getting there ....

So I get a text from CMac last week informing me he will be passing through Newport and was going to stop by. I arranged for Isaac to be here for Dad figuring I could jump on the bike and ride with them a bit, then split off at one point. The area out where they were headed is great riding, and I need to hone my skills; and all the while ride with a couple maggots (as he and Kent were riding together).

My plan was to ride with them out to where I-40 meets US 27. Then I would plot out a route. I do have a “couple” favorite roads for that area and pretty much knew where I would be going without even looking at the map. Even though I entertained the idea of hitting some other roads, I tend to fall back on a same basic route ... hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t go fixin’ it!   ; )

I had one goal for today – to get my “motorcycle legs” under me; to get some ‘lean time’. While last week’s little ‘off-road excursion’ was quite fun (aside from losing the brakes), it wasn’t what I –needed- to be doing.

I need to work on my cornering. I am too sloppy right now. I enter into a turn with all kinds of “what-if”s. I am second-guessing every move I make, basically overthinking.

I know that sounds counterintuitive, but I need to be reacting to the conditions, not *thinking* about the radius of the curve, or the banking of the road, or “is that gravel?”, or the feedback of the road itself – but rather just automatically adjusting to it. As Mr. Coffee might say, “train your monkey”.

I do have those skills, I just need to knock off the rust. What better way than riding to do that?

I figured I would make sure to include route 85 southbound off of TN-52 on the itinerary. I have rode this one a couple times and do remember there were a bunch of 10 mph ascending (headed south) switchbacks. THIS is what I need!

The only thing complicating the day would be a possible meet-up “date” with Melissa in Knoxville. I told her I would call her at 5, and if she were off work, maybe we could meet up. This would be “tight” … and this is “tight” on the “Ed’s-on-a-bike-time” scale, which just somehow seems to defy the physics behind the whole 60 minute clock system.    ; )

So Kent and Christopher arrived around noon I think. We hung out at the house for a bit and then headed out.  

I only live a couple minutes off the interstate so soon we were zipping through traffic at a modest 10-20 over (mostly). CMac on his ST13 was leading, followed by me on my big Sabre, and Kent riding tailgunner on his FJR13.

I thought I had fixed my fan problem, and buttoned everything back up the other night and the fan ran for a few minutes then quit and hasn’t run since. However, I did manage to find and fix the problem with the temperature gauge. The wire going to the temperature probe was loose. I tightened up the connector with a pair of pliers and it hasn’t slipped since.

I figure as long as I am not sitting in traffic, I should be fine. However, should I find myself in such a situation at least I can watch the temperature gauge to know when to shut it down or park.

We got just west of Knoxville, just before I-75 branches off to the south and it became a parking lot. We were moving but not really generating any airflow over that radiator.

I was closely monitoring that gauge. I figured as soon as it got into the “H” range, I was parking.

It was still one bar away from the lowest in the “H” range, so I figured I was fine. Traffic was just starting to thin out and I was able to weave my way in and out and get up to second gear, and then it opened up enough and soon the bike cooled  back down again.

The rest of the ride was as mundane as you would expect the slab to be. I did find that I have a resonance issue at 85-95 mph. It levels off after 95 (as much as these old bikes do), so I don’t think it’s a suspension issue, as you would expect it to worsen with speed. I didn’t test the theory enough to have much data, but that is what I found after one trial. At 75 (and this is all “indicated” speeds) mph it is rock solid, 85 mph is like a jalopy, and above 95 is (mostly) solid again.   

When we got up to US 27 CMac pulled off and they gassed up the bikes and grabbed a quick snack before heading back to I-40. It was now about 2 PM and I knew making Knoxville by 5 was a no-go, because even though I had logged about 90 miles, I hadn’t started *my* ride yet.   ; )    Upon hearing me mention that I was supposed to meet Melissa in Knoxville at 5, Christopher queried ‘that’s … what?  6:30 Ed-time?’

At this point I figured I would pull over somewhere about 5 and touch base with her, wherever I was at 5.  ;  )    I plotted out my route and headed on. I knew I wanted to include 85 as mentioned but 297 is another must-do for me and runs through Big South Fork. Good stuff! Lots of sweeping turns and a mountain climb that involves some tight, twisty turns – so it’s a good mix.

I headed north on 27 and finally pulled up to 297. 27 is fine, but the curves are spaced so far apart, you never establish a rhythm. The next four roads would more than make up for it --  TN-297 west to TN-154 south; then TN-52 west of Jamestown to TN-85 south. Then go from there depending on time.

I got on 297 and it immediately brought a smile to my face. All the fun I have had on this road! Good pick to “break myself back in”.

The eastern part of the road is dotted with horse farms and is quite pretty and serene. Additionally, many of the curves are soft sweepers so you can actually take in some of the surrounding landscape. It then progresses into a mountain road with a bunch of tighter turns. 

When I got to the technical section of 297, I was not “on” yet, and this was amplified by the fact that the transition from sun and shade happened in a lot the apices (pl. for apex?) and it was hard to get a good sight line to plan where to go, so I didn’t gain any confidence there.

297 dumps you onto TN-154 which is fun in both directions, but I needed to be headed south. As it was, it’s nearly five now and I am well over an hour away from Knoxville. I went south and still am struggling in the turns. I would have expected to be more comfortable by now.

By the time I got to where 154 ends on 52, it was about 4:50. There is a little roadside park just a few hundred yards away, so I pull in and phone Melissa to let her know there is no way I will make Knoxville by 5.

This is a win-win situation here. I call her and she needs to book on home, then I get to play around more and hopefully get more of a comfort zone. If she says she will hang around and wait, then I get a "date" with my wife. That's two in a week's time for those counting.     ;  )

She says she could hang around a bit. I really had no idea how far I was away and I told her I thought I was an hour and a half northwest of Knoxville, so we set up a 6:30 meetup instead.

In retrospect, if I had gone straight south from there and scrapped 52 and 85 from the route, that was possible. However, there was NOO way I was dropping 85, so that meant I had to continue west for another 20 minutes or so to pick up 85 and then go south before I could turn back east for another 20 minutes.

52 is a nice scenic ride. It has some nice sequences of curves too. Enough that I am starting to get a bit smoother by now too. After about 15 or 20 miles, I finally hit 85.

This road’s a sleeper. There really is nothing to it when you first get on it southbound.

After about 5 miles it gets FUN! There were a few, what I call, “roller coaster whoops” which can cause your stomach to come up and visit your throat when you modulate the throttle at the correct point. Fun stuff! Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, these 10 mph ascending switchbacks sequenced back to back to back is great stuff.

This is *just* what the doctor ordered. I am starting to hit marks and …. just …. ride … reacting, doing … not thinking. The next 20 miles on that road were the best of the day.

Before we parted earlier in the day, Kent asked if I would be slabbing it back home. I replied “no way” unless it got really late or I had to make time -- or maybe if I have to make up some time for going further in the wrong direction or something. It is now just about 6 PM and I am pulling into Crossville -- which is a mere 20 miles west of where I got off I-40 four hours ago.

Crossville is a little over an hour west of Knoxville. I’m supposed to meet Melissa at 6:30-ish and it is now 6 PM …. you do the math! Looks like Ed-time strikes yet again. 

So I jumped on I-40 to make time. Kent knows me better than I do.

I showed up at 7:10, so not too bad. Christopher, you almost had it right!   ; )

Melissa and I had a nice dinner at Friday’s on … a Thursday. It’s been so long since just her and I have gone to a restaurant that wasn’t fast food.

After dinner it was now dark, so I just jumped back on 40 to hopefully minimize the likelihood of forest rat encounters. I logged 350 some miles today and am sore everywhere, but smilin’.

Most importantly, I got back some confidence. I nearly have my “motorcycle legs” under me again.