RG plays hooky

[ridin gaijin]

I had a good time with the NM advriders at lunch yesterday despite the appalling weather. It cleared up, though. My extracurricular activities yesterday meant Jen couldn't go to work, so today she had to catch up (we own our own business). I was on Kid Patrol until 1 or so. But I couldn't resist getting out for a bit.



NM advriders will recognize Rt. 285 looking towards Santa Fe. Today's weather was as pleasant as yesterday's was atrocious. By the way, as you can see in this shot, the traffic was simply awful. This was to be a recurring problem for me.







Here's your own little Home on the Range!--no, wait. It's a location shot for John Carpenter's latest New Mexico movie, "Ghouls of Galisteo."



 



Here's company! Looked like about 10 horsepower...but no gasoline required. No need to lube the chain either. (GSers may feel the urge to check the shaft drive though!  O:)







It would've been a much better ride if not for all the goddamn traffic!







Stopped here but only for a minute. This seemed like a nice typical Desert Southwest kinda picture.







El tigre says Hi! Actually this picture is out of sequence. The ride was Rt. 285 to the Galisteo turnoff, then to Cedar Grove (actually, cedarless as far as I could tell), then up to Golden and thence to Madrid, through the HD posers, and home. This is at the turn onto 14 and Golden.







I don't know about you folks but a vista like this exerts an almost magnetic influence on me. Seeing the road going on like that just pulls me towards the vanishing point. Of course curvy roads rock. But not every road can be curvy; and this scene basically pulled me into it and onward.



Fucking traffic.







The pennultimate shot of my friend overlooking some of our awesomely blue sky.







Lest anyone not perceive Golden, NM, as a commercial hub, here you have the mercantile, abuzz with action. (Closed Sundays.)







All that remained was to brave the traffic on the road home. I wonder what it's like to live in LA or Atlanta, where traffic-calming measures actually help reduce congestion!...Right?







All in all a very nice ride of a few hours. I wish I'd been able to join the others...I bet they have some better pics.

[Mr Mistoffelees]

Those roads are unreal  :D. If they where in the UK, they would have Gatsos every half a mile - for safety of course.



Glad all that traffic didnt get you down  :D/

[Gojira]

Where are the freakin bends? What kind of fun are straight road.

[Mr Mistoffelees]

Of course your right - bends are what bikes are made for, however, I can totally see the attraction of riding on roads like that, you must feel like your really covering some seriously big miles, great for touring, just search out the twisties when you get there  :lol:



America = on my dream wish of places to take a bike touring holiday.

[Patrick the Scot]

Where are the freakin bends? What kind of fun are straight road.

Gojira;



I'm not sure where you hail from, but let me tell you about our straight roads out here in the West.  



First, you are right, the bends and twisties (not a scuba accident) are the most fun, fun as in immediate and constant gratification.  Nothing can compare to the constant right-left-right-left-right.... I have ridden some of the most awesome twisties in Colorado and they will tax and simultaeously stimulate every fiber of your being.  So you are right.  Twisties are exciting.  However, the straight roads such as you see in the pictures that Ridin' so gratiously posted for us, do have virtues.  These straight roads are in themselves their own virtue.  



For me it goes like this.  The Land of Straight Roads, (which would be most of the American West, States such as New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and so on) is punctuated by the most raging topographical changes from time to time.  Vast snow covered mountain ranges, mile deep canyons, scorching deserts, and absolutely flat praires and ranch dotted lands all coalesce to form the West.  The number one fact that a traveler must consider about this area is it's size.  It is friggin huge.  Texas is over 800 miles east to west.  Now that is not Alaska Huge, but all told the American West is about the size of Alaska. So, the straight roads are an enherent part of this vast land.  It takes forever to get to where you are going.  Unless, of course, you want to set the throttle lock at about 110 mph for about 30 minutes.   I've done it, and those straight road are very intersting at that speed.  Your main concern at this speed out in a desolate area would be wild life such as a jack rabbits or coyote.  You would not want to hit one, so scanning for movement in the periphere is required. Now, I would not advise this kind of travel as a standard, so on these straight roads you can do the opposite, set the lock at 65 mph and take your hands off the bars, set back and zone out.  I listen to the drone of the triple, see the fluid landscape escaping my sight to the sides, listen to the sound of the rushing air and the whirr of the tires, smell the wild flowers in bloom, and most importantly contemplate the approaching mountian range. Kind of a natural high and meditation all in one. You can really think in this circumstance. Straight roads make you stop and consider the bigger picture, all while moving. That is their virtue.



