I woke up at 4 am this morning ready to ride. Of course since it was dark that struck me as a rather bad idea. So at 6:30 I left for four hours and over 120 miles of bliss…

I suppose the head could just have easily been, Left Knee 3 Right Knee 0. Since yesterdays baby scuff mark got some company in the form of two more slightly larger scrap marks. So while I’m quite clearly not Valentino Rossi, at least I don’t have to worry about showing up at The Rockstore and feeling like a poser. As it turns out when you get your first set of leathers with pucks all sorts of random thoughts cross your mind…

For the second time in two days I was really taken back and genuinely surprised at how comfortable I felt on the bike. Usually after a long layoff from riding it takes me several trips up the coast to get back in the swing of things, but for whatever reason this weekend has been a bit different. I’ve instantly felt at home even though I’ve been riding with new gear.

I guess here I ought to backtrack a bit and explain that after yesteday’s ride I swung by ProItalia and picked up some new boots to go with the new set of leathers. At this point I could wax on about the how’s and the why’s, but the bottomline is that over the course of the past six months I’ve replaced every other piece of riding gear I own - plus added a back protector - and had yet to switch my boots. That just seemed counterintuitive to me. So while I didn’t exactly feel like it, I threw down for a set of SIDI Vertigo Corsa Boots. They were a bit more expensive than the regular Vertigo set, but it just seemed foolish to me not to spend the extra hundred dollars for the vastly superior amount of protection offered by the Corsa boots. Either set probably would have been just fine, but why take extra risk at this point if the goal is to get as much protection as possible?

After picking up the pair of boots I rushed home and started surfing the ‘net. As it turns out it’s not easy to find a lot of information on SIDI boots here in the States. The first SIDI site I found was for bicycle shoes - as if I have any use for that info - after I number of different search word combinations I finally stumbled on to a review on WebBikeWorld. After riding with the boots today I more or less have to echo the sentiments of the reviewer over at WebBikeWorld. The boots are very specifically oriented towards track and sport riding, not sport touring or around town use. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable I found the boots over the course of the ride this morning. I rode over 120 miles and fully expected to feel the after effects of wearing bigger, thicker, less flexiable boots. Instead my feet feel just fine. Technology is a marvelous thing sometimes…

The only semi-negative issue I have with the boots is that they’re the most complicated piece of gear I’ve ever owned. Their are switches and gizmos all over the place and if you don’t read the instruction manual it’s more than a bit confusing to use. Basically you’re pretty lucky if you don’t break something the first time out. They’re that complex. Thankfully the gang at PI ran over everything before I left or I would have been lost. Probably even SOL with busted boots since these are really not your father’s pair of motorcycle boots on any level. The phrase State of the Art comes to mind.

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As for the ride, it was just thrilling. Heartpounding really. I was up early enough to avoid traffic or really any signs of life for that matter. For most of the morning I had all the canyons to myself. It was only later in the day that I started to notice a few more bicyclists riding around. I don’t know if it’s because of the fires or the hot muggy temperatures we’ve had lately but there weren’t many other motorcyclists out even though it ended up being a heck of a day in the canyons.

Breaking from my more normal riding routines, today I did something I rarely do - I took Mullhulland Highway all the way to end where it intersects with the PCH not once, but twice. The first time out was simply so enjoyable - and let’s be honest I had no reason to come home early - that I turned around rode it back down to The Rockstore, took a break and then simply repeated the route again. It’s funny how sometimes you get bored by your normal rodes and yet other times, like today, you’re so into ‘the ride’ that you find each corner new and exciting again. Strange I know, but seemingly true. At least for me today. I can’t remember the last time I rode the same road twice in same day, let alone back and forth in such a short time period.

By the time I got home I was whipped, but ever since walking in the door all I can think about is getting back on the bike and riding tomorrow. That’s how good the day was… And how cool is that?