Fairlaner
The Bartender Whisperer
Damn it this is funny, heres why.Y'all got that right, Mike. So I met Waaane at 8:30 am at the local Starbucks--okay, maybe it was 8:40. (Sorry to keep you waiting, Waaane.) We road into San Francisco and on down to the Presidio. As we entered the Presidio it started drizzling.
We checked out the parking (plenty and free) and the coffee shop, and had a cup o' joe and a scone. You will be happy to hear they have an Organic Fruit and Nut Bar, by the way, so we got that going for us--in particular for all the fruits and nuts on the ride. (But no sandwiches that early for our picnic.)
By the time we came out of the cafe it was, well, drizzling really hard. Some might even call it rain. We toured around the Presidio with our visors and windscreens soaked, then over the Golden Gate Bridge (GGB), where the folks on the pedestrian walkway gazed into the gray mist and must have wondered, "What in the hell am I looking at?"
Then we went up the hill into the Marin Headlands overlooking the GGB (see photo under my signature below). It was so foggy and wet and windy, that we were in first gear the whole way up the mountain, with about 20 feet of visibility ahead of us; crazy bicyclists would suddenly loom out of the surrounding mist.
Once at the top, where there were no cars because nothing to see, we had to stop because we were meeting my Harley buddy up there, whom we had called from the Presidio to let him know we were on our way. It was so damp, cold, and windy up there that we took refuge by scooting our bikes past a pedestrian gate and into the pedestrian tunnel. I took a couple of camera photos (below).
It was such a nasty overcast day that, as you can see, I wore my day-glo yellow vest. And here's the view of San Francisco and the GGB:
My buddy showed up soon. First we spotted his modulating headlight coming up the road in the distance, then heard the Harley engine, and then he emerged out of the gloom.
We went down the backside of the mountain and headed toward Hwy 1 to scope out the route some more. But when we stopped in Mill Valley for gas, I called it like it was: "This ride's a bust, guys. It ain't safe to head back out to the coast. We need to call it a day."
Waaane had already figured that out for himself and said he was gonna head on home, where he had to pack and head to the airport for a flight to Texas and a week-long cruise in the Caribbean. But hats off to Waaane for being such a great sport. The rain didn't bother him a bit. Me, I had to go on the ride because I needed to scope out the route. He and my buddy were along for the, uh, fun of it. In any event, good riding practice, keeping that rear tire from spinning or sliding.
Anyway, the weather speculators say tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful. And since Fang's out-o-pocket anyway tomorrow, I get another kitchen pass to try it again.... This time it'll be with my BMW buddy on the K1200RS.
Jb
I was up in SF for the easter weekend, was sitting in our hotel room late friday reading the forum when i noticed this posting about you guys meeting at the Presidio between 9-10, at this point I was bummed cause I was due to play golf that morning.
So I get up Saturday to that shitty drizzle and I thinkl to myself "oh well no golf I will go meet those guys at the Presidio and have coffee". we head over to my wifes sisters where her dad and brother in law both say they dont want to play golf in the rain (cool). At this time I get online to check where you guys are meeting and it is then I realise that I have the wrong fucking weekend. Now I am bummed cause I am stuck there all day with screaming kids everywhere.
And now I read 2 of you went there anyway. FUCK.
oh well next time.
Richard
