Mid-Week Rides: Too Much Freeway

9 February 2016

Marc says:

Nice ride, but too much freeway (150 miles) for too few twisties (40 miles).

Chris Says:

It was a great day, this in spite of Weld’s screw-up, listing the restaurant address as being in ‘Campbell’, not ‘Cupertino’. Mea Culpa! Well, the ‘regulars’ knew this place anyway.

That said, we still picked-up a ‘first timer’, Mike Young of San Francisco, a fellow I met quite some time ago at the IS# 280 rest area. Mike’s got a K100RS, blue, nice motor all original with upgraded suspension.

Six made it to breakfast, one arrived after breakfast (by design), one too late to eat. Oh well! Weld took some flax over the time (8:30 breakfast meet-up), as IS# 280 was chocker-block with commuters. Well guys, ‘pay-up’ in the am. with morning commute, or pm. with the afternoon commute. (I was home by 3:30 pm., 178 miles after fill-up in Cupertino.)

We gased-up upon arrival in San Juan Bautista, then moved over to the Plaza to look’n learn. Mike Young had never been here before. Thereafter it was climb, climb, and climb to the parking lot just below the peak and a really steep walk thereto, (nobody did!).

We paused for a group pic at the lot. The pic is a little askew, which I can fix, but if I do, it’s the cutting room floor for Paul Hampton. Sorry ‘bout that!

Down the hill we rolled, back to the junction with the San Juan-Salinas Rd. where we lost Major Wobble (aka Bob Burns) and Alberto Sevilla who had (Gasp!) responsibilities.

Ergo, six riders headed for Salinas on the bone-jarring pavement that’s courtesy of San Benito County, one of the smallest counties in California. When we reached the Monterey County line there was a dramatic change. We turned-off the San Juan-Salinas Rd. at the first opportunity (Crazy Horse Canyon) e/r for Hwy #101 and back to the turn-off for San Juan Bautista. We parked on the main street and discussed lunch before settling on he Mission Cafe which, it turned-out, was an excellent choice.

We jumped back onto Hwy #101 and riders peeled-off at sundry road intersections. It was a great ride, if I do say so myself!

Alberto Says:

Tuesday 8:30 am. Was the appointed time set by Chris Weld for a mud-week ride.

As I was arriving to Bobby’s cafe in Cupertino, some were ready waiting.

Oh, surprise! WWWobble and Markus. Also, Mike Young. Shortly, Chris, Joe Stein and Paul.

I am not sure anyone is hungry, but they are acting as though they are. In we go and pig-out. Paul arrives, but takes off immediately as he is low in gas.

We head out to the motorcycles and as we are gathering ourselves waiting for Paul’s return… Marco arrives. What a surprise, I like that. We are now eight! Quite a group.

“Hey! Alberto where were you Sunday?” - aww, I’ll tell you all the truth, it is nice to be missed. I cannot believe that the SMBC group had such concern for me. So, I told Marco, ” I had to blah, blah, blah… “. And more baloney, all true, but, blah, blah, blah all the same.

With Paul’s arrival we mounted and headed to highway 85 South on our way to Fremont Peak.

Nice day, no clouds, 70 degrees and an open freeway. Yes! If you wonder at having missed a perfect day for riding.

We made a short stop at San Juan Bautista. Some for gas others for sightseeing. It seems Mike Young has never been to this mission and we had to give him and Chris a bit more tourism time.

WWWobble, “I came here to ride”. Echoed by others getting antsy to hit the road, just as the two tourists get back (nice gesture Chris!).

Fremont Peak is just a short ride from San Juan Bautista, quickly we found ourselves climbing. I took the rear guard right behind WWWobble. That was not an accident. I have been watching him ride, and I needed confirmation on a couple of points.

Quickly we all got to climbing the peak, and I was very attentive.

Bob, “please, I have a technical question”. What would that be Alberto?

“When do we use counter-steering as opposed to counter-balancing? I did get an answer from Bob, and from Marco, and from Markus. Joe also had something to say. It seems they all knew Reggie Pridmore’s preference for body-steering vis a vis the other guy… Cole? (I think that’s his name) a strict counter-steering devotee.

Marco, summarized it by saying, “Alberto if you ask four people the same question, you’ll get four answers”. He could not have been more factual: Bob, Markus, Marco and Joe…. Exactly FOUR!

To the reader then, I now bring what - I think I learned: When riding under 20 mph counter-balance, dirt style. Go over 20 mph on a long sweeping turn, lean with the bike and counter-steer.

At this point Chris decided to take a group picture. Started to set up…

Someone’s quoted - “you should ride close to your limit”. To which another one said, “and how you ever know what is your limit”. Markus summed it up as: “your limit is determined by the pucker factor”. There!! I believe in Markus’ accuracy, I’ve been there!

Chris is still trying to take a group picture, it seems ha has forgotten what the setting is for a time-delay shutter, we are all posing with a compliant attitude…

Now you know, why you must never miss a ride with these geniuses. You may disagree with what they say… But that is the point, we are in urgent need of a fifth opinion, and a sixth, seventh. Oh, what the heck… Care to join the next ride?

Chris is still trying to figure out the camera…

Mike gets behind Chris and takes a group picture including Chris’ set-up-attempt. ATTEMPT ONLY. I must commend our photographer’s very stoic demeanor. Admirable dedication and humbleness!

Chris, is finally ready… “Hey Chris! Your camera is crooked!” - CLICK! Never mind, I’ll photoshop it. ( I hope we all get to see Chris’ artwork).

Shortly after the discussion, it seemed all had had enough of discussion and posing, we all mounted and headed down Fremont Peak. I for one kept an eye on that 20 mph concept, switching from one technique to the other; wondering if anyone else did the same.

At the bottom of the peak WWWobble and I headed back to our corresponding world, the rest went somewhere south toward Salinas.

It was a great ride!

Paul Says:

Hope some one has given you a write-up by now! Capt’n asked me at Lunch but I declined due to obligations. If I were to write up the ride it would go something like this:

Seems that breakfast was had by all but two at Bobbies in the south bay near/in Cambell? Guess there is/was some confusion in the past and present but all that wanted, did join as far as I know. We mounted and drove off leaving the Nuns with a flat tire in the parking lot with out near a glance. After some freeway and such - we toured Mission San Juan Bautista. Most were done with the tour and we waited patiently for a few that are slow-paced. Eventually we all mounted and the posse was off to Fremont Peak State Park where we all paid the day use rate based on what we could afford. At his point the Major and South America left the pack for destinations unknown and the rest of us rode off. In the proposed ride it was lunch in Salinas but soon Déjà vu set in…if I was in Salinas a must have blinked since I was now eating an acceptable lunch in downtown San Juan. A good meal was had by all and we then departed for home.