It was AGAS...

Well, if I have my way (and I generally do) - this was merely the first of many good All-Girl All Sportbike (AGAS) rides for this season.

The weather in NYC has been miserable the past few weeks. Miserable weather is fine in January... or some other equally cold month, but it is not fine when you have a brand new bike, it is not fine when you haven't gotten any real good riding in all season and it is especially not fine on weekends.

That being said -- I woke up at 7am to dense fog, 50 degrees and rain. Ever the optimist, I check the weather report and convince myself that "scattered thunderstorms" and a "fog alert" are not going to be deterrents for a good day of riding.

By 9am I've gotten/made several phone calls - sent out various "you're coming, aren't you?" emails and twisted a few arms so that all the girls would come out to play.

Foo Foo Cafe

The way this all started was I was talking to "Big Mama" from MotoMama magazine saying how we should get a girlie ride together. She suggests this little cafe in NYC as a meeting place. You know - it's one of those sweet, tea party, doily, prancing around french pastry shops. I was kinda embarrassed being seen in there -- but whatevah - I didn't have a better suggestion so I just told everyone to go to that "La somethingfrenchsounding cafe on 9th Ave"... I'm running late - get there at 10:20 and no other bikes. This is not a good sign.

The patrons of the cafe are ogling.... I just stay outside - waiting for someone to show up.

Finally - Susanna.. aka Violet... shows up... and then magically two more sport bikes appear... it's Bev of the perfect eyebrows and Cindy! we go inside and another sport bike appears -- Ms Babsi on her pretty Gixxer (is there a better bike to own?). Next thing ya know - the Big Mama herself shows up on her cute red Hawk. Viola! we have six girls on sport bikes. Well this was more than I had hoped for since the weather was pretty crappy --- so I'm relatively pleased. We head off to jump on the highway to go upstate and on the way I spy another girl on a bike! I slow down for her -- she's looking for Jennifer and I wave her to come along! So now we've got Tammy on her 748 riding along with us. This makes seven.

We had an uneventful ride up the Palisades and headed for Bear Mountain. To our dismay, there were very few men up at the top of Bear, it is most likely the first time in history that the female riders out numbered the male riders on Bear Mountain... but the weather was holding out and there were many miles ahead of us, plus we had the bicycle guys to make fun of -- so it was all good. Next thing ya know - here comes another gixxer1000 -- and another girl mind you. It's Cath. We wait a little longer and Jean on her 916 shows up. This makes nine.

Quite a show -- two GSXR-1000, GSXR-600, 916, 748, Monster, ZX6, F2, Hawk -- all owned and ridden by girls. About damn time!

Tammy had to run off to some other event -- we'll talk about getting your priorities straight another time... so we're back to eight girls. But Eight Is Enough... and we embark on a search for twisties.

Happily we took some of my favorites roads up in NY... and as we stopped to get gas, Kathy on her 900 shows up - clad in full leathers. And she joins us to go play. But Cath has to take her Gixxer home so we're still riding with eight. I make everyone park their bikes in a row so we can take pictures. We saw a few other riders out -- no one stopped to say hello. Apparently women in packs scare boys on bikes.

Kathy volunteers to guide us on a few roads... sadly, there was quite a bit of congestion... and next thing ya know we're stuck behind a guy in a Ryder truck hitting his brakes every time a turn loomed ahead. This just wouldn't do -- so Kathy passed the truck ... on a double yellow... in front of a cop. (oops) The cop pulls out... I pretend like I would never do anything nutty like pass on a double yellow and stay behind the agonizingly slow Ryder truck as turn after turn passes uselessly by. Finally, miracle of miracles, the double yellow goes dotted for about 15 yards and I don't miss the opportunity.

I pass the damn yellow thing. But, sadly, Jean (unaware of the cop that is now behind us) also passes.. next thing ya know there's sirens every where... and well... (ahem) needless to say I met up with everyone later -- we never did hear from Kathy. But for those more law-abiding riders, apparently the 5-0 was nice (read lazy) today so no tickets were issued.

Shortly after that - everyone went their separate ways -- but it was a good day. The weather held up and we all promised to do it again soon. Any takers? The weekend of the 16th or 17th good for anyone? Let me know.

Dianna

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