Recreational riding? Not too often.

I went to King's in Montgomery last night. About 110 miles round trip.

Went with a friend. I don't usually do group rides since I prefer to ride alone. But he was going, I was going, it was all good. I don't care much for the behavior which seems to appear when riders get together and begin to act foolishly or dangerously in the name of keeping up appearances. But one on one is good. That's how you get to know someone. He rode well enough. He knew to not exceed his own pace and skill level, for the most part.

I was trolling along, almost lugging the enging in top gear, trying to keep him in my mirrors. Around 45-50mph most of the way. Posted 65, most corners marked 35-45. If I made it around a corner and into another one before seeing him make it out of the first, I started the clock. 2-minutes or less without seeing him and I pull over and wait for him to catch up or (hopefully not) turn around and go help.

When we finished, he told me that road "A" had been a very challenging road at a pace that pushed his comfort zone. Road "B" was a good road for him to practice with. I don't usually think of myself as anything special as a rider since I know several who can ride rings around me, but he lauded my abilities. Not sure I like that so much. I don't like being in the spotlight too much. Then expectations are formed (whether in reality or in my head) that have to be met.

It's different when you teach. After class, I am not likely to see most of them again. I don't have to be anything to them after class other than some phantom rider of skill or mentor in their riding history.

Besides, who am I, who has never scratched a peg on a sportbike ever, to be praised in such a fashion? I can scratch the GZ's on the range easy enough. They have no ground clearance and little in the way of lean angle before hard bits touch down. But I digress.

Burgers at King's are good. The Bacon Cheeseburger was very good and the water was rather refreshing. The heat has been less oppressive these last few days since the rain from hurricane Emily down in Mexico moved up here. But the raw heat has been replaced by life sapping humidity. The temperature today was only about 94, but the index was about 108. Egads! The ride home should help blow away some of the building sweat.

WRONG! None of it dried out. It just quit pooling for a while. And the bugs have had water to grow their eggs. They are everywhere! I had taken several mosquito bites while sitting on King's patio, and a few hundred have now committed suicide on my visor and front end. It almost makes me want to wash my bike. Almost.