Riding Weather

We haven't seen much riding weather this year. Every time we think we're about to get a nice long break from the rain,  the forecast changes, it clouds back up, cools off, and the rain begins anew. Fortunately, though, the last couple of weekends have had a least one day of good riding weather and Wanda and I have been able to get out for a jaunt in the countryside. Last weekend we decided to ride up to see some friends on Bald Peak.

The ride up to their place, Dragonfly Landing, is quite scenic and has some great twisties plus some long straightaways through farm country. It wasn't as warm as we would have liked it, topping out in the low 70's, but it was sunny and in Oregon that's all you need for a ride.  Besides, we were looking for any reason to get away from the house and out into the world.

There wasn't much traffic on our route and except for a bit of construction on 185th Ave, we had a nice smooth ride over to Farmington Road and then out to Bald Peak Road. We saw quite a number of other bikes on the roads and more than a few were couples with a rider and passenger as well as a number of small groups.  It seems like lots of folks had the same idea as Wanda and I did.

On the ride up the mountain we had some great views of Mount Hood and the Tualatin Valley. There was a bit of loose gravel on the road, but the twin front tires of the MP3 seemed to handle it quite well, though honestly we weren't moving fast enough to really test it. Wanda was much improved as a passenger this time and I could tell she was much more relaxed on the ride. There were far fewer helmet bumps and she didn't shift her weight in anticipation of the curves. There was one curve on the way down the mountain though where it seemed she was fighting the turn and leaning out of it instead of moving her body with mine, but that was the only one.

At the crest of ride, we stopped at Bald Peak State Park to enjoy the view there. Mount Hood was clearly visible for a change, and the view of the valley was quite lovely too. We took a short hike on one of the trails leading down from the west side of the park to get a better view of the valley. The rain has been good for something at least--the vegetation was lush and there were lots of little wild flowers blooming all up and down the slopes of the mountain.

The trail was well drained, so there wasn't much mud to deal with on the hike down and up. I had Wanda stop for a couple of shots on the trail as I thought I might use it for a future photo shoot and also because I think she looks might fine in her riding gear.

We walked around the park for a bit, used the restroom facilities there, and then headed on over to Dragonfly Landing to see our friends, Mark and Gabi. Our timing sucked though, because Gabi wasn't there and Mark was taking a nap. Good friend that he was, though, he got up from his nap and showed up some of his family's latest projects - a new leather corset for Gabi, new tents and camp-beds for their SCA group, and some of the landscaping and housing improvements they've been doing around the place.

Mark lets me use his property quite a lot for my summer photo projects, so I took some time to check out some of the fields and wooded areas in preparation for an upcoming shoot I have planned. Wanda was very interested in the camp-beds and I'll have to say there were very nicely built and seemed quite rugged and sturdy. Steve, the builder, told us they could be broken down in 5 minutes and setup in about 10 minutes, and more importantly they could be stored flat for transportation.

We didn't overstay our welcome, though, and we wanted to get back home while the sun was still high so we could have a little cookout with our daughters and grandkids. Coming back down the mountain was just as fun as riding up, although the one curve I mentioned previously did give me a bump of adrenaline.  What was rough though, was the winds down on the valley floor, pushing us around when we cleared the mountain shadow.

All in all it was a fun little ride and a nice afternoon outing.

Wanda on the mountain trail

Ready to ride.

Wanda's First Ride

Wanda has gradually been coming around to the idea of riding with me. Slowly, but surely she has been warming to the idea and yesterday, on our way out for our anniversary dinner, we stopped by Beaverton Motorcycles to get her some riding gear. I'll have to say this much for her, she has good taste.

She picked out a lightweight Nolan helmet with built in sunshade and a detachable chin guard, and black armored jacket with magenta piping, some leather gloves, and very nice mid-calve riding boots. She definitely looked good in the outfit.

Today was a perfect day for riding. It was sunny, but not too hot, and the roads were finally dried out from all the previous weeks rain. Our plan was to head out for a ride then hit McMenamin's Rock Creek Tavern for a late lunch on our way back.  Before we could head out, though, Wanda insisted we get some chores done first. So, while she vacuumed and cleaned the house, I edged and mowed the lawn and then we both went to Home Depot to get some supplies for a small project.  After that, Wanda finally screwed her courage to the sticking point and we got ready to ride.

