New Moto Parking

We have successfully petitioned for more motorcycle parking at work! Woot!

A month or two ago a bunch of us who ride to work sent emails and filled out the online comment form to ask if we could get more parking closer to our buildings. This summer has been a very active motorcycling season at work. Many more motos are parked in the two lots closest to our building. Each lot has six spaces. One is right in front of my building. The other is a bit farther away but not terribly so. But the farther lot is in the same lot where the CU buses park. Their spaces block access to some of these moto parking spaces like this:



I took this photo last week. That's mine on the end. Notice it isn't technically in a spot (no line on the outside). There was one spot left in the farther lot and I couldn't get into it because of the bus parked in it's spot. So, I took this photo with my camera phone and sent another email to parking services. That same day, I got a reply. The person I emailed is listed as the point of contact for new parking lots. She replied that after coming out to evaluate the spaces, they were going to add more spaces to this particular lot (on the end where I am in the photo). They also said they'd make an exception to the university rule of only creating moto parking on concrete lots and add a new lot on the existing car asphalt lot adjacent to this one (in the photo). AND they said they'd do it next week.

That was last week. Today on my way home I swung by this lot to see if they'd added the spaces. They did!!



They'd said they would angle the lines to make access easier so I'll follow up about that. And there is the curb to contend with. But, I think it is absolutely fabulous that they listened to our concerns, came out to assess it, created a solution, and acted on it so quickly. Awesome!

And here is the new lot:

New rear tire!

Yesterday I got a new rear tire at Colorado Powersports. They have a deal that if you buy the tire there, you get free mounting and labor. My new Dunlop 404 was $123 out the door. The cost of the tire plus the disposal fee was all I paid. And it was done by 2:00. This place happens to be close to my office. I drop it off first thing in the morning (9am) and they get it done by the end of the day. Very friendly folks too. No snide remarks or turned up noses at the 86 Rebel. I have had other Honda dealerships do those things when I've mentioned the type of bike.

When I picked it up yesterday, I paid my ticket and the service guy said he'd meet me out front with the bike. So, I walked out to gate, which is a private gate so you can't see any of the bikes behind it. He fired it up and that familiar engine sound made me smile. It isn't a hum or even a whine but something in between. I've not heard other bikes sound like mine and it dawned on me that I've never heard any other Rebels running. Weird. Anyway, no matter how much I want that BMW, this Rebel sure does make me happy.

After I got home I kept looking at the bike because something seemed off some how. I walked around it, looked it over, and then it hit me. They washed it! The air filter cover and battery cover were both so shiny. It was weird. Hubby said maybe they just didn't want to get dirt on themselves. They didn't wash the whole bike just wiped down the tank, and some shiny bits.

Very cool shop if you are in the neighborhood.

Cool mornings

Ah, the past few days have been very cool and great for riding. Well, except for the late evening thunder and lightning storms. Could definitely do without those. Supposed to warm back up into the 80s the rest of the week.

I have plans to get a new back tire this week. I think I need to find a twistier way to work. I've still got lots of nice tread on the sides but not much at all down the middle. Bummer. Otherwise, it's a perfectly good tire. ;-)

Getting a new helmet!

I've had this great Icon Airframe helmet since Christmas. It was a gift from my father. It is a fabulous fit and quite comfy. Recently though, the snaps that hold the liner in place have been failing to do that. So, sometimes when I put it on, the back end comes undone and pokes me in the head. So, on the advice of Mary at Motogear Outlet, I called the shop where I bought it. Icon has warranty coverage for helmets. GForce Powersports in Lakewood called their Icon rep and then called me right back to say they'd order a new helmet. Julie said it should be in the shop in a week and a half and I can bring my other one in to make the trade. Sweet! What awesome customer service all around!! :-) Now I'll need a new fleur de lis reflective sticker to put on the back of the new helmet. I should also remember to take off the sunblocker from the shield.

ABQ here we come.... maybe next time...

My sister-in-law emailed me yesterday and asked if I wanted to take the next two days off and ride to Albuquerque with her. She was packing for a drive down and thought it would be fun to ride instead. I didn't say no right away but my little adult on my shoulder hesitated. We discussed it back and forth and decided to wait for hubby to tell us if he could go. He couldn't. So, I said no. I learned that we don't have emergency roadside assistance for the motos, only for the cars. So that was one thing. I'm not a wrencher. Even though I am confident in my bike, it's never done a 500 mile trip before, and neither have I for that matter. It was pretty late in the evening before we got home and I hadn't had time to pack yet. It would be a 4 day adventure and I wasn't sure what else I had planned for the weekend. (My sister and I have actually made plans to run stairs at Red Rocks on Saturday.) So, I chickened out. :-(

I hope we get to do it as a group though with our husbands along as well. It is definitely on the ride to do list. Hubby needs more lead time to take time off from his job. Me, not so much. An email in the morning is usually ok, if nothing is going on. Sigh. Now I wish I were on the road.... Although, after the ride in the storm last night, I'm actually glad to be off the moto for a bit.

