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.

Snow Ends Just in Time

You only need a motorcycle-width path to go Polar Bearing! Shown is the driveway of this week's author.

Motorcycle Polar Bear Blog, Polar Bear Grand Tour, ride to The Exchange, Rockaway, NJ, February 18, 2018

Ride report by FONZ

This week's ride was to the Exchange in Rockaway NJ.  It was predicted to snow on Saturday into the morning Sunday so I wasn't expecting a big showing.  I decided to wait until the morning to make my final decision.  The snow had stopped and according to the weather report it was going to be warm enough to keep the black ice away.  At 0700hrs, I grabbed my shovel and created a path just wide enough for me to get out.  As I took a break from shoveling I checked my email and noticed Captain had sent a message indicating that he was concerned about black ice and he was considering driving.  Figuring I was going to be on my own again I decided to plan my departure at 0930hrs.  I spoke to Pogy who stated he couldn't make it due to a planned