It was time for my 4,000 mile motorcycle service, so I used the occasion to have my brake lever replaced. After gently dropping the bike twice (during what has literally been the bike's break-in period), the lever had become so curved it was difficult to reach. Don, a glass-half-full kind of guy, described it as something out of Dali. My new brake lever is less artistic, but more functional, and I took two city rides yesterday to celebrate the easy riding -- one of the rides was around Lake Merced where Ty will be competing today in his third cross-country meet.
Noticing all the barriers blocking streets in our neighborhood, I realized that the Nike Women's Marathon/Half Marathon would be passing nearby so I walked out early on Sunday morning hoping to see Amber in her first race since Cole and Wilson were born in mid July(?!?). There she was among the elite runners (about 8 miles into the race at 8 AM), looking fit and joyful as she chugged up the hill through Seacliff on her way to Ocean Beach.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Alice's Restaurant
The "Safety First" Biker Gang (Don and I) rode to lunch at the famous biker hangout in the Redwoods made famous by the Arlo Guthrie song from the 60s "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant..."
After a very blustery Saturday night, the weather was crisp and clear on Sunday morning as we set out on our adventure. The journey took us along the beach, through Daly City and Pacifica, along the reservoir and golf course in Hillsborough (my usual work route), but then into the redwoods after a brief stint on 92 toward Halfmoon Bay. This popular biker route was remarkably clear during our ride -- possibly because there was a 49er football game that afternoon -- so the only real challenge was avoiding tree branches that had fallen during the windy night.
We pulled into the biker lot at noon and walked across to the restaurant in our biker "armor." It's nice to go to a restaurant where almost everyone is wearing variations on the same fashion theme and sharing the picnic benches with their helmets. This is actually a family friendly biker joint that doesn't take itself too seriously -- menu items include things like Redneck Benedict and hamburgers named after different bike manufacturers. Don was disappointed that they didn't have an Aprilia burger. I later heard from Henry that Harleys park in front of the restaurant and "other" bikes park across the street. We were in compliance, but only because the Harley side was on an incline that didn't look suitable for parking.
This was our longest trip so far -- 80 miles round trip for me, which is exactly my work commute. I got back to SF in time to catch a few acts at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass event -- a huge concert in Golden Gate Park that is put on for free every year by banjo loving billionaire Warren Hellman. I also got to hear a few sets on Saturday because Ty's soccer game was in the polo field near one of the concert stages.
After a very blustery Saturday night, the weather was crisp and clear on Sunday morning as we set out on our adventure. The journey took us along the beach, through Daly City and Pacifica, along the reservoir and golf course in Hillsborough (my usual work route), but then into the redwoods after a brief stint on 92 toward Halfmoon Bay. This popular biker route was remarkably clear during our ride -- possibly because there was a 49er football game that afternoon -- so the only real challenge was avoiding tree branches that had fallen during the windy night.
We pulled into the biker lot at noon and walked across to the restaurant in our biker "armor." It's nice to go to a restaurant where almost everyone is wearing variations on the same fashion theme and sharing the picnic benches with their helmets. This is actually a family friendly biker joint that doesn't take itself too seriously -- menu items include things like Redneck Benedict and hamburgers named after different bike manufacturers. Don was disappointed that they didn't have an Aprilia burger. I later heard from Henry that Harleys park in front of the restaurant and "other" bikes park across the street. We were in compliance, but only because the Harley side was on an incline that didn't look suitable for parking.
This was our longest trip so far -- 80 miles round trip for me, which is exactly my work commute. I got back to SF in time to catch a few acts at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass event -- a huge concert in Golden Gate Park that is put on for free every year by banjo loving billionaire Warren Hellman. I also got to hear a few sets on Saturday because Ty's soccer game was in the polo field near one of the concert stages.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Completely Okay
Last week I logged over 350 miles on my motorcycle -- riding to work 4 days out of 5, which is a new record. You would think that practice would make me more perfect, but while meandering through a new neighborhood this morning (the Upper Haight), I dropped the bike -- while traveling zero miles an hour -- at the corner of Java and Masonic. There was a blind corner to my left and a downhill stretch to my right. As I was cautiously easing out for a right turn, a car came around the blind corner. I put on the brakes to let it go by and realized too late that the bike was leaning over too far to the right.
