Eventful Weekend

Today merits a blog post, even though it was just a local OFO day. (Out fucking off)

Over 7 hours in the saddle and my techno playlist didn't run out. Indeed, I apparently have over 19 hours of techno. 👍🏻

Some background. Yesterday I tried out my new helmet on a longer ride which had to be cut short bc it just hurt too much. I am an XS, but this one was just too small. We were 10 min from ice cream but I just wanted to go home. This is very abnormal. Ice cream is our main objective when riding. I was also hungry and forgot to take tylenol when we decided to head home, so, you know -- ideal conditions. As we got to our street, Jaron continued on to go to the store. I was on the KTM and it's been behaving better now that I've had so much training on my G650GS with the preload cranked all the way up. We actually measured the seat height with a level and a measuring tape and they are within a quarter inch of each other. So I had not dropped the KTM since I started riding it again recently. And of course the last gas station we went to didn't have a bathroom so I really had to pee. 

I pull in to our driveway and drop the bike while turning in to the garage, pissed myself, and said fuck ALL OF THIS. I ripped off my helmet without turning the music off first and jammed it on my cruiser backrest. Went in and peed for about 6 minutes, and then went upstairs to get codeine (which is what I have on hand for ibuprofen-level pain since NSAIDs hurt my stomach). I think, I should probably start with 1, but my head fucking hurts, so I take 2 (again, allowed by my rx). I came back downstairs to ditch my jacket and I see my bike laying on its side and imagine how Jaron will chuckle when he gets home. I'm looking at it and I wonder if I can pick it up and redeem my day. After all, I've been working out and have done lots of multi-person pickups during training and group rides this summer. 

I tried the "butt to seat" method 2x and just can't get it up high enough. Jocelyn Snow says that us shorties have to grab lower, but when I do that I can't get enough leverage to stand it up. Once it's halfway up, I don't have it solidly enough against my butt to move my hand to a lower grip point. I take the topcase off to lighten it up and try again. Not happening. I say fuck this again and turn to go back inside. Then I remember a Bret Tkacs video where he picks it up with his chest to the seat and I try that. It works! Way easier. This will henceforth be known as the "boobs to seat" method. (I told him this on his FB page before God and everyone.)

I put the bike in the garage and scoop myself some ice cream, and Jaron rolls up just after I take it out to the hammock, still in my motorcycle boots & pants. I tell him what he missed and he goes, wow, a lot happened while I was at the store! I finish my ice cream, feel the codeine kick in, and decide to take a shower before I get too high. I start the laundry and do that. (Sadly I didn't end up getting high, which means I took an appropriate amount of painkillers.)

Ok, back to today. Wanting to have a good ride at some point this weekend after such a shitty day yesterday (didn't even get a high), I took a route I'd programmed to check out a potential venue for my sibling reunion. I squeezed every mile possible out of the Butler roads for this area (and there are not very many). It's a beautiful ride and the weather is perfect. I stopped a lot on the shoulder on my way out for various random reasons: to fix my music, take tylenol, fix my navigation, refill my hydration pack, etc. Every time I pulled on to the shoulder, at least one person asked if everything was ok. I'm not sure if it is bc it's Labor Day weekend and a lot of people are out, or bc I'm a girl out riding by myself. But I appreciate it and I'm having a great day. 

I'm on a backroad and there is a railroad track at the top of a hill. I stand up on the pegs for it and hit it at like 50 mph and caught more air than I was expecting! My right foot actually left the peg for a moment. Thus chastened, I sit down, slow down a little, and keep going. 

On a short bridge of some sort, there was some construction on the other end and some traffic. We were all creeping along. I'm stopped and see movement that is too close in my mirror (but apparently closer than it appeared), and I get rear-ended. My head definitely whipped. This weekend has been hard on my poor head. But I didn't drop the bike! I generally hold the front brake while stopped in traffic, and maybe I subconsciously braced for it since I had a millisecond of warning. I can't believe I didn't drop it. I'm very tippy toe on this bike, and I don't remember if my right foot was down or if it was on the rear brake, usually I only put my left foot down on this bike. I put my kickstand down in the middle of the bridge and go talk to the guy behind me, who asks if I'm ok and says he couldn't see shit. Traffic was facing the sun, and his car was silver and since he was so close behind me, it probably blended in with my silver topcase. (I'm going to put a red reflector there bc of this.) I say I think so but I'd like to get his info. He says of course, but doesn't make any moves to give it to me. Awkward pause. He asks if I want to pull over or do this on the bridge blocking traffic. I think -- sounds like a great opportunity for him to run. So I say I don't know where to pull off and I can just take a picture of it with my phone real quick. He pulls out his license, I take a picture, and he puts it away. Another awkward pause. I ask if he has insurance. He says he doesn't have it on him, he just moved here. I say ok, well let me get your number. I text him and he reads me back my number so I know he gave me the right #. He apologizes again and says he's not a dick. I agree that I am also not a dick, I just need a chance to think and see what I feel like when I get home, and we part ways. 

I get going and pull off the road a minute later to fix my music. A guy on a Harley pulls behind me and asks if I'm ok. I say oh, did you see me just get rear-ended? No but he was in the backup on the bridge. He pokes at all of the parts on my back end (of the bike) and assures me there's no damage and we both say where we're from & where we're going. He makes no move to leave, so I say well I'd better keep going so I can make my turnaround before dark, I'm turning my music on since that's why I stopped, thanks for stopping. And I keep going. 

I've tried calling the venue a couple of times all day to ask about the quality of the gravel road and have been exchanging voicemail with the host since cell service is spotty there. I took a little bit of a risk going there on my own today but figured I could just turn around if I didn't feel comfortable on it. I also know that I don't get reliable info when I ask places about road quality, bc the locals are used to those roads. I tried calling again at my next stop and got her live. She says well why don't I ask these two gentlemen who just arrived on motorcycles? Perfect! I find out that a Goldwing made it, so I feel confident that I will. Onward! 

I have a great visit at the venue, Buffalo Gap, and I will definitely be back there for weekends and moto camping. The timing worked out perfectly -- I got there about 6, left at 7:15, made it out of the mountains before dark, and then did the boring roads in the dark. 👍🏻  

Not a very good picture, but at least I remembered to take one this time. I handled being rear ended, got some air, and did a gravel road by myself today. All in all it turned out to be a good day.