Yesterday, Jack and I went out on a last shot ride to beat the rains that are due here today. It was a bit chilly in the morning, but I am finding ways to keep warmer. A sweatshirt and hoodie under my number two warmest Joe Rocket full length jacket and some Tourmaster wind-proof/waterproof gloves that I picked up at the IMS show for $25.00 seemed to take care of the top. As for the bottom, 2 pair of socks under the roadracing boots and long johns and Jeans were barely adequate, but not terrible. I just had my Fullmer helmet and goggles on early on, but I did have a face mask if it got really cold.
The ride up to our meeting place in DeVore was really chilly going through Carbon Cyn, but warmed up as I headed east and by the time I got to Devore, it was quite comfortable. But, we knew that the ride to Wrightwood (6,000') and points west would be pretty cool!
By the time we had gotten to the 5,000' mark it was cold and on up to Wrightwood and over to N4 it stayed that way.
We were going down the hill on N4, so we knew it would warm up again
and didn't bother with changing anything. The ride down ws great andthe road were dry for the first time that I had the Pirellis on, so I as getting a good chance to work them out. They were feeling very good and instilling a great amount of confidence for me in them.
The ride over to Placerita was pretty uneventful. The roads were good and the traffic light, so we just cruised along minding our own business. We got gas in Placerita and Jack kept the lead going into Little Tujunga and I was tracking him pretty with the new found confidence in the tires and we were ripping right along. Jack kinda blew a couple of corners,but the Pirellis kept me on line. But, don't need to mention that being in the lead is a lot more work that following. It's easy to see the front guy go into a turn and knowing that if he can make it, you can, too! A fun run though and then it was back over to Lower Big Tujunga and back up the hill.
As we went up the weather starting cooling off again. When we reached Angeles Forest, Jack put me back in the lead. We went down to the Crest then started climbing up and the air started to get colder.I was getting a pretty good rhythm going through the long sweepers as we climbed back up towards Newcomb's Ranch. I was getting used to leaning the bike more and more and bashing my toes into the ground a bit more often. WE got to Newcomb's and stopped for a bite. They have great pulled pork sliders up there.
It was cold enough that I decided to put the face mask on, but the eye cutout wasn't quite wide enough and it was cutting into my peripheral vision to the left. I fettled with it all the way down to Wrightwood and finally took it off, knowing it wasn't going to be cold much farther.
While I were getting ready, a cute Brit bird pulled in in some kind of SUV and asked me if I'd like to trade my bike for her truck. Didn't take me too long to say no! We chatted for a minute or so while Jack was sitting over by the road with his engine running impatiently waiting for me.
Now, you ask me, where's the gravel? Well here it comes. As we are going up the hill out of Nuke'um's, I get another nice rhythm gong albei slghtly slower than I'd been going because the altitude is starting to slow the bike down and the sun is sometimes straight in our eyeballs and I can't see where the road is going! But its still a pretty good clip. Then I'm starting to see a few little white dots in the road and wondering if these are rocks. Well, the number is obviously growing and they are looking more and more like rocks until they start getting into a little more solid masses. We haven't slowed down much, but I am kinda starting to pick my way through the bigger masses. Then my rear wheel steps out a bit and then I really started to pay attention, but still gong for it, the both wheels step out a bit and I figure perhaps it's time to slow down. We slowed down to about 40 and then picked out ways more carefully over to Wrightwood. The stuff was on the road for about 20 miles or so. I guess they had layed it down for the last snow up there and it hadn't gotten brushed off by the traffic yet.
I took the face mask off in Wrightwood and we continued on down the hill to home. I got home after dark so finally go to check out my light in a real night time ride. It was more than adequate. 285 miles.
I did almost get rid of all the wanker stripes in the tires. Less than a quarter inch remains. I didn't think the old RE could lean over that far! I can probably get rid of the rest of them on the next ride!
Bare