Bucky's Ride: Back in the Saddle After a Too-Long Break

I went for a ride on my Ninja earlier this week.

I had not been out for more than five weeks.

What was I doing?, you might ask.

Well, there was Christmas, putting up and taking down decorations, and having family in. Also, having fun with the presents I gave and received (no coal in my stocking this year). Then there was the cold and wet weather. That usually doesn't bother me, but I must be getting old or something, 'cause I felt more like staying in than bundling up for the cold. ...and I don't ride when it is wet, unless I am caught in it. I also went for several hikes, with friends and without, into the mountains and foothills of the Blue Ridge Escarpment not far north of where I live. Along this escarpment, the high Blue Ridge Mountains drop dramatically to the piedmont (foot of the mountains) areas. In some places, the drop is more than 3,000 feet and is quite a sight to see. The Escarpment is why there are so many twisty mountain roads near here.

This past Monday, the weather was about 40 degrees in the morning, and the sky was almost devoid of clouds. So, I ventured forth. I dressed for the weather as I usually do. I have this pretty much down pat these days, so I wasn't cold, for the most part.

My bike fires right up after its hiatus, and it warms up and runs without flaw. I like that. It having covered almost 75,000 miles, it runs as it did when I bought it with a thousand miles on the clock. There have only been a few mechanical issues, all able to be wrenched on by me in my garage. Fortunately, I have been able to get home each time something went wring, though the fuel pump failing was a close one, requiring me to limp back to the paddock.

Today, I go from home in Easley to nearby Pickens South Carolina via a neat little curvy passage called Rice Road. It parallels SC-8, but is much more fun. Then I go to the west end of town onto Shady Grove Road, and wind my way to SC-133. A buddy says there is a place to hike just south of SC-11, and across the road from Keowee-Toxaway State Park, so I mark the spot in my memory as I pass by for a future time out.

As I motor along, I find that I have lost a little of my skill in curves and in coordinating shifts. This comes back pretty quickly, though, and feel as confident as I did before the five-week pause in the action. I have read about and talked to some other riders who have the same problem of deteriorating skills after an interruption of a few weeks. Those who live where winter prevents riding must surely have the most trouble with this. Fortunately, the Upstate of South Carolina has a climate where it is possible to ride almost all winter long. I do note that the cold makes my clutch cable a little stiffer than usual, but nothing else seems much different from the way it is in warmer weather.

I turn left on South Carolina Route 11, which is the almost-straight road that makes it easy to go from east to west along here. I stop for a break in the picnic area at Keowee-Toxaway State Park. I forget to turn off my GoPro, so [almost] the whole thing is documented.

Back out to SC-11. You have to pay attention to the speed limit on this road, because they patrol quite frequently, sometimes on motorcycles. I putter along toward the west to SC-130 and turn right. This road is mostly sweepers and is one of my favorites -- not too challenging, but enough so that it is fun to ride. There is little traffic today. I climb a bit in elevation here, the temperature is slightly cooler, and I see that there is snow in the grass along the road in the shady places. It was a little below freezing over night, so there could be ice on the road, but I don't see any, though I am careful just in case.

I cross into North Carolina and almost immediately turn into the Whitewater Falls parking lot. The falls is one of my favorite places to ride because of the nice curves, the generally good road surface, and the falls that is a nice place to look at he scenery (after a half-mile walk from the parking lot). The falls parking lot has another place to take a break, and they have very nice motorcycle rider hand warmers in their restrooms.

There are at least three ways to use these hand warmers: On your gloved hands, on your ungloved hands, and blowing into your gloves before you put them back on. I use methods two and three.

I can't resist taking a picture of my ride as I come out again.

Note that I have installed my fleece-lined Hippo Hands for the winter, over my heated grips so my tender little hands don't get cold. The combination of these two make it comfortable to ride down to about freezing temperatures.

I start up and go just a short distance south and turn into the Bad Creek Pumped Storage Facility access road. Near the end, just before the gate that keeps you from continuing down to the powerhouse (don't be riding too fast -- the gate is around a blind curve), the overlook onto Lake Jocassee provides a nice place to view Lower Whitewater Falls and a good part of the lake

I linger for a few minutes, take a few pictures, then go. I feel daring today, so I ride right off the curb from the sidewalk instead of going back to the ramp from the parking lot.

Once I reach SC-130, I turn south again, then after a short distance, turn off to the right onto the Wigington Byway. This is a short road with a nice surprise -- a scenic overlook onto Lake Jocassee.

After the requisite pictures of the bike and the view, I head back on the Byway to SC-130 again. I turn right and again enjoy going through the sweet sweepers, again without much traffic to interfere with my ride.

I turn left on SC-11, and go all the way to US-178. I turn right and ride back to Pickens, then onto Rice Road again, and home. There is one other two-wheeled soul out today -- the only one I have seen. We pass one another on this stretch. He gives a hearty wave to me as we pass.

I like that. I don't know him, and will likely never meet him, but I fancy the idea of being a part of a group who doesn't necessarily wait for perfect riding conditions to enjoy the roads. By the way, his bike looks strange to me in the photo. It almost looks like a naked sportbike with a chopper front fork arrangement. Maybe it is the distortion caused by the GoPro lens. ...or, maybe he is a motorcycle innovator!

Before I get home, I take a few minutes to do some low speed turns in a cul-de-sac nearby, and some lane swerves on the road back home.