Nearly two months in, what's 2014 holding in store? While in the UK at Christmas time, it became clear to me what needed to happen for EuroBARF 2014, details here. The first 3 stages of the 2014 Tour de France are coming through the UK, and the second stage is going right through the town where my sister-in-law lives. Then just a few days later, the Southern 100 will be taking place on the Isle of Man. Brainstorm! Tour de France and real roads racing, all tied together will several days of riding in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District! And that's the plan.
Learning to ride on the other side of the road is a great way to build brain plasticity and to broaden road reading and riding skills. Combine that with some great roads, an introduction to English pubs (after riding, of course), and the fact that the locals speak something we'll mostly understand, as well as the aforementioned events, and it will be a brilliant rally!
Next up will (first on the calendar) was to put a plan together for the BARF Spring Rally. We looked at several possibilities, but in the end we decided on Quincy, CA as our destination. We went to Quincy in May, 2011, but got chased out on Saturday by a spring snow storm. This year we've moved the rally back to early June, and besides that, it's a drought year, so we think we'll be safe. Actually, I'm more concerned about early season forest fires than last season snow storms.
Quincy is surrounded by some absolutely wonderful roads, with a little something for everyone, whether it's sightseeing up the Feather River Canyon, or riding the challenging twisties on LaPorte Road. Everything from race tracks to goat trails will be on offer, details here.
One more thought on road reading. Last Sunday was a day to be out on some of my favorite Sonoma County goat trails. While this winter has been painfully dry, many narrow, shaded roads have still attracted a coating of moss on their less trafficked surfaces. It's not always easily seen, but it's pretty much always slippery. Don't let the dry weather fool you - lots of the roads are much more greasy than during the summer. Smooth on the control inputs, and relaxed on the bars, keeping your eyes up is the way to deal with this uncertainty. Last Sunday everyone had some slides, but none came to tears.
Shiny side up!
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