waving riders still make me grin...

[lucydad]

All,

I took Little Goose out for a spirited swan about Houston this morning.  While running east bound on the Westpark Tollway:  three riders going the other way waved, and one gave me a big huge TEXAS kinda wave and grin.  Fun stuff and combined with a beautiful fall day, not having to work, and recovering from a difficult Alzheimer's care morning:  just fun!  Man I love the V7R, it knives through high winds.  Rode down to the Galleria area, then back down 59S, stopped at Cycle shop to get some chain cleaner for the Trumpet, then home, then lunch.  Pit-bull rear stand arrived for the Triumph, just need the spools to arrive now and then I will do the chain maintenance.  Likely I will ask Ms LD to help putting the bike on the stand the first time, would hate to have an awkward turtle moment and drop the bike.

Turned down Houston Texans tickets due to Alzheimer's care, and trying to figure out if I can do a group ride Sunday.  Grandpa Larry is really fading and more and more chaotic.

[oldbike54]

 

  Dusty

[Muzz]

Must admit, on my way back from the Tattley Rappet (570kms) the number of riders that waved were numerous; found I grinned each time. Returned the wave (or instigated it) and hoped they were enjoying the ride as much as I was.

Of course, the Harley riders were too staunch, bar one who was wearing flouro, to acknowledge a non Harley rider.

[boatdetective]

I noted that when i was in the high country of New Mexico- everyone waved. Harley guys, sporty guys- didn't matter. Out here, the leather tassle crowd almost NEVER returns my wave.  I was thinking about it, and it seemed that the riders out there were not out in the canyons to pose- they made the ride out there for the same reason as me.  In general, i found the regular folks out there were more bike friendly as well. 

[sib]

Man I love the V7R, it knives through high winds.

I feel exactly the same, except that my V7 knifes through high winds.  I keep my knives in my pocket, out of the wind.

[oldbike54]

I feel exactly the same, except that my V7 knifes through high winds.  I keep my knives in my pocket, out of the wind.

 Geologist's term 

  Dusty

[biking sailor]

I feel exactly the same, except that my V7 knifes through high winds.  I keep my knives in my pocket, out of the wind.

Verb, noun. I think I got his meaning OK, but I kind of fall into the Engineer label also. Not a literary guy (unless shop manuals count).   

[segesta]

 Grandpa Larry is really fading and more and more chaotic.

Ugh, I'm sorry to hear that--it's important to take time for yourself, because caring for someone with Alzheimers can take up every one of your physical/emotional resources if you let it. Good luck.

[motoTommaso]

I noted that when i was in the high country of New Mexico- everyone waved. Harley guys, sporty guys- didn't matter. Out here, the leather tassle crowd almost NEVER returns my wave.  I was thinking about it, and it seemed that the riders out there were not out in the canyons to pose- they made the ride out there for the same reason as me.  In general, i found the regular folks out there were more bike friendly as well.

Not sure where you reside boatdetective, but here in SoCal I've given up on giving Harley guys the wave.  I guess they're too bada$$ to be friendly.  I do like Harleys though and if I'm at a stoplight, I'll give a Harley the thumbsup if the rider is wearing a helmet and the bike is not ridiculous.

Tommaso

[Sasquatch Jim]

 Alzheimers ain't so bad.  Every day is a new day, meeting new people, going new places, doing new things, right in your own home.

[lucydad]

Sasquatch,

He still knows who we are, but he gets lost going from the backdoor to the car.  He has no idea what house he is in, and constructs stories and endless repeating loops.  His OCD is amazing:  constantly arranging and re-arranging books and he goes around picking stuff off the floor.  Took him to the big mega motorcycle store today to get my Triumph rear bobbins.  He spun a loop, that maybe at some time they had a bike, but his son, my BIL has a Wing and a Triumph touring bike--that may be the source, or I just don't understand his noun-absent speech.  Confusion reigns, and his taste in food has morphed a lot.

We do our best and retirement allows me flexibility to extend care, and my wife can still work, and both of us not burn out.  We tag team breaks and we still leave him alone in the house, but for only short periods.  I am increasingly uncomfortable with leaving him solo.  He is gradually approaching a cliff or abyss though, and the big "event" is inevitable.

Man I hope I never go down his road and my daughters and wife did not inherit the Alzheimer's genetics. 

[Arizona Wayne]

I still appreciate other bikers that wave to me especially when I'm on 1 of my MP3s.    Far as I'm concerned it separates the posers from the serious riders, no matter your brand of the moment.  Never had a biker with ape hangers wave.    Some Harley riders wave, some don't.  Their loss.

[Sasquatch Jim]

 The reason riders of ape hangers don't wave is understandable.  They are scared to take their hand off the bars.

 Lucys' Dad, 
It takes a lot of personal loyalty to care for someone like that.  Kudos and my respect sir.
 I have only known a few actually afflicted with it.  I found the prospect scary.
 In fact I had a frightening dream last week.  In my dream someone asked where I was from and I replied, "Cle Elum".
 Then realized that I didn't know where or what Cle Elum was.  It bothered me so much I woke up still wondering about this strange place called Cle Elum.  I powered up my computer and googled Cle Elum.  I was stunned when it showed a picture of the main street in town and I realized that only twenty three years ago, I lived there.  I certainly hope this was a freak dream occurrence and not a picture of my future.

