SINCE I JUST POSTED THIS ON THE OLD DML, I THOUGHT I'D derby IT HERE -
So I had this idea to go on a 2-3 day trip with the boys and about a month ago I pm'ed a bunch of folks that I regularly ride with (The Usual Suspects) about going on a trip and after about 3 weeks of mass confusion and schedule juggling we settled on this past weekend (May 2-4) to go. Only 5 of us were able to make this trip as life just got in the way for the other Suspects.
I originally planned to go the Adirondacks, then head east into VT for the twistys that I know and for a yummy tour of the Ben & Jerrys ice cream factory. That idea quickly got scrapped because I realized that I wanted to go to an area that I know of that has some truly amazing riding so I started planning for that instead. I even went as far as to plot the routes for the whole trip but wouldn't you know it... the weather wasn't cooperating and there was a 100% chance of thunderstorms for the whole weekend in the area. Once again, that idea was scrapped so back to the original plan - the Adirondacks it is.
While I was planning everything, Jake was busy working on his bike; doing a valve check, belt replacement, the whole 9. As our departure day drew closer we decide to leave on Friday night after everyone gets off of work and to return to Bklyn late Sunday night. This is when the bad luck and stupidity start to kick in...
I arrive at Gorilla before the scheduled meet up time and was pleasantly surprised to see Pat already there sipping his delicious coffee -
Next, Cru pulls up followed shortly by Dizzle who btw looked dead sexy in his new 1 piece...
... followed shortly thereafter by Jake who was surprisingly on time. I saw that his back protector was lashed onto his bag which to me meant he was in a rush leaving home so the possibility of him forgetting something was pretty big. The stupidity has already started...
So with caffeine ingested, we roll off for our long dark and boring 300+ miles slab ride for the nite. The skies didn't look all that great but there was only a 20% chance of rain. Little did we know that we were about to get dumped on...
This is the first stop for the night, the Plattekill service area on 87. Since I already had my teddybear suit on there was no need for me to change, but the other guys started doing a frantic "changing into your raingear dance". The young and handsome Pat striking a pose on Cru's little piggie -
How did that Dr.Octagon song go... "Half shark, half alligator, half man..."? This is Cru, half cracker, half smurf, half man -
Jake trying his best to make that fisherman's outfit look cool -
After gassing up we roll off again. As we continue to head north the rain just gets harder and harder, so much so that it's getting very hard to see the road. Normal people would've just stopped and waited for the skies to clear up, maybe dry off or relax... us? Nope. We kept on going. The pouring rain, the fog, the spray from the cars and trucks were too much even for my HID lights to handle, all I had to go by was the hypnotic pulse of the white lines to show me which way the road went. About 100 miles of this I decide to pull over at the next service area to see how everybody else is doing...
Despite everyone being miserable we still had a lot of laughs...
Little boy blue -
Jebus... when is this ride gonna end?! We were already in Adirondack country but nowhere near the hotel. We'd already been on the pitch black highway for too many hours, now we're finally off of the highway and we're all about to run out of gas. Oh, and we still can't see cause there's a thick fog everywhere and the roads are slick with rain and oh look... MUD!. Pat pulls up next to me and gives me an urgent "I really really have to stop and pee" signal so I pull over. When everyone shut off their bike and I got my helmet off I was struck by the complete darkness around us. There were no stars to be seen, no street lights, no nothing, just the tiny orange glow of the tips of the well deserved cigarettes.
I was fairly certain that the hotel was only ~20 miles away and we all hoped that the bikes could make it that far, apparently Jake's and Cru's gas lights had already been on. It was already past 4am and everyone was pretty tired (and soaked), I commented that this will be the longest 20 miles we'll have ridden.
20 miles later, we make it to he hotel safe and sound. It's 4:30 the morning and we're all very very tired. The stats for the trip up -
That was the longest 314 miles I've ever ridden since 95% of it was done in the rain, some of it half blind, most of it done using the force. Once we reached New Paltz we pretty much stuck to the speed limits as we traveled further and further north, I don't remember where the top speed was done but I remember cracking the throttle for a second or 2 in hopes of it waking me up. I HATE having to ride on the slab cause it's very boring and it kills your tires. However, our reward for the long slab ride was twofold - for one, we'd already be in the twistys when we woke up, no further travel needed. Secondly, I was really looking forward to the next 2 days of nothing but backroad twisty travel, even for the way home!
