Lonely...at Mike's shop
Went and found two reluctant participants...
Oiling nicely...
Made it to our destination...
More rain...
and more...
still more...
It was that time of the year again! Time for the Frosty Balls ride!
Every December my buddy Mike Wells has a birthday ride from his bike shop up to the Wagon Wheel Tavern on the first Sunday after Christmas. If you look back at previous posts you will see pics from years past. At it's zenith (a few years back) there were 170 bikes that took the ride. Then, of course, there was the year of the snow when thirty hearty souls followed me and all crashed (except me). Then last year there was ice and snow and only eight of us made the trip. This year the weather was great on Saturday but Sunday was shaping up to be miserable...
I stopped by Mike's shop Saturday to get a new primary chain for the Knuckle (see previous post) and I confirmed the ride was on for Sunday...weather reports said rain all day for Sunday...I told Mike I'd be there. I was sick as a dog with the flu or cold or whatever since Christmas Day...but I was determined to make it.
I awoke Sunday morning to a steady cold rain...39 degrees and a steady downpour...perfect for "what ales yeah". The ride leaves Mike's shop at 1 PM with people gathering around noon... I fired up the White Knuckle, with it's new primary chain and oil adjustments, and headed for the shop. I arrived to find the street and lot empty and the door locked! I sat there for a minute in the pouring cold rain and then decided to head down the road to a friends house who said he was going...
When I pulled up to his house I could see him and another buddy peering out the window cursing me. Apparently they were just about to get into their nice dry pick up and head to the shop. They knew they would never hear the end of it if I rode and they pussed out...so they saddled up with there girlfriends and followed me over...still no one else there...a few minutes later Mike showed up and a couple other people in trucks...no other bikes...
We had a couple of beers and I said let's go...even Mike said he wasn't stupid enough to ride in this shit and opted for his truck...fuck it...the three of us made the soaking ride. We hung out in drenched clothes for several hours. It was a good time!
It was dark when I left but the rain had subsided. As I hauled ass home on a twisty country road in the dark I came around a turn and unexpectedly hit the deepest flooded road I ever went through. The water musta been two feet deep! It was literally rushing up into my face as I blasted through it! It was like getting tossed by an unexpected wave at the beach...salty and all!
Soaked again! Lucky I have the snorkel muffler on the Knuckle! I just kept going and made it home...dripping wet, freezing and sicker than ever...another one for the Idiocracy Files...
Oh... and we officially changed the name of the ride from "Frosty Balls" to "Soggy Balls" for this year!
