Rides

Met up with members of the Roanoke Valley Harley Owners Group (RVHOG) at Chip and Jo's in Salem Sunday morning for breakfast and a after-meal ride. Some 39 members showed up to chow down on pancakes, biscuits, gravy, country ham and eggs and 11 headed out for a two-hour plus ride that included the twisting turns into the Catawba and then the challenging mountain road of Virginia 42 to New Castle.

Scraped the left side foot peg on one of the switchbacks going up the mountain and had to straighten the bike up once in a turn after the front wheel slid on a patched section of road but that was the only incident.

Headed back towards Blacksburg on U.S. 460. The group turned off on Prices Fork Road for more back roads to Ironto. I stayed on 460 to Christiansburg and then took Virginia Rte. 8 home. In all, counting the trip to Salem, a 150 plus mile day in great weather.

Rain moved out about 11 a.m.  Fired up the bike, went into Floyd for coffee and then headed south on Virginia Rte. 8 to Stuart, enjoying the curves and switchbacks down Woolwine Mountain.

From Stuart, headed up U.S. 58 towards Meadows of Dan, stopping to enjoy the view at Lovers Leap. Then north on the Parkway to Rte. 8 again and back into Floyd.

Good day to ride after all.

Tropical storm Hannah is moving through the area as I write this so the Sporty is sitting in the garage, waiting for another day.

I don't mind riding in the rain and have a full set of Gators in the tour pack but the high winds from this storm complicates things so I will wait for the wind to die down before hitting the road.

The sun is supposed to shine on Sunday and the Roanoke Valley HOG group has a breakfast ride planned. Will keep my fingers crossed.

Spotted man's best friend in the sidecar of a Ural at a recent charity poker run to benefit the families of a slain police officer and security guard. An estimated 400 bikers rode in the ride that started in Christiansburg, VA, and wound through the twisting country roads to my hometown of Floyd and then on to Hillsville, Pulaski, Dublin and then back to the starting point.

Large rides like this raise good money for charities but they can be maddening for riders. I was towards the rear of the 400 bike field led by four Virginia State Police motor officers and the ebb and flow mean going from 60 miles per hour to about 10 in just seconds.  Fortunately, all riders were alert and no one dumped their bikes but there were a few tense moments.