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Well, I decided to take off after church and lunch for a "Sunday ride" yesterday. I had been out with some friends previously and wanted another crack at some of the roads we discovered. I wasn't wanting to go fast, just work on my technique and smooth things out a bit in preparation for the October Hill Country ride.
So I head out FM 436 and turn onto FM 1123 through Summers Mill. This road would be great if it wasn't for the holes and wear in the asphalt. More than once I could feel the rear wiggle about as it hopped into and out of a rut. I kept telling myself, "Stay on the gas no matter what" and sure enough, never lost traction. I got to Holland and figured I would make a pit stop for myself
but alas, the good folks in Holland must never need gas as I did not see a single station there.
No matter-Bartlett was 5 miles on and I knew a good stop there. Of course, I felt every bump on the way
Once nature was taken care of I decided to try a different route. Instead of FM 487 toward Rockdale, I opted for 487 toward Jarell (sp?). It started off rather rocky as FM 487 east is pretty beat up in Bartlett and you have to contend with gravel a little too close for comfort. Once out of town it seemed fine, though not all that exciting. As I approached I-35, I was stuck behind a car doing 50 mph when suddenly
the back end of the bike hits either gravel or sand and starts to move to meet the front tire. Instinctively, though not out of any skill that I know, I stuck my right foot out in the direction the bike was beginning to lean. It made contact and I basically pulled a motocross turn for 1-2 seconds. The rear met solid pavement again and the bike stabilized. I generally watch the road surface in front of me for obstacles, but I never saw anything of concern before that moment. Oh well.
The map showed FM 487 went straight through Jarell, but the reality of it was different. Going straight dumped me on CR 305 (not on my map), but I went with it figuring it would hit a major road eventually. After riding in the middle of nowhere for quite a while I ended up on FM 487.
Took it down to Florence and turn north on 195.
I had heard that FM 2484 was a great road to ride, so I figured I would give it a try. Turned east on 2484 from 195 and immediately saw a warning sign for deer for the next 18 miles. Right past the sign was a deer on the side of the road that had been hit by a car. Made a mental decision at this point to take it easy on this road. Well, it turned out to be a fantastic road-newly paved with lots of fast sweepers. Very pretty scenery as it transverses around the lake there.
Once back to I-35, I decided to head back for my traditional afternoon nap and motorcycle racing on SpeedTV. All in all a fun ride.
So I head out FM 436 and turn onto FM 1123 through Summers Mill. This road would be great if it wasn't for the holes and wear in the asphalt. More than once I could feel the rear wiggle about as it hopped into and out of a rut. I kept telling myself, "Stay on the gas no matter what" and sure enough, never lost traction. I got to Holland and figured I would make a pit stop for myself
but alas, the good folks in Holland must never need gas as I did not see a single station there. No matter-Bartlett was 5 miles on and I knew a good stop there. Of course, I felt every bump on the way
Once nature was taken care of I decided to try a different route. Instead of FM 487 toward Rockdale, I opted for 487 toward Jarell (sp?). It started off rather rocky as FM 487 east is pretty beat up in Bartlett and you have to contend with gravel a little too close for comfort. Once out of town it seemed fine, though not all that exciting. As I approached I-35, I was stuck behind a car doing 50 mph when suddenly
the back end of the bike hits either gravel or sand and starts to move to meet the front tire. Instinctively, though not out of any skill that I know, I stuck my right foot out in the direction the bike was beginning to lean. It made contact and I basically pulled a motocross turn for 1-2 seconds. The rear met solid pavement again and the bike stabilized. I generally watch the road surface in front of me for obstacles, but I never saw anything of concern before that moment. Oh well.The map showed FM 487 went straight through Jarell, but the reality of it was different. Going straight dumped me on CR 305 (not on my map), but I went with it figuring it would hit a major road eventually. After riding in the middle of nowhere for quite a while I ended up on FM 487.
Took it down to Florence and turn north on 195. I had heard that FM 2484 was a great road to ride, so I figured I would give it a try. Turned east on 2484 from 195 and immediately saw a warning sign for deer for the next 18 miles. Right past the sign was a deer on the side of the road that had been hit by a car.
Made a mental decision at this point to take it easy on this road. Well, it turned out to be a fantastic road-newly paved with lots of fast sweepers. Very pretty scenery as it transverses around the lake there. Once back to I-35, I decided to head back for my traditional afternoon nap and motorcycle racing on SpeedTV. All in all a fun ride.
Chris, when you lead the ride, or ride alone, you pay attention to such details. If you ride the area more than a few times, you train yourself to learn landmarks. Paying attention to your surroundings is really the key. When I do my ride reports I basically lean back, close my eyes and reride the roads in my head. All the sights, sounds, smells, etc,... come right back to me all over again. Looking over the route on the maps does the same thing as well.
