Riding Home

After the race ended on Sunday, we started riding home. We rode from Leeds, AL (track location) to just north of Atlanta. It was a good ride, with no rain, moderate traffic, and great riding conditions. We got to the hotel about 10pm (one hour time change).me

Monday morning dawned with light rain. I didn't want to see the rain, but it's a part of serious riding. So, we got into the mindset that we would ride a long way in the rain.

After getting dressed, we went to a McDonalds for breakfast. The rain had stopped, so our spirits improved; maybe the rain was over.

WRONG! About the time we went out to get on the bikes, the bottom dropped out. It was raining frogs! The wind was blowing like a gale, and the rain was falling sideways. Not a fun way to start a 400 mile ride home.

But we got on the bikes and started north on I-85. It rained HARD for a long time. About 100 miles of hard rain. We rode faster than almost all the cars and trucks, trying to make time and not take unnecessary risks. Fortunately, it was not cold, so it could have been a lot worse. But it was definitely a not-fun ride.

The Bumblebee let water in around the front of the collar, and my chest got wet. But that was all that got wet. It did it's job very well. I also wore the 3 finger gloves, which are designed for wet weather conditions, and they kept my hands dry. So, all in all, I fared pretty well.

After about 100 miles, the rain pretty much went away (we outran it), and the rest of the ride home was fine. Got home about 4pm on Monday.

The trip was good. We had no significant problems, and overall, the weather was good (with some exceptions). No injuries. No breakdowns (unless you count the dead battery). In spite of the few anomolies (above), it was a very good ride. Total mileage was 2,469 miles.