Passes & Canyons Blog

An earlier RMMRC ride.

There were about 10 guys but only 4 motorcycles showing up Wednesday morning for the RMMRC‘s regularly scheduled breakfast and ride. I was on my V-Strom while the other bikes were two Goldwings and one Shadow. It was definitely cool but if you wore the right gear it was a very nice day to ride.

I sure wore the right gear. I had my electric vest and my heated gloves, plus my Rev-It riding pants with long underwear underneath. I’ve got to tell you, the more I wear those pants the more I fall in love with them. This was a really, really good purchase.

One of the four of us riders was Don, who got connected to the group via the Meet-Up site. Don came all the way down from Louisville. It was his birthday and he had taken the day off from work, so he wanted to ride. Welcome Don, I hope we see you again.

Having Don join us was indicative of a shift in RMMRC thinking. The group for years had maintained a standalone website but the member who was supposed to be tending to it managed to let the hosting contract lapse. We had already added the Meet-Up page and that has the advantage of exposing other people to the fact of the club’s existence and, at times at least, bringing them to the rides. After some discussion it was decided not to reestablish the old web site, just use Meet-Up. So if you have any old bookmarks for www.rmmrc.org you might as well delete those.

The ride was no big deal; we didn’t have anything great in the way of ideas–just let’s go ride. We wound our way, avoiding highways, to the underpass under I-25 just north of the Castle Pines exit and then over to Daniels Park, down to US 85, up through Sedalia to pick up C-470 and then went our separate ways where that road intersected US 285. Robert and I headed east and home from there while Don continued north toward home. Bob had split off for home back at Daniels Park.

The thing is, the route was not important. It was just a great January day to be out on the bikes. It was windy, especially along the foothills, so I had chosen the V-Strom. I really wanted to ride the Concours but with all its body work it acts like a sail in high winds. I still got blown around on the V, just not as much.

So, we’ve had a lot of cool but clear days so far this January. You don’t have to have electrics, although I strongly recommend them. Just dress with all the warmth you can and get out there. There’s a lot of good riding to be done.

Biker Quote for Today

Why bikes are better than women: When riding, you and your Motorcycle both arrive at the same time.

You can ride when it's snowing--I've done it--but I don't think anyone makes a habit of it.

It was surprising that I only saw seven other motorcyclists out on Saturday. It was a great day to ride, in the 50s. I saw joggers in shorts and t-shirts and besides, Sunday was to be cooler with possible snow on Monday. You better believe I got out. Maybe everyone else was watching football.

The weather was fortuitous. Up until the day before there was still ice covering our street. Saturday morning I took a walk down our street to make sure I had a clear path and to figure out what that path was. I also busted up a few bits of ice just to be sure. Then I waited till around noon for the sun to help out a bit more.

This whole bit of icy streets has me wondering. Before Hickenlooper was mayor the city never plowed residential streets. Hickenlooper instituted a policy where they hired contractors with a wide variety of vehicles to make sure all streets got plowed at least once, and it made a huge difference. Has our current mayor Hancock countermanded that directive, feeling that the city can spend that money better elsewhere? I’m not sure I agree with that, but if that decision was made I think it should have at least been announced. Anybody know the answer?

So any time I’m just out riding for the sake of riding I like to try to come up with a theme for the day. Heading out on the Concours I didn’t have one so I headed east on Belleview and turned south on University, figuring to loop back via C-470 and I-25. I thought about staying on University as it arcs on south and east, becoming Lincoln Avenue, and then turning north on I-25 but then I got my theme.

I did take C-470 and I-25 and then I got on the Honda and went right back down I-25 and west on C-470 and got off at University. Then I headed south. When I reached I-25 down there I headed north again to home, got on the V-Strom, right back down I-25 and got off at Lincoln Avenue and took that over to Parker. Then I turned north on CO 83 all the way up to I-225 and then home. Just a bunch of consecutive loops. Sure I’d have rather taken one long ride somewhere further but when you want to squeeze in at least a quick ride on three different bikes you do what works. If the weather cooperates later in the month I can do more. For now at least, January is in the books and all three bikes have been out.

Biker Quote for Today

If you love your motorcycle and let it go… and it comes back… you’re in the middle of a crash.