Practice vs. Variety, "Laps" vs. Vanishing Point, and Riding on the Wrong Side of the Road

Ah, long gaps between posts, many distractions, not enough riding (other than commuting), and the demands of a new job are all inter-connected, and make this blog too quiet.  Who knows when I'll post again, but I might as well post today. 

The first half of July, Sue and I went over to the UK to visit family, friends, and the blue Versys.  Riding wasn't the primary focus, but it definitely provided some spice.

When we got to my sister-in-law's home one my first tasks was to roll the Versys out of the garage, check it over, the start it up.  There's a lot to be said for Japanese bikes, and starting at the first touch of the button after sitting for a year (on the trickle charger) is one of them.  Wash off the bike, air up the tires, lube the chain, check the fasteners, and we were ready to rock and roll! 

Our first destination was a overnighter to the Isle of Man.  Neither of us had ever been there, and even though there was no racing happening the date we could slot in to go, I just wanted to see the place I'd seen so many times on DVD's and YouTube.  It didn't disappoint!  It was beautiful, dripping in moto history, and perhaps the friendliest place I've ever been.  It seems that everyone you meet loves motorcycles and motorcycle racing, and they are so pleased you've come to their home to share that love.  Having a license plate from a distant shore helps too. 

GaryJ's widow, Jill, gave me a little vial of Gary's ashes to leave on the island, a place he never got to visit, but like so many us, loved everything about the racing there.  When we arrived on a Wednesday evening we had the good fortune to arrive just before the annual memorial ride for the great Joey Dunlop. If you're reading this and don't know who Joey was, do yourself and favor and Google the man's name.  Not only was he the greatest and most successful racer in the history of the IOM-TT, he was a humanitarian committed to helping less the less fortunate.  The ride was a fundraiser for one of Joey's charities, a house right on the course at Braddan Bridge set up to accommodate disabled race fans. 

We joined up with about 400 other riders to do a lap of the course, passing through towns where the locals lined the roads to wave and cheer our parade lap.  The evening news came out to video the event, and you can even find videos of the ride posted on the web.  Unbelievable!  We managed to honor Joey and give GaryJ a lap to remember. 

The following morning we toured other parts of the island, were greeted by hospitable locals, and even met a podium finisher from the 1955 TT who told us where to find the best motorcycle museum on the island.  In the afternoon, after enjoying a lunch at the legendary Creg-ny-Baa pub, we set off to do one more lap and to find a place to leave Gary's ashes. 

We pretty much toured the lower portions of the island, but once we began climbing up from Ramsey on to the mountain we could pick up the pace to "sporting" (no speed limits on the mountain).  As we rode the lap the question of where to leave Gary answered itself when we stopped to pay our respects at the Joey Dunlop memorial above The Verandah.  It has a great view of the course, a beautiful statue of Joey, and is covered with wildflowers. It was a perfect spot to spread some of Gary's ashes, and I hope he enjoys being there. 

What does all of this have to do with riding goat trails?  None of the roads we covered could really be called goat trails, but there were a couple of interesting revelations from the roads we did ride.  First, the roads are NOT smooth.  Not terrible, but bumps and ridges are an important factor, and riders can't just blithely assume that the road is perfect. 

Second, despite this being home of one of the world's most famous races, these are public roads maintained out of the public treasury, and any money spent on the roads is money that can't be spent elsewhere.  With that recognition in mind, the local road authority was chip sealing significant portions of the course when we were there.  Right.   Chip seal.  One of the largest causes of whining on BARF.  Sure, it will all be swept before the Manx GP
/ Classic TT begin in August, it's still chip seal.  The next time somebody on BARF goes off about how the local government is acting with intent to kill motorcyclists, I'm likely to go off.  Think of Guy Martin, McGuinness, and Michael Dunlop whining about such silliness.  Chip seal is a road condition, and it's one we all need to be prepared to deal with.  /whining

My next big day out was with my friend, Dominic Gill.  Dominic and I met during the 2006 Centopassi when he was part of Team UK, led by our great friend, Colin Barlow.  I've written at length before about Colin.  It's clear that Colin had a huge impact on many of the people who rode with him, and Dominic shares the same regard of Colin as I have.  Dominic laid out a great day of riding in the Yorkshire Dales on a perfect, sunny day.  We zig-zagged north and south, east and west, visiting some of the famous motorcycle destination towns, such as Hawes, but never really lingering anywhere for long. We were too busy riding. 

