EZ Rider Bike Show Ride Report

Yes it was cold this morning. When we left for Walnut Creek there was frost on everything, so I know it was below freezing. There were five of us riding over Hwy 4 toward Walnut Creek trying to stay warm. As we rode up the hill past Bay Point we heard this loud BAM and one of the cars in front of our small group pulled quickly to the shoulder of the freeway. Then we were in the debris field of the blown-out tire and fender well trim. A couple of the bikes in the left wheel track didn't have enough time to dodge the metal strip, but luckily running over it didn't cause any damage. It was interesting to say the least. We not only heard the tire blow out, but we could actually hear the metal trim getting ripped from the fender well. The rest of the ride over was uneventful, but what a way to start the day.



We began gathering in the parking lot at McGuire's around 7:30 and it wasn't long before the place was packed. What a great turnout on this cold Saturday morning. The last official count before our departure was 49 bikes, but I think another bike arrived just before we staged under the BART tracks making it 50. We lined up in two groups and were soon on our way.



We jumped on 680, took 242 to Hwy 4, and made our way to the Antioch Bridge. As we rode past Bay Point and into Pittsburg we encountered a couple of areas of fog. It wasn't too thick, but it did leave some moisture on the face shield. Then it was clear and sunny again and we continued on. At the Antioch bridge toll plaza a few more bikes joined our group, so now the unofficial count is 52 or 53. From there we rode up 160 along River Rd through Isleton, Walnut Grove, and Freeport en route to Sacramento and our scheduled stop. This was a nice ride along Hwy 160 with very little traffic and nothing but sunshine. The cold didn't seem to affect anyone too much because everyone was properly bundled up.

Our stop was at the Starbuck's on the corner of Freeport Blvd andPocket Rd. We stood around in the sun drinking our coffee and chatting until it was time to continue on our way. We pulled out as one large group of 50+ bikes onto Freeport Blvd and followed that all the way down to 'I' St where we turned left. Our trip through town caused the group to get separated in numerous places, but we were able to keep the groups ahead of us in sight so it wasn't a problem. We followed 'I' St over to 13th and turned left again. We began looking for parking, but there wasn't much to be had. They had changed some of the street parking and moved it to the sidewalk, which was packed full. We rode around the block again and people were grabbing parking wherever they could find it. A few of us found parking back on 'I' St and then made our way into the show.

The line for tickets wasn't too long and what there was moved quickly. With tickets in hand we made our way to the exhibition hall and our ultimate destination. We found the usual vendor booths and bikes inside, and I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed. Most of the bikes were the same as they were the last couple of years. There were a couple that I hadn't seen before, but they didn't hardly seem worth the $18 admission. After making the trip up and down the aisles we called it a day and returned to our bikes.

We returned via the same route and stopped at the Moon River Inn in Freeport for lunch. About the time we were finishing our lunch a few more of our group came in. We chatted for a bit and then left them to enjoy their lunches. Our ride home was pleasant and significantly warmer than it had been just a few hours earlier.

What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday. Good riding, good food, and good people.

See you all next week ...

Mystery Ride Report ... The Sequel

What a beautiful day for a ride. We began gathering at the Devil Mtn shop this morning around 9:00 AM, and before long we had 39 bikes ready to ride. Though it was a little chilly, the sun was out and we were actually getting a little warm while we were waiting to depart.

We opted to split into two groups for the ride and were soon on our way down Loveridge to Buchanan. Then via Somersville, James Donlan, Lone Tree, and finally exiting Antioch on Deer Valley Rd. We took Deer Valley all the way to Marsh Creek Rd where we turned east toward Byron. At Vasco Rd we turned south, following that all the way through Livermore. The sun was out for most of this leg, but it began to cool off a bit as we rode into the Livermore valley. We took Tesla Rd east out of Livermore and rode past Carnegie Park. After passing Carnegie Park the road started to gradually climb through the hills and we rode into the twisties. As we crested the top of the hill we could see down into the central valley. What a beautiful sight. Unfortunately we weren't able to spend too much time taking in the scenery though. The road in the first turn as you crest the hill drops away and turns to the right, making it seem like your riding off the edge of a cliff. And there were some ripples in the pavement in some of the other turns as we rode down the hill. Overall the road is in good shape and eventually straightens out as we approach 580 near Tracy. Somewhere along the way we rode under a cloud layer and the temperature dropped a few more degrees. We jumped on 580 for for a few miles and then merged onto Hwy 132, which we followed the rest of the way to our destination. And our timing was perfect. The place opens at noon on Sundays, and we arrived at about 5 min. after 12.

So what was the destination? Doc's Q'in BBQ in Modesto. The food here is good and it's reasonably priced. This is a fairly small place though, and we pretty much took it over. So picture this; you're a small restaurant with seating for approximately 50 to 60 customers. You open for business at noon on Sunday and there's little or no activity. Then, 5 min. later, a group of 39 Harleys pulls into your parking lot. Shortly after that the 45 or so people that came in on those Harleys files into your establishment and fills it to near capacity. So much for an easy day at the office.


Needless to say, since this is a small restaurant it took them a while to deal with a group of 45 people. We had to wait a while for our orders to be taken and served, but they managed, eventually. By the time we finally got our food most of the others had already finished and had headed for home. The clouds had burned off by the time we were ready to leave and with around 10 bikes in our group we headed home via Hwy 132 to 580. Some of us took Mt House Pkwy back to Antioch while the others took 580 to 680.

