in the saddle

I've had a fantastic day.  I went out for a gorgeous motorcycle ride through the wine country around Sonoma County, it's spectacular, even more so on my bike!  The vines are looking nice, lush green with beautifully forming leaves, the uniform and precise layout of the vineyards over the rolling hills is a sight to see, I will never tire of it.

I love riding my bike, there is a feeling of such camaraderie among bikers on the roads and there were heaps of us out there today enjoying the weather.  I've only been riding for a couple of years, I bought my bike when I was in LA but didn't ride it much down there, the traffic was horrendous and the drivers rude and inconsiderate, always in a rush so I just pottered around the side streets, sometimes even those little trips were life threatening and confidence shattering!  Since I moved up to Northern California I have spent alot more time on my bike venturing out further than the side streets!!  I have a great riding buddy and my riding skills have improved so much since we've been riding together, she's a great mate!

I've always had a fascination with motorcycles so a few years ago I completed the motorcycling course which I really enjoyed, I got my motorcycle licence and couldn't wait to buy my first bike, I was hooked!  Well the purchase didn't happen until a couple of years ago. I decided I had waited long enough and life was too short to watch the bikers go by without me so I went and bought a bike!  It's has been one of the best things I've done for myself.  I can't describe the feeling when I am on my bike, I could say all the usual things like it gives me a sense of freedom, I love to feel the wind in my face, it gives me independence blah, blah, blah, but they're not the words that really describe it for me, I guess I'll just have to keep on riding and maybe one day the words will come to me and if they don't then only I will know how I feel.

So if anyone is thinking of getting a bike then go get one, its a whole new world when you're in the saddle and if you, or anyone, is telling you you're too old, it's unsafe, it's not for women, you're too short, you're too tall, you're not strong enough...then tell those voices to 'go stick it' and take yourself off to do the motorcycle course and on the way home after the course get yourself a bike!