Ride Summary 3/30/07

Well, it finally happened. I got my first ticket on the crest. 63 in a 45, and i deserved every last bit of it.

But before i get into why i'm a total dumbass, we'll talk about the ride itself. Headed up the crest with a couple of friends and did the standard ACH>AFH (tree)>9 mile>ACH (Nukes)>ACH (home) ride. We got a bit of a late start, and it was eerily quiet on a saturday morning, given that there were no bikes at the shell at 11am. Though most people depart the shell by 10-ish, there's usually the late group that will meet and head up a little later in the day.


Weather was perfect, it was warm at the bottom, a brisk 60-ish on the crest, sun shining, and the road mostly clear of debris. Heading up AFH, i began to hit my groove once past the tunnel (and on my favorite section of Forest). This part of forest consists of very fast sweepers, and is especially wide and with good visibility. It's a perfect section to get your knee down with relative safety (good vis, lots of runoff, and in some of the faster corners, a passing lane for extra width), and i began to finally learn what the daytona is all about.

I'd previously had issues with holding a line on this bike. not that the bike can't hold a line, but it turns too well. Well, i finally learned what the triumph expects of me mid-corner.

At turn in, the bike drops quickly into a lean, and as you get to apex, you roll on the throttle--hard--and the bike squats and grunts and slingshots you out of the corner. nary a moment of wheel slip or anything that might be described as upsetting. the feeling of the centripetal acceleration as you rocket out of the corner is, for lack of a more exciting term, compelling.

So having learned how to ride my bike and take advantage of all the things it does so beautifully, i had a great ride out to the tree, up 9 mile, and to nukes, where we had lunch. I hate to say it, but i'm finally tiring of the food choices up there--for lunch anyway--and we shot the shit. Even at nukes it was quiet, not many riders at all. Got the report on where the chippies were hanging out (mostly at the bottom).

The ride down was fine, standard debris issues on upper ACH, some traffic, but still wonderful. At the ranger station we got some head taps from riders on the way up, and we toned it down--though downhill on lower ACH is generally toned down due to traffic. Passing the vista point on the right side, i relished the opportunity to roll on one last time before the long dark of minivans and SUV's made the rest of the ride a chore. I knew the bulls were close, but didn't see them so i rolled on.

I should've saw them, or practiced some self control, because sure enough just as i finished track out and started to slow down, there they were. waiting for me. 2 SUV's (CHP and Park ranger) and wrote me up. My insurance rates will not be pleased.