Fedruary 24, 2013

Gypsy Stats:
5 hrs 46 min elapsed time
2 hrs 48 min riding time
109 miles
39 mph average speed

Beemer Stats:
115 miles
40 mph
43 mpg



February has been a tough month weather-wise - lots of cold, lots of wet, bits of ice.  What with that and other weekend obligations, this is the first day we've managed to get out all month.  The day promised no rain and temperatures in the 30's.  At 7 am, the sun was up, the cardinals were calling, and there was a definite spring feel to the air.  I got out and rolling early and took the long route to Form Up through Oley, stopping at the Redners Quick Stop for gas and a quick cup of coffee.  At Form Up, Tim was getting out his boxer and Dave showed up on the 650 thumper so we were our own little BMW club this morning.

We headed to Kenhorst Fire Co. for breakfast but found them closed due to construction and had to head on the Meadowbrook Country Club.  Well, it's sort of in the country and appears to be a club but there's not much else to make you think "Country Club" here.  Breakfast was OK and thankfully large; I was hungrier than I thought and cleaned up pretty well. 

After a lengthy catch up and chin wag we headed out for a quick ride around the northwest corner of the county.  Weather was clear and overcast.  The predominant color was gray with brown highlights, pretty standard late winter in Pennsylvania.  The roads were full of grit, often dictating the lines through the turns.  At least twice I felt a little slippage in the rear going through a turn.  Under the circumstances we turned on the heat, took it easy, and enjoyed the ride.  By mid-day we had put on 100+ miles and headed home to other weekend chores.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

4 degrees this morning and everything is covered with a sparkly frost.  Nope, my gear don't go down that far.  Back to bed and sleep in this morning

January 20, 2013

 Gypsy Stats:
5 hr 30 min elapsed time
3 hr 7 min riding time
120.6 miles
38.7 mph

Beemer Stats:
125.7 miles
39 mph
44 mpg




The weather report was for clear skies and relatively mild highs, perfect for a winter day ride.  When I got up, the thermometer read 27, but the internet was reporting mixed temperatures around the area, some as high as 40.  Geared up and getting the bike out, the air was chilly but the sky was clear in the east, promising a brilliant sunrise.


Sure enough, it was cold heading up the road along the creek with the bike thermometer reporting 27-28.  As soon as I rose up out of the creek valley, the temperature jumped up to 41, as shown on the local weather maps.  Weird.  We usually do not see such a large change in such a short distance even with the slight elevation rise.  Temps stayed around 40 all the way to form up.  I was plugged in, turned on, and glad for the full winter gear.


The vagaries of the weather had guided us to the Masonic Temple on 3rd Sundays pretty frequently lately.  With the beautiful forecast, we decided to switch it up and go to Bally Firehouse today.  Riding east across the Blue Hills, we were pointing into the sun with crystal clear air.  The contrasty light made it hard to spot lines in the corners sometimes, so we took it fairly easy.

Breakfast at Bally was definitely OK:  the coffee did not measure up to Marvel Ranch but the chipped beef was good and the scrambled eggs and pork were pretty standard Dutch Country fare.  Have to admit, they pretty much punted on the OJ, tasted like Sunny D watered down to spread it around.

By the time breakfast was over there was a little bit of overcast and the sun was higher in the sky, cutting down on contrast and giving a friendlier lighting to the roads.  Temperatures climbed up above 50, as advertised, so it was really a great day for riding.  One of the reasons we try to get out every Sunday is that forecast aside, you never know what you are going to get.  And while there are some real losers, like last Sunday in the fog, every now and then you get a real winner, like today. We took a jaunt to the east around northern Bucks County winding up with about 120+ miles on the clock, home a little past mid-day with time to do some chores.