That reminds me, I need to look into some emergency roadside assistance insurance for the motos.

Lightning storm!!

Holy smokes!! Well, fortunately, not literally, but way too close for comfort.

We had an after work bbq yesterday in Boulder. Hubby came out as well. It was a beautiful and hot day, perfect for being in the yard with a burger and cold drink. It was a 4:00 - 7:00 deal but hubby and I hung around a little later to socialize with our friends who were hosting. About 8:00 or so, I thought I saw some lightning in the distance but it was one of those deals where I wasn't sure if that's what I saw or not. It wasn't dark yet and the sky was pretty clear over head. The time came when we decided to mosey on home - about 25 miles or so.

Hubby was in the car as he'd come from work. I was on the moto. As we are standing around saying our goodbye's I was certain now that there was lightning some where around us but still over us the sky was clear. We headed out and as we make the turn out of their neighborhood and face south the sky is a dark black blue color off to the west. Still, not raining, not close and not very much lightning and none hitting the ground. But, since that's the general direction we are headed, I pull over to put my rain gear on. Hubby says, well, we shouldn't dawdle.

Before leaving we'd settled on the most direct route home which is west and then south. After putting on the rain gear, I decided that was too close to the dark ominous clouds and instead took the south-easterly route. The first route takes us through some flat open space. The second would take us into town where there are taller buildings and more cars. I didn't think being the tallest thing on the road would work to my advantage. Plus, on the highway I can go about 75 mph and actually get home faster. So, off we went on highway 36.

We take our exit for home which is about 112th and Wadsworth. We need to go south to 64th and turn west (towards the storm and home). We could go west at any point really but by this time the storm is much closer. I want to stay as far away from it as I can. Now, the lightning is definitely hitting the ground to the west, my right. I push on now as we are just a few miles from home at this point. It isn't even raining yet but I can smell it. (Not good.) Then the sky lights up to my right. Not one huge bolt but the sky turns white. I duck instinctively. Or maybe it's fear. Anyway, I sort of tuck down on the bike without realizing it. After a while I tell myself to relax and focus. There are still cars around me and Wadsworth is a very busy road. It's now raining a little but not so much to worry about. I hardly even notice the rain.

Finally we reach 64th avenue and make the right turn. From here we are about a 2 mile drive through the neighborhood from home. It's a left, then a right, then a left, another right, left again right turn, right turn, left and home. At the first left, the sky turns white again, this time with thunder. I tuck down again and hit the throttle. I make the right turn but just before the next left, a HUGE bolt of lightning followed immediately by a LOUD clap of thunder. I ducked again and swear out loud and hit the throttle. At the corner I have to wait for a couple of turning cars. At this point I'm completely freaked out. Home is a few blocks away. I make that turn, stop at the next stop sign as it is a blind intersection, hit the throttle, blow through the next stop sign (its a 3 way and nothing is around), hit the throttle again, go two blocks, slowly realize it is now actually raining, slow to the next right, make the immediate left onto our street, and look for oncoming cars as I try to hit the garage door opener in my pocket. More thunder and lightning are surrounding me. I didn't get the opener to work so I pull into the driveway between our two large trees and the dead Bronco, open the garage door and duck in under it.

I must have left hubby in my dust because he didn't pull up until I'd shut off the bike and gotten off. I stood there for a bit while he walked up to me. He says, "That last one was probably 1000 feet from us!" I think I said carp or something, but mainly just stared at him. Then he looks at me and says, "Are you alright?" I said, "Yes." Then I said the F word really loudly.

We went inside and his daughter and her boyfriend were standing in the living room waiting for us. She'd text us about the storm but we were already on the road at that point. They said the house shook with that last one. I think I just said the F word again and just stood there shaking. I took my gear off and kind of shook off the events. Then all of a sudden, the sky opened up and rain came down as if we were living in the south. I think I said the F word again as we looked out the window at it.

After I calmed down a bit, I asked hubby what we should have done differently. He thought we did the best we could under the circumstances. We had no idea how bad it was or even that the storm was out there. We were so close to home, and it wasn't really raining, that he didn't think stopping was necessary. I felt the same way as we were traveling. I kept thinking, we're almost home. The problem was, and we didn't really know it, the storm was worse directly over our house. So the closer we got to home the closer we got to danger. But, I just kept thinking, we're almost home.

Thinking about it now, if I'd known how bad it really was, I would have stayed in Boulder or left the bike there at my friends' house. That was an option but one we didn't think necessary at the time under their clear skies.

I have never ever been so terrified. Even now, recounting the story, I feel like I seriously dodged it. Or maybe I am shaking because I had too much caffeine this morning. I think it might be a little of both. I drove to work today. Afternoon storms are forecast. They weren't yesterday.

Thoughts on an ADV Rider thread

I don't know what prompted me to read the posts in the "Faceplant" section of this board but... The idea behind this section of the board is to learn from the mistakes of others. The rules are you can only post things that either happened to you or some one close to you so there is a personal connection and some follow up answers to questions. Two posts caught my attention recently.

The first was about mesh pants. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488246

I wear mesh pants and am quite happy with them. They are comfortable in all seasons and offer armored protection in the knees and padding in the hips. They are not inexpensive either, so in the you-get-what-you-pay-for (YGWYPF) realm, I'm hoping I'm getting enough. Then I saw this post with pictures of mesh pants (of a different brand than mine) melted after a crash. The rider goes on to say what a piece of junk they are. Many folks agreed, leather is the only way to go for them. Kevlar leather being even better. In the YGWYPF scheme of things, this is the top of the line. MotoGP racers wear full suits of tight fitting leather. Others mentioned the heat factor of wearing leather and that they could never do such a thing or they'd crash from heat stroke. They put in a bid for wearing what you are most comfortable with - physically and financially comfortable. They are of the mind that any gear is better than no gear. Still others claimed that mesh gear versus leather isn't simply a matter of what the stuff looks like after the crash. Mesh gear, they say, is designed to be disposable. It is supposed to take the brunt of the crash to protect you. If your pants melted but you got up and walked away, they did their job. Racing leathers are designed to take more than one crash. It is designed to be more durable so you can get up, get back on the bike, and get back in the race. All in all it is a very interesting thread to read and quite educational. I'll have to do some follow up research on this topic for my own piece of mind.

The other post was "I very very nearly died today..." http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=481931

Why I clicked on it I don't know. But, I was glad I did. The story is by a woman who was nearly taken out by a 4x4x8 that came off a truck at the woman and her husband. He was able to swerve and avoid it. She was not and it hit her head on. She managed to stay upright and not drop the bike, coming to a safe stop. The piece of 4x4 smashed into her headlight. She, knowing she was going to get hit, tucked down with her face next to her tank bag, and held on. Bravo to her for being in control of her bike and her wits at the same time! Wow! it was quite the adrenaline rush just reading her account of the event. I can't imagine being in the situation.

I read this one after hubby and I returned from our Colfax ride and it got me thinking. We take turns being the leader on our weekend trips. I think who ever is following has the most stressful part of the journey. I'm constantly worried about traffic around us, particularly around him. It's weird actually, because we're both fairly responsible riders, have taken multiple rider courses, and are very aware of our surroundings. But, being the one behind the other makes you more aware of how close cars are to the other person because you can see them. When a car is passing me, I barely even notice, even if it seems close. I feel like I can take action if needed and I dont' stress about it. But, it is another thing entirely to watch that some situation happen to your significant other. Get away from my husband you crazy drivers!!

We all accept the responsibility of riding. We wouldn't do it if we didn't know what we were getting into. It's one thing to know those dangers and accept them for yourself. It's another thing to know those dangers and accept them for the person you love. Anything can happen on the road whether you are in your car, on the motorcycle or walking across the street. Stay aware. Stay alert. SEE - scan, evaluate, execute - and be seen. ATGATT! Do what you love. Love what you do. And kiss your loved ones every day.

Ride, have fun, and come home at the end of the day. :-)

Colfax Ride

This Saturday we rode Colfax Avenue. (Check out this cool interactive link! I wish I'd seen it before we went out on our ride.) I'd always wanted to do this just to say that I had. Now, it is crossed off the list and we don't have to do it ever again. It wasn't horrible by any stretch but it wasn't one of those nice comfortable rides with lots of great scenery either. It was quite stressful at times but not too bad overall. I guess what I'm trying to say is it could have been worse. :-)

We started out from Golden where we had some Starbucks and read the paper. It was going to be a leisurely ride. Our official starting point was Heritage Road and W. Colfax Ave. We headed east from there ending up at Powhaton Road in Aurora. The weather was great. Even though we got a late start, it wasn't too hot to be in the stop and go of Colfax. The traffic was pretty light as well. The only construction was a very short bit downtown. It was fun to ride by the capitol as if we were tourists just traveling through. Maybe knowing we didn't have to try to find a parking space was what made it more relaxing. LOL! About noon we stopped at a Wendy's at Colfax and Chambers. Next time, if we do something like this again, we'll have to plan it so we can stop at one of the diners along the route.

Once we got to Powhaton, we considered whether to keep going but decided to start heading back. Hubby had a party to go to later. So, we took a route back through Aurora, Cherry Creek, downtown Denver, Highlands, and home. It was a pretty great ride actually. Not as bad as I'm making it out to be. :-) We only nearly got run over a few times on Colfax by people not paying attention or in too much of a hurry to look for motorcycles. But that's nothing new. We make up for it by paying attention for them and being hyper-aware of our surroundings.

Here's a Google map of our route.