[Arizona Wayne]

The reason riders of ape hangers don't wave is understandable.  They are scared to take their hand off the bars.

 Lucys' Dad, 
It takes a lot of personal loyalty to care for someone like that.  Kudos and my respect sir.
 I have only known a few actually afflicted with it.  I found the prospect scary.
 In fact I had a frightening dream last week.  In my dream someone asked where I was from and I replied, "Cle Elum".
 Then realized that I didn't know where or what Cle Elum was.  It bothered me so much I woke up still wondering about this strange place called Cle Elum.  I powered up my computer and googled Cle Elum.  I was stunned when it showed a picture of the main street in town and I realized that only twenty three years ago, I lived there.  I certainly hope this was a freak dream occurrence and not a picture of my future.

Dunno about that, remember 1 ape hanger rider in Vancouver, Wa. who only had 1 arm riding 1.   Thought that was a bit much!  Can you say, HARD CORE ?!      Some of us learn faster than others...........

[Sasquatch Jim]

 Honda 750 A , or Guzzi auto?

[Aaron D.]

Seemed as we went west that everyone waved, even in the opposite lane of the interstates. Heck, cars waved at us.

Harley riders out here generally wave, more so now when we are on Indians.

[sib]

Here in friendly RI and eastern CT almost everyone waves, even scary ape-hangered leather-clad fringed hog riders.

[lucydad]

Sasquatch Jim,

I read something somewhere about "honor thy father and mother".  Enough said.  His younger brother died of Alzheimer's while we were on the Big Island:  hence one of the reasons our rendezvous did a fail.  Got him eating breakfast now.  Ms LD is at gym.  I got the Trumpet chain all cleaned and lubed, and all the excess Bel Ray white spray off the wheel/tire and checked the rear brake disc for being clean.  While the Hot Rod Triple is on the stand I am adding a clear front bikini screen extender.  Might reduce wind buffeting on the bike?  We will see.

Going to take the Guzzi Sunday morning out with some other Houston Guzzistas, and hopefully these big rain bands will pass.

[Arizona Wayne]

Honda 750 A , or Guzzi auto?

No, it wasn't an Auto., but maybe it had been modified for him.   Don't recall which arm he had left, but was like a chopper w/o a strung out front end.  This was back in the 80's.

[JeffOlson]

I seem to receive more waves when the weather is bad, even when I am riding my Vespa. Even HD riders wave, perhaps because the bad weather means that we truly love to ride, regardless of the weather, and we are not just fair-weather riders.

[Nic in Western NYS]

Recently moved to western NC, outside of Asheville.  On the red Duc, only sportbike riders wave.

The reason I am posting is that I've had a strange experience in a particularly remote part of this area, called Sandy Mush.  Very few people from Asheville seem to know where it is, and it was close to us on a map but I couldn't figure out the roads to get there.  So, driving in the car with the baby, trying to get her to nap I noticed that once I got into Sandy Mush, people in cars were waving at us.  The only other place I had an experience like this was Barbados, where car drivers would honk at each other as they went by each other and bystanders would wave on the side of the road.  Sandy Mush is like a valley that time forgot.  Other than the preponderance of confederate battle flags, its a most welcoming place.

Nic
Distant cousin of US Grant

[Lannis]

Recently moved to western NC, outside of Asheville.  On the red Duc, only sportbike riders wave.

The reason I am posting is that I've had a strange experience in a particularly remote part of this area, called Sandy Mush.  Very few people from Asheville seem to know where it is, and it was close to us on a map but I couldn't figure out the roads to get there.  So, driving in the car with the baby, trying to get her to nap I noticed that once I got into Sandy Mush, people in cars were waving at us.  The only other place I had an experience like this was Barbados, where car drivers would honk at each other as they went by each other and bystanders would wave on the side of the road.  Sandy Mush is like a valley that time forgot.  Other than the preponderance of confederate battle flags, its a most welcoming place.

Nic
Distant cousin of US Grant

People in cars and trucks still wave to each other on our roads here where I live.

I rode with a guy the other day (full ATGATT on a sport bike) who waved to every motorcycle, everyone on the side of the road, everyone sitting on their porch, everyone out mowing their lawn.   When I came to think of it, that's something that might actually have a good effect.   

("That guy on the motorcycle might actually be a real person!")

Lannis

[Nic in Western NYS]

People in cars and trucks still wave to each other on our roads here where I live.

I rode with a guy the other day (full ATGATT on a sport bike) who waved to every motorcycle, everyone on the side of the road, everyone sitting on their porch, everyone out mowing their lawn.   When I came to think of it, that's something that might actually have a good effect.   

("That guy on the motorcycle might actually be a real person!")

Lannis

Raise a cold glass for civility!

[lucydad]

I make it a point to wave to little kids on bicycles.  They often enthusiastically respond.  Planting seeds. 

As Ms. LD says:  "its nice to be nice to the nice".  Of course she is an Alpha Chi Omega. 

Had a Harley "Bitc*" wag her ta-tas at me once years ago.  Unforgettable. Best wave ever.