Today’s ride was quite remarkable on a number of fronts – but mostly because it was the ultimate flip-flop in my father-son relationship with MotorMilt. When I first started riding, MM was the definitive voice that I went to for information on how to do it better. He’d already been to the MSF course, a couple of CLASS courses and had been riding for almost twenty years. It seemed like a good source for information. Back then we’d ride up the coast to grab some breakfast – rarely touching the canyon roads because they were to intense and to scary for either of us – and during the course of the meal I’d pull as much knowledge out of him as I could.

Yet today we both found ourselves very aware that the tables had turned. Now he was asking me how to do it better. How to get faster. I’m sure there are other activities in life that offer this sort of father-son relationship reversal, but sitting in here now I can’t quite put my finger on one. That’s obviously not to say they don’t exist, I’m sure they do, but for me this was an utterly unique experience. Somewhat strange and yet also extremely special because the shared experience continues to grow.

I’m 28 years old and soon to turn 29. When I get up in the morning it sounds like a machine gun is going off. Things snap, crackle and pop in places that I didn’t even know had joints. After years of playing football in high school and in college, my body is a collection of former injuries and doctor visits. I mention this because while talking to MM about how to ride better and then watching him actually ride the canyons while trying things out, I found myself both surprised and somewhat in awe. He has every right not to push himself, yet there he was trying to.

As long time readers of this blog will undoubtedly know by now, MM has had a heck of a rollercoaster these past twelve months. Mostly highlighted by a protracted absence from riding due to arthroscopic knee surgery that went somewhat sideways.

Yet today he was riding a spirited ride and actively trying to listen to my advice on how to get better - not in a clinical or medical sense but rather in the sportiest sense possible. He’s almost twice my age and yet while I was riding behind him I couldn’t help but notice how much more active he’s gotten over the course of my riding timeline and my life.

This is a man who ten years ago wouldn’t have known what a knee puck was and yet today he was actively getting a step closer to using one. Watching him swing through the turns with a remarkable amount of passion and aggression, I couldn’t help but smile. I know a number of people his age who have simply stopped pushing themselves. People who just live on their past accomplishments. Now there’s nothing wrong with that and obviously it’s a personal choice, but I was so proud to watch him enter and exit corners at speed because it’s the furthest extrapolation of growing younger. He could be trading his bike in for a more plush ride, a more upright riding position, a less extreme machine and yet he’s not. He’s trying to challenge himself to fit the bike. To actively grow as a rider and to get better. Granted he’s not getting his knee down yet – but for the first time I find myself thinking it’s a distinct possibility. And something that without a doubt he would or could have never done at twenty or thirty or even forty.

Riding behind him made me very aware that for all of my supposition towards my future I sometimes forget that each of us has the power to visit and revisit our lives whenever we chose and that what stops us tends to be
ourselves – not our age. It’s a magical thing to see someone nearing sixty and to know that they are faster today than they ever have been in their life.

A New Gizmo - Joe Rocket Tank Bag
You’ll notice in the pictures a new addition to the Twisting Asphalt riding gear – Tank Bags! I had been thinking of picking one up for quite sometime – but never did because I was fearful of how it would feel riding with one. Most are abnormally large, yet MM stumbled onto a Joe Rocket magnetic bag that works remarkably well. Today was the first day I’d ridden with it and I was absolutely shocked. For $39 bucks the thing is rock solid on the bike, barely gets ini your way and is extremely easy to use. The Ducati version is enormous and costs $200+… I’m not sure I’ll always ride with it, but for carrying a cell phone, wallet, pack of smokes and camera it’s a fantastic little gizmo that gets all the crap out of my leathers… Thumbs up!

MM’s new Alpinestar Suit
You’ll also probably notice that MM has a new set of riding leathers. Given that he’s finally come back from his knee injury it simply seemed like time to get him a set of more protective leathers. Nothing against the Bates set that he had been wearing but I think both he and I have simply come to a point where safety and having the right gear is as important as the bikes we ride.

Here are some more picts from the ride: