Azusa Canyon

For weeks now, ever since talking with our neighbor, Jeremy, The Male has been itching to ride up to Azusa Canyon, in the San Gabriel Mountains. This past Saturday seemed like as good a day as any, so off we went.

I'm still not up to freeway riding, mainly because of the vibration at higher speeds. (More about that later.) So, that meant we had to get there via city streets. I wouldn't recommend it! It's grueling to ride that far with the traffic and the constant stop and go of the traffic signals.

It is a total of 41 miles from Long Beach to the reservoir where we turned around, and we went up the canyon road only about 5 miles. The views were lovely; we stopped at an overlook, looking down at the water. The only sounds were occasional cars and crotch rockets out for their zippy ride up the canyon.

We had a quick snack, I took some photos, and we headed back home.

A little ways into the ride back, my bike cut out starting out from a stop light (One of the 17,000 between here and there.) There were cars behind me, frustrated I'm sure at this woman who thinks she can ride a motorcycle. I got it going after the second try ---- whew!!!--- and I pulled into the first gas station I could find, a little shaken. We filled up the tank, and then when Doug started the ST, his battery was dead.

Oh, I prayed. He had mistakenly left the engine on while refueling my bike. We didn't panic, at least not too much, waited a bit, and Oh, Glory, it started up. We made it home without further mechanical incident.

Going down Beach Blvd. we were stopped at a light (sigh), with me just a bit off The Male's rear tire, when a big Harley pulled up next to me. I turned to get a look, and I see it's another woman! A very clean-cut, lipsticked, beanie-helmeted, jean-and-t-shirt biker chick! Really, she could have been a lawyer. She gave me a big smile and a nod and rode off into the sunset. I'm in the club now.

As for the vibration in my hands and feet, it seems that the new grips are just the ticket for my hands. I got a new pair of boots this week, too, and with their rubber soles, that should be much more comfortable. I have been wearing a pair of non-riding shortie boots I've had for years. Their hard soles don't dampen the vibration much. I'm hoping to convince The Male that a ride out the 22 to Cook's Corner is just the ticket for our next outing.

Catching Up

Well, despite the lack of blog postings in the past weeks, I have been out and about.
We took a 51-mile journey from Long Beach around the Palos Verdes peninsula, via Pacific Coast Highway. It wasn't terrible! Actually, once we got off PCH and on to the road that circles Palos Verdes, it was a lovely ride. We had beautiful views of the ocean and Catalina Island. We took a break at a lookout point for a quick snack and to give my hands a break.
On the way home, we took the 110 for a few miles, until my hands went to sleep from the vibration. Yikes! We got off ASAP, and I killed the bike at the stop sign at the bottom of the off-ramp, due to my hands not functioning.
We got off on a little side street, I shook off the needles, and we got back on PCH for the rest of the way home.
Soon after, The Male ordered me a set of vibration-reduction hand grips, with a throttle rocker, a little platform that enables you to control speed by pressing it with your palm. I call them my "old-lady grips." Now, I'm just waiting for my new boots with the rubber soles, which will hopefully cut the vibration to my feet. That vibration at higher speeds is the main reason I am steering clear of the freeways for now.
And, then to continue the tradition of holiday rides, we went out on Memorial Day, too. Friends had invited us to their annual Memorial Day Pool Party and BBQ, the The Male decided we should ride there.
So, we packed up the saddle bags with clothes to change into (from riding gear) and our picnic food to share and barbecue, and bungee-strapped our folding lawn chairs to the ST's back seat. Which we discovered, isn't a good idea, as the chairs stuck out on either side of the bike in direct line with his rear view mirrors.
I tried to sneak in and out without drawing too much attention to the fact that we had ridden our bikes there. But, all that was thwarted as we were leaving and a friend made an announcement, " Hey, they're leaving; let's go watch."
I was just praying that if we dilly-dallied around long enough they would all go back inside, which almost succeeded. We had trouble getting our headsets synced, and all but three of my friends went back to the action. As soon as I started my bike, three heads popped up from behind a truck.
Sigh.
At least I didn't drop it on my way out...

Our Graduation, of Sorts

This past Saturday, we headed back down to Oceanside for another session with Dorothy and Garry, our riding coaches. The weather was gorgeous!
We met at the DMV for some slow-speed drills: straight line, figure 8s, hill drills, and weaving. I will admit, I was quite rusty at first. It's been over a month since I've been on my bike (between one or the other of us being sick and the SoCal rainy season), and it showed. But, Dorothy and Garry are great coaches, very patient and encouraging.
After about an hour or so, they conferred and decided that we were ready for the open road. Yippee!
We drove back to their house and enjoyed just talking motorcycles for a bit, especially after seeing their stable. Nice!
Then it was time to saddle up. Garry got out his bike, Doug rode Frank, and I took little Ruby, and off we went. First, through the quiet streets of their neighborhood, single file to avoid car doors and kids. Then, off for farther reaches. It was so fun!
But, after the power of my bike, poor little Ruby really struggled. I had to twist and twist and twist the throttle to get up to 50-55mph. And, then the foot pegs vibrated so much that I couldn't leave my feet on them! Not good. Fortunately, we didn't spend too much time at freeway speed.
Here we are stopping for a stretch break and a little instruction on curves. As you can see, it couldn't have been a more lovely day.
Then, it was back on the bikes and through the hills. This is what riding should be! No stoplights every block, no multiple lanes filled with cars merging, andwithout the traffic of the greater LA area.
It was so much fun.
After about an hour and a half, and 35 miles, we were back at Dorothy and Garry's.
We both feel that we probably don't need to go back for more practice on their bikes. But, when we have the stamina, we'd like to ride ours down and have them give us some instruction particular to our bikes.
We got back in the car and were stunned to find that it was 6pm! We had started at the DMV a little after 1. No wonder we were exhausted by the time we got home!
I HIGHLY recommend riding coaches for new riders, especially women. Motorcycles can be so intimidating and so can the guys riding them, and lessons go a long way in gaining confidence. It certainly has been true for me.

