Road debris extremes

[Pursuvant]

Here's some debris from this morning's ride on our best roads..

Ya, that's a 4 ton double j commercial ratchet hook. Embedded in the hot asphalt, more than half of it sticking up, those double row ratchet barrels just waiting to shred bike wheels. I had a struggle trying to uproot it.

After I cleared it a team of about 25 sport bikes ripped by at speed, normal for Sunday morning on these roads. I smiled...

[robbo10]

Not long ago in my car, I turned a sharp 'twistie' blind bend in the road to be confronted with a guy picking up about 7 or 8 boards that had slid off the roof of his vehicle. I thought if 20 secs earlier and on my bike....!

[Pongo]

I was out for a ride on a nice twisty road. A delivery truck accelerated out of a gas station with its cargo door open. Bags of milk in those blue plastic crates toppled out, on clipping my shin. The milk bags broke and caused a slippery ride (I'm talking about the road, not what was deposited in my pants). I called it in and the cops told me I should get the truck number and call the company... 

I hung up my riding gear about 5 years ago because of the stupidity you see every single time you set out. 

Stay safe folks and remember to watch that guy that is riding behind the guy in front of you.

 

[Triple Jim]

Around here you need to expect that if you're passing houses, at any blind turn there might be a heavy layer of grass clippings on the road surface.  For some reason people like to aim their mowers to deposit as much grass in the road as possible.

[Lone Wolf]

15 hours ago, Pongo said:

I hung up my riding gear about 5 years ago because of the stupidity you see every single time you set out. 

To each his own.

Making it to the grave safely is not my idea of a life well lived.

I agree that commuting in a large city is bad odds, but heading out in the direction of a rural area with twisty roads is my reason for living, and gives me the juice I need to make life worthwhile.  Some people may get that from sports, or making things in the woodshop.  Others like to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

At 67 years old, I no longer have the urge to haul ass around corners that I can't see beyond. I will do it on an open stretch of road, or sweeping bend. Part of the joy I get from riding is honing my skill. I don't ride faster than my braking distance, and try to put the odds in my favor. Motorcycle license since 1972 and have never been injured on the street.

Edited October 27, 2023 by Lone Wolf