When we stopped for lunch, we caught up, talked about other friends who were unable to join us, recounted stories of Colin's feats, and drank a toast to the man.  Dominic told me about trips to the continent with our crazy Dutch friend, Peter, and his well crafted tours of Spain. 

He also told me about another rider who often accompanies them on these tours, and who always keeps them waiting anytime they're on unfamiliar roads.  The funny thing is, apparently this fellow is pretty quick on familiar roads.  Yep, if he knows a road, he can go fast.  If he doesn't, he's bog slow.  Why is this worth writing about?  Why, yes, you're right!  It is another of Kurt's pet peeve rants!

Rant?  Rant about what?  Simple, the rant about "practicing" a road by doing "laps".  That is, developing the belief that one can out-ride one's sightlines due to "knowing" a public road.  This flawed belief often comes up that if a rider only knows the road, the rider can go more quickly.  That means rather than leave margin for the unknown, the rider assumes that all important information about the road ahead is already known.  This is a belief system that sows the seeds for an early exit from motorcycling. 

Okay, if I believe this, shouldn't I be criticizing Dominic and Peter and the others for leaving their slow friend behind?  That kind of depends.  If Dominic and Peter and the others ride to the vanishing point on unfamiliar roads, and leave themselves adequate margin to effectively respond to the unexpected, there is no problem.  Okay, if they're doing that, why is the other guy still so much slower?  My guess - and that's all it can be without riding with the buddy in question - is that the slower rider is riding within the sightlines that result from looking too close to the front of his bike.  If he doesn't lift his eyes and stretch his sightline toward the vanishing point, then he can't possibly see what Dominic and Peter are seeing as far in advance as they see it. 

That's the goat road lesson here; push your point of focus relentlessly up the road.  Let your eyes flow over the road and you'll flow over it with equal smoothness.  Practice it.

Another goat road lesson from this trip is that when roads are busy, and there's strict enforcement, goat roads can offer a respite.  Britain is a crowded island, and even though the north is less crowded than the south, on a beautiful summer day lots of traffic clogs the roads.  Not where Dominic took me.  The roads were often more crowded with open range sheep than with other motorists.  Less traffic, less police, no speed cameras.  Sounds nice, doesn't it?

My last big ride was with Stuart, a friend of Colin's who joined us in the Alps in 2010.  Stuart possesses Colin's famous battlestar BMW, but the day we rode he chose to bring his Kaw-Strom, a bike we didn't see in the US.  It's a DL1000 badged up as a Kawasaki.  Stuart was a student of Colin in an advanced riding course, then Stuart advanced to be an instructor too.  He joined Colin on many of their late summer blasts through France to attend the Bol d'Or.  Yeah, you could say Stuart's a disciple too. 

When planning the trip, Stuart asked where I wanted to go, and the answer came quickly - take me to the Lake District, particularly to ride Wrynose and Hardknott passes.  The ever-hospitable Stuart was only too quick to agree, and he set us off on a big day in some of England's most spectacular scenery.  A brisk ride across the top of England from Yorkshire to Lancashire and up into Cumbria started our day.  Stuart thoughtfully pointed out the speed cameras en route, wove us through the traffic along Windermere and through Ambleside on our way to coffee an scones at Coniston Water, a spectacular lake in one of the many glacial valleys that give the Lake District its name.

