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Re: Bill's ride - (was Re: How to deal with tolls?)



> Well, I left Clearwater about 5:30 on Friday and hit a substantial amount
> of rain from about Plant City on - Did you make it through or were you
> forced to break out the wetsuit ? If you didn't leave before 1:00 today, I
> would assume you got wet again.

I was finally able to leave the office at 6:20PM Friday.  From just outside
Tampa (not even to Plant City) the skies opened up on me, complete with
strobe lightning!  I did the typical biker routine of stopping under an
overpass to change from my BroshTex jacket to leather plus rain gear.

Neither my gloves nor my boots are water resistant.  :-(

For 2.5 hours I rode through rain, rain, rain.  It didn't help that at a
couple of critical interchanges I couldn't see well enough despite frequent
swipes with a V-wipe (rubber squeegee thingie on my thumb, like a manual
windshield wiper) that I took the wrong turn and had to go miles out of my
way!

I did take the toll road, carrying the $$$ in my glove.  Not knowing the
price of the tolls or having much change anyway, I had five $1's in my
glove.  They and my hands became dyed black!  The rain was cold and the
heated grips were really appreciated.

By the time I finally arrived at the hotel (safely) my feet squished in my
boots when I walked.  In fact, when I first stepped off the bike water
squished up and over the tops of my boots!

It appears that all the rain did something nasty to the ChatterBox that was
on my helmet -- it'll neither transmit nor receive.  Not sure about intercom
functionality either, except I can hear myself talk.

Saturday was more rain except when it merely drizzled all day.  Just when I
finally went to the Titusville Walmart for some oversized rubber gloves it
stopped.  I wore plastic bags over my socks in my boots because they were
still so wet inside, and our guest hopped on the back for a night ride
across the state.  We got home shortly before midnight, and had a great
time.  The weather was finally perfect for a thoroughly enjoyable ride.  :-)

I'm thinking of this as a shakedown cruise, getting ready for the Rallye.
Next shakedown is Friday with the longer (250 mile) trip to Fort Lauderdale.
I'm going to have to do something appropriate for dry footwear between now
and then.  Maybe that's the subject of the next thread I start.  :-)

BTW, thanks to everyone for suggestions on how to deal with tolls.  Esp.
whomever (Donny DoGood?) that said to just let the cages wait behind me. :-)

> If things hadn't been so crazy yesterday and today we could have hooked up
> for a quick ride - I am only 4 miles from Spaceport USA.

Oh, well.  Next time.  We spent about 8 hours touring KSC, finally leaving
at 7PM.  And we didn't see everything!
- --
Bill "Bench Dawg" Flowers
Clearwater FL
'00 Sapphire Blue Triumph Sprint ST "Jewel"


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