The weather has turned markedly colder and the shortened daylight triggers some biological reaction that doesn’t feel great. Looked back to brighter, warmer, days and rides enters my thoughts more frequently now. Rather than gird and prepare myself for riding in colder weather I’m spending more time remembering summer rides. Like this one with my friend Dave that was merely a ride to breakfast. Just not the closest place or the most direct route.
Read more: Remembering Summer Rides
Starting Point
I suggested a meandering route through the mountains. Thirty-eight miles of mostly dirt and gravel through the Appalachian Mountains that begin not far from my front door. One of the fine landscapes for summer rides here in central Pennsylvania and well suited for my Royal Enfield Himalayan and Dave’s BMW R100 GS motorcycle.
A welcome diversion from the pavement.
Views from Summer Rides
Harry’s Valley Vista never fails to rob me of a breath or two. First because the sweeping view seems unusually broad, and second because I still can’t believe I’m only ten miles from home as the crow flies.
The ride provides the typical liberation from whatever I have made seem important at the time. And the roads, while having more gravel than I like, are easy to navigate. At age 70 I’m not looking for a workout anymore.
Riding Through Nature
It’s hard to explain how strongly I respond — emotionally and spiritually — to being in the natural world. As a younger man I traversed these mountains and forests on foot. Much later scooters and motorcycles entered the picture and the experiences and feelings are the same. A quiet satisfaction and a twinkle of joy at being out in the natural world. Speed, power, and sundry technical and mechanical features do little to spark my imagination or wonder. But riding down these gravel roads under the forest canopy in the morning light…. It’s why I ride.
Diner 22
My summer rides, all rides in fact, seem to have a food component involved. A chance to sit down and talk with the person I’m riding with. I have considered an intercom system but when I’m riding the only voice I want in my head is my own. No music. No phone calls. No SIRI narrating text messages. In this noisy world riding a motorcycle is a place where I can escape for a little while. Why contaminate it with technology laced trappings.
It’s probably why I’m reading “Digital Minimalism.”
What Would My Cardiologist Say?
Last week I had my annual visit with my cardiologist. Part of our conversation revolved around his new motorcycle, perhaps a ride together, and my concern that he would not approve of what I was eating.
He assured me that it would not be an issue.
Grateful for the Summer Rides
Over and over I find myself telling people how grateful I am to live in a place where riding and exploring is so easy. And so many places and roads with so little traffic that you almost feel as if you are in the wilderness somewhere.
I haven’t been riding a lot lately. But it sure is nice to have some great memories. And I will be riding more soon.
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Steve, your beautifully written reflections on your warm weather rides awaken my memories of similar motorcycle rides that I miss so much. I take them in a convertible sports car now. However, since buying the convertible in early September, I am still in the manic phase of new car ownership, driving too fast and playing the stereo too loud. Hopefully soon I will evolve into the meditation of slow driving on two lane country backroads. I look forward to that.
Thanks for the kind words Steel. I’m glad that the post helped awaken some good memories. More and more I realize how precious memories are. A product of growing older no doubt. And I’m grateful I am still able to make some new ones.
Best wishes for your sports car mania! Loud music and driving the backroads seem a good thing to me.
What car are you piloting on these adventures? I keep wondering what vehicle is in my future when two wheels don’t make sense anymore.
The car is a Fiat 124 Spider Abarth. The engine is made in Italy, the rest of the car is made by Mazda, on the Miata assembly line. It is a six speed manual, with a clutch. Surprisingly, all that shifting is actually enjoyable. At least so far.
It’s a beautiful car but sadly I’m just too tall for it. I can’t fit in a Miata and I suspect size wise the Fiat isn’t much different.
I think you may be correct Steve. I am not as tall as you, and it is a bit of a squeeze for me!
A lovely shared memory, Steve. Being east of you I have slowed down on rides, short or lengthy due to Autumn temperatures. I believe that I will get out at least a few more times before stowage. Thank you for the good energy!
It’s been a beautiful fall so far. Lately I am trying to get out for a short ride every day to make sure all the machines in the garage are “exercised” since I don’t stow them for the winter.
Hopefully I can continue to share some good energy moving forward. The cold weather is increasingly rough on my old bones and joints!
