Subject: [east] Re: what a day From: "Blake W Johnson" Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 15:08:21 -0400 On Mon, 24 Jun 2002 11:05:48 -0400 Tom Biggs writes: >> At 09:54 AM 6/24/02 -0400, Mike DiTullio wrote: >>> >finally got home at 10:20 last night. >> >> Pretty good considering you went all the way to Wilmington. >> I thought you'd be home later than that. >> >>> >Took a well needed shower and a quick >>> >bowl of oatmeal then off to bed. Woke up this morning and my left >> Achilles >>> >tendon hurts. I can only guess it's all the shifting that necessary >> when you >>> >ride the hawk fast for 12 hours. > >> >> I've still got a blister on one finger on my left hand. >> Shows that I haven't been riding enough between these events. >> Commuting used to be about half of my total riding mileage, >> and I don't commute to my current job. >> >> Blake and I followed 372 back, as planned. It was nice to >> have fairly light traffic, so that once you passed one or >> two cars, it was wide open for miles. Although there was >> a weird sort of "country rush hour" around 7:30, a big >> rush to get home to bed or something. But that cleared >> out soon. We followed Mountain Valley Rd north out of the camp until in turned to dirt, jumped on 11 for about 15 mi., then did 675 (missed a turn, went all the way into Luray and had to come back over the mountain again. Oh, darn.) and 678 up to 55. Followed Mr. Bill's Md. route from there. Dammit, Bill! With you being a Dept. of Defense employee, I feel it was your duty to warn us about the tame black hole the govt. keeps somewhere in central Maryland. I don't know how else to explain the fact that every time I try a route through there I lose two hours somehow. Our route back was about 50 mi. shorter but 2 hours longer than the one coming out. However, the roads, once found, were pretty nice. Great lunch place in The Plains, Md, BTW. And get this -- motorcyclists welcome, but keep out biker (as in Schwinn/Raleigh/Cannondale) scum! A sign warning away people in "biker attire" worried us until we saw the fine print and saw it was spandex 'n' cleats they were talking about. >> I led Blake back the way I had come down Friday morning, >> 372 to 10 to 30 bypass, then up 113 to 100 to Pennsy >> Turnpike. I held it to 65 on rt 30 for Blake's comfort, >> I didn't want to lose him since I was leading. I noticed that, but didn't have any way to tell you that it's not until about 80 that I make the transformation from "rider" to "drogue chute" on the SV. >> But once >> I was on the turnpike, I spanked the FJ's ass with the >> riding crop. The FJ was pleased to run unrestrained. >> Usually it takes me an hour to get from the rt 100 exit >> to home, but this time it only took 40 minutes, my average >> speed on the turnpike speed was around 90. Traffic was >> light enough that there were often gaps to the right of >> the left-lane bandits. >> >> Got home around 9pm and took that much-needed shower. >> My eyes forced themselves shut at 11 pm despite my efforts >> to stay awake and talk. Stopped for gas on the 'Pike and also got home around 9 p.m. Had a late dinner, talked to my housemate for a bit, then crashed like a '62 Corvair. So anyway Dave, it rocked, you rock, and it's a damn shame you trailered the YZF down there for a mere 2 hours of riding. You should have exercised Oompah's Prerogative on some of the sweeter rides down there. Thanks again. What was our total count, anyway? May be time for a new blood transfusion. Though I was also very glad to see some faces that have been absent in recent years. Oh, also thanks to Justin and the other, other Dave for showing us the local roads. Justin, don't ever sell the KTM -- if you had a bike with more than 35 hp or bigger than 90mm tires, you'd be downright scary. Blake Johnson 2000 SV650 DoD #1257 blakeward@juno.com