jwfzr
05-30-2007, 11:16 PM
I spent last weekend in Astoria at my inlaws. I met up with a bunch of Washington riders in claskanie on Sat. Did the Mist run then down to 53 and over to seaside and the Lewis and Clark road to Astoria. This was a group I've never didden with before. They turned out to be a bunch of really good riders. The young guy of the group was 30 and hung towards the back all day. Somewhere on 53 he lost his plate from the home made bracket. They decided that he should ride up towards the front of the group after we had lunch in Seaside.
After lunch we headed up the Lewis and Clark road. There was another guy riding with us that had done that road as well and wanted to lead. I was second and the young guy was in the 4 spot. The pace was not overly aggresive or anything, "I often ride that road much faster than the pace the lead rider was setting" Apparantly it was a bit too much for the 4th guy. One of the corners tightens up a bit. He panicked once into the corner, stood the bike up and dynomited the brakes. I checked my mirror after another corner and saw no one. I had an aweful feeling in my gut. The ditch he went down was extremely steep and about 20 ft down with a barbed wire fence at the bottom.
Much to my relief when I arrived back at the scene he was alright and trying to untangle his bike from the wire. With the aid of 7 guys we were able to push the bike back up to the road. Many cracks all through out the plastics but the bike was easily rideable again. We made a stop in Warrenton to discuss what had happened. He panicked and did what I state above. Everything ended well. His bike was messed up a bit and he felt really bad but I think he learned from his mistake.
He was not going to fast for the corner by a long shot but it just scared him I believe. Sometimes you just have to trust in these bikes and know that they can lean over a long ways. Much further than a lot of folks realize.
Thats the end of my book. lol...
After lunch we headed up the Lewis and Clark road. There was another guy riding with us that had done that road as well and wanted to lead. I was second and the young guy was in the 4 spot. The pace was not overly aggresive or anything, "I often ride that road much faster than the pace the lead rider was setting" Apparantly it was a bit too much for the 4th guy. One of the corners tightens up a bit. He panicked once into the corner, stood the bike up and dynomited the brakes. I checked my mirror after another corner and saw no one. I had an aweful feeling in my gut. The ditch he went down was extremely steep and about 20 ft down with a barbed wire fence at the bottom.
Much to my relief when I arrived back at the scene he was alright and trying to untangle his bike from the wire. With the aid of 7 guys we were able to push the bike back up to the road. Many cracks all through out the plastics but the bike was easily rideable again. We made a stop in Warrenton to discuss what had happened. He panicked and did what I state above. Everything ended well. His bike was messed up a bit and he felt really bad but I think he learned from his mistake.
He was not going to fast for the corner by a long shot but it just scared him I believe. Sometimes you just have to trust in these bikes and know that they can lean over a long ways. Much further than a lot of folks realize.
Thats the end of my book. lol...