He was letting me re-gather my strength before hurling us up a road known as "The Struggle" on our approach to the 1 in 3 grades (yes) of Wrynose and Hardknott.  These roads have been in use since the Romans built them 2000 years ago.  They're about as wide as a Roman cart track, and not quite as smoothly paved.  I think I can say that Hardknott is the most challenging paved rode I've ever ridden.  I LOVED IT!  Stunning views, not much traffic, and a never ending mental and physical challenge to ride our bikes smoothly and safely through ruts, ditches, potholes, oncoming traffic, loose sheep, gravel, sand - all the fun! 

The day went on like that.  Great roads.  A leisurely stream side pub lunch.  A toast to Colin.  A blistering ride on A-roads to get to the other side of England in time for dinner.  Definitely on my list of all-time-great riding days. 

What's the point beyond telling the story?  Here's the point.  I came home riding better than I was riding when I left.  This almost always happens to me in the Alps too.  The key to this improvement can be associated with two key characteristics of these rides:

• Riding unfamiliar roads.  Don't ride the same stuff over and over because you've fooled yourself into thinking you "know" them.  Deal with the variety and uncertainty and use them to improve your skills - all your skills.  Your road reading skills.  Your physical skills of providing inputs to the bike and dealing with its responses.  Your ability to remain calm, focused and centered.  You will only develop the ability to do this anywhere by doing it everywhere.  Stop doing laps.
• Ride behind skilled riders.  If you don't know any, go looking for them.  They're out there.  They are not always the flashiest, or the loudest.  They're the ones you see who are smooth, who are quick without apparent effort, who don't bobble or make obvious mistakes.  That describes Dominic and Stuart, and it was a great luxury to be able to follow them, keying off their lines and their actions, learning more about what's possible, even if I didn't choose to always follow their approach exactly.  Thanks, guys.  

There was one more factor that can't be easily re-created here, but which was certainly a helpful tool for developing riding resilience; riding on the wrong side of the road.  What?  Yep, seriously.  Having to set aside the familiar and learn new places to look, new places to be, new responses to other traffic and road conditions, and having to do it with while following a quick rider is a great exercise in developing flexibility in your riding.  I had not expected this at all, and it explains why the Brits who frequently cross over to the continent to ride, thus having the mirror experience of this, are often such impressively capable riders.

Okay, if that wall of text was too much for you, here's a summary: variety, variety and more variety, all while following someone better than you.   Try it.

Spring!

Long time with no posts.  Long time with not much riding.  I've got a new job that is pretty intense and time demanding.  My beloved Versys has been a little difficult, and is, in fact, in the shop right now for a weird electrical gremlin.  However, the weather could not be better, and the Hypermotard has new tires, so today was a day to ride, and ride I did.  

Have I mentioned how much I love new tires?  Something about the Hyper, these multi-compound tires, and maybe the way I ride, makes tires get REAL ugly before they wear out.  I mean scary ugly.  The most recent set of tires on the Hyper, Dunlop Roadsmarts, wore in the same pattern I've seen on Bridgestones (14's, 16's, 20's, 21's, 23's, they all do it) in which the sides wear off before the centers, leaving a tire with a profile that looks something like a stop sign.  Lots of tread in the middle, wear bars showing on the sides, and a frightening transition as you fall off the center, and plummet to the side.  Not confidence inspiring.  You have to flick over hard and get on the gas like you mean it to catch it.  New tires are so much nicer.  Pirellis Scorpion Trails, which I've run on the Versys, but not on the Hyper before now.  They were nice today. 

A couple of great goat trails were on order today.  Fairfax-Bolinas - running that direction - was delightful.  Not much in the way of cars, plenty of bicycles, and only a handful of motos.  The coast side was chip sealed late last year, and you'd think the winter rains - that we hadn't had much of - would have washed away more of the gravel than is the case, but it was still a good time. 

Then I headed north to try out a highly recommended goat that starts near Guerneville and goes over near Healdsburg called Sweetwater Springs Road.  This was really a good time.  No cars, two bicycles, one other motorcycle that I passed.  The road was technical and fun.  Lots to keep you busy.  Dirty, narrow, rough, short sightlines.  Life is good!

