Long Ride for Old Guys

Connecticut Polar Bears in Lewes, Del,, from left: CT Blogger, Grumpy, John J. and Mac.

EDP Connecticut Bears in Lewes, Del., from left, Fonz and Anonymous Ed.

Polar Bear Motorcycle Blog, Polar Bear Grand Tour, ride to Irish Eyes Pub, Lewes, Del., November 3, 2019.

By: Chris Loynd
Photos by: Grumpy and Chris

Welcome to Polar Bear Season, 2019 – 2020. Our season always starts with two long rides, Cape May, N.J. and Lewes, Del. We had a nasty Nor'easter for Cape May and none of the Connecticut crowd was up to the long ride in the rain. Years ago we made our bones in the rain, riding a ridiculous Cape May run in the rain all the way. We saw DOT snowplow trucks on the Merritt Parkway clearing water off the roadway.

The Lewes weather was better, much better. I rode down on Saturday for a visit with my folks in Wilmington. It also lets me ride one-quarter the distance the day before. Lewes is 570 miles round trip for us. That's a good touring day, in the summer.

By the time we took our stop-at-the-top, the last rest stop on the Garden State Parkway, we were all feeling more than a bit sore. Many of the New Jersey bears take this ride in two days, staying at a hotel in Lewes Saturday night. We may be getting there too.

John J. seemed to be doing the best aboard his Beemer. (Or he just complained the least.) Mac was sore. That's double-tough because he comes farthest, with almost an hour of riding to our Stratford jumping off point.

Grumpy was feeling sore and had some back issues earlier in the year that didn't help.

I was on the Harley Springer. When I had the restoration done I let my builder talk me into beach bars. They look cool, yes. But I was getting a pain underneath my shoulder blade, I think in part from the spread of the bars. Great for looks, maybe not so much for touring.

Pogy decided it was just too far for his back and sat this one out.

Captain was ready to ride and showed up at the Dunkin' on his Honda Goldwing. But when it was time to leave, his voltage indicator showed the system wasn't charging. Despite his long standing reputation of having no fear of tow trucks, John decided to head home instead of risking it.

Fonz and Anonymous Ed applied EDP (Early Departure Protocol), leaving before 6 a.m. They ate at the diner in Lewes and then somehow talked the Grand Tour Flight B leaders into letting them sign in early. I caught them leaving just as I arrived around 11:10 a.m. The rest of our Connecticut crew showed up right on time.

We enjoyed a good lunch and caught up with each other and all decided we are happy to start the season.

Long Ride to Lewes and Back

Motorcycle Polar Bear Blog, Polar Bear Grand Tour, Ride to Lewes, Del., November 5, 2017

By: Captain

It was a long day, with a 7 a.m. departure. I got to the DD early, 6 a.m. Token2 called to wish us a safe ride to Irish Eyes.

Anonymous Ed arrived at 6:45 a.m. and Mac a short time after. They needed fuel and with Wheels not yet open they went to Shell down the street. We were underway by 7:07 with me in the lead, Mac as sweep and Ed in the cradle.

It was over cast but mild (62 deg.) heading south at the limit we made good time at a steady pace. We took a couple of breaks and arrived at 11:50 AM.

I got a table for lunch while they checked in. When l checked in there on the sign in sheet for the Cape May ride was the statement "Punked out". I now know why Token2 needs witness protection. The staff gave him up on the spot.

We had lunch, than we departed for the ride home. I said we need a group photo but Anonymous Ed declined saying we will use a previous one. I think he did not want the picture because there was no place to hide. Token 2 could pick up some tips on hiding. But not to worry, l'm coming for him.

The ride home was tough as the GSP had poor visibility in rain. Quick stop at the top than home. Got in about 6:30 PM.

Longest Day of Our Season

Connecticut Polar Bears in Lewes, from left, CT Blogger, Thumper, Token2, Captain (Ed behind him) and Grumpy.
Fonz was out filling his gas tank while we took the group photo.
Normally we'd have a Pogy down front and center. Missed you buddy!

Motorcycle Polar Bear Blog, Polar Bear Grand Tour, ride to Lewes, Del., Sunday, November 6, 2016.

By: Chris Loynd

A 12-hour day and 560-plus mile ride is a darn good touring day during summer season. Okay, Princess, can we at least say it's respectable? (If you don't know, Joanna's a long distance rider.)

Our guys started at 7 a.m. and, with a much needed stop at the top I pulled into the garage at 7 p.m.

I say "our guys" because I cheated. Investing a few extra miles in toto, I rode to my Mom and Dad's house on Saturday. That saved me about a quarter the time and distance on Sunday. It also bought me a two hour later start time and thereby scrapple and blueberry pancakes, with wild Alaskan blueberries hand picked by my sister. Thanks Gretchen!