After checking in, we pile our soggy selves into the room... gear porn -
Let the Brokeback games begin, Cru's anxious to get started...
I got sleep that night at around 6am. I tried sleeping earlier but
some people I know snore to f*cking loud.
9am the next morning I rally the troops cause really looking forward an "Adirondack" breakfast. I was envisioning homemade tastey goodness to help carry us through the 430 mile route I had planned for the day but what we got instead was lukewarm, undercooked, and blah. T'was expensive too considering the small portions. FYI, if you find yourself in the area and are hungry, do yourself a favor and avoid McKenzie's Grille!
Oh, since we got the the hotel while it was still dark, we didn't notice the lake front of the hotel -
or the uumm, wood carving -
I tried to make friends but it didn't like me -
Back at the hotel we change into our gear and meet up in the parking lot to get the bikes ready for the day. This is precisely when I find out that my ipod shuffle must've gotten wet the night before so it died. So much for that 7hr playlist I spent so time putting together
. Little did I know that this was only the first tragedy to befall our little group...
As Jake gets ready to lube his chain we notice that his sprocket isn't looking too good. In fact, it's missing teeth -
It was decided that it might ok and last the weekend if he takes it easy, rides conservatively, and oh, perhaps the chain should be tighten up a bit. See, Jake was convinced that you can tighten the chain on his bike w/o having to loosen the axle nut. Opting not to listen my suggestion, he tries to tighten the chain via the chainadjusters. This little charade had us sitting in the hotel parking lot for more than 30 minutes already. Meanwhile, the sun has broken out and it's turning into a gorgeous day. In the meantime, we also notice the Dizzle's front tire has some very irregular wear (as in the whole left side is missing, and it's also cracking from age). Again, we decide that it'll be ok as long as he takes it very easy and not push the bike too hard.
Tire not pretty-
Wet bikes -
Jake finally realizes that he can't tighten the chain with just the chainadjusters, we then roll out to the auto parts store for a 36mm socket and a 1/2 drive breaker bar so that the chain can be adjusted properly. Tools purchased, chain tightened up, we're ready to roll...
Yet another parking lot view, this time waiting outside the auto parts store -
Proper tools in hand, Jake get to work -
Dizzle's thinking - "I hope this works, cause it doesn't look too good". Cru's thinking "I hope this works cause it doesn't look too good" -
Me sitting down waiting thinking "I hope this works cause it doesn't look too good, we've been in this parking lot for so long already
"
As it turns out, the reason why all the sprocket's teeth were getting sheered off was because the rear axle nut was LOOSE and Jake rode the bike 300+ miles the night before like that. Stupid is as stupid does as they say. Folks, I don't know what you guys do before you go out on a ride but if you ride as much as I do you should do like I do... check all the nuts and bolts for torque, inspect your drivetrain and tires for any signs of wear, check your brake pads and lines to see all is working as it should, afterall, it's your life on the line whenever you touch your bike.
After all the shenanignas, mom jokes, and technical mishaps, it's already part 1pm and the daylight for our planned 430 miles in fading fast already. Once we roll out of the parking lot we head through town at a snail's pace because according to Jake, "there are only cops in town. once you leave town you don't have to worry about it." See, I normally never ride w/o my radar detector but my HARD heads up display had been on the fritz so I've been using an led visual aid that is very hard to see in the day time so I can't tell when the detector goes off. After a short 10 minute ride through town, I make a right turn onto our first twisty road of the day... YAY!!!
8 miles and many sexy turns later I notice than the rest of the group is lagging behind. I also notice that the road we're on is also about to end so I slow down to let the group catch up. As soon as I round the last righthander I see popo about 100 yards up road and parked off to the side. I think nothing of it since I already slowed down before I came around the corner. 1/2 mile left to go and I stop at the next intersection, I look in my rear view only to see the red and blue lights of the man following us. I curse myself, I curse the popo and proceed to shut off the bike, take off my helmet and wait for what I know is about to come...
As it turns out, the guy's is an ex rider and is sympathetic to our cause. He had me at 61 mph (speed limit was 55mph), Cru at 62 mph and the rest of the group around the same speed. Pat however was clocked at 72mph! The popo was kind enough to forgive the rest of us but unfortunately for Pat, he wasn't so lucky, he got the only ticket. Sorry Pat! As I said, the trooper was pretty cool letting the rest of us off like that. He even gave us route advice about where to find some good twisty roads and also suggested dining and movie options for later that night.