A Bike Ride and Ice Cream: A Winning Combination

So, a few Sundays ago, The Male decided he needed a trip to the barber's and enticed me along with the promise of a stop at our favorite little ice cream shop. It's privately owned by a family with roots in Mexico, and all their ice cream is hand-made in the Mexican tradition. It is incredibly delicious. I'd go out in my jammies for ice cream at this place. It is that good.

This was actually our second ride there. Two weeks earlier, we also suited up, skipping the stop at the barber's though, and took three flavors to a friend for her birthday. That was great fun.

The flavors are so different: sweet potato, tamarind, guava, and more. They also have paletas, Mexican fruit popsicles, both with and without cream. They are a delicious treat in the summer. We usually bring a cooler along to keep everything cold until we get home, but we've discovered that saddlebags are a good substitute.

I think these trips were a milestone for me. The ride is just far enough to be challenging, but not so far as to be risky. There are enough traffic distractions to keep me alert, but not so much as to make myself a danger. We also had to stop at the gas station both trips, which was great practice in tight maneuvering.

Hummm.... I wonder what the weather will be like tomorrow afternoon? Perhaps I can convince The Male he needs another hair cut....

Safely at the barber's.

The mileage from the gas station, which is about a mile from our house.

La Flor de Mexico; go get some ice cream there right now. Seriously, they need your business!

More Helmet Stuff

I have no idea...

The Helmet and Stuff

I bought my helmet before I got my bike. Just in case I went for a ride two-up with The Male. It was an enlightening experience to be sure. Helmets are expensive. Very Expensive. As in we've owned cars that were worth less than a good helmet.
On the other hand, the most important part of me is between my chin and the top of my head, so I think it's a worthy investment. I will be on a moving motorcycle, surrounded by nothing but a cushion of air, and counting on nothing but my fine sense of balance to keep me upright.
People have died from traumatic brain injuries by just falling down, for Heaven's sake. Imagine what damage could be done to my head at traffic speeds....
So, off we went to shop for a helmet.
I learned a few things.
That I don't "look" like a biker chick.
That I have an unnaturally large head. (Which shouldn't be such a surprise as my children do, too.)
That one should not wear earrings on a day spent pulling tight-fitting helmets on and off one's (large-ish) head.

This scene was repeated in nearly every store we visited:
Clerk, to The Male, "Can I help you?"
The Male, "Yes, we're looking for a helmet for my wife."
Clerk, looking at me dubiously, "For you???"

And, a bonus scene:
Me, "This one is too small, too."
Clerk, "Wow, you don't LOOK like you have a large head."

Oh, it was a rough day...

But, we found one that fit, although I did have to order larger cheek pads. (I sold the originals on Ebay.) I choose the color that I call "please-don't -hit-me yellow." Looks rather cartoonish, but again, I'm rather fond of my head and really don't want to test the helmet's ability to protect it.

The store called a few days later to say my order was in. So, we got it home and I tried it on, seeing how the cheek pads were fitting. The Male wanted to do this as I was cooking dinner, and things needed attending to, so the following picture was taken. Enjoy.

A Very Scary Halloween Indeed...

Last Saturday was quite frightful.
No, not because of that awful "holiday" which I mentioned above.
No, rather because The Male led me out into traffic on my bike for the first time.
All I can say is that I'm really glad that we don't have bike-to-bike communication yet, or I'd be having to 'splain where I learned those words.
We've been practicing in the local community college stadium parking lot for months now. I've done lots of slow maneuvers, stops and starts, figure-eights, etc.
We have an industrial park under construction only about a mile away, which is the closest thing we'll ever come to open roads here in the Big City. I've gotten up to 45 miles an hour--which was quite the exhilarating experience, I'm telling you. Noisy, too. The road is right at the end of our local airport's runway and I thought a plane was taking off overhead! Nope, just the wind rushing by my please-don't-hit-me-yellow helmet.
We've gone on the quiet roads between here and there.
We've circled our local neighborhood park in quiet residential area.
I haven't dropped my bike since that first truly awful, no good, very bad first day.
But, this! This was the Real Thing. A 4-lane street, with impatient, hurried, Big City drivers.
YIKES!
We were supposed to go just one block, make a right turn, another block, right turn, etc.
But, he just kept going. One block, another, a lane change, past the library, past the grocery store, another lane change, finally a right turn!!! Oh, joy!
Please, oh, please, turn on this quiet street.
OK, how about the next one?!?!
Oh, no!
He's heading for a big 4-laner again!
Can I make the turn???
Oh, please don't let me crash!!!
Phew.
Please let me get home in one piece!
Yay! Our driveway!
When can we go again???