One of the treats of living in Northern California, is that the great roads attract some neat vehicles.  Today was no exception.  How about what appeared to an Allard J2x?  That's pretty unusual anywhere.  Okay, how about a brace of Alfa GTA's?  A gaggle of Morgans? And just for spice, a Ferrari 365 GTC, and at the other end of the spectrum, an MGA coupe?  To top it all off, coming home from work on Thursday on the San Pablo Dam road, I see a red Vincent coming the other way! 

Last but not least, I staggered into a nice little diner today at the edge of Sebastopol called D's - Diner.  Great hamburger and malt, and neat ambiance.  Not cheap, but definitely very good.  Check it out.

Have a great riding season.

PS: The Aerostich folks have been in town for the past week.  Went and got measured for Roadcrafter.  Nice folks.  Got to meet the founder, Andy Goldfine, the new CEO, Mark, and the fitter extraordinaire, Stephanie, not to leave out, Oora (sp?).  The technical term is "Minnesota Nice".  Oh, and Andy introduced me too well-known moto-journalist, Marc Cook.  It was a great visit. 

Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards

Oh jeez, not another end of the year special?!  Sure, why not? 

Highlights for me of 2012? 

Got to ride Europe again, and that's always a treat.  Picked up my Versys from the garage of my late riding pal, Colin Barlow.  Visited with his wife and friends before heading out to ride the Chunnel to France. 

Met up with my good friend, Matthias in Dole, France, and the two of us had a lovely ride through rural France on tiny roads between Dole and Lyon.  In some ways it was the best single day of riding for me in Europe this year.  Matthias sorted it all through his GPS, and we had a ball zinging up and down tiny lanes. 

Once in Lyon we were hosted at the home of a fellow whose videos I'd admired on YouTube, BenDYd.  That was enough of an introduction that he invited us to stop by and spend the evening.  He and his boys cooked us a delightful French meal enjoyed on a perfect summer evening, and providing us a good night's sleep before launching off into the Alps. 

Best new-to-me pass this year?  Colle Sampeyre in far northwestern Italy.  At least I think it was new to me.  It reminds me of a road we ran in the 2006 Centopassi.  Not sure.  If you like the goaty stuff, try it out. 

After the Alps it was time to rendezvous with my lovely wife at her sister's home in North Yorkshire.  It turns out that one of Colin's best mates - Stuart, who we rode with in 2010 - lives close by.  That meant we got a brilliant guided tour of the Yorkshire moors and a lovely evening out.  So fun to watch Stuart's effortless speed on the wild and nadgery lanes and humpback bridges of the rural UK. 

Every year the high points have to include the BARF rallies, and thanks must be extended to those adventurous souls who trustingly follow me on all the most treacherous roads I can find en route to our rally destinations.  I love you folks for your enthusiastic comradeship! 

There's no way to pick a favorite rally.  Hawthorne is always its own thing, not really comparable to any other rally.  Paso Robles was fun, as always.  One little highlight at Hawthorne this year was the opportunity to stop by to see Andy's (tzrider) vacation home and tree house.  Not only was the tree house at least as cool as the photos, but Andy had a bigger treat for me.  We had the chance to discuss my 2011 crash, and Andy offered a possible diagnosis of the contributing inputs that - in addition to excessive exuberance - put me on the ground.  After reflecting on Andy's suggestion, it became clear that he'd nailed it (no wonder he's such a superb coach!), and now I have something to work on to keep me out of trouble. 

It's always a treat to get some advanced training in each year, and in 2012 it was provided by the Alameda County Sheriff's training center and their civilian motorcycle training class.  It's a bargain in motorcycle training, where they introduce you to the fundamentals of cop bike training (make sure to rent one of cop Kawasakis - they're a blast!)

Looking forward, what does 2013 have in store?

More training for sure.  Maybe a return to something I've done before, like Rich Oliver, or CSS, or Lee Parks.  Maybe something new.  At least go back to the Alameda County Sheriff's training.  There is so much opportunity to improve.

