And that was about the time I realized I had put my helmet down at the pumps and forgot to pick it back up. I went to get it...gone. No one turned it in. Someone got themself a plain-jane black, modular full-face helmet. I felt like a complete idiot!!! And they don't sell helmets at Deal's Gap. And they didn't have any at all in lost and found! So I bought myself a Tail of the Dragon doo-rag and pretended it was a helmet. I had to ride without a helmet for 20 miles to the closest shop that sold them. It worked. The park police waved me by at an accident. Then after I paid $55 for the ugliest helmet I've ever seen and $15 for cheapie glasses, we pulled out and passed a cop immediately!
Actually, I was having idiot-attacks all day long!
I have to say THANKS TO JOCK!!! OMG, I would not have survived without him. We took a left-hand turn off the highway onto a two-lane road with orange barrels and a sign that said, "LOOSE GRAVEL." Ok, I've only been in gravel ONCE in Morgantown, WV at WV Bike Week...freshly dumped #2 (I think). I pulled over a hump into it and my bike sunk and it was like a light went off in my head as I thought, "Oh crap, I don't know how to ride in gravel!" I panicked, grabbed too much front brakes and had a freshly dumped Vrod. Nearly broke my d@mn leg holding it off the ground until the calvary could get off his bike and keep it from hitting the ground! So, as you can imagine, Miss Amatuer Rider almost immediately started hyperventilating. I let Jock get in front of me about at my line of sight. I watched him and never once looked down! That route sucked!!! THE ENTIRE WAY! Here's some of the signs I saw and my heart skipped a beat with every one:
ROAD WORK AHEAD
LOOSE GRAVEL
BROKEN PAVEMENT
UNEVEN PAVEMENT
and it ended with another
LOOSE GRAVEL
And the one that really freaked me out but there was no sign for it. Actually, wait! Yes, there was!
It was a man with a stop sign that held Jock and me up. Then the next several miles was a road covered in debris, gravel and sand. The sand was so thick in the curves that you couldn't see the pavement underneath. All were first for me! I was thinking, "
Is this teach TheVgirl how to ride in diverse road conditions day?" Oh and of course, at the end of the day, as I was reflecting upon that thought....RAIN!!!
Whoever appointed Jock babysitter needs to apologize to the poor guy! He is an excellent coach but I know it was driving him crazy! I haven't rode in the last year. Actually, I put 200 miles on the bike two weeks ago going down to Killer Creek H-D and back. On the way back, the bolt that holds the foot brake pedal to the end of the rod came out, broke or just disappeared! As I was coming down the exit ramp and put on the brake, the pedal just fell over and was hanging upside down. I slid between the lanes of traffic and carefully used the front brakes trying not to do a stoppie on the wet pavement. So, I was not really ready for this trip AT ALL! So, I decided last night that I couldn't do it to the poor guy this morning and was going to skip the morning ride. Then, something urgent came up at home so I left the lodge around 10 this morning to come home. That ride was a piece of cake compared to yesterday. I was home in less time than it would have taken me to get from the lodge to Dahlonega! I STINK! JC, we might want to rethink me coming over for the NorCal group ride. I don't think I'm ready, bud! Talk to Jock. I SUCK!!!
OK, BACK TO THE PICS!
THE NEXT GROUP WILL BE THIS MORNING - MOSTLY ALL OF THE FOLKS IN ATTENDANCE JUST FOR SOUVENIRS!
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Topic: CHL.........June 2008 (Read 35592 times)