Bike Rides, Bikes on Bikes, Biker Bars, and Bird Bombings

14

April 13, 2014 – Ahhh April… how I love thee when you present us with days of mid to high teen temperatures, clear blue skies, and you do this all on a weekend.

A couple of weeks ago we did a short ride after putting the plates on for the season ahead. That was a nice little rip up to Squamish for a coffee, to say hello to the barista at Starbucks who always seems pleased to see us again, and a nice little rip back down.

But that was just a warm-up, a teaser.

And when this weekend arrived full of warmth and sunshine, and after the safety inspection for the boat was off our agenda…it was time to get out for a real ride.

Late this morning we fuelled up and headed South down to the States. Our ultimate destination was Edison for lunch, we were aiming for the Longhorn Saloon for a chicken clubhouse with curly fries and a Heffeweizen. Our route was one I take commonly, with a few shortcuts to save time because we left late to catch the warmer part of the day, but the route included Chuckanut Drive, of course!

The last time we rode Chuckanut Drive it threw a curve ball at me and raised my heart rate significantly when I had the entertainment of encountering fine sand in a corner and thought I was heading over the cliff into the Pacific. I didn’t, obviously. The bike settled and I kept riding. But it had been a hell of a last ride for the season.

As we left the North Shore and crossed the Second Narrows Bridge, we saw something unexpected. Two riders passed going the opposite direction, perhaps heading for Squamish or Whistler, but what they each carried on the backs of their bikes caught us both off guard. Each bike, carried a mountain bike. Impressive!

The border was light for the Nexus lane, and traffic was light on the back roads we took. We pulled in for a rest in Birch Bay, and when I put down the kickstand and looked over at Kirk, I burst into laughter. What a mess! He had been totally bombed by a seagull! It was everywhere – on the front fairing, running down the sides, on his helmet, across his visor, on his pants, and on his jacket across the chest. Funniest thing ever! (Didn’t show up well in the photo, but it was everywhere)

I expected the roads to be messy, fully of sand and gravel, and wasn’t disappointed. There was lots of loose chip tar left, and it was slippery as a result, but not as bad as I’d expected, and Chuckanut was clean due to the traffic. There were a lot of people out enjoying a sunny Sunday drive/ride. There were a LOT of riders. We encountered many large groups of cruisers, but not so many sport bikes.

When we rode into Edison I had a hunch the Longhorn might be a bit busy, judging by the number of cruisers we’d seen, but I wasn’t prepared for the number we found there. There was hardly a square inch of space around the place. And when Kirk turned towards it anyway all I thought was “You aren’t seriously going to ride around back…are you?”

The Longhorn has a large patio out back. A dozen or so picnic tables on a gravel pad, surrounded by a log “corral”. There is some parking back there, but not much, and the surface it pitted and potholed and full of loose large gravel. It takes some concentration to navigate it safely. And we were doing it, on sport bikes, in full sport leathers and full face helmets….in a sea of Harleys.

There must have been between 75-100 or more riders sitting, leaning, standing, within that corral. Rows of chrome laden bikes lined the parking area…and then we rode through. In my peripheral vision I could see every Harley decked rider’s head swivel as we massed. All I thought was “crap, this would not be a good place or time to dump the bike in gravel.”

No worries, no issues, but a good laugh.

We rode a short distance down the street and parked in front of Tweets, a place we have stopped before and which makes some of the best coffee we’ve ever had. They also make amazing artisan foods, and today did not disappoint. A savoury vegetarian tart and a phenomenal salad of baby kale and other hearty greens, baby tomatoes, some kind of little currant like berry, olives, and a garlicky dressing.

It was a good (and healthy) alternative to that chicken club with curly fries with a beer to wash it down.

The ride back up was a faster pace, and the traffic was much lighter on Chuckanut. We took a few short cuts to get back home faster and earlier than we’d originally planned. For some reason Kirk was determined to wash the bikes before it got dark 😉

The ride back up was fun, and uneventful. Just the way we like it. And the bikes were washed and dried and polished before being put to bed again.

Ahhh, riding season has arrived…. and a good 300km ride to mark the occasion.