Back in the Saddle Again!

I have to say it was a great weekend! I haven't been able to ride my own bike on the Midnight Ride since 2000.

In 2001 I woke screaming with back pain and couldn't get out of bed alone - arthritis. Rode with the mate on his bike and stayed in motel with the cousins.

In 2002 my hip was so bad I could barely walk. Rode with the mate again and stayed at the cabin, had the use of the camper.

In 2003 I had hip surgury in April, rode my own bike to an event in Wisconsin but wore myself to a frazzle and we went on the mates bike then stayed at a motel with friends.

For 2004 I had the heart attack in June and a dislocated tailbone caused in the ambulance when they went flying over a railroad track so fast and hard that the gurney bounced into the air and brought me out of the drug induced haze RIGHT NOW! I rode with the mate to see the daughter in MN that summer and used a trailer tire inner tube to sit on. We rode the MR together on his bike, with my tube, and stayed at the cabin in a tent.

So I was ready for this ride. Part of the rush for me was having the niece and nephew with their mates along. I love the next gen of bikers! I wish my boy had a bike so he could go with us. And, while the Eldest Daughter isn't interested in being on her own bike, maybe some time she could meet us at the cabin for the camp out. The mate's two girls could come, too, and I would be in pig heaven! I'd love to have all the kids there one time.

It's pretty unlikely. We took my eldest and the mate's eldest one year and, being 16, they preferred to dress to kill, not keep warm as warned. They spent a miserable night at 45 degrees sleeping on the ground and wearing anything warm they could borrow. I don't see it happening but I can still dream. Go next gen!

It's partly an ego thing, as much as I hate to admit it, to ride my own bike. We have taught our kids to ride, a couple friends and others. When I am out there with the other bikers I have taught or watched learn to ride I hate to be on the back seat. I am a driver of a motorcycle, not just baggage!

It's also a staying young thing - can I still do 350 miles in one night without stopping for a nap; can I handle the weather; can I stay with the group; will the body make it without cramped hands, numb butt or frozen feet? - when I can't do it anymore I will have to offically cop to being old. I'm not ready for that yet.

The niece and nephew, with their mates, jumped in on 46 with the main group as it came from Grand Rapids. The mate and I pulled out about 1 am and headed to Alma where they meet up in the Walmart parking lot. We got there about 2am-ish and had just taken off the helmets when the nephew in law came walking up to show us where they parked. They were right where I told them to be, on the far side of the lot, good kids! So we tooled over and parked with them.

We checked them out for proper clothes, cash, weather gear and etc. They all had what they needed except for the niece and NIL didn't have rain suits. This proved to be a problem later. We had time to find out the coffee thermos had leaked into my sweatpants, drink what was left and have an excellent chocolate chip cookie provided by the niece in law before the bell rang and we had to get ready to ride.

We ended up pretty close to being the last to pull out, which is where we like to ride. I follow the mate, the kids follow me. I cracked that Ben could be behind me because he's good with his brakes because we had a sudden stop situation earlier this year that he handled well and then we were off.

It was about 65 degrees, cloudy and there was a breeze but not really a wind. It was a great night for a ride! We tooled along watching the long line of lights ahead of us rolling through the dark like the world's longest and most lit up train. They wound through the curves and up over the hills showing us where we would be in 15 minutes or so. A few more bikes would join in at every road side park and on ramp until we weren't the last ones in line anymore.

The mate and trailer were traveling smoothly in front of me and to the left, the kids were staying a little far back but not too bad for beginners and I saw no bad moves on their part. I need to get then nephew some cute and unique lights for the front of his bike, his just has the head light and is hard to pick out of the crowd. The NIL has a fairing with angled running lights and I can find him ok. We had a smooth and uneventful run to the next stop, just the way we like it!

When everyone else was going for gas and meeting in the Glen's parking lot, we were hangin' with our pals on the overpass. We get hooked up with them for the rest of the ride and let the crowd drop off at the gas stations before we scoot over to fill up. Our friends, Mr and Ma were there with their daughter and her eldest son, another friend and his wife, and a friend of their daughter who was riding with her. Their son and son in law couldn't make it this year. I like both of them and was sorry to miss them.

We shared out cookies and treats while we waited. When the ride started out again we zipped back into our gear and got ready to ride. Once again, we jumped in at the back of the line so stress was minimal and everyone could relax knowing the group's experience levels.

That's one of the things that makes riding with such a large group nerve wracking, not knowing what the rider in front of you will do in an emergency. The mate always speeds up and evades, I slow down and evade, the neffies will brake and watch and evade, M usually bulls through unless directly threatened and then he speeds up and evades. Ma pulls over to the right. And you know they all have their loads double checked, the bikes up to speed with oil, tires aired right and everything.

It helps when you know these things. Then you don't you have to be on double triple guard - watching for brake lights a mile ahead, watching 6 bikes up for flying pillows (it's true. One year the mate caught a pillow under his muffler and it caught fire! I rode up beside him, told him he was on fire, we pulled over, I jumped off and yanked it out the tossed it to the side of the road. The weather was really dry that year and I had to run down the ditch and pull it back up to the pavement. We checked his bike, it was ok, and we rode on.) and also watching for critters or whatever jumping in front of the bike in front of you or in front of you and worrying about the bike in front of you blowing a bald tire. You just roll along at normal attention and enjoy the ride.

At the next stop, in Gaylord, it's dark when we pull in and light when we leave. We all empty bladders and refill beverages, nap, look at all the pretty bikes or visit with friends we have run into. This is the most important stop. We used to get to the bridge around 6 or 7 but we had more accidents in the "false dawn" and pre dawn hours and lost riders that had to pull over and nap. Now we take a little longer getting there but everyone is more refreshed and the body's natural "suns up, I'm awake" kicks in. Fewer accidents happen and more riders are able to hang in there to go over the bridge.

I got the travel chair out and put my head back to try for a cat nap but there was too much going on. Still, getting my feet up and my butt on something soft got my blood running again. The coffee didn't hurt, either.

We all agree it's been a lovely night to ride. Everyone is pretty comfortable and enjoying the company. The bell rings and we start suiting up. It's only about an hour to the bridge and the "hot" breakfast the casino puts on for us. All of us are looking forward to a long stretch, food and then the trip to the cabin.

Getting out of the lot I had to switch lines to get behind the mate and cut off the nephew. I hollered I was coming and he hit the brakes a little hard but I got in ok and he got underway ok. No blood, no foul! Once again we are near the rear of the line and cruising easy.

We got about 2 miles from the bridge and the rain started. It was still warm out but wet is never fun on a bike. As we pulled into the long line waiting to clear the toll booths it commenced to really rain. The kind that runs down the back of your rain jacket and puddles in your seat where your chaps don't cover. The kind of rain that feels like hail on your face. All we could do was sit there and endure it. It wouldn't be long and we'd be parked and slurping down hot coffee while we waited for food under an awning. No Sweat.

Except it's also the kind that puddles around your spark plugs and coil wires on the old '78 Wings. And your bike starts to spit and sputter, lose cylinders and choke up. When I got to the toll booth I was having so much trouble keeping it running that I had to tell the lady to reach in my coat pocket for the money or I was going to stall and it might not start again. She acted like someone had done that but had a mouse trap in their pocket but finally got brave enough to do it when I told her that there was exactly 2.50 in there for the bridge and nothing else.

The mate had slowed way down to make sure I got going ok and I was coasting with the clutch in and revving the engine to keep it running while I made sure the kids cleared the booth and saw which way we were going. We all lined up and single filed over the bridge. The mate was, of course, right in front of me. That's how I got to see his trailer's left tire drop in between the expansion teeth, drag till the gap narrowed then twist and pop out. The whole trailer bounced then settled down ok - but I had seen the tire leave the rim, I knew it was flat. I rode up beside the mate and told him to take it easy, he was flat on the left and he groaned. He had just put the new tires on Friday afternoon!

Our group always has a meet up spot for finding each other if we get spread out on the ride. This one was the rest area right there by the bridge. As we each came over we made sure the one behind us saw the turn and pulled in then drove way around to the back corner. Mate and M got right after the tire. We had a jack, we had tools to take the tire off, we had fix a flat. What we didn't have was a spare or a patch kit By the time we had extablished this all the riders in our group were there. Plus, a friend and his wife with a car that had come up a day early happened to decide to check on us before they went back to the cabin. LUCKY THEM!

After standing there watching the fix a flat blow out of the two cuts the bridge teeth left in the tire and debating the situation for about a half hour it was decided to send the next gen with Ma to get breakfast while the pair with the car took the tire to be repaired or find a patch kit. All this with the rain still pouring down.

So the team with a mission took off, the rest went to get dry and eat and the mate and I with our loyal friend, M, stood around and got drenched. Did you ever try to make ham sandwiches in the rain?

More tomorrow! I will get you all caught up!