I sat down recently to review my organized rides count on both sides of the Hudson River this past season. It amounts to eight. Three on my side of the Hudson, five on the other. That is in addition to the four days spent in Lake George for Americade. Spending time in the company of like souls and riding with them makes me smile…a lot. In addition, I used the 250cc motorcycle, 250cc scooter and the 750cc Kawasaki for all these events. Of course, the 750 went to Americade. It does Interstates and State Roads with equal ability.
I’m sorry to see the Summer and Fall going away but have a good set of memories to keep me warm this Winter.
It’s nice to venture back in time to inventory the riding memories. I should do the same thing now. I’ll keep riding through the winter but the cold is rougher every year!
I envy your almost empty roads. It used to be that way here in Colorado. No more. The flatlanders have invaded and have purloined the mountain roads and clogged them with careless, selfish, rude and boorish behaviour. It doesn’t feel like home anymore. Riding here has become an exercise in survival….
Sorry to hear what has happened to your roads. The price of progress I suppose — chaos. Hopefully age will halt my riding before the influence of traffic on the roads here.
Recordar os passeios é vivê-los novamente. Enquanto perdurarem na nossa memória, a viagem continua.
Quando te leio Steve, às vezes parece que me estou a ouvir. Para mim, viajar de mota é parte de um ritual de desintoxicação e essa ideia de intercomunicadores também não tem fundamento para mim. Mas eu sou um minimalista digital, confesso. Há pouca coisa que deixo passar no meu filtro, e uma das coisas que deixei passar foi incorporar na minha mota um dispositivo GPS e de movimento com acesso à Honda Mapit, que me notifica quando alguém mexe na minha mota, e regista em mapa todos os percursos que faço. Em caso de acidente contacta automaticamente a minha esposa via mensagem de texto, informando as minhas coordenadas. Não é nada que interrompa os sons do silêncio que me acompanham na viagem: o barulho do motor nas suas diferentes rotações, o som das folhas e da água na estrada.
Um abraço!
Riding is a detox ritual for me as well. And one I need to engage on a regular basis.
Digital minimalism is becoming more and more important to me. I watch the world around me addicted to their phones constantly and am reminded that I do not want my life to slip away into a screen. Technology has productive uses. I want to make sure I make good choices for myself.
Andar de bicicleta é também um ritual de desintoxicação para mim. E um que preciso de praticar regularmente.
O minimalismo digital está a tornar-se cada vez mais importante para mim. Observo o mundo à minha volta viciado nos seus telemóveis constantemente e lembro-me de que não quero que a minha vida se esvaia num ecrã. A tecnologia tem utilizações produtivas. Quero ter a certeza de que estou a fazer boas escolhas para mim.
Great ride report. Makes me feel like I was right there with you. It also makes me reflect on my rides of 2025. Not nearly as much riding as in the past, but the rides taken were memorable. You have been very generous in showing me your favorite routes in central PA.
Keep on riding and writing.
Dave
It was a fine ride. One I hope to repeat in some form. Still plenty of great routes to explore.
A ride should be just a ride, I agree.
That’s maybe why, though I teach technology in the secondary school, I never owned a smartphone and I reliably trust my Nokia 130. I don’t even have a data plan.
People often mistakes digital world for technology. I’m confident with my ability to diagnose an engine failure during a rie and improvise a quick fix; that’s all. My Leatherman is often all I need.
Oh, and my ham radio, a good old companion ^_^
Summer is now gone. Outside it’s raining but I hope to be able and ride in the next days and all fall and winter long.
Don’t forget fountain pens!
I look at my iPhone as a blessing and a curse. In and of itself it is a benign tool. But the decisions I make concerning apps and use, my choices, that’s often the problem. It’s a productive tool in regard to my calendar, making notes, and things that enhance the values in my life I deem important. But it can also seduce me into wasting time. I’ve deleted social media accounts so I don’t mindlessly scroll through things that do nothing to enhance my life. I’ve considered things like a Nokia 130 but then I would have to bring a camera along. While riding, I now shoot both 4K video and high resolution images with the iPhone.
Before I retired I almost always had a Leatherman on my belt. It’s retired now and has been replaced by a small Buck pocket knife. Good for opening packages and cutting up an apple.
