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| Lucy in the pumpkin patch |
Today was so fabulous, I am floating on clouds. It was my day off and after I did all my chores I deserved a treat. The treat was a long ride all by myself on my motorcycle. The weather was perfect and it was just the kind of day for a ride. I left the house at about 1:30 and went out West Saanich Road and along the Pat Bay highway. I have ridden this ride on my scooter and it is this route that provided me with my first scooter adventure. I have to say Vixen was awesome as my first ride, but I now know what I was missing on the ride; POWER. West Saanich Road is very windy and and has long slow curves and its in the country, so it is pastoral and beautiful. I was hoping that the leaves would have changed a bit more to provide some eye candy for my camera, but things are just starting to change.
I bought riding pants when I started my course and I wore all the gear today and it was perfect. I wasn't too hot or too cold, just right in fact. I actually feel safer as well and better protected. Any way back to bike Nirvana.
At first I was a little tentative, but once I got the feel of Lucy and really figured out our rhythm we gelled. Everything Motorcycle man has taught me and I have learned from my motorcycle novice course makes sense. Clutching and shifting is totally working for me now and I completely understand it and using the friction zone and up and down shifting. Lucy has 6 gears, I LOVE OVERDRIVE!!!!
I wound my way through the beautiful countryside and was in total bliss. I stopped and took a few pictures of some pumpkins. At one point I was riding beside Pat Bay and it is gorgeous out there. I made my way out the Peninsula and ended up at Lands End Road and it truly is Lands End. That is where the ferry comes in at Swartz Bay. I hadn't really thought about a return route and decided to brave the highway. Off I go, with all my senses sharply aware. This is the first time I have ever been on the highway on my bike. IT WAS AWESOME!!!! I thought I had cleared the ferry traffic, but apparently it was ahead of me. I rode along smoothly and had good lane positioning and was shifting like butter. At a few spots it was stop and start, but I have to say I didn't even think about it at all, I just did it. This is where the Vancouver Island Safety Council Novice course was invaluable, everything my instructors taught me gelled and came together.
I decided to celebrate my Moto Diva-ness by going to get a Pink Diva cupcake from the Cupcake girls. It was perfect! I love my motorcycle! I think this blog name may change to Princess Motopie. I can hardly wait until my traffic course tomorrow. Yup I am now a biker chic.
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| I used to be the scooter in the parkinglot! |
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| Lucy had to have her Diva cupcake! |
10 comments:
Dar:
I can feel your Zen. I wished I had a Diva cupcake. West Saanich road is my favourite way into Victoria from the ferry. I have also stopped at Mattick Farms many times, esp for their Eggs Benedict.
greetings from Courtenay, BC
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Bob
I hope you are enjoying your sojourn in Courtenay and that the weather is good. Are 2 wheeling it this weekend? I am off to bed, got to get up early for traffic course. Have a great day tomorrow!
Dar :)
Very nice looking cup cake and your description of riding echos how I still feel about riding. It isn't simply transportation. Even the most routine trip is a mini-adventure. Especially now that "the end is near" (at least for this year). I'm not sure how long the feeling will last but for now, enjoy!
Richard
Definitely, bike addicted! Love the pumpkin pic with Lucy. I hope that your scooter doesn't read your blog, it might feel a bit jealous. Your tropical island will probably have a delayed fall season. Last time I visited in November the trees still had leaves on.
Sonja - Vixen I think is a bit snarked, but I do take her out for rides every day! I am hoping we have a protracted fall without rain.
Richard - too bad you couldn't import some warmer weather. Just think how much you will enjoy riding season again.
How awesome is it that you could celebrate with a Diva cupcake and it matched your helmet? Lucy looks like she is enjoying herself too and that cupcake.
I am glad you are enjoying motorcycling so much. It is nice when the training just clicks.
Welcome to the wonderful world of motorcycling. It is a pleasure reading your posts and I look forward to more photos, thanks for sharing.
Nice Dar! I would like to have a motorcycle but I also k ow that I'd rarely ride it. Commuting the way I do, the motorcycle would have most of the drawbacks of a car: traffic tie ups (because I wouldn't be able to filter as much) and even worse parking issues. So for the foreseeable future it's the scooting life for me! I will manage a step up to a nice Vespa GTS or Piaggio MP3 though.
Enjoy what's left of the riding season!
Wow,
that motorcycle is proving just perfect!
Trobairitz - I couldn't pop a bottle of champaign & ride so the cupcake is the next best 'sin' & not be impaired. I picked the pink one because it was called a 'Diva' - lol
Troubadour - I feel very welcomed into the motorcycling community and it has been such an adventure. I have come a long way in 10 months. This time last year this was nowhere on my radar, wow how things change.
David - To me 2 wheels are 2 wheels, scoot or bike. We all ride for the love of riding. I love my scoot for everyday because I don't have to dork around with a backpack. in some respects scooters are more practical for in city commuting. I rode Lucy to work the other day, but it was a hassle carrying all my work junk & couldn't stop at the grocery store because I ran out of room. I went home & got the scooter. My scooter is purpose built & practical. The motorcycle is my midlife crisis - lol
Turtle - Lucy is perfect, she is the ying to Vixen's yang.
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