At first there’s one. A second later comes another… And then all hell breaks loose, as a cascade of perspiration rolls forward with vengeance. It’s the first real tangible clue that you’re getting close; close to the middle of nowhere and close to California’s Central Valley in the middle of summer.
Coming out of yet another series of contiguous sweeping corners, you feel the slight ache in your wrist - because it’s already been a long day - but instead of falling victim to your inner demons you press on. Ignore …

While swinging around a rather decent sweeper on Encinal Canyon this morning about halfway through the ride I was struck by the thought that over the course of my life the word ‘relaxation’ has continued to evolve in its meaning. Almost to a point where sometimes I think it seems like an organic concept, not a definition in a book. Originally relaxing seemed like such a simple idea - have a day off, go do something you enjoy and feel refreshed afterwards. Yet these days, as more and more of …

Yesterday MotorMilt & I were fortunate to finally get a ride in after what has felt like a month and half long drenching by mother-nature. Definitely not one of the best rides I’ve ever had nor the most enjoyable. I knew we were in trouble when we passed by the intersection at Topanga Canyon & The PCH, only to see it was still closed down. A friendly neighborhood policeman was making sure of that, his patrol car parked smack dab in the middle of the roadway. For as long as …

Got up this morning determined not to make the same mistake as yesterday and go riding lacking the proper amount of layers. So out came the thermals for the first time in a long, long time. Funny thing is they didn’t matter that much. I still frozen my ass off. Amazingly the Duc’s temp guage was relatively high and the usually hot running seat didn’t feel very hot at all. As I sit here now recounting my desire for a hot seat, I find slightly ironic that now that it’s …

As MotorMilt & I were heading up the Pacific Coast Highway this morning, I found myself being struck by how familure the stretch of asphalt from Santa Monica to Malibu has gotten. It wasn’t that long ago that just riding up the PCH to the outskirts of Malibu and getting a coffee was what I considered a full ‘ride’. Now days I’ve almost memorized the whole trek. I’m far more focused on the little parts of riding such as my perferred lane placement or knowing where the bumps in …