I had a destination in mind and the plan was for a relatively short ride to give Wanda time to adjust to riding with me, and for me to figure out how to ride with her riding pillion. We tool a slow ride through the neighborhood first to let me get a feel for how the bike responded to two riders and to give Wanda's nerves a chance to setting down. After a short circuit around a couple of blocks, we headed down the long, straight route leading east from our subdivision. That let me pick up some speed and settled her in on the bike.

At the first intersection we headed north on a curvy stretch of road to give her a chance to learn how to lean with me and the bike. I kept it fairly slow, but I could feel her grip tighten with each curve. At the next intersection, about 4 miles up the road, I stopped and checked with her and she told me she was fine, so we turned and continued west toward our destination.

The road we eventually rode is called Skyline Boulevard, and it's called that for a reason. It runs along a ridgeline that divides the river area of North Portland from the fields and farms of the Washington County.  Our destination was a logging area just off the road where, on clear day, you can see the snow-capped peaks of Mount St. Helens, Mount Ranier, and Mount Adams in a beautiful panorama. I'd driven there a couple of times when searching for fall foliage to photograph, but had never ridden there on the bike. It seemed the ideal destination for our ride, and I wasn't disappointed.

The view was fantastic. Bright yellow scotch broom dotted the landscape and all three mountains could be clearly seen in the distance. The area where we stopped is owned by a logging company, but they allow hiking on the property and the logging road allows good access to various overlooks. Wanda and I didn't go very far from the gated entrance, but we did wander down the trail to get a couple of different images. It was definitely cool enough at this elevation that we could keep our riding jackets on as we walked.

The ride up was quite curvy and Wanda really got to experience some decent speed and twisties. As we road through the curves, she became better at adjusting to the ride and moving her body with me along the way. We bumped helmets a few times, but that was the worst of it. When we got to the viewpoint she seemed quite excited and happy to be riding with me. She admitted to some nervousness at first, much like the anticipation of standing in line for a roller coaster ride, but she seemed to have gotten over that pretty quickly. Of course, the beauty of the ride and of our destination helped with that I'm sure.

Once a the top of Skyline, it was time to ride back down for lunch. Rock Creek Tavern was our place of choice because of its proximity and its lovely outdoor patio. One thing is for sure, you don't go there for the service which is very, very slow even on the best days. I'm not sure why it is, but service always seems to take 15-20 minutes initially and is intermittent even after that. The surroundings are lovely and the food is quite good (the beers are terrific), but they never seem to have enough wait staff on duty to accomodate the patrons. Even with smaller crowds the service never seems quick and drinks can sit empty for quite a while before your server gets around to you again.

We weren't the only riders deciding to stop for a bite at the tavern. There were at least a half dozen motorcycles parked in the bike area as well as a number of bicycles along the upper fence (we were passed by a couple of sports bikes on the way down from the viewpoint, but we didn't see either of them at the tavern).  We managed to get a nice seat on the patio and settled down for a leisurely meal. As usual, I received a number of questions about our ride, since lots of people are really interested in the unusual looks of the MP3 500ie. One Harley rider asked me some extensive questions and as he rode off said, "nice ride."

After lunch, we went a different direction and chose to ride around looking at some of the lovely farms and homes located in our area. Lots of people were out enjoying the sunshine and working on their yards or on their farms or ranches. Bicyclists were out in droves enjoying the sunshine - it's been raining almost solid here for nearly 3 weeks so who can blame them. After about another 45 minutes of riding, it was time for another short break so we decided to head to Starbucks for a drink before heading home and tackling our own yard project.  A nice cold frappacino hit the spot just right and we took advantage of the stop to check on a small bicycle for our granddaughter and to visit the new toy store in the shopping complex.

All in all, it was a pretty good first ride for us both. We got to spend an afternoon together in some beautiful weather, enjoying some gorgeous scenery, and still managed to get quite a bit of work done around the house as well.

Since the rain is coming back tonight and we'll have the grandkids the rest of the weekend, we made the best of a lovely afternoon and some fun time with just us.

Afterwards, Wanda suggested a trip for us latter in the summer that will require a longer ride and a stay at one of our favorite Oregon retreats. That should be a lot of fun and we're both looking forward to that and many more rides together.

Rain, rain, go away!

Wouldn't you know it? I came back from Georgia and it's rained everyday since my return on Monday. I finally got the MP3 out for a ride yesterday at lunch for a ride up to my favorite sushi place, but didn't get to ride anymore that day as the rain came back as I was finishing up mowing the lawn, weeding and raking after work.

On a positive note, however, Wanda finally admitted she actually wants to start riding with me and we'll soon go get her some riding gear to make it not only fun, but safe for her as well.

A Gorgeous Ride

Okay, it was beautiful today. It was warm, sunny, and calm. Yesterday wasn't too bad either, but today was simply superb. It wasn't too hot--the temperature topped out at about 78 degrees, and there were only a few lovely, fluffy clouds in the sky. So, when I rode home from work today, I simply couldn't help myself.

The route in purple is the shortest and fastest way home - 10 minutes tops, maybe 4 miles at the most. The route in blue, however, is much more fun. It goes through some beautiful rural areas, up some hills, down some grades, around some curves, and at the top of the ride, looks over a good portion of Washington County all the way to the Coastal Mountain Range in the far distance.

The fact that spring flowers were blooming everywhere and the rhododendrons were in their full glory just added color and beauty to the ride. There wasn't much traffic this afternoon, and while I didn't have the road entirely to myself, for most of the ride I wasn't crowded or restricted by those behind or ahead of me. This is why I got the scooter. If I had had a little more time to get home, I would have stopped several times along the way to shoot some images, but unfortunately, I still had one meeting left before I concluded my day and began a short vacation, so I didn't have that luxury. So, you just get to see the map of my route.

As the weather improves, and it will since Oregon has the best summers, I'm planning on a lot more rides and those will include lots of stops for images. I'm especially looking forward to a ride to Astoria and back in the not too distant future.

Mods

Has it really been nearly a month since I updated this blog? A lot has happened since that Sunday ride. Probably the biggest event was that I completed the Team Oregon Basic Rider Training Course and received my full motorcycle license endorsement. The course is 2 1/2 days of classroom and rider training and the last day concludes with a riding evaluation and a written test. The instructors are knowledgeable and friendly, and do a lot of coaching throughout the course. Motorcycles and helmets are provided, or you can provide your own. Two people in our group decided to ride their own bikes, and many of us used our own helmets. I decided to use one of their motorcycles because I wanted to familiarize myself with braking and shifting on a motorcycle as opposed to the system used on the scooter.

The riding evaluation was definitely not easy. We were tested on everything we learned during the course as well as evaluated on interactive riding on a closed course. I did pass the test, so that was all I was looking for at this point. I did, however, ace the written portion of the exam. The course wrapped up on a Sunday afternoon, so I went home and had a nice cookout with the family to celebrate. The following Tuesday I went down to the DMV and paid for my motorcycle endorsement.

This past weekend I decided to add a couple of safety and security modification to my bike. My first task was to add a brake light modulator so that when stopped or slowing down, I would be clearly visible to trailing vehicles. I chose the Signal Dynamics Back-off modulator. The hardest part about the whole modification was removing the rear panels and the passenger handgrips to access the tail light assembly. Once that was complete, wiring in the modulator was quite easy.

The next modification I installed was much simpler and was accomplished while the rear side panels were off. I wanted a security system that would sound an alarm if someone approached the bike or attempted to tamper with it. I chose the Scorpio i900 system with a backup battery, and RFID pendant and a proximity alarm.  Since the Piaggio MP3 500 has an alarm harness already installed, hookup was a matter of attaching the main module, antenna, RFID sensor and proximity unit. During this installation, my grandson came over for a visit and he decided he really needed to help Papa with the modification. He was so earnest and cute, but I had to watch him with an eagle eye lest he actually do something I really didn't want him to do.

I installed my final modification this evening after work - a headlight modulator. This was a little trickier to wire, and I did leave one function of the unit uninstalled - the heads-up feature that engages when the horn is activated. I figure I'll save that one for when I install a large air horn sometime later this year.

Once again, I chose Signal Dynamics for the manufacturer, and the installation was relatively straight forward, even though the MP3 500 has dual low and high beam headlights. The headlight modulator changes the headlight intensity on a continuous cycle which attracts more attention than steady headlights. The modulation is only active during daylight and automatically reverts to non-modulated lighting at low light levels. The modulation can also be turned off by simply switching between high and low beam lights quickly. The post installation test went well, but I did have to take a short test ride just to make sure everything was working as it should.

The weather is supposed to clear up tomorrow, so I'll be riding into work and running some errands later in the afternoon. Summer rides should now be safer and more secure with these modifications.