Yeah -- so we finally have a AGAS ride and this is the weather outlook. People cancelled. Routes were changed. Emails flew back and forth. Schedules were remade. But daybreak came and there was no rain. A few last minute phone calls to various hung over and not-so-awake individuals and I was able to round up some girls to go out to play!
Jean, our backroads goddess, came up with a fun route thru all sorts of cou
ntryside
with fun twisties and very little traffic. So the ride will be Jen (yet
another girl on a Gixxer1 - which is why I
continue to insist it's a girl's bike... I believe I was even quoted on that in
the March/April issue of Street &
Strip), Cindy (who is always game for a ride), Kath (my partner in crime on
the backroads in CT), Judy and Tam on their red Hondas
and Jean on her 916.
Anyway - I met up with Jen in the City
and we went effortlessly thru the Holland Tunnel -- surprisingly little traffic
for a holiday weekend.
Once
thru the tunnel we met up with Cindy
and Kath at the gas station. So it's two Gixxer 1000, a Ducati and a
Kawasaki... every one is not only on time - but EARLY.
Even I was early - but that's because they finally re-opened the West Side Hwy
since the terrorist attacks which
saves me about half an hour being that I live 200 yards from the World Trade
Center.
New Jersey isn't my favorite state to ride in but Jean suggested some great
roads and I was
game. So off we embarked to our next meeting point in Oldwick, NJ.... we
flew down 78 with nary a cop in sight and somehow managed the 45 mile trip in
about 30 minutes... I don't know how that could have possibly happened.
:-) I never speed or anything... nor would any of the other
law-abiding girls.
So
we got to the meeting point half an hour early - but Judy and Tam, on their
pretty red Hondas, were already there. I think they were the both CBRs but
not sure - I was mostly admiring Jen's mods on her GSX-R since I'm still trying
to decide what to do with mine. Anyway - we're there at this placed called
The General Store - which is either very old and well-known, has a great
advertising agency or is the only place in town to buy food because the place
was mobbed. However we were able to secure two parking spots for the bikes
while we waited for Jean. It's kinda cool being early -- that kinda thing
never happens when you're riding with a bunch of boys! I hate waiting for
guys.
After a while we heard the roar of another Ducati but it wasn't Jean.
It was a boy who parked by our bikes and said "HI." Guys are
always happy to see girls on bikes -
but
even happier to see a LOT of girls on bikes. Jean showed up a little bit
later. So now we have two Ducatis, two Hondas, two Gixxers but only one
Kawasaki... any other female Kawi riders? So after some chit chat and map
referencing we all started up our bikes to leave. I pulled out of the
parking lot first heading back towards the way we came and was honked at by Jean
to go the other direction.
I turned around and seeing the condition of this little back road I was a bit
skeptical
but Jean always finds the good roads so off we went! A few bumpy and
gravely streets (trails?) later we were on perfectly paved roads with nice
corners and no traffic. Well worth the jostling to get there.
The weather held out - no cops - no crashes.. hey and come to think of it - no shenanigans...
but lots of good roads.
After a couple of hours most of either needed gas or a leg stretch or both -
so we stopped off at a gas station... can you believe it - we're out in rural
New Joizey at the only gas station anywhere and they have this big sign that
says "no public restrooms" --
how
can that be? So we had to go some place else and by that time we needed to
get a little food... I was sick (damn lung problems from the WTC thing) and was
getting a bit fatigued so I decided to head back to the City.
Jen, Cin and I said our goodbyes and headed east on one of the least congested highways in NJ as Jean, Judy, Tam and Kath went off in search of more roads and a longer ride. All in all a good day of riding. Check the calendar for out next ride and join us.
© 2002 dianna.com