First Ride of the Year

January 13, 2013

Gypsy Stats:
Elapsed time:  4 hrs 29 min
Riding time:  1 hr 44 min
Total miles:  59.6 miles
Ave mph:  34.4 mph

Beemer Stats:
Total miles:  62 miles
Ave mph:  36 mph
Ave mpg:  45 mpg


Well, not much of a ride, but first ride of the year none the less.  The day opened with temps in the low to mid 40's and fog - tolerable but not really great riding conditions due to poor visibility.  We decided to get to breakfast as quickly as possible and wait for the sun to burn it off, so back to Marvel Ranch in downtown Reading.  Food was great, coffee was great, but even after 2 1/4 hours, the fog was still with us.  We took a turn down into northern Chester County to give it a little more time but the theory that the fog would burn off by 10 or 11 am just wasn't workin' out today, so we called it quits with a mere 60 miles or so on the clock.

December 23, 2012

Gypsy Stats:
6 hrs 15 min Elapsed Time
2 hrs 34 min Riding Time
102 Total miles
40 mph average speed


Beemer Stats:
108.6 miles
41 mph average
43 mpg

One of the best parts about having survived the Mayan Apocalypse and End Of The World on Solstice Day 2012 is that we got to go riding two days later.  The day dawned clear and chilly, but not bone-chilling cold.  The thermometer read 33 and fluctuated as low as 31 heading out to Form Up.  I put on everything:  long LD base layer, Thinsulate and flannel lined jeans, 'Stiche Jersey, extra sweatshirt, Gerbing jacket, suit liners, 'Stiche chin fleece, winter gloves, etc.  Plugged in, turned on, heated up and off to Form Up.

Fourth Sunday:  not much firehouse breakfast action and the VFW was closed 'cause of Christmas.  We were looking for something not too far so that while we were sitting and jawing the sun could be rising and warming:  Marvel Ranch in downtown Reading - perfect - don't leave the tank bag or helmet on the bike, remember to take the key and carry the Gypsy in with you, and as long as you're packing the heat (Gerbing, that is), don't mind the other customers who are packing the heat (not Gerbing, that is).  The coffee was excellent, better than any firehouse.  Tim and Dave ordered the house special, the Marvel Mess - scrambled eggs with some of nearly everything you might imagine to put in eggs.  I got two, over-medium, with pork chops, home fries, and dry rye toast.  It was awesome!  And the coffee kept flowing, and we kept BS'ing, and there were still some open tables so they didn't need to kick us out, and the waitress was nice, and the bill came to $22 for the three of us.  What's not to like?  Oh, yeah, did I mention how polite they were?  The sign in back read "No Getting High in the Rest Room, Please" (emphasis mine).

I believe the Gypsy is reporting over 2 hours of breakfast-and-in-depth-analysis-of-the-modern-human-condition before we headed out for a quick run around the northwest corner of the county.  Temps ran pretty constant around 35 with bright sun.  With the gear and heat turned on it was very comfortable (maybe not so nice if the sun had not been out).  Roads were basically clear of ice and grit.  We ran north and west, out of the Blue Hills into the Great Valley - far enough west for the signs to reference the Lebanon Valley - but never went over the Mountain.  We didn't push but just had a comfortable ride for the first time out this winter.  Topped 100 miles by the end and got home in time for an afternoon activity.

December 16, 2012

Gypsy Stats:
5 hrs 25 minutes elapsed time
2 hrs 58 minutes riding time
115.3 miles total distance
38.9 MPH average

Beemer Stats:
120.8 miles total distance
40 MPH average speed
44 MPG

Dave e-mailed on Friday that the weather forecast for Sunday was pretty dodgy, so maybe a third Sunday breakfast at the Masonic Temple by car might be in order.  Lindsey suggested we wait until Sunday morning to see what the real weather was going to be before decided.  Sunday dawned gray and overcast, but the temperature was above 40 and the weather report had changed to 10% chance of precipitation in the morning.  Dave called to report wet roads, but the HD Radar showed a small shower had just past our area and that there was no more rain to be seen in Pennsylvania, so into the LD long base layer, Aerostich "StarTrek" jersey, Gerbing electrics, etc. etc. and off.  Gray was the color of the day, but the ceiling was fairly high, so no fog and a nice even light.

