until coming to the B3306 where I turned south again and began to ride along the West Cornwall coastline. I really didn’t have any particular plan on this ride other than to follow my nose and keep the ocean on my right. I had to have the bike back at 6pm, so I had about eight hours to see what I could see.

I’d left the hotel before breakfast was served so by now I was starting to get hungry. Naturally, being in Cornwall, I started looking for somewhere that I could have a “proper” Cornish Cream Tea. This isn’t just tea with cream in it. A Cream Tea is a scone or two split horizontally and topped with fruit jam and a healthy splat of clotted cream (another Cornwall specialty). It’s usually served with a pot of tea as well. Not too far away from St. Ives, I came across Rosemergy Cream Teas. Rosemergy is a small holiday hamlet tucked in below the cliffs of West Cornwall and has a great view of the ocean only about a mile away. I stopped in and ordered a Cream Tea and took a seat outside to enjoy the sunshine and the view. Jane, the owner, gave me several suggestions of nearby places to see.

Heading back out on the B3306, I began to really enjoy the ride as I was getting use to the bike and the roads. The curves were awesome! One thing to keep in mind about “B” roads when riding a motorcycle; you won’t “B” in 5th gear very often, if ever! There weren’t any switchbacks since I wasn’t climbing any hills, but there are both sweeping and sharp curves as the road cuts through the hedgerows that have been there for centuries. Some places on the B3306 were wide enough for two cars to comfortably pass through. Other places aren’t quite so wide. There were several times when I had to stop and tuck up tight to the hedgerow to allow an oncoming car to pass without getting clocked by their mirror. Just about all of the Brit drivers that I’ve come across are very courteous, pulling over to allow you to pass and waving when somebody does that for them.

The Cornish coast is rugged and there are great little towns to ride through. Sennen Cove has a great beach where I saw a lot of surfers, and they also have a working harbor for various fishing boats to use. The view from Land’s End was great as well, but really, the only thing different about it was that it is the western-most point in the UK. There are several shops and café’s, and a sign that pointed to New York with a distance of 3147 miles away. I even had a little vision of home, too, when I saw a guy taking pictures with a Steelers shirt on!

Continuing along the coastline, I broke off of the B3306 to ride down a very tight lane to Lamorna Cove where I saw some divers coming out of the water. I snapped a couple pictures and got back out on the road and rode on into Penzance (as in “Pirates of”). The tide was out, so I took a couple pictures of all of the boats in the harbor sitting up on the mud. Riding on out to Marazion, I parked and walked out to St. Michael’s Mount, about 400 yards offshore. At low tide, you can walk out to the island on a causeway.

The castle was closed, so I went back to the bike and headed off again. Still keeping the water on my right I pushed on toward “The Lizard,” a peninsula in Cornwall which holds the most southern part of England. Lizard Point was a great place to park the bike and walk around. The scenery was spectacular with high rugged cliffs, a big lighthouse, and the western English Channel spread out in front of me.

Pictures taken, I had to start making my way back toward Redruth. Taking a northerly course, I rolled through several small towns and some great countryside. After stopping for a cup of tea (hey, when in England…) and getting a suggestion to visit the Truro Cathedral from a couple blokes in a pub, I headed that way. Truro is a great town and the Cathedral is indeed grand. It’s also relatively new, as far as European cathedrals go. The foundations stones were laid in 1880 and the Nave was dedicated in 1903. I was invited in for a quick look around by a gentleman coming in for their worship service which would be starting shortly.

I walked around town for a short time and took a couple more pictures, then it was time to head back to Redruth. A “petrol” stop set me back around $20, and I pulled back into Cornish Wheels at 6pm.

What a way to spend a day in England! I got to see a lot of beautiful countryside, speak with some locals, and get some serious riding in. The Triumph was a great bike; it's comfortable, easy to handle, and had plenty of power and speed when I needed it. It was probably the easiest-shifting bike I’d ever ridden, too. The brakes were superb, and they got a heavy workout on my ride. In fact, when I was sitting in church this morning I realized that my right forearm was a little sore – probably from all the brake squeezing I was doing on those great roads! The bike (with insurance) only set me back $183, within a few dollars of what I paid for the Electra Glide I rented in Branson this summer.

I had the bike for about eight hours, and I was probably on the road close to six and a half of those. You’d think those hours would pile up the miles, but you’d be wrong. When I pulled back into Cornish Wheels, I only had 118 miles on the trip counter. Even though I was underway for most of the day, I spent most of that time doing around 30 mph. That really indicates what kinds of roads they have in Cornwall; you just can’t open it up without seriously endangering your life. Sport bike riders would have a field day here if the roads were closed for a race, but flying around totally blind corners on roads that are barely single-lane size back in the states would probably not end well.

So if you’re ever in England, be sure and look into renting a bike for a day or two and check out this beautiful country while enjoying a ride that you won’t soon forget. If your trip takes you into Cornwall, look up David’s shop at www.cornishwheels.com.