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San
Fran to
Oakhurst -
a
returning
rider's
first
ride.
I
love the
fact that
when all
is said
and done,
you can
look back
and laugh
at the
uncomfortable
bits and
remeber
the good
stuff
fondly.
The short
version -
I remember
why I
don't like
trying to
navigate
in San
Francisco,
we stopped
a LOT for
potty
breaks
(pregnant
wife,
potty
training
daughter)
and I rode
from
Merced to
Oakhurst
in
near-freezing
weather.
Would I do
it again?
In a
heartbeat!
We got
into San
Francisco
around
2:30
Friday
afternoon.
After
driving in
circles
around our
hotel for
the better
part of an
hour, I
finally
figured
out how to
navigate
the
one-way
streets
(Hey, I'm
a small
town guy. 
) and we
got
checked
in. The
seller of
my bike
wasn't
getting
off work
until 6 in
the
evening,
so we
decided to
take a
trolley to
Pier 39
and show
the kids a
bit of the
interesting
Frisco
folks. We
also had
the
obligatory
sourdough
clam
chowder
bowl. 
We walked
around and
did the
tourist
thing for
a while,
then
hopped
back on
the
trolley
for the
return
trip to
the hotel.
Not bad,
by the
way. $1.25
per person
(kids
free)
round
trip, and
it sure
beats
driving.
When we
got back
to the
hotel, I
called the
seller,
and we
agreed the
easiest
thing
would be
for him to
ride the
bike to
the hotel.
He pulled
up, and
suddenly
all the
searching,
and
research,
the
anticipation
of 6
months
since I've
decided to
start
riding
again
overwhelmed
me. At
that
moment I
knew I was
riding
away on
that bike.
I didn't
care about
the hole
in the
fairing,
or that it
has been
repaired
on the
other
side, and
one of the
mounts is
broken. I
just knew
it was my
bike, and
I would be
riding it
back home
the next
day.
It's been
six years,
and I'm
back. This
is how I
was born
to travel,
and I can
finally
truly be
myself
again.
Here's my
son
begging me
to let him
take his
sister for
a spin
around the
block:
We
tried to
sleep...apparently
no one in
San
Francisco
does, so I
gave up. 
Knowing what
lie ahead of
me the next
day was
enough to
sustain me,
though. We
got up and
ready by
about 7:30
this
morning, and
had
breakfast in
the hotel.
(continental
breakfast
provided) We
then headed
over to
Motojava and
parked, then
walked three
blocks to
Cycle Gear
to pick up a
tank bag and
some chain
lube. The
unexpected
cost of
parking two
vehicles in
San
Francisco
drove my
tank bag
budget down
quite a bit,
so I wound
up going the
cheap route.
I got a
Motoboss
magnetic
mount bag
for $29.99.
It worked
fine, but it
has only one
pocket, plus
the map
pocket. I'll
use it for
now, but I
consider
this one
temporary.
After
picking up
the stuff
from Cycle
Gear, we
went back to
Motojava for
some java.
My bike was
sold to the
guy I bought
it from by
Motojava, so
this visit
had special
meaning. The
mechanic,
Paul, told
me he had
been sorry
to see the
FJ go. He
had fun with
it. I bought
a t-shirt,
and it was
time to hit
the road.
I
"cheated"
a bit
here. With
only a
permit, I
am
supposed
to avoid
freeways,
but I
didn't see
any
logical
way to get
down to
Hwy. 1
otherwise,
so we
jumped on
101 for a
short run.
(Don't
tell
anyone)
When we
got onto
Hwy 1, I
was
immediately
reminiscent
of an
anniversary
camping
trip my
wife and I
took about
7 years
ago. We
were
staying in
the Santa
Cruz
mountains,
and
decided to
drive up
to Frisco
for the
fireworks.
Hwy 1 is
breathtaking.
Sorry to
disappoint,
but i have
no pics. I
was
getting
ready to
take some
when Big
Kahuna
called.
Just then,
one of the
area's
finest
drove
slowly by,
and since
I was in a
red zone I
decided to
forego the
photo-op
for a
better
place.
I'll have
to go back
someday
and spend
a little
more time
for pics.
This will
have to
do: a
potty-training
break on
Hwy 92,
near the
35
junction.
(which I
missed) My
wife had
to have a
poser
shot.
I
mentioned
I missed
the 35
junction...The
result of
that was
the first
major
delay of
the trip.
We wound
up driving
for about
two hours
on El
Camino
Real all
the way
from
Belmont to
San Jose.
On
hindsight,
we should
have just
hopped
back on
101, but
oh, well.
We made it
through
San Jose,
and found
that Aborn
road,
which is
shown as
going to
Mt.
Mitchell
Road is
private
and
"not
a through
road".
So we
back-tracked
and took
Quimby
Road
instead.
And What a
road
Quimby is!
Steep,
steep,
steep and
hairpin
switch-backs.
A lot of
fun, too.
Let's just
say any
returning
rider who
hasn't
been on
two wheels
for six
years and
wants to
remember
those
skills in
a hurry
should
deffinetely
ride
Quimby
road. Here
are some
pics, but
they don't
do the
road
justice.
In
the last
pic above,
you can
see me
hunched
over the
right side
of the
bike. I
was taking
care of
the only
mechanical
issue of
the trip.
While
riding
Quimby, I
started to
get a
cramp in
my hip, so
I stood
up, and
almost
slipped
off the
right peg.
I pulled
over, dug
the tools
out of the
trunk
(nice to
have a
support
vehicle -
thanks
sweetie. 
) and
tightened
the
offending
foot peg.
All fixed,
and back
to riding!
My wife
took many
pics
through
the
windshield
while we
were
driving/riding,
and few of
them
turned out
at all.
Here are
the best
of them
though:
We
began to
realize at
this point
the time
was
running
short, and
I knew
there were
guys who
were
waiting in
Merced, so
no more
photos
except one
in front
of the
Junction
Cafe. We
didn't get
there
until
3:30:
Does
anyone
else test
their
speedos on
those last
few
straights
before you
get to the
junction?
It turns
out both
Big K and
that_guy_you_know
were
trying to
reach me
on the
cell, but
there was
no service
in the
area. My
appologies
to you
guys -
Thanks for
coming out
anyway.
We'll get
our chance
to ride.
We finally
pulled
into
Merced as
it was
getting
dark, and
I was
already
cold. We
stopped at
an Arco
station
and I
filled up.
49 MPG
since San
Fran, not
Bad! I
went into
the rest
room and
put on my
long-Johns,
(thermal
underwear
for you
non-rednecks)
two
sweatshirts,
another
pair of
socks, and
squeezed
(barely) a
second
pair of
gloves on.
We hit the
road again
and rode
non-stop
from
Merced
home to
Oakhurst.
I thought
If I had
stopped, I
might not
be able to
get going
again. I
was COLD.
When we
pulled
into the
driveway,
I was able
to get the
bike on
it's
centerstand
without
gripping
the bars.
My fingers
were
frozen in
position.
My wife
had to
take my
helmet and
gloves off
for me,
and I ran
my hands
under cold
water
(felt hot)
for a few
minutes.
After
being home
for 2 and
a half
hours, I'm
pretty
much back
to normal,
and
excited
about the
next ride.
Maybe the
rain won't
be too
hard
tomorrow...
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