Breakfast at the Masonic Temple seemed better than usual; maybe it was just my mood.  The special cranberry pancakes really did not live up to expectations but the scrambbled eggs, sausage, and scrapple were excellent, supplemented by the salt mackerel.  This is the only place I know to get salt mackerel for breakfast.
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We didn't dawdle over much over breakfast and got out for a short ride around the southwest corner of the county, straying over into Chester for part of the ride.  The light was even and except for the occasional overly optimistic squirrel the roads were relatively free of extraneous junk and grit.  Temps were in the low 40's rising to 50 by mid-day.  We ended up with 120 +/- on the clock and home by 1:00 for other adventures on the day.  Not bad for a week before the solstice.

December 2, 2012 - Winter's Comin' On

Gypsy Stats:

Elapsed Time:  7 hours 25 minutes
Riding Time:   2 hours 57 minutes
Total Distance:  115.1 miles
Ave MPH:  39

Beemer Stats:
Total Distance:  119.8 miles
Ave MPH:  39
Ave MPG:  44

Fog Over Kutztown

November was kind of a bust, motorcycle-wise; there was probably a lot of missed opportunity but what with Lindsey spending the week before Thanksgiving in California and Tim heading to Detroit for TG, not to mention the rest of us focusing on family affairs that weekend, we really haven't been out since early last month.

New Camera at Work

The day dawned in a fog but with promise of burn-off by mid-morning, so out early in full winter gear, plugged in, and turned on.  The fog was no joke.  Heading to form-up, visibility was limited and the visor was sweeping moisture from the air and needed constant wiping.  The thermometer read 39 and the heated jacket was welcome.  Roads were wet and I wiggled on at least one tar snake in a turn.  We decided on Kutztown FD for breakfast.  Mercifully, Tim stuck to the numbered highways getting to K'town as the fog thickened to nearly impenetrable several times and the temperature dropped a few degrees heading across the ridge; the twisty back roads would have been more challenge than fun under the circumstances and we hadn't had coffee yet.

Cruising up Rt 737

KFD lays on a nice breakfast every first Sunday.  In December, Santa comes so the hall is full of grandparents bringing the grandkids to see the old man - sets a holiday spirit to the day.  Did we really sit and jaw for over 3 hours???  Well we got there fairly early and they were sweeping us out with brooms at the end; the GPS record doesn't lie!  I wish I could record the momentous import of our conversation but I'm afraid it was mostly BS and another cuppa joe.  Oh, well, a typical Sunday morning.

Camera Lens Sweeping Moisture from the Fog

No going long today and we kinda whiled away the hours in the fire hall so a quick run north up into the V&R, over first ridge on Hawk Mountain Road, then up past Heisler's going over second ridge, returning over second ridge on Mountain Road/New Philadelphia Road out of New Philadelphia.  We proceeded thru Schuylkill Gap and Port Clinton to re-cross first ridge, then along the hill to Hamburg and back roads through Windsor Castle to cross the valley to home.  Temperatures were in the low 40's with the fog never really clearing, so the heat was welcome.  Roads were wet, often with grit, all a uniform gray color,  in the center of the lane, so lines were often limited and tricky.  No need to kill ourselves on a foggy day; we took it easy and stayed safe.

Fog Thickens Crossing the Ridge

New farkle today:  if you've been following, you know I've been trying to protect the handlebar camera from weather, bugs, high speed grit, etc. using a plastic bag with mixed result; the camera survives but the pictures are degraded by the sun glare from the plastic.  Tim picked up an all-weather camera for a reasonable price at BJ's - water proof to 16 ft, dust proof, etc - so I mounted it on the handlebar RAM mount to give it a try.  Photos appear shaky - I need to read the manual and see if there a blur reduction function which I will go do right now.

By the way, did I mention how much I love my bike and how much I love our all-weather riding gear?