I wrote a little blog over on MYSPACE but decided to share with the people who were there. I didn't mention names because it is on an open blog and I respect people's privacy. Had i written it here it would have included names and perhaps some pictures. Anyways, hope you like it. The Oyster Ride to Tomales Bay It has been awhile since I have gone on a good all day ride with my friends and it is something I think I really need right now. When out there in the canyons riding the wheels off my motorcycle there isn't time to worry about a job or bills or the ex. The morning began with a rare bit of sunshine and no rain in the forecast. I packed light with my camera, spare batteries, cell phone, credit card, and a bottle of water. The bike fired up right away giving me confidence and a quick once over showed no problems. I donned my helmet and gloves giving a second thought to additional clothes but decided that if it rained or got cold I would just man-up and deal with it. I roared away from home to meet the early arrivals at breakfast at Denny's in West Sacramento. Breakfast hit the spot. One needs fuel if one plans to spend the whole day riding. With mine in my belly I next filled the bike. For around 10 bucks I can ride my 2005 Kawasaki ZX10R Ninja over 300 miles. And I planned to spend every penny of it having a great time. Breakfast and fuel taken care of and sitting at the meetup spot for everyone else to arrive I began my routine picture taking. I love to capture unposed pictures of the riders with their various expressions. It's easy to see the excitement, the focus, or even the worry that some people have. We rolled out around 9:30 am about 20 strong with plans to meet others along the way. There are three positions in a group motorcycle ride no matter how many riders there are. The lead rider, and that can change, doesn't have to be the guy or gal that organized the ride. It just happens to be the fastest rider and in the lead at any particular time. He and the next few faster riders combined also called rabbits, for any law enforcement will target these people and issue them "speed awards" if they are caught. The next position is the core riding group. For us, on this ride, that meant about 20 collective souls. And finally, we have the sweeper. On this ride that was me. A sweep should know the number of riders. He should also know the basic route and final destination. Riding sweep means making sure nobody gets lost or left behind. It often means encouraging less competent riders and following very slow riders. On this ride however there were no very slow riders. Group dynamics being what they are require core riders to sometimes stop and wait for stragglers when the route changes direction. It is impossible for every rider to know every route that our group rides because not every rider goes on every ride. Besides that, we often change routes to common destinations and come up with new rides all the time. But typically a core rider will stop at a direction change and wait for the sweep to show up. Sometimes this change in direction will include the whole group from leader to sweep just to get a head count or to share information, like last minute route or even destination changes. One must be able to go with the flow on a group ride. My job as sweep was almost without incident. I kept a small group of stragglers from veering off course. I rode with one rider until she believed me we were going the right way. And I picked up one rider who had stopped at an obvious direction change where there was nobody to point the next direction. Fulfilling my job requirements and just making sure everyone's ride went more smoothly. The next part of the ride is the most difficult to describe. Up until now it was mostly just facts. Simple explanations of common group ride terms and practices. But to describe the actual ride isn't easy to explain to someone who has not been there. Early in our ride the fog rolled in. We were cruising at a steady pace approaching an area where we would typically increase our speed. It goes through an area of farmland that includes some straights connected by fast curves both left and right, These are not triple digit wide open sweepers but easily double to triple posted speed suggestions along the way. But with the fog our speed was knocked down a notch or two. As I followed the string of riders it reminded me of a snake twisting thru leaves across a field. Watching the riders bodies lean through the curves one closely behind another made them look like one living creature, beautiful and mesmerizing. Remembering that this is a group of individuals of all ages, races, experience, and even genders, made me realize how truly awesome the scene was before me. It was possible in the fog for one of the front riders to make a mistake. Some miscalculation or problem in the road that could take down nearly the whole line of riders who were bending and shaping speed and momentum to their wills. But this did not happen. We snaked our way through the farmland on our way to the canyons. For some in the group the ride doesn't start until we hit the canyons or what we call the twisties. There comes a point along the route where the cities and towns get left behind. No more traffic signals and far fewer stop signs. Railing through the canyons is where life begins for some riders. This is a place where life can also end. Speed, power, momentum, physics in general, combined with experience, human frailties, machine capabilities and a bajillion outside influences from weather to road conditions to the position of the sun or the relative position of wildlife, anything can happen and sometimes does. It feeds some rider's adrenaline rush. But when riding the roads at speed, the human brain takes it all in and prioritizes information. What's left is rider and his machine acting as one in a zenlike video game made real. I leaned through a wide open corner when I realized I needed more input from my body. A simple adjustment made thousands of times a day. Sometimes a little weight on a footpeg is enough. Sometimes you have to literally hang off the bike. Sometimes a simple push or pull on either side of the handle bars is all you need. But what it reminded me of is the fact that I know what to do when a slight correction is needed. Hell, I know what to do when a major correction is needed as well. Some of it through trial and error and some of it only in theory. Remember not to point fixate. Remember to trust your tires. Your bike and tires are more capable than anyone except maybe longtime professional racers. And nobody in my group is Nicky Hayden or Valentino Rossi. In the excitement some riders tend to hold the handlebars tighter than needed. This can cause sore hands or forearms. You have to remind yourself to loosen the grip a bit. That can translate directly to life but I am trying not to get too philosophical. That in itself is a hard thing to do when thinking or talking about motorcycling. When you are there in the moment there is no time to daydream. But when you stop to rest or when you finally get home the whole experience easily becomes philosophical. It can also easily become spiritual. That elation that Christians feel when they walk out of church that they have but really can't describe to other people is quite similar. Argue that if you want but it's a waste of time. I'm not saying that riding a motorcycle equates to believing in God. It has more to do with the indescribable feeling following an experience that touches something deep inside us. OOPS!!! it was too long. please go to 2-13-2010 Tomales Bay Oyster Ride Part 2 http://www.sacramentocrotchrockets.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1345
