Last Ride of the Season

I went on what I think was the last group ride (for me) of the season yesterday.  I say that because it is predicted to rain a lot this coming week, so I won't be able to ride mid-week.  This coming weekend, I'll be so busy I won't be able to ride.  Then the week after that, I will have my hernia repaired, so I will not be able to ride for several weeks after that.

Today's ride was rather "spirited" -- meaning it was rather fast for what was supposed to be short, casual, non-highway ride.  And there were a lot of us in the pack -- some 21 bikes and 25 riders (that means four passengers).  I was planning to have a passenger, too, with my friend LC, but he wasn't feeling well and wasn't able to join me.  I am sorry that he couldn't make it, but some of the turns and some of the riding was challenging to ride on my own, much less with a passenger.

So there I am, in full leather -- started off with a t-shirt and leather shirt with my motorcross jacket, my leather riding pants, medium-weight leather gloves and while you can't tell from this photo, I had on my 17" Chippewa Hi-Shine boots.  We stopped along the way for riders who got divided by a tough road crossing to catch up.  While stopped, I took off the leather shirt, as the temperatures were climbing, and put my jacket back on with thinner Damascus leather gloves.

It was a fine, unexpectedly sunny, very pleasant day.  The temps by mid-day were 75°F (24°C) -- absolutely wonderful on a great autumn day.

While I was rather tired by the time the group pulled into a parking lot at the destination late lunch stop, I was jazzed because we all had a good time, including me.  What a great end to my riding season.

Life is short:  RIDE!