My Alaskan sister Gretchen says "Adventure is always out there."

So I missed the ride down from Connecticut. If you read last week's blog, I kept my promise and arrived in Lewes about 20 minutes early. I sat on the curb with my camera awaiting my compatriots in order to grab an action photo.

Arrival in Lewes from a 7 a.m. start with Grumpy in the lead.

Back of the pack with Token and Captain. Other bikes behind aren't our group.

Fonz also rode, but like me not with our group on the way down. He just missed them at the start and never caught up. He arrived just after the main group but still in plenty of time for lunch.

We enjoyed a tasty, if a tad expensive, lunch at Irish Eyes Pub along the water. I continued my morning's culinary extravagance with a soft shell crab sandwich and homemade potato chips.

Thumper was along for this ride. He started riding with us last season. We call him Thumper because he's riding a single cylinder motorcycle. Now a sophomore he should know better, but he made two newbie mistakes Sunday.

At lunch he mentioned the election just two days before it was to happen, and with Captain sitting directly across the table no less. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to see MSNBC and FOX News playing simultaneously just feet apart, well we got a bitter taste at lunch Sunday.

I once carried the liberal mantle with my mostly conservative Connecticut Polar Bear buddies. Thumper makes me look like a birther, truther, prepper, tea-party, faithful follower of brother John Birch.

Still, we ride together because we enjoy riding together. Joys of the Polar Bear Grand Tour trump, um, supersede, our personal and political viewpoints. That doesn't mean we aren't free to express them. You are who you are and all are welcome to ride with us.

However, we are less tolerant of riding mistakes.

So when Thumper, wing man (wing person?) to Grumpy, tapped his helmet and led all the rest of the bikes off the exit, leaving leader Grumpy to ride on alone, well, that called for a talking to. Thumper thought Grumpy saw his signal. And in Thumper's defense, Grumpy had just changed lanes to the right. But it turned out that was for traffic, and not because he saw Thumper's signal.

Thumper was running out of gas, so he had to fill up sooner than we'd all agreed when we started out for home back in Lewes. His experience with his bike's fuel range was based upon 60 mph. The speed limits are mostly at 65, and Grumpy took a bit of liberty too. Thumper's little one cylinder was stroking pretty hard; his gas mileage suffered mightily.

Grumpy was doubly aggrieved. Last Sunday he was sweep. When the rain came, Captain led us under a bridge to gear-up. Grumpy thought it looked too crowded there and so rode to the next overpass. We just assumed he'd decided to ride straight home without us, as his nickname would sometimes profess. So we blew right by him in the rain, leaving him no choice but to ride home alone anyway.

This Sunday I tried sending him a text to meet us at the first rest stop after the Delaware Memorial Bridge. But he didn't see it. Surreptitiously, we finally caught up with him at the stop at the top of the Garden State Parkway. He was walking out as we were walking in.

Amazingly, Grumpy was gracious. We all had a good chuckle and Thumper apologized sincerely. New to group riding, he misunderstood communications protocol. Admittedly, it is hard to understand each other in full face helmets at 60 mph.

Thumper learned his lesson. Communications while riding takes time, so you build in lots of lead time. And you must get confirmation.

So when Token2, who had taken over the lead with me as wing man, promised to make one more gas stop along the Garden State Parkway, and then blew by all of them, I looked for his signal when we saw the two-miles-ahead sign for the last rest stop. He offered none. Nor did he tap his helmet at the one-mile sign. So I rode up alongside him and confirmed with a tap of my helmet, receiving a nod back of his.

We topped off our tanks at the pumps and gathered in the parking lot. Since Token2 would be exiting just after the Tappan Zee and I would be taking the lead, I asked Thumper if he had enough gas to get home to Norwalk. He answered yes, perhaps a bit insulted at first, then got the joke.

See you next week! That ride should be doable on any two tanks of gas. Hope you can join us Thumper. Otherwise I'll have to hold up the banner of reason in a country gone mad. Stratford departure 9:30 a.m.

Thumper on his single cylinder BMW. (Photo by Bernie Walsh.)

Thumper isn't the only one riding Polar Bears on one cylinder. (Photo by Bernie Walsh.)

Liberal wing of the CT Polar Bears, Chris and Paul.

Captain and Token holding down our table while the rest sign-in.

Ed, Fonz and Captain waiting for food.

Flight B leaders, Joan and Jim.

Flight A leaders Pat and John.

Grumpy's ride log.

"Outdoor" dining, closed in for winter.

Suiting up for the ride home.

Lovely Lewes and the light ship museum. Maybe a summer trip?