Raven’s Rides
Raven's Rides Motorcycle Blog

Thanks to a broken hot water pipe, today I found myself taking a little night ride downtown. It was eerie to be on my own at night, and especially in the country where there’s no light. The main drag into town is about seven miles without a street lamp or even much sign of a house, and it’s easy to believe you’re in some kind of surreal movie like Children of the Corn. ;)

But then Lodi springs out at you like a beacon, and everything’s just fine again. My bike, now constantly on a trickle charger because I haven’t gotten around to buying a new battery yet, held its own and I have learned how to start it without immediately draining the charge (keep my hand off the throttle until it ignites).

I’ve lost a bunch of confidence somewhere along the way. It’s been a long time since I rode regularly and my head is getting in the way of cornering and confidence. There are times when I figure anyone watching me must think I’ve only been riding for a week or so–I feel incompetent. I know that practice will bring this back, but still, it’s not a good place to be. It’s true that riding is 95% mindset and 5% skill…and my mind isn’t in the right place just of late.

I got my errands all done, and came back on the highway, letting Lodi’s lights sink behind me (and an overeager pickup truck overtake me). I noticed as I turned off that the fog was coming back, little ghostly wisps of it clutching at me with icy fingers, and my breath steaming right alongside them. The lights cut through them like sunrays.

It’s 37 degrees out, and I’m glad to be back home.

Subscription links

If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to the Raven's Rides RSS feed! Click here for the raw feed or links to feed readers.

You might also get a kick out of...

• Bikeillas in the mist (0)
• Too windy (0)
• The girl who goes (0)
• Under the canopy (0)
• Riding cures stuckness (0)