The Need to Ride

It's been a couple of weeks since the trip to Bathurst and all the excitement of that trip lasted with me for a while. Last weekend I didn't even mind so much not going for a ride, just around town was enough to keep me satisfied I thought. Well after riding round town on Wednesday I found that by Thursday morning I couldn't stop thinking at odd times of the day that I just wished I was on the bike today. It's been a glorious week, only rained once even though it looked threatening a couple of times. But really the weather has been perfect, not too hot, not too cold. Ugh I just wanted to be out in it.

So I was pestering Terry ... 'Where we going this weekend?' .. 'What day are we going for a ride this weekend, babe?' .... 'Shall we go somewhere for lunch babe ... and take the bikes?" .. they weren't even subtle hints, I was out and out telling him I needed to go for a ride. I used the excuse I need practice for my test next week, and that's true, but the reality was, I just wanted to get on my bike and ride somewhere .. anywhere .. I didn't care where.





We fiddled around this morning and went to the bike shop to check out stuff for our trip. I impulse bought a new pair of boots, proper riding boots. They're DriRiders and I swore I wouldn't get DriRider gear after the trouble I've had with gloves that brand, but I tried them on in the shop on a whim, thinking they wouldn't fit just like every other pair of boots I've tried on. And they are just so much more comfortable than my cheapy shoes! They're smaller for a start, and the toes aren't as bulky as the shoes, I always had trouble getting my foot under the gear lever with the shoes on. Being a short boot too they also give me more feeling of security and stability. And that was just wearing them round the house today :P  I'm wearing them now ....

Terry bought a new Ventura bag for his back rack, which he still hasn't got, so I tried it on the back of my bike and it looks good. I'm gonna have to get one for myself. We still have a quite a few things to get for the trip, but we are getting there, and I'm hoping to be able to visit a couple (or at least one) of the bike shops in Bathurst when I'm there on Thursday to check out winter gloves and other various warm wear stuff, and Kevlars. You know, gurls clothes shopping, but for bikes. I'm finding it hard to get stuff like that anywhere, yes I'm small but sheesh I can't be the only small woman who rides a bike and wants to be warm and safe.

I wore my boots for most of the morning, doing the washing and stuff, I was wearing them in honestly ... it wasn't a hint to hubby I swear. But after about the 5th phone call from clients who don't realise that it's weekend and even people who work from home need some time off, Terry suddenly turned to me and said, 'Quick lets go for a ride before someone else rings!' Yay!!

I had no idea where I wanted to go so I just told him to lead the way, I needed petrol first was my only stipulation. So after stopping at the local petrol station and getting some admiring comments (I'll never get sick of that) I followed his lead. We went out to Minore, then along the Mitchell Highway for about 8k's before turning onto Bunglegumbie Road back into Dubbo. It was a short trip, only bout 50km's, but it was just what the doctor ordered. I got to try out the new boots, they pass even though I did miss a couple of gears at first. And the saddlebags got a try out at speeds higher than 60km/h. I dunno if I was hitting higher wind areas or it was the saddlebags getting caught by the wind, but I did feel like I was getting hit by the wind harder at times. I did notice a bad habit I've picked up, my line of sight, I realised that I'm not looking at where I'm going so much as at the road just ahead of me. I picked it up when I went round a sweeping curve in the road and remembered to look at the vanishing point, then it hit me that I haven't been doing that much lately. So I concentrated on doing it right today, and you guessed it my riding was much easier. Though at one stage I was doing just that as I was doing a tricky right turn, you know the type where the road curves right at the intersection, so you cant see a lot of the road ahead of you until you are right at the turn. Well I was watching where I wanted to go and just starting to tip into the turn, one more quick glance at the road for traffic approaching showed me a car coming towards me. It was one of those split second decisions, stop? keep going? hit the gas? I quickly decided he wasn't coming that fast so I did my turn safely, but it was a bit of a shock to see a car when I wasn't expecting one. Another reminder to be aware of my surroundings.

I thoroughly enjoyed my ride today and I'm, as always lately, amazed at how much better it's all feeling every time I get on the bike. I Love My Bike :D