Hoping to get a small dual sport some time in 2013 so I can get some more off-road riding in.  Partly for skill improvement, partly for the chance to do fun and challenging riding that keeps me away from cars, and where fun happens at lower speeds.

Back to Europe seems likely.  The Versys awaits in the garage there.  Not sure about the Alps in 2013.  Maybe.  Maybe Scotland or the IOM instead.  Thinking that it would be fun to see the Southern 100 road race there in July. 

Obviously, the BARF rallies, but I can't say whether I'll be able to rallymaster in 2013.  Life gets busy.  Still, the rallies are so much fun that there must be a way to participate even if I may not be able to lead.

Group rides with my friends are always a highpoint, and not to be missed.  In that mix of group rides has to include the legendary highways 36, 162, and 25. 

If all those things come to pass, 2013 will be at least as wonderful as 2012. 

How about you?  What was the best part of 2012 for you?  What did you learn?  What do you treasure?  What do you want to make happen in 2013?

Riding With Friends

Today was highlighted by participating in a ride celebrating a friend's birthday.  Fourteen riders, some I knew, most I didn't.  The birthday boy wanted oysters for his birthday, and you really can't beat fresh oysters from Tomales Bay enjoyed outside on a brilliantly sunny late November afternoon.  It was wonderful!

Like lots of riders, I can be a little uncomfortable riding with folks for the first time.  Plus, it was a little damp under the trees from recent rain, so when the route was planned to go straight up Hwy 1 from Point Reyes Station to Marshall, I separated myself from the group to go ride Marshall-Petaluma, a local favorite, then reunited with the group at the Marshall Store.

Listening to talk over lunch, it was clear I'd missed out some by riding apart from the group, so when the birthday boy said he wanted to ride Fairfax-Bolinas on the way home, it was time to re-integrate with the group.  As it turned out, the group of fourteen fractured a bit going south, and I ended up in a group of four, all of whom I knew, but only one of whom I'd ridden with.  As it turned out, all were superb riders, beautiful and smooth arcing down 1, sharp and surefooted over Fairfax-Bolinas.

Once we were over the top of the ridge and down the other side we stopped to talk, trade stories, ask question, and review the highlights of what we'd just ridden.  The conversation was full of laughter, sharing the raw joy of a great ride in a way that can't be fully shared with anyone who wasn't there.  What a pleasure!

It brought up a number of recent rides, with old friends and new, small groups and large, in which the intensity of the experience, combined with the need to be flexible and ride in concert with others over the road in a sort of dance, brings to light a part of the motorcycling experience that one can't really get riding by oneself all the time.  There is much to be said for the quiet and introspection of the solo ride, and they are an important part of the riding experience.  That said, the afterglow of today's ride is a vivid reminder that joy shared is joy squared.  Enjoy. 

Ride It/Pay It Forward Day

November 24th.  What a great day to remember all the folks who have help us out along our way as motorcyclists.

Time to remember that friend who used to let you rip around on his minibike because he had one and your parents forbid you having one.  Time to remember the guys down at the moto shop who let you hang around.  Time to remember the folks who helped you figure out how to work the throttle and the clutch - at the same time!  Time to remember the friend who helped you do your first valve adjustment.  Time to remember the folks who stopped to help you when you were broken down on the side of the road.  Time to remember the cool guys who let you come on their rides when you were just starting out, and then made sure you didn't get lost or dropped when you fell behind.  Time to remember the cop who cut you some slack when you were being a fool on your bike. 

The list goes on and on, doesn't it?  Folks often tend to view motorcycling as this intensely individual activity.  When you're riding it's all up to you.  Head in your helmet, by yourself (often), iPod blasting in your ears (sometimes), captaining your own ship (always), encapsulated in experience if not in steel.  Yet when I think back, motorcycling has often depended on other people to a great degree.  Not just the folks who helped, but the folks who've been there, who've shared the moment, the view, the road food, the buzz of a twisty road ridden quickly.  The folks who helped us keep going.  The folks who took care of us when we were hurt or broken down.  The folks who showed us the way when we were learning or lost.  The folks whose kindness made it all so much better.

