Patches and Badges Ready

CT Polar Bears at The Exchange, from left: Scott, Fonz, Anonymous Ed, Captain, Mac, Grumpy.

Polar Bear Motorcycle Blog, Polar Bear Grand Tour, ride to The Exchange, Rockaway, NJ, January 27, 2019.

Report by: Chris & Grumpy
Photos by: Grumpy, Fonz and The Grand Tour

Note: 2 addendum on this post, look past the photos for info on Fonz's crash and Token2's South American Adventure.

When my daughter Annie became a Girl Scout she asked me what was the difference between Girl Scouts and Motorcycle Riders. Her answer, scouts wear green, bikers wear black, we both love earning our badges.

With our extraordinary distances coming from Connecticut, our bears typically earn patches and rockers faster than most of our New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware brothers and sisters. Usually we are ready for our rockers before the Grand Tour has them in stock. It's become a running joke for Captain to ask each week, starting after about four or five rides when he's already qualified, when the patches will be arriving.

For this Sunday's ride to the Exchange, the patches and rockers arrived. As you can see by Captain and his s**t eating grin, he's already earned his red and gold rockers. I'm sure his 60-point pin can't be far behind.

Proudly displaying his red and gold rockers, our own Connecticut Polar Bear Captain Kammerer, standing behind Polar Bear Grand Tour Flight Leaders, Pat Bachota, Flight A, and Joan Roselli, Flight B. Captain's a Flight B. Photo by Grand Tour Photographer Gary Rosen.

I don't have an official report, so going only by photos I see Grumpy with his red rocker picked up this Sunday.

Grumpy picked up his red rocker.

The other remarkable item worth mentioning about this Sunday's ride was how it sandwiched between winter storms. The previous Sunday's ride to Eastampton Township, NJ was canceled for a big winter storm. Monday after the Exchange ride Connecticut was slammed with a polar vortex winter storm. And after temperatures at or below zero with daytime highs barely breaking the teens, this coming Sunday's ride looks to be a very comfortable 40 + degrees.

Unfortunately, I can't make this Sunday's long -- and major point generating -- ride. I was down last Sunday, and will be this one, with a really bad cold that settled into bronchitis. Hopefully the Sunday after this one . . . weather permitting, I'll be back on the bike.

Here's Grumpy report from the ride:

The ride Sunday was a quick trip. When I got to Dunkin donut Pogy was there is his car visiting. We left at 09: 32  Me in the lead with Capt. , Fonz, ED and Mac. We picked up Scott in Darian. We got to the Exchange about 11:03.  Had lunch, signed in and out by 13:05. Ride home was different  The Fons and ED left right after the group photo, so were down to four. Scott needed gas so we stoped and  he got gas as John, Mac and I waited.

I asked the guys about the Merrett for the ride home.

I see Scott finishing  so I pull up next to him, but he's not ready. The Captain pulled through then got on his way. Mac and I waited for Scott. So It was now three for the quick ride home, with no problems.

Hope you  feel better soon.

John B

Each week we record our attendance and roundtrip mileage to earn our badges, rockers and pins.

Grumpy setting up the weekly group photo.

Grand Tour photographer Bernie Walsh caught our guys arriving.

Polar Bear Gand Tour Chairman Bob Hartpence with Captain.

Fonz is happy to be here.

Yes, Captain, we know, we know.

Grand Tour volunteers.

Can Happen to the Best of Us

Fonz is a careful rider, longtime MSF and ConnREP rider coach and if this can happen to him it can happen to any of us. We wish him well and hope he feels better soon. Here's his report:

Hi everyone.  

I was riding West on Rt 53 and had the green light.  I was crossing the intersection of Rt 33 when a car traveling East decided to turn left in front of me.  I was able to do a controlled break, then had to make a decision.  I had a split second to either swerve right and have her hit my leg...swerve left into oncoming traffic or crash head on.  I chose head on.

My MC is probably totalled due to age and miles.  I'm very sore but in good spirits.  I'm taking some time ho heal and will hopefully see you all sooner than later.

Fonz

Token2 CT Polar Bear's Latest Report

Fellow CT Bear Token2 is living a lifelong dream with an adventure ride through South America. As of this week he has his bike and is motoring south. Here's the link to his blog if you wish to follow along: Going South on El Burro.