2-13-2010 Tomales Bay Oyster Ride Part2 There was a point where I was following two riders. They are both faster riders than me. It was at the beginning (or is it the end) of Tamales Bay where it looks like a small stream that opens into what looks like a wider river and then opens into the bay itself. Along the southern shore is a beautiful twisting winding two lane road. It was wet from earlier fog or recent rains. The why didn't matter so much to me but the how did. How wet it was made me question my own abilities. I should have taken my own advice and trusted my tires. Instead I complicated things by thinking about my weight and my brakes and the extreme power of my engine. I would have quickly lost sight of those riders had there not been the occasional car in our path. There are times when a simple cruise is the preferred ride. I suppose that is what Harley riders enjoy for their rides. But by the simple choice of riding a race replica motorcycle most of our riding tends to be more about speed than scenery. It's about the ride and not the destination. At another point along the way there was this magnificent scene. I was in a small valley just coming off some downhill twisties somewhere close to a small river. The sunlight was just perfect, lighting a rock face that seemed to burst upwards from the trees. Above and beyond it was a striking blue sky while just to left of it poured in a river of fog that threatened to engulf the small valley. Worthy of an award winning photograph and yet I did not stop to capture the moment. The day would find many more photo worthy scenes. None of which I caught on film. I do not regret it but it did make me think of all the people who never get out. Some people just sit at home watching TV or find their pleasure in books or doing nothing. Those same people grumble when stuck in rush hour traffic when all they see are other cars filled with angry faces. Those same people just don't see the small valleys with rivers of fog and brilliant blue skies. There are times on rides when I just know we will be riding "spiritedly". A nice way of saying we will be breaking speed laws and probably engaging in other traffic violations. I often like to have music in my ears on these rides. Other times I use two-way communications. But on this ride I had neither. It gave me the chance to fully appreciate the sound of my engine and other exteral sounds that one experiences on any ride. Besides enjoying the sounds of riding I also enjoy the smells. Flowers, the ocean, pine trees, fuel, hay trucks, fruit orchards, exhaust, leather and many other scents are pleasing. But I don't descriminate. Dairy farms, skunks, fast food restaurants and traffic all have their place too. You just don't get that when cooped up in a car. A car eliminates or seperates the environment from the experience. Riding through a small town called Petaluma there was the typical seperation in our group. This is caused by short blocks and quick traffic signals and by the fact that we had added some to our group in Napa and were now riding 30 deep. I don't mind the group being split up but some riders tend to get anxious at these times especially on routes that are new to them. Petaluma is a nice little town north of San Francisco along Highway 101. I like it most for the Victorian architecture and the nightlife. I have seen a number of bands play here including Flogging Molly and The Young Dubliners. There are also a number of noteworthy places to eat. Tomales Bay is a picturesque bay with limited building. Also, the available land is not cheap. That is good since it is so close to San Francisco. (about 50 miles) This makes riding through the area very nice at this time of year. There are 2 main companies in competition for the oyster business. Hog Island Oyster Company and the place we tend to frequent Tomales Bay Oyster Company. Only a handfull of us stopped for the oysters and they were awesome. I opt for the smaller ones while some of my friends went for the giants! The small or extra small are easy to shuck and are packed with the fresh flavor of the sea. While the much larger ones my friends bought were a bit more difficult to open and had to be taken in several bites. I enjoy them with a squeeze of lime but they are also good with hot sauce. Extra smalls are 10 bucks for a dozen while the Jumbos go for 16 per dozen. Totally worth the price if you like oysters and love them fresh. The final stop on our ride was at Point Reyes Station, less than 10 miles from Tomales Bay Oyster Company. This is where we met up with the rest of the riders. They had gone on to lunch at Point Reyes Deli. We got some kind soul to juggle a handful of cameras so that we could photograph the group. But the ride wasn't over. We still had to make our way home. At the north end of town there is a quick scenic road that would lead us back to Petaluma down D Street where many of those nice Victorian homes are that I mentioned. We gathered the group at a gas station where many of us had different ideas of the route to return home. I ended up in a group of six riders who had decided to spiritedly "slab" our way home. Slabbing it meant mostly freeway but was the quickest option even at legal speeds. Coming from southern California, specifically Los Angeles, the traffic didn't bother me a bit. I actually enjoy a fiesty bombing run down the freeway now and again. I find peace and joy out there amongst the cars and trucks with a smile still hidden behind my helmet from the day's ride. The camaraderie, the oysters, the coast...but most of all the ride. At one freeway 3 of my friends broke off, waving as they exited. A few miles later another friend peeled off at his exit, also waving farewell. When my final friend got off one exit ahead of me and we made our final waves I felt good. I have good friends in our riding group and enjoy their company. I got home sometime after 5 pm feeling drained yet happy. My eyes were a bit dry and my legs sore from a single position for the long ride home. But in my mind's eye I could still see the many canyons and valleys and all those bikes in front of me. The ride played through my head like a movie and I stopped a few times to remember in vivid detail brief moments when I was one with my motorcycle and the world around me.
That was delicious Hollywood! I totally forgot you had a camera! Otherwise I would've said to hell with it..let's stop and take some pictures! Man, those hills were so green and the sunbeams coming through the clouds were just out of this world! I was telling Logan on the way home that it seems to be on solo rides that we get the chance to really slow down, enjoy the pace and ride to the destination and capture some awesome photos. With big groups it's just not feasible...everyone just wants to get to their destination fast...which makes sense especially if you're on a time limit. Glad you had a great time! ^_^ Love riding with you again!