Hiromi_X
Fall, finally
It's getting beautiful here. The grocery stores have had these great big pumpkin and gourd displays that completely clashed with the toasty weather we've been having. But FINALLY a cold front is blowing through, making those displays look less like wishful thinking and bringing great riding weather at last. I'm going to have to sneak away from work to ride around in it.
There's one weirdly convenient thing about hot weather though: when your head gets all sweaty underneath your helmet, you can use the sweat to re-style your hair after taking your helmet off. Now I'm gonna have to buy a little spray bottle of styling spritzer and mess with my hair like a dork after I get off my bike. My set of riding accessories keeps growing: in addition to gear, I had to buy a special backpack that fulfilled all my nitpicky criteria (took an hour in REI to find one), and eventually I'm going to buy rain gear.
I also want some motorcycle pants to wear over my regular pants in cold weather, since I might do roadtrips this winter. I'm excited at the prospect of my first long distance rides for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think riding to San Antonio won't be too big a deal, but we tend to gather at my sister's house in Houston 'cause it's the largest and it's a pain for her to travel with my little nephews. And maybe I'll do the Toy Run! Deliver Christmas presents to underprivileged kids on my bike. Hey, Tina, if you're reading this, and if your wrist is better by that time, maybe we can all do that. That'd be awesome.
I feel such a badass these days. Whenever I feel intimidated, I think "I ride a motorcycle," and the feeling goes away.
Comments
"Now I'm gonna have to buy a little spray bottle of styling spritzer and mess with my hair like a dork after I get off my bike."
Oh jeez.
1. Posted by Ray on October 22, 2007
Well, I don't walk around with bedhead, either. And helmet hair isn't as cute.
2. Posted by Hiromi on October 22, 2007
Proper riding pants are good idea. I hear from the friend of a friend that apparently, people who don't properly shield their knees from wind chill while riding eventually end up with arthritic problems in said knees.
3. Posted by Onym on October 22, 2007
I'd love to go toy riding with you! I should have a better idea how long I'm going to be immobilized after Thursday.
It really sucks to have the motorcycle sitting in the garage and have to walk past it to take the truck to work in the mornings.
4. Posted by Tina Marie on October 22, 2007
"Well, I don't walk around with bedhead, either. And helmet hair isn't as cute."
Actually, I think the idea of a badass with a portable spray bottle of styling spritzer is adorable.
Hey, when you do decide to ride down to SA talk to me about routes. That stretch of I-35 is one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Texas and is best avoided, and there are other ways to get down there that are more fun and scenic for bikers.
5. Posted by Ray on October 22, 2007
No kidding. I bicycled down to New Braunfels once on roads like that and am always kicking myself for not driving the same way after I get back home from SA and my hands hurt from gripping the wheel for that crappy drive on I-35. I used 1626, 2770, 150, I-35 frontage (short), Post Road, then through San Marcos and out the butt end on a couple other FM routes I can't remember, basically paralelling I-35 (within sight distance in places) the rest of the way.
6. Posted by M1EK on October 22, 2007
Hey, H! Lot easier now that your hair is short, isn't it? Frog Togs for your rain gear is what I'd recommend. Sic_un swears by his, but they ARE ugly. Flannel lined jeans are a big recommend too.
7. Posted by darkneuro on October 22, 2007
Here's one route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=6370605156242647809,30.131960,-98.010330%3B10766543673937870328,30.049420,-97.988850%3B15622141562750068992,30.007500,-98.102920%3B9705590244096904205,29.938480,-98.204610&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=austin+tx&daddr=RR-1826+%4030.131960,+-98.010330+to:FM-150%2FFM+150+W%2FRR-150+%4030.049420,+-97.988850+to:FM-32%2FRR-32+%4029.938480,+-98.204610+to:san+antonio+tx&mra=mr&mrcr=2&sll=29.924589,-98.107224&sspn=0.44216,0.649567&ie=UTF8&ll=29.924589,-98.107224&spn=0.884308,1.299133&z=10&om=1
The ride from Oak Hill to Driftwood to Wimberley is beautiful, and then on Highway 32 you'll go over the Devil's backbone, then when you get to Canyon lake you turn right, gets you to 281 and you blast on down to SA.
The other option is to turn left at Canyon lake, pass under the Canyon Lake dam, meander down to RR 46 and then head west on 46 to 281. If you do that during bluebonnet season, though, you'll be tempted to just stay on 46 past 281 and bliss out, blow off the folks in SA and head west, 46 to 16, Bandera, Vanderpool, Leakey. You start getting into the parts of Texas that look like a cowboy movie and you might decide to not come home. That's the best biker country in Texas, if you ask me.
8. Posted by Ray on October 22, 2007
You're a badass with or without a bike.
9. Posted by pinkpantyboy on October 22, 2007
I always did see you as a badass, regardless of what you're wearing.
10. Posted by Omnipotent Poobah on October 22, 2007
I linked to this on the super-blog. Let me know if you object and I'll remove it.
11. Posted by rufus on October 23, 2007
Hey all, sankyou for comments. I haven't had time to reply to anything lately. Tina, I'll try to make time for that, Ray, I'll use those directions and Rufus, link to whatever you like.
12. Posted by Hiromi on October 24, 2007
No offense, Ray, but I've been on 16 near Bandara. That whole area is fun, but it's also a very challenging ride.
Maybe I'm just turning into a wimp in my old age.
13. Posted by Tina Marie on October 25, 2007
So I guess in that case I'll take his first route. but maybe by the time bluebonnet season rolls around, I'll have the skills to handle twisty roads or whatnot.
14. Posted by Hiromi on October 25, 2007
Actually, Tina, you're right, although I remember 16 north of Medina as being the really tough road. If you come out of Bandera on 16 and immediately head west on 470, though, it's beautiful relatively straight roads and rolling hills all the way to Injun country, so maybe do that. And that's the trip to take when you decided to blow off the family in SA anyway.
I would not do 16 between Kerville and Medina alone, actually. I found it pretty challenging after 3 years of riding under my belt.
Just ride it with bikers you trust. Don't go on one of those weekend squid rides sponsored by Woods Honda. A bigger collection of dangerous assholes cannot be found anywhere.
15. Posted by Ray on October 25, 2007
I won't have anything to do with Woods. My one experience with them left a bad taste.
16. Posted by Hiromi on October 25, 2007