There did not appear to be any damage to the bike, but I was struggling to get it upright on the slight incline when a mother of two young boys (watching from across the street) asked if I could use some help. Without a moment's hesitation, I said "Yes!" After making sure that the younger boy didn't follow her into the street, she walked over and helped me hoist it up and asked if I was okay. I said I was "completely OK," just inexperienced as a rider. I felt glad for the boys that they had a Mom who so readily helped strangers and only slightly embarrassed as I rode off into the fog and overheard the older boy asking his Mom, "Was she completely OK?"
There did not appear to be any damage to the bike, but I was struggling to get it upright on the slight incline when a mother of two young boys (watching from across the street) asked if I could use some help. Without a moment's hesitation, I said "Yes!" After making sure that the younger boy didn't follow her into the street, she walked over and helped me hoist it up and asked if I was okay. I said I was "completely OK," just inexperienced as a rider. I felt glad for the boys that they had a Mom who so readily helped strangers and only slightly embarrassed as I rode off into the fog and overheard the older boy asking his Mom, "Was she completely OK?"
Monday, August 17, 2009
Cheeky Birds and Falling Bikes
The wind was still whistling through the trees on Sunday morning, but I braved the Golden Gate Bridge and 7 miles of 101 North for our second "bikers brunch." Our destination was Guaymas, on the waterfront in Tiburon. (Also popular with cheeky birds that swooped in for tortilla chips at the tables nearest the water.)
The ride out -- with Don riding along as "wingman" -- was pleasantly uneventful. Riding back, I slowed down when I saw brake lights up ahead and started scanning the road to see what was causing the delay. Suddenly I saw two tangled racing bikes in the fast lane and two frantic guys crossing four lanes of traffic to retrieve them. The bikes had apparently fallen out the back of a truck that was parked on the side of the road. More evidence that it's not possible to worry about the actual thing that you might need to deal with on the road -- in this case, dodging a flying 10-speed (or are they 20-speeds now?)
The ride out -- with Don riding along as "wingman" -- was pleasantly uneventful. Riding back, I slowed down when I saw brake lights up ahead and started scanning the road to see what was causing the delay. Suddenly I saw two tangled racing bikes in the fast lane and two frantic guys crossing four lanes of traffic to retrieve them. The bikes had apparently fallen out the back of a truck that was parked on the side of the road. More evidence that it's not possible to worry about the actual thing that you might need to deal with on the road -- in this case, dodging a flying 10-speed (or are they 20-speeds now?)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Wicked Wind
It's been a foggy summer in SF, but last week there were three days when it was clear enough to ride my motorcycle to work.
I have to make the decision at 6 am, when it's still dark outside, so the question is whether I can see the moon overhead. If yes, it's clear enough to ride. The only problem with this decision tree is that it doesn't take into account the wind, which was keeping the sky clear of clouds, I guess, but making it challenging to steer. Especially at high speeds on the freeway. At one point, the front tire did a weird shimmy and I decided to take surface streets the rest of the way to work so I could face the wind at slower speeds.
Making a virtue of necessity, I took El Camino Real the rest of the way to Palo Alto. (El Camino Real is the famous 600-mile road that connects 21 misssions in California and runs all the way from SF to Palo Alto -- with stop lights every few blocks and speed limit of 35 mph when traffic allows.) On the return trip, I took El Camino from Black Mountain Road, where my usual route feeds onto the freeway, to San Franciso and discovered that El Camino becomes Mission Boulevard. It added 30 minutes to my commute, but I survived to consult my motorcycle book about riding in the wind.
I was relieved to find that the shimmy was not a problem with my motorcycle. As the author described it: "When riding through crosswinds, you may get some strange feedback from the front wheel..." The proper response, he says, is to "concentrate on countersteering to make the motorcycle go in whatever direction you wish, and let the tires swerve around under you."
Yikes.
