Spring morning ride - a reminder of why I do this...

[slofox]

The cat woke me at sparrow's fart this morning - as she is wont to do. This time, instead of braining her as usual, I got up, had a coffee and headed out for a first light ride.

Didn't go far - round trip of about 75km. Out to SH39, Norf to Ngaruawahia and return. About 45 - 50 minutes all up.

But what a morning. Clear sky, cold crisp air. The road I travelled is gently windy and hilly and, that early, reasonably light on traffic.

There was knee level fog in some of the lower paddocks. Round Whatawhata there was smoke from a fire drifting slowly across - full of that brunky, snippid smell of wood-smoke. The sun was just over the horizon and the shadows were long. Apart from the bike, it was absolutely quiet. Even the bike sounded hushed (good plugs!).

Cold air seems to suit The Vixen - she seemed to want to run. Which, within the bounds of common sense and generalised LEO paranoia, I allowed her to do. Nothing stupid of course, you unnerstand...:whistle:

Got back home by 7.00am - plenty of time to do all the before work chores that were lined up.

But the experience of that early morning feel stayed on - that sight, sound and kinesthetic experience - just me and the machine.

That's why I love the early morning ride.

OK OK, put those sick bags away...

[raftn]

The cat woke me at sparrow's fart this morning - as she is wont to do. This time, instead of braining her as usual, I got up, had a coffee and headed out for a first light ride.

Didn't go far - round trip of about 75km. Out to SH39, Norf to Ngaruawahia and return. About 45 - 50 minutes all up.

But what a morning. Clear sky, cold crisp air. The road I travelled is gently windy and hilly and, that early, reasonably light on traffic.

There was knee level fog in some of the lower paddocks. Round Whatawhata there was smoke from a fire drifting slowly across - full of that brunky, snippid smell of wood-smoke. The sun was just over the horizon and the shadows were long. Apart from the bike, it was absolutely quiet. Even the bike sounded hushed (good plugs!).

Cold air seems to suit The Vixen - she seemed to want to run. Which, within the bounds of common sense and generalised LEO paranoia, I allowed her to do. Nothing stupid of course, you unnerstand...:whistle:

Got back home by 7.00am - plenty of time to do all the before work chores that were lined up.

But the experience of that early morning feel stayed on - that sight, sound and kinesthetic experience - just me and the machine.

That's why I love the early morning ride.

OK OK, put those sick bags away...

I LIke early morning rides to. Infact I like early mornings, carn't stand lying around in bed. (Unless its pissing down). Got get up and get going, especially if I am riding some where. Sometimes I am up dressed, bike warming up, had a coffee.........then wait till my partner gets out of the shower!

[Grasshopperus]

Hey Slofox, why don't you just marry first-light.

[mrchips]

I LIke early morning rides to. Infact I like early mornings, carn't stand lying around in bed. (Unless its pissing down). Got get up and get going

+ 1000...... plenty of time to sleep when you're dead !

It's great to be able to take your own sweet time & savour the experience, that & night riding is pretty cool.

Shure beats wrestling with traffic.

[Slyer]

Regular early morning rides would be dangerous for me, I don't properly wake up until at least the afternoon.
Damn early bird old timers.

[slofox]

Regular early morning rides would be dangerous for me, I don't properly wake up until at least the afternoon.
Damn early bird old timers.

Having the road pretty much to myself is worth the early rise.

[baptist]

Having the road pretty much to myself is worth the early rise.

+1, up through the Waitakere ranges, away from the early bird commuters...:yes:

[Gremlin]

I'd brain the cat...

[slofox]

I'd brain the cat...

I usually do - then go for a ride anyway...

[JakeTehMuss]

Another good looking morning in the Waikato.
What time do you start work?

[slofox]

Another good looking morning in the Waikato.
What time do you start work?

11.00am. Just thinking about getting out there now...

[insomnia01]

I have been doing alot of long haul touring lately, the feeling I love the most is finishing work around 1-2pm getting home quick shower, quick coffee in the garage checking scooter over ensuring bags are on tight odo is reset to zero another sip of a fine coffee looking up towards the sky into a awesome blue sky, another sip of the coffee, another re-check of bags,tyre pressures, lights, indicators, horn before rolling scooter out of the garage into that sunny day. Aother quick check of bits, on with the helmet, MP3 is turned on with random selected volume set at a nice level o begin with whist the ride warms up in anticipation of a good long ride on a great day, the first hour is spent just buzzing cause everything is just AWESOME then start to get into the ride following that sun.......... YEAH BABY, YEAH !!!!

[Grubber]

Yup the early morning is the way to go. Bikes go well in that cool air too.
I've been the early riser ever since i learnt how to get out of bed, so the early starts are great for me. I have been knwon to take off as early as 4am just cause i can. Ex wife thought it a little odd, but then thats why she became the EX wife. Spent most of her time having the "LY IN" as it is supposedly called and then getting left behind. go figure!:facepalm:

[slofox]

Here's today's route...some really nice riding in there...

<!-- MotoWhere on-my-site code. -->
<div id="routemapiframe" style="width: 450px; border: 1px solid #d0d0d0; background: #755; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
<span style="display: block; font: bold 11px verdana, arial; padding: 2px;"><a style="color: #fff; text-decoration: none" href="http://www.motowhere.com/maps/route/Spring-Morning-Ride">Spring Morning Ride</a></span>
<iframe id="rmiframe" style="height:360px; background: #eee;" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.motowhere.com/maps/route/Spring-Morning-Ride/embed/1"></iframe>
<span style="display: block; font: normal 10px verdana, arial; text-align: right; padding: 1px;"><a style="color: #ddd; text-decoration: none" href="http://www.motowhere.com/">Share your motorbike routes @ MotoWhere.com</a></span>
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[pzkpfw]

Done a couple of very early starts lately for long rides, for example leaving Tawa at 05:15 am to go to Rotorua for business.

Really nice. Out on the roads with bugger-all people. Watching (but not too closely!) the Sun come up and the World start to get busy.