That's what I did today.
63 degrees and sunny. I've ridden to work 4 times already, got caught in the rain after midnight, and still smiled all the while. Got a few weekend rides in as well - 40/50 mile out'n'backs - no problems except numb fingers.
Today was the best day for a ride so off I go. 3 miles from home I stop for gas. Flip up the front of my modular helmet to see better, fill the bike up and I'm ready to go. Flip the front back down and the left side is hanging under my chin. Pull off to the side and make repairs using my trusty pocket knife and a dime, after I drop the little cover, bushing, and screw several times....
Drift past the pumps on my way out and hear "Hey, nice Triumph". I don't hear well at all in a full face so I glance left to see who said that. A woman waves to me from one of the pumps and I wave back, just as a guy with a 2-wheeled dolly loaded with bags of ice crosses my path. I stop. He stops. And life goes on. Close but no cigar.
I ride through a bunch of small suburban towns to go to where my son works. He has a key to the place and was there working on his S-10 truck. It was a destination, that's all. Stop for a while and take a few pix.
Leave there and take a different route back. End up riding through neighborhoods where people get shot on a daily basis. Not a good thing, but I make it without incident. Get back to familiar territory and pull over in a parking lot to open up the jacket a bit. It's getting warm. A guy comes out and tells me I can't park there. I tell him I'm leaving in a minute, just stopped to adjust my jacket. I left before he could call the police - ruined his rent-a-guard day I bet. Going down the highway now doing the speed limit +5 and cagers are flying by changing lanes like it's a Nascar race. I take my exit and proceed with caution. I'm on a 25 mph road going into another 'burb. A guy backs out of his garage right in front of me. I stop - no harm. He takes off - never even knew I was there. I continue on and make my way to a Walmart parking lot. Time for a smoke and a little reflection on the day so far. I'm behind the store where there's a view of the valley beyond. I take a few pix. Next thing I know, the Walmart parking lot security Jeep is there.. "Hey! What are you doing?" Good lord.. I check the back of my jacket in my mirror to make sure the "Please screw with me" sign isn't there after I convince Barney Fife that I'm harmless...
I leave the parking lot passing by a stereo on wheels that's surrounded by a large number of yutes listening to rap music blaring out at 110 db filled with lots of "ho's" and "F's" etc.. while women and children and babies in strollers are walking by to head into the store. Barney pays them no mind.
I get out on the road again and obey the 25 mph limit. The road is an on ramp that goes over a highway and down to the left where you get on the highway. A car is coming up the off ramp to my left and decides he wants to get back on the same highway. So, he pulls out in front of me. I clamp the binders and the guy behind me blows his horn. The guy proceeds to slam on his brakes. I clamp the binders and the guy behind me blows his horn. We come down to the point where we merge onto the highway and there is no traffic coming in our lane. The guy stops. The guy behind me blows his horn. I have now had enough. I blow past the moron in front of me and get out on the highway. Bikes are thin, you can do that. Within seconds I hear "bwoop bwoop". Look in the mirror and I have a car with pretty flashing lights behind me. I pull off into a side street and await my fate.
The officer asks for my license and insurance and goes back to the car to check me out. He was pretty nice about it and left me off with a warning. Said he rides too and saw the whole situation, but I was still in the wrong. I thanked him and told him I appreciated the warning...
I put another 30 some miles on without incident, and took a few more pix. That was all I set out to do in the first place.
Don't let the events of the ride make you stupid.