After dinner on the evening of the windy ride, we watched a documentary about the making of four Broadway musicals (Wicked, Caroline or Change, Taboo, and Avenue Q). The star of Caroline or Change shared a favorite quote: "Things always works out in the end, so if things aren't working out, it's not the end." Maybe I should think about that when I'm riding through wind.
I have to make the decision at 6 am, when it's still dark outside, so the question is whether I can see the moon overhead. If yes, it's clear enough to ride. The only problem with this decision tree is that it doesn't take into account the wind, which was keeping the sky clear of clouds, I guess, but making it challenging to steer. Especially at high speeds on the freeway. At one point, the front tire did a weird shimmy and I decided to take surface streets the rest of the way to work so I could face the wind at slower speeds.
Making a virtue of necessity, I took El Camino Real the rest of the way to Palo Alto. (El Camino Real is the famous 600-mile road that connects 21 misssions in California and runs all the way from SF to Palo Alto -- with stop lights every few blocks and speed limit of 35 mph when traffic allows.) On the return trip, I took El Camino from Black Mountain Road, where my usual route feeds onto the freeway, to San Franciso and discovered that El Camino becomes Mission Boulevard. It added 30 minutes to my commute, but I survived to consult my motorcycle book about riding in the wind.
I was relieved to find that the shimmy was not a problem with my motorcycle. As the author described it: "When riding through crosswinds, you may get some strange feedback from the front wheel..." The proper response, he says, is to "concentrate on countersteering to make the motorcycle go in whatever direction you wish, and let the tires swerve around under you."
Yikes.
After dinner on the evening of the windy ride, we watched a documentary about the making of four Broadway musicals (Wicked, Caroline or Change, Taboo, and Avenue Q). The star of Caroline or Change shared a favorite quote: "Things always works out in the end, so if things aren't working out, it's not the end." Maybe I should think about that when I'm riding through wind.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Bottom Line
After 3 months and 1600 miles in the saddle, I invested in some real motorcycle pants – something friends had been urging me to do by sharing stories of accidents where the right material in the right place saved serious injury. (In one story, a rider is saved from abrasion by his thick wallet – which wore away, along with the pocket of his jeans, except for the leather side nearest his bottom.)
My new pants (Alpinestar Street Cargo) aren’t leather, but they are made of a space-age material that claims to offer better protection than jeans. More importantly, they have an ingenious design that replaces the saggy seat characteristic of motorcycle pants with a stretch waistband in back covered by stylish panel of material that blends in with the rest of the pants. This means you can bend over while riding without showing your backside. They look like cargo pants but have heavy duty armor in the knee/shin area, which is removable for washing.
My new pants (Alpinestar Street Cargo) aren’t leather, but they are made of a space-age material that claims to offer better protection than jeans. More importantly, they have an ingenious design that replaces the saggy seat characteristic of motorcycle pants with a stretch waistband in back covered by stylish panel of material that blends in with the rest of the pants. This means you can bend over while riding without showing your backside. They look like cargo pants but have heavy duty armor in the knee/shin area, which is removable for washing.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Catch a Wave
Being a conscientious new rider, I was aware that my bike was due for a chain lube. I understand that this is something one can do on one's own, but I was apprehensive about doing it wrong or buying the wrong goop, so I asked Henry to assist. (Deborah quipped that I had gone from novice to Navas.)
I collected some important new information in the course of the visit. Henry lives on a hill and he told me to turn the front tire uphill when parking on an incline. Apparently the bike can roll off the kickstand if it is pointed downhill... So much to learn.
I have ridden to work a few times since the time I dropped the bike in the parking lot. One time I stayed on the freeway all the way and it was faster and easier than my usual scenic route. I still encounter plenty of challenges -- just this morning the bike skidded as I went around a corner near home because of wet ground from morning fog -- but I must be getting more confident because I am starting to notice "the wave" you get from fellow motorcyclists -- and even take my left hand off the handle (briefly) to wave back. Wondering about the significance of different waves, I found some funny YouTube videos on the subject. Apparently there is no wrong way to wave, but some techniques seem more sophisticated than others...
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