Getting ready to go for a ride. It’s 40F outside but the sun keeps popping out so it will get warmer quickly. I hope.
It was good seeing your name in the comments. Thanks for taking the time and best wishes to you.
Of course. I always have a bunch of fountain pens and my Rhodia pad in A7 size, it’s the *dependance* of my brain, as I call it. Getting older means also forgetting things I thought to be able to keep in mind.
And I actually always bring with me my camera, the new Fuji MX5, a small jewel.
Buck knives you say, geez, they’re gorgeous and I always wanted one but, as for all the other tools, I already have too many knives 😉
I never stopped reading your heartwarming posts, which made me step into this wonderful two-wheel world eighteen yers ago. I’m just a lazy poster, and I should maybe update my blog as I haven’t been writing anything for a whole year. Many things to tell, though.
A big hug, godspeed and happy winter rides!
Ah, c’mon, man! No such thing as too many knives.
I find knives to be satisfying little tokens connected to my youth. I’ve slowed down my purchased drastically but I can still be wooed if I’m not careful.
The Fuji MX5 is a fine camera. I have two Fuji cameras now — an XT2 and an XPro2 along with a host of lenses. But when I ride all my photography is now left to my iPhone 14 Pro. It’s all I need for blogging and YouTube. And I recently purchased a 5×7 view camera and have reactivated by darkroom to work on a specific project.
Knives, cameras, guns, motorcycles, scooters, tools, pens, notebooks, all things I can acquire without need or good sense. I’ve begun to simplify in my mind if not with the atoms themselves.
I understand the loss of motivation to post. I’ve certainly fallen on hard times. Not for ideas or content but for some reason I find it more difficult to write. I hope it isn’t old age.
I hope you find your way back to your blog.
Hi Steve, long time reader and admirer of your blog. First time commenting.
I’ve been a cyclist for decades but a motorcyclist for only a year and change. I resonate with your appreciation of nature and of the almost zen-like state you achieve while riding. I too strive for that in my rides, or at least I do now. When I first got my Triumph I was distracted by the mechanics of riding and the seduction of speed. Now that I’ve gained the necessary muscle memory and purged (mostly) from my system the need to zip around highway curves, I am free to just feel the wind, sense my oneness with the machine, and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. Like you I enjoy stopping along the way and admiring the view, perhaps snapping a pic or two. I live in the rural foothills of the eastern Willamette valley in Oregon and am surrounded by spectacular landscapes.
My original intent (excuse?) for buying a bike was to use it as an inexpensive commuter. But I’ve found the need to be somewhere by a certain time strips the ride of its magic, reducing it to a utilitarian task. To me the best rides are the slow meandering ones with no time constraining the end of it.
I love riding alone but occasionally I do wish for a riding buddy or two, as you have. But all my friends are either uninterested or barred from motorcycles by their wives. Such is life. For now I am content.
The many recent days of rain have finally stopped and tomorrow will be dry and in the mid 50s. I know what I will be doing…
Thank you for taking the time to comment Mike. I appreciate the input.
Transitioning from a bicycle to a motorcycle is a big technical change in regard to how a rider conducts themselves on the road. It’s different from riding a bike or driving a car and requires some time and experience to learn how to manage the risk. Managing the bike and the throttle are often overlooked. You are way ahead of the game recognizing both.
The payoff, than zen-like state you refer to, that is seductive in it’s own way. At least for me. And it is a big part of why I ride. The more I ride the more quickly it occurs. As I write this note I have one eye outside at the winter sunshine. The temperature is already 34F and I have some errands to run so why not on my Vespa.
I commuted for years on my Vespa and over time I went from the direct route to work to a more meandering one requiring me to get up an hour or two earlier. The same riding home. That riding magic made my wife wonder why it was taking so long to get home!
Riding buddies are a gift. I was fortunate that a riding friend guided me into a Vespa 20 years ago. So I had someone to ride with from the start. But I have acquired a few other riding buddies by reaching out to people or allowing them to reach out to me. For someone who is naturally wired to relish being alone that took some work. But it is definitely worth connecting to riding groups and making the first move to ask if someone wants to go for a ride.
Best wishes for some fine rides when the weather moderates. And watch out for the frozen fog!