Pursuing Happiness

One of the necessary skills to be a successful — as in “don’t go down” — rider is scanning the roadway in front of you. That’s true of driving a car, too, of course. But it’s more important on a bike because you have a lot less road grip —

Motorcycle riders have a reputation of being disreputable, law- and convention-flouting people. But in terms of insane, hang-it-out-over-the-edge chutzpah they have nothing on bicycle riders :). The other day I was coming down into Woodside on CA-84 through the twisties. If you’ve ever driven that stretch of highway you know

It’s one thing to ride on a mostly empty road, even at speed. It’s another thing entirely to ride — even at low speed — in traffic. On the open road the main risk factor is you and your ability to spot road hazards and the occasional vehicle entering or

Today I rode out to Skyline Drive (basically the spine of the Peninsula) and went down to Woodside via Huddart Park. The traffic was stop-and-go up Highway 92 to the Skyline turnoff because of everyone heading over to Half Moon Bay and the beach. Once I turned south there was

I’ve been having a lot of fun learning to ride my new motorcycle. Yesterday I cruised through Portola Valley — very pretty horse country — which I don’t recall ever visiting before. The day before I checked out parts of Hillsborough and came back along Skyline and Canada Drives. I

For day 2 I rode around Redwood Shores — great place to practice shifting, as there are few cars and a LOT of stop signs — Belmont and Emerald Hills. I learned first-hand how motorcycles are invisible (they are, even when a driver makes eye contact with you). Not by