Today is a good day to remember those folks, and having remembered them and all their many kindnesses to us, today is a day to make sure we pay those kindnesses forward.  Today is a good day to help a newbie rider, to share a favorite backroad, to buy another rider's lunch, to help someone work on a broken bike, to show the smooth way through a turn, to stop to help a broken down rider, to lead or sweep a group ride.  Today is a day to remember everyone who made motorcycling so much more than an intensely individual experience, and do the same for another rider.  Ride it forward.

Miss you, Colin. 

Weekdays

Weekday riding is for some riders a rare luxury, and this week I was reminded just how luxurious they can be.  I'm not working right now, and Monday night a friend reached out to see if I could show some visiting Brazilians some of our local roads.  So on Tuesday I met up with Lynn and Lygia who were visiting from Rio on their Moto Guzzi Stelvio.

My friend who'd contacted me had highlighted a map of great Marin and Sonoma country roads for Lynn and Lygia to follow, and it included some of my favorite backroads, but since it was a weekday, and they'd never been here before, it seemed worthwhile to try out some of the routes I usually avoid due to overcrowding.  We rode straight to Tam Junction to pick up Hwy 1, then over the hill towards Stinson Beach.  A brilliant road, and recently re-paved!  Normally I avoid that section of Hwy 1 like the plague due to its usual crowding with frightened sightseers, overloaded minivans, stoned out surfers, and HOG chapter rides.  On Tuesday is was nearly empty at 11 AM.  Woo-Hoo!

Hwy 1 was so empty I even agreed to ride through Bodega Bay!  And even better, my head didn't explode! 

In the end, it was a great day of riding.  Lynn and Lygia fly down the road on that Stelvio.  We only rode goat trails for fun, not for the purpose of avoiding crowds.  If you get a day off, you should try a weekday ride on a road that's normally too crowded.  Like me, you may find you'd forgotten just how much fun can be had on a tourist road when the tourists are gone. 

RAIN! AGAIN!

I posted about rain back in July when I had just returned from a trip to France that featured a couple of heavy rainfalls.  Back here in California, it's been the usual weather pattern of a dry summer followed by the resumption of rain in the autumn.  Any of you who saw the Giants defeat the Cardinals in the NLCS know that rain has returned to northern California in earnest.  With that in mind, what are some things to think about when riding goat trails during or after rain storms?

Since most of the roads here that we call goat trails are on hillsides, the number one concern regards run-off.  What has run off the hillside and on to the road surface?  It can be mud, sand, gravel, manure, etc.  All slippery.  With short sightlines and and the possibility of poor visibility when riding in the rain, it's good to be cognizant of the risks of run-off and adjust your speed accordingly.  While you're at it, give some to where on the road the run-off is likely to be, beginning with the uphill side of the road surface. 

Next, since one of the characteristics of California that gives us such fun roads is our area's geological instability, it's good to think about what that means - particularly if it's been raining heavily for some time.  Sometimes what it means are mudslides, and while some of those can be similar to the debris on the road mentioned above, they can also turn into the road you're on sliding away down the hillside.  No fun to round a turn and find there's no road!    Another thing to consider when choosing the entry speed for a corner. 

As the rain falls this time of year, it will also bring leaves and pine needles down on the road, creating a very slippery surface, and one which may take months to clear on the less traveled roads.  Add to the the falling of some of the branches that held those leaves coming down in big storms, and in really big storms, even the trees that held the branches that held the leaves can be waiting to give you a surprise around that next bend. 

Last for today, though we won't have to worry about it for a while, after a long damp period, roads that don't get much sun can develop moss.  Moss is another one of those slippery items that can deliver a nasty surprise.   Running in the tire tracks can help, but you need to be aware that the path your head takes around a corner won't be the same as the paths your tires take.  If you cross over the area between the tracks, you'll find yourself in the mother lode of slippery!

Just a few thoughts rattling around in my head as I get ready to go out for a ride following our first real rain of the season.  What did I miss?