Racy

"track day" whipping through town to work this morning. Exhilarating!
And the usual blindingly beautiful sunrise before hitting the city proper.

Icon 1000 Elsinore boots

Go with your gut, I always say. If you like them buy them. I may have had some trepidation at first but I knew I wanted these boots. My hesitation for reasons smacking of vanity and superfluous web shopping lasted but a moment. They arrived in the mail as I had suspected; coolness personified, if I do say so myself. Have they performed well these past several weeks? Most definitely. I originally didn't want to let the cat out of the bag and tell others about these gems that caress my soul(s) but here goes:

My early morning commute was a treat at +16 C today, before 7:00 am!

70km a day

BMW, Triumph Tiger, Ducati thingamajig, hey, maybe even the Aprillia! They are all decent to exceptional DS bikes, albeit on copious amounts of steroids in the big bore clique. Yamaha Super Tenere and Honda Veradero? Truly exceptional in my opinion, and of course, the Suzuki Vstrom holds its own as well. These are a few of my favorite things.
And my Buell Ulysses? In a class of its own, holding its own and surprisingly...my favorite. If I had 24k what would I buy? Unfortunately a BMW with its hyper-cliquey following, not unlike the Harley crowd. What a shame.
70km of tire wear again on my commute today. Getting to be a relished regular occurrence.

Where's the appeal?

 I took a moment to stop on a field entrance to plug my heated jacket in for much needed warmth on this very windy and miserable afternoon ride home from work. I was nonchalantly being watched by at least one curious cow gnawing on grass as it lay next to the fence, down on it's belly to no doubt get low and out of the somewhat strong north wind and rain.

 I saw 2 other bikes during my 35+km ride home and both where in the city. Can't say I blame anyone else out there on two wheels for excusing themselves from riding on this day. I made it a sight better by choosing to avoid the highway and it's hyper active occupants and their gritty spray.

 

  Maybe Hwy 8 next time.

I remember...

..the feeling of freedom washing over me (that sort of existentialism nonsense that I had read about later in life and still fail to disregard as hooey) while riding a small red bike made in 1978 or was it '79, the Honda XR80, picking my line down the middle of the gravel road, wishing the road carried on forever. I wasn't a teenager yet. I didn't know how to drive a car but there I was free to kick up the gravel dust twisting out every ounce that wee bike had switching from the line on the left to the better line on the right and back again at 50km / hr.
I still feel it while riding. Now, it's a relaxing sensation as my shoulders drop and my helmeted noggin bobs this way and that with the buffeting wind.

Getting into the commuting groove.

2 degrees C. Traffic at 6:45 am. I'm lovin it.

Beautiful day for a ride

A little spooky - in a good way. A cool breeze like sticking your head in the fridge. Dry clay thankfully. Could have been ultra greasy if it was wet. Twisty, scenic, lonesome, rolling McLean Creek Trail.