MarcS
05-12-2005, 12:55 AM
I decided to go for an evening ride earlier tonight. It ended up lasting just under 70 miles including a gas stop.
It was interesting: if you think you're a good rider, go ride the twisties at night. The first time the road disappears 50 feet in front of you is an experience. Not to mention the feedback you get from a visible headlight. It was there, now it's gone. I took the bike up TN70-N, a decent road with a few sweepers and a few miles of genuine twisties. Not much lighting once you're out of town -- just black sky stretching away from the ambience of the city. I kept it slow; I spent quite a bit of the route 5mph below the posted (white sign limit -- there are plenty of yellow sign limits which I happily ignore on this road. There are other TN roads where 25mph on a yellow sign means if you hit the upcoming corner at 26mph, you're going off a cliff...) Not a lot of other drivers, and not a single bike. I kept the bike a gear or two high most of the trip; didn't want to wake up the locals (left around 11pm), and I didn't need the power, anyway.
The highlight of the night's ride: At one point, bright green specks appeared in my vision, out of focus, like they were inside my eyeballs. I wondered if some circuit in my brain had finally tripped, and I'd gone insane (w00t!). Alas, it was not to be: I had wandered into a swarm of fireflies; their greasy, glowing remains painted my visor, giving the next couple of miles (until the glow stopped, and/or the wind blew their carcasses away) a bit of surrealism.
It was interesting: if you think you're a good rider, go ride the twisties at night. The first time the road disappears 50 feet in front of you is an experience. Not to mention the feedback you get from a visible headlight. It was there, now it's gone. I took the bike up TN70-N, a decent road with a few sweepers and a few miles of genuine twisties. Not much lighting once you're out of town -- just black sky stretching away from the ambience of the city. I kept it slow; I spent quite a bit of the route 5mph below the posted (white sign limit -- there are plenty of yellow sign limits which I happily ignore on this road. There are other TN roads where 25mph on a yellow sign means if you hit the upcoming corner at 26mph, you're going off a cliff...) Not a lot of other drivers, and not a single bike. I kept the bike a gear or two high most of the trip; didn't want to wake up the locals (left around 11pm), and I didn't need the power, anyway.
The highlight of the night's ride: At one point, bright green specks appeared in my vision, out of focus, like they were inside my eyeballs. I wondered if some circuit in my brain had finally tripped, and I'd gone insane (w00t!). Alas, it was not to be: I had wandered into a swarm of fireflies; their greasy, glowing remains painted my visor, giving the next couple of miles (until the glow stopped, and/or the wind blew their carcasses away) a bit of surrealism.