Note to self... unlock handlebars before riding motorcycle.

My motorcycle has a security feature of being able to lock the handlebars in a slightly turned position. This is designed to be used when parked (not riding).  It seems that I forgot that yesterday.  The result -- I went about 4 feet and dumped my bike in the middle of our driveway.  The engine guard / highway bars on my bike (see pervious story) worked great, and neither my bike nor my underside leg were scratched.  However, my top-side foot did not fare so well. I'm not sure how, but I sprained it well enough that I can't put weight on it. I have a doctor's visit this afternoon and will have to use crutches for the first time in my life.

P.S.  If anyone cares, this is not the first time something like this has happened. When first starting to use cleats on my bicycle, I fell over once or twice when I forgot to unclip.

I also ordered highway bars from Vicente, a member of an online Kawasaki Vulcan forum.  These bars are custom made in a shop in Mexico. Then Vicente checks them for correct fit, has them chromed, and then ships them from his home in Texas. I received the bars in a well-packed box. As Vicente described, the bars were very sturdy and the chrome was high-quality. The included directions for installing the bars were great, including numerous photos.

When I installed the top black steel plate which the bars attached to, the holes in the plate were about 1/8" too far apart to match the screw holes on my frame. I had to elongate the holes on the black steel plate with a drill press. (Vicente tests them for fit before shipping, so we are not sure why my bike was off a little.) I also added a few extra washers to each end of the u-clamps. Other than that, the installation was straightforward.

I am very happy with the highway bars and tell anyone that cares about my custom-made bars that spanned 2 countries in being made. I would recommend them to anyone with a Vulcan 500 who wants bars.

Despite getting my first bike with a motor, regularly bicycling is still alive and well. I rode 2,507 miles in 2009. For the first time in my life, over 50% of those miles - 1,306 of them - were ridden inside.

Grand total for the last 26 years? 38,698 miles. Click on the image on the left for all the breakdown. Only 200,000 miles left to cover the distance from the earth to the moon.

On a chilly Halloween morning, I rode with my brother-in-law, Eric, to central Indiana. The day started before sunrise with a light rain and 10-15 mph winds. It gradually warmed up and the sun came out (though I discovered that traveling at 60+mph for an hour in 40 degree weather can be quite chilly).  Our destination was Rockville, IN and Parke County, the Covered Bridge Capital of the World.  Once there, we toke the "red" covered bridge route, enjoying several covered bridges, low-traveled back roads, a little bit of gravel, and some beautiful scenery. We stopped at Bridgeton, home a double-span covered bridge, where we enjoyed some hot chili at the Mill and I had hot cherry cobbled topped off with some very orange pumpkin ice-cream. Then, after a primer in ninety-degree turns on 1 1/2 lane blacktops, we headed home to finish my first road trip of 380 miles.

I have bicycled 38,000 miles, crossed mountains ranges, major cities, and peddled over 1,000 miles on 3 aluminum cylinders inside.  I always thought that having a motor on a bike was cheating.  But after driving a truck that gets 19 mph on good days, and after realizing that most of my day was spent either inside a building or inside a vehicle, a motor on a bike for the purpose of commuting started to peak my interest.  We have some beautiful forest preserves that I can drive through if I desire on my way to work.

So, after taking a very helpful motorcycle class, getting my license, and persuading my wonderful but very concerned wife, I bought my first bike with a motor: a 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan 500. It had less than 3000 miles on it, and was purchased for less than $3000. As a bonus, the previous owner drove it to my house. (My skill level isn't such yet that I was willing to drive it from the north side of Chicago back down to the southern edge of the city.)  Now, I wonder if our Golden Retriever  can fit in one of the saddle bags.......?

Temperatures in the 50's and clear, sunny skies made for a great opportunity go for a bike ride in a nearby forest preserve for the first time of the season. At one point, I cycled within 3 feet of a deer standing next to the path, unfazed by me or the mechanical contraption I rode.  The length of the return trip increased by a few miles, as I had to detour around a section of trail that was well under water.  Next time I'll pack a paddle.  Total trip - 30 miles; total for year - 641.

I love numbers, charts, stats, and such. I also love bicycling. When those two loves collide, you end up with a mega-spreadsheet of bicycle stats, going back for 25 years. So here are a few totals...

In 2008 I rode 2,769 miles.  952 of these miles, or 34% were ridden inside on bicycle rollers. This was the first year in my life that I have ridden at least 100 miles every month. Grand total for the last 25 years? 36,191 miles.