It was a great day for a ride with friends.

Oh, and here's the link for Doc's if you're interested http://www.docsribs.com/index.html

Jamestown Polar Bear Ride II

Now that I have dried out and warmed up! It was still a great ride.

Yesterday I woke up late (730) and could not believe I missed the ride.There was sunshine.
I boo hoo'ed for about a half hour and decided that I would head out anyways and try and
catch up with the guys in Jamestown. Headed down 680 to 580 onto 205 to 120 followed
the rest from Rocky's map smiling the whole way. After passing Oakdale I saw a single bike
it did remind me of Darcy (because it was). It was white clouds from there. When I reached Jamestown Harley 10:45 I pulled in where Darcy had left there were about 10 bikes and couple pulled in the restaurant across the street. Few more did pull in while I was there. Went in paid
for my pin she told me Darcy was the only other WC Hog member and he should be around, he
was gone. I spoke with some Jamestown members Rain not till late afternoon! They were going to head out at noon. But they would also pick another date the first of Feb. and try the ride again. I called home was told it was raining I put on my rain gear gased up and headed home.
As I passed St. Patricks I said my hail Mary's to get home safe (not see hail). It was clear till Manteca headed on the 205 thats when the rain really started 580 heavy rain and hail all the way to Pleasanton.
I arrived home safe but wet feet and hands (Tony will shake his head did I not listen).

See you Tuesday,
Ana

Jamestown Polar Bear Ride Report

Yes, I did listen to the hot line, and yes I knew that the ride was canceled, but after checking the weather this morning I just couldn't pass up this opportunity. I didn't get to go on the Dudley Perkins ride so I still had this itch to ride.

I showed up at the Devil Mtn shop at 7 AM and was kind of surprised that the lot was completely empty. I expected to see at least a couple of die-hard riders there, but guess not. While waiting around I heard a couple of Harleys go by on Hwy 4 and wondered if they were part of our group and had decided not to stop thinking no one else would be there. If so I may see them in Jamestown.

OK, so now it's a quarter past 7 and nobody else around but the maintenance folks with their leaf blowers. Maybe the others are still checking weather and will be here by 7:30. Nope, no such luck. At 7:25 it was still me, myself, and I. At least we all fit on one bike :?) So I put all my gear back on and readied myself for the ride. Yeah, you know the drill. All that cold weather gear, then the leather, and finally topped by an additional layer of rain gear. Hey, I was ready for anything.

I pulled out of the parking lot just before 7:30, making my way through Antioch, down Deer Valley Rd, then Balfour to Hwy 4. It was a bit chilly (around 45 deg), but I could see the sun beginning to rise along the eastern horizon and no rain in sight. The ride across the delta was pleasant with the exception of the bumpy levee road and the sun in my eyes. When I got to Stockton I jumped onto I-5, took the Hwy 4 bypass to Hwy 99 south, then exited onto Mariposa Rd. The roads were dry in most places with an occasional puddle or bit of surface moisture except in the wheel tracks. The sun was still doing its thing and it created a glare as it reflected off what moisture there was on the road making me strain to see the road ahead. I continued down Mariposa to Escalon, turned east on 120 and rode that through Oakdale and the rest of the way into Jamestown. As I departed Oakdale I rode under a high layer of clouds causing the temperature to drop 5 to 10 degrees. About 20 miles out of Jamestown the wind began to pick up and the clouds got lower and darker. I arrived in Jamestown just before 9:30 and refueled before stopping at the dealer. I didn't see any other motorcycles the entire trip, and then while refueling an ultra pulled into the station behind me. Not a drop of rain the entire trip, and actually had sunshine for all but the last 30 miles.



The parking lot at Jamestown was empty when I pulled in and I had to do a double-take to verify that they were actually open. I parked and finally got enough of my gear off so that I could walk inside and register for the ride. I was actually feeling kind of stupid with all that gear and no rain. I must have looked like that kid in the movie A Christmas Story, so bundled up that I couldn't put my arms down by my sides. Anyway, as I was registering they told me I was the second to register (the guy on the ultra turned out to be third). Might not be much of a turn out for this ride. Usually the parking lot is full by the time we get there. I used the restroom and then had a couple of cups of coffee and a donut. I knew that I wasn't going to go on their ride, but I was thinking about having breakfast before heading back. I decided to check the weather first, and glad I did. They were forecasting heavy rain in the next couple of hours so I decided to forgo breakfast and depart for points west. Yep, gotta put all that gear back on ...

I returned via the same route and the weather wasn't bad, though there was no sunshine for this leg. I saw a small group of around six bikes heading toward Jamestown as I left, but only one or two more singles after that. As I rode along Hwy 4 I noticed a couple of sprinkles on my face shield in the area of Tracy Blvd but not much more than that. Finally, as I rode into Brentwood it began to rain. It was relatively light but it was enough to be a pain. Now I wasn't feeling so bad about putting all this gear on. The farther west I rode, the worse the rain. By the time I pulled into my garage it was raining steadily. I had ridden 220 miles and only encountered rain for the last 5 of those. As I was taking off all my gear it began to rain fairly heavy. Made it just in time.

See you all Tuesday ...