bushrat
New member
It’s spring, and a young man’s fancy naturally turns to .................. ryding his Spyder, of course!!!
(Well, at least it’s spring north of the Equator, but Aussies and Kiwis can read on, as well.)
Given my desire to shake off winter blahs and begin fulfilling fantasies of cruising twisting backcountry roads while discovering new bistros, I began going over routine safety and ryding preparations in my mind. This caused me to wonder whether the Spyder had any natural enemies or antagonists? NO, I’m not slyly putting down Harleys, BMW’s or Ninjas. And I’m not thinking of potholes, large rocks, distracted cagers, the occasional jay-walking rodent or misguided moose. What came to mind was more common, domestic, everyday distractions that take attention and time away from Spydering. While otherwise harmless and often beneficial in their own right, these things are downright destructive of Spyder saddle-time. I give you herewith some thoughts on a few of my Spyder’s biggest opponents:
#1 nemesis: the lawnmower. This machine requires hours of my time, and always on bright sunny days; never when it rains! It swallows fuel and oil that could well propel my bike on many a new adventure. Mine is a walk-behind push mower; I don’t even get to ride it. It wears me out, means sweaty work rather than breezy fun. A Grinch of an invention for sure.
#2 is really more in the category of a ‘jealous lover’ more than an enemy; it demands time, care and lots of attention BUT, it does give back a lot of pleasure, kind of equivalent to the bike.... it’s my boat. Since both boating and biking are an ‘orgasmic’ experience for me, it makes for a difficult choice. My boat is a jealous mistress to whom I oftentimes surrender. Nice to get close, whether astride a bike or onboard a boat.
#3, #4, #5 ??? I could think of a few... Maybe the next biggest ‘thief of enjoyment’ is not so much another mechanical object, but more just something that tends to eat up valuable Spyder tyme - - - the dreaded sound of the missus asking: “Honey, would you mind doing.......” There goes another half-day’s riding (or more). Now, lest I be accused of suggesting that my lady is an enemy of my Spyder, I have to hurriedly say that we mostly ryde two-up, and that she loves the experience as much as I. No, the real enemy is simply lack of time; there is a need to build more hours into the day, more sunshine into the weather, grow less grass in my yard. It’s very tough to deny the call of my boat for a day on the water, though, so I guess I will just continue to be a ‘two-timing’ rascal.
Who or what are the enemies of you and your Spyder fun?
(Well, at least it’s spring north of the Equator, but Aussies and Kiwis can read on, as well.)
Given my desire to shake off winter blahs and begin fulfilling fantasies of cruising twisting backcountry roads while discovering new bistros, I began going over routine safety and ryding preparations in my mind. This caused me to wonder whether the Spyder had any natural enemies or antagonists? NO, I’m not slyly putting down Harleys, BMW’s or Ninjas. And I’m not thinking of potholes, large rocks, distracted cagers, the occasional jay-walking rodent or misguided moose. What came to mind was more common, domestic, everyday distractions that take attention and time away from Spydering. While otherwise harmless and often beneficial in their own right, these things are downright destructive of Spyder saddle-time. I give you herewith some thoughts on a few of my Spyder’s biggest opponents:
#1 nemesis: the lawnmower. This machine requires hours of my time, and always on bright sunny days; never when it rains! It swallows fuel and oil that could well propel my bike on many a new adventure. Mine is a walk-behind push mower; I don’t even get to ride it. It wears me out, means sweaty work rather than breezy fun. A Grinch of an invention for sure.
#2 is really more in the category of a ‘jealous lover’ more than an enemy; it demands time, care and lots of attention BUT, it does give back a lot of pleasure, kind of equivalent to the bike.... it’s my boat. Since both boating and biking are an ‘orgasmic’ experience for me, it makes for a difficult choice. My boat is a jealous mistress to whom I oftentimes surrender. Nice to get close, whether astride a bike or onboard a boat.
#3, #4, #5 ??? I could think of a few... Maybe the next biggest ‘thief of enjoyment’ is not so much another mechanical object, but more just something that tends to eat up valuable Spyder tyme - - - the dreaded sound of the missus asking: “Honey, would you mind doing.......” There goes another half-day’s riding (or more). Now, lest I be accused of suggesting that my lady is an enemy of my Spyder, I have to hurriedly say that we mostly ryde two-up, and that she loves the experience as much as I. No, the real enemy is simply lack of time; there is a need to build more hours into the day, more sunshine into the weather, grow less grass in my yard. It’s very tough to deny the call of my boat for a day on the water, though, so I guess I will just continue to be a ‘two-timing’ rascal.
Who or what are the enemies of you and your Spyder fun?
