ELECTION DAY 2004 RIDE REPORT
Colm, John and Vita, San Francisco Bay area
Vita Writes;
Hello, All,
I had my first Bay Area motorcycle ride this past Tuesday with two wonderful escorts, Colm and John. We rode from downtown San Francisco to my home town, Alameda with a naturistic side trip in the Oakland hills.
As a totally blind person riding through city streets, over a bridge, on a freeway, through eucalyptus trees, through a tunnel (the Tube) and on residential streets, I got to experience many smells and sounds that I rarely encounter traveling on public transportation.
A big thanks to Colm and John for sharing their love of motorcycle riding with me. I can't wait to do it again!
I'm hooked!!!
Vita
About the same ride John writes;
John Writes;
Colm and I went to get Vita in San Francisco and pick her up from work to take her home to Alameda, all of about 16 miles or a long Tiger Woods drive as the crow flies. On the way home this really odd thing happened, it took us about 90 minutes to find her place! Living in the SF Bay Area, that’s not all that unusual, but the traffic was light and there were no major obstacles in our path. Oh yeah, the 16 miles had become 46 miles!
She got to experience a lot of what we have been blessed with here in that short time. 72 deg, we crossed the Bay Bridge into Oakland, moved up into the hills, the occasional pot hole, took a canyon road we had never been on, twisty roads, eucalyptus trees smelling, pine trees dripping, rhododendrons blooming, the dead skunk on the side of the road, loose pine needles scattered across our path, a 5mph declining radius uphill right turn I didn’t know existed (whew!), a stop at one of the local make-out overlooks, through a tunnel under the bay and past several varieties of eateries - Chinese, BBQ (we couldn’t find a cat or a dog anywhere), Burgers, KFC, and then topped it off with the freshly mowed football field of the local Jr College. Oh yeah, now it was 60 deg - cools off fast this time of year as the sun settles.
I do believe she enjoyed herself, especially when she mentioned she was going to have to buy a bike and hire a chauffer so she could do this whenever she wanted! I‘ll quit my day job if the pay is comparable!
We did have a camera, Colm has the pictures, and that’s why I was waiting to post - I’ll see if I can light a fire under his skinny Irish butt and either get him to post or send them to me so I can get them up.
WHO’s NEXT?
John
OCTOBER 2004 RIDE REPORT
Danni and Fred in Washington
Danni writes;
I found the MRVN forum umm ya know can't remember how but here I am! lol Anyway I came to check it out and find out what it was all about and was wowed by it!
A forum with bikers focussed on helpin the disabled get to ride that is just way kewl!!
I posted my request seeking rides and got 1 email and 2 posts right off the bat offerin me a ride I mean how kewl is that?
Was supposed to go out the first sunday but ended up in the e.r instead tryin to find out what was goin on turned out to be sinusitis ugggg!
Well anyway that email I said I got first was from Fred and we had continued to email about whatever and last wed it just so happened to be his day off work and was a beautiful day so he said ya up for a ride? I of course said definitly!! G
So Fred rode up here to Everett not knowin the area it took him a bit and not to mention I found out from the paper this mornin that the sign that would have told him which direction to go off the freeway is not there apparently ugg didn't know that! G Sorry Fred!
Anyway he got here round 2 I think it was and we visited for a bit gettin to know each other and then he showed me a bit of the bike where the foot boards are and the back seat is a nice comfy seat! G
We then loaded up and headed out at my direction bein as he doesn't know Everet and went mostly back roads had to take a few city roads but what can ya do so we left here and rode down dogwood ave which changes to beverly somethin can never remember which we have several beverly ...'s onto evergreen way up to casino road down to 7th to 112th to silverlake rd and around the lake out to 19th which brought us fully around the lake back to 112th to 7th to ..... well ya get the poitn! G
Was a great chance offered by Fred to get to ride Thanks Again Fred and look forward to more in the near future well might not be too near as burrr am freezing this mornin! G
Anyway hope this helps folks to understand what we are about here at MRVN and helps them to decide to get involved!
NOVEMBER 14, 2004 RIDE REPORT
Billy and Earl, Canada
Billy Writes;
It was a beautiful sunny Sunday (Nov.14/04). Checked the bike before heading to London (hour down the road). The temperture was a balmy 8 degress C which I believe to be around 45F. I had received an email from Earl's wife Tina. Earl had not ridden his own bike for 8 yrs. - ever since he contracted MS.
I arrived about 12:30 pm and sat and chatted for a bit (the gift of yap is what I have at times). He showed me pics of his ride, an older Yamaha Virago in excellent shape. He was itching to go and Tina noticed that right off the bat.
"Well, you boys better get going", she said. Out at the bike I got some pics of Earl and the both of us. Earl still had his old helmet. You just can't get rid of everything, right Earl? With a little wiggling and adjusting Earl was on. [Earl has weakness on his left side only and this did not affect his balance at all]
Once under way Earl asked me if the heater worked. "Sorry. Earl this model is not heat-equipped, that's the luxury model". We just headed to the country doing about 90kmph/50mph. The air was cool and I didn't need my passenger to come down with frostbite. We just let the road take us to wherever, thru small towns and farmland. We stopped at a Tim Horton Coffee shop (Timmys for the Canucks) and had a chat and coffee. Earl will be 68 come Dec. 6/04 and if it wasn't for the MS, he looks in great shape.
We headed back to the house, with the attitude of when we get there we get there. Earl informed me that "Tina is making us a sandwich and you have to have one". We sat and ate and talked ,if it wasn't for the warmth of the company I was with I would have been frozen . I thanked Tina And Earl for having me and told him to be ready for a spring ride and pack some of Tina's sandwiches too.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EARL!!!!
Pass the Word - Share the Wind
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