The last few days, I've been taking short 40 mile or less rides to refamiliarize all of the local backroads of my hometown. These are places that your average tourist will rarely see. Mountain back roads on steep ridges and gulches. Mostly all heavily wooded with thick Redwood trees.
The problem is the road conditions. They're terrible. Some of these roads I'm only able to go 20-25 mph. And it's real bumpy on the Spyder.
I sure miss my favorite rides in my old AO of E.TN.
When I lived in TN, I was blessed with great roads starting literally at my driveway. Not much interstate or freeway riding. Now it's freeway riding at 70 mph to get where I want to ride. This is strange to me, and I now understand the freeway dynamics a lot of Spyder riders encounter that I never knew. Anyway, I'm not a fan of 70+ mph riding. It is different for sure. I'll get used to it, but for me, it's not ideal.
Preparing for a ride is also a bit of a technical challenge. If I stay on the coast and head North, I'll need a lined jacket for warmth, and maybe a flannel shirt underneath. If I travel South, I'll need both a winter and summer jacket. On the coast, it's usually around 54-70° F. Going South or East, it'll be 90°+ within 10 miles of the coast, so be prepared to switch out riding gear a couple of times to stay comfortable. Saddlebags are a must. I also am reconsidering a larger windshield. There's a sturdy 5-15 mph wind that comes from the North along the Eel River Valley that will wear you out when traveling North. I didn't have the Route 129 shield installed when I loaded up the Spyder to come West. All I have is the gauge spoiler. I think that since I'll be riding in these conditions, a new shield is in order. I'm thinking an 18" Madstad. There's also a lot of large pieces of Redwood bark that comes off the logging trucks. A shield will protect me from that, and there's a lot of it.
The roads here are always under construction. It hasn't been a pleasant experience due to the road conditions and up to 2 hour delays on all of the popular routes bikers like to ride.
Can't fix it, so I keep pushing, and trying to maintain my rides everyday. It ain't worth a darn if I can't ride.
Cheers all & stay safe out there.