Out in these areas of desolation you must really be comfortable with yourself. Because many times you can be absolutely alone.  I love it, but it is not for everyone.



Just remember: every straight road will lead you to mountains. And like all delayed gratification, when you finally get to the twisties they are sooooo sweet.

[Patrick the Scot]

America = on my dream wish of places to take a bike touring holiday.

Come on over.  You'll love it over here.



The rentals are usually Harley Davidsons or BMWs, and they can be day, week, or month rented in most major metro areas.

[Gojira]

Sorry the location field in my profile was unfilled.  I live in eastern Washington state.  I don't have to go far to get a few bends in the road.  I have travelled the west and am familiar with the long straight neverending mind numbing roads throughout the long flat spots particularly in Texas.  I just haven't travelled any of them on a bike yet.  I have only been riding for about a year and a winter, so I do need to get a bit further afield, particularly now that I have a bike that should be good for longer rides.

[ridin gaijin]

Just remember: every straight road will lead you to mountains.

A philosopher as well as a cartologist! (...when are you coming out here, man?)



 :D



Yes Gojira, the flats in the pictures lead into the Ortiz and Cerrillos Mountains, which have a lot of turns, and, well, hilly parts. In retrospect you're right, I should've taken and posted some pics there. There are some great spots...ascending and descending curves marked 35 mph which get fun above 60... :twisted:

[Patrick the Scot]

I will be out there as soon as I get a free weekend and the weather is clear. As you know that stretch of 1-40 between Santa Rosa and Clines Corners can be real mean in the event of a blizard. Of course, every weekend we are closer to spring and all. I will e-mail as soon I can bust out.

[ArizonaKid]

Having relatives in Lubbock has provided the occasion for me to make the trip from the Phoenix area to Lubbock several times, last time was on my BMW K1200RS, prior to that on a Honda VFR. The trek thorugh NM up through Alamagordo, Cloudcroft and points east is very nice. The flat and straight parts on both ends is a little dull, but what the heck.  Besides, my favorite pervayor of fine Motorcycle clothing is in Clearwater (newenough.com) and I like to stop there and see what's new. Nothing wrong with riding an occassional flat, straight road, especially when there is more interesting terrain in the distance that you know you'll get to eventually. . .

[Patrick the Scot]

The trek thorugh NM up through Alamagordo, Cloudcroft and points east is very nice. The flat and straight parts on both ends is a little dull, but what the heck.  Besides, my favorite pervayor of fine Motorcycle clothing is in Clearwater (newenough.com) and I like to stop there and see what's new.

AK - You are right. The stretch of road between Alamagordo and the east side of Cloudcroft is a great ride.  I really like it.  



BTW, Newenough.com is in Shallowater, just northwest of Lubbock.

[ArizonaKid]

. . . Shallowater, Clearwater, Dirtywater. . . whatever.  Right in the middle of a trailerpark at any rate.  Nice folks, to.

[Patrick the Scot]

. . . Shallowater, Clearwater, Dirtywater. . . whatever.  Right in the middle of a trailerpark at any rate.  Nice folks, to.

Now that is no shit! Right in the middle of a friggin trailer park! Some of the finest architecture that Clayton Homes has to offer.  Hey, and when you get tired of the neighbors, throw the wheels back on the bitch, hook the bastard up to you buddie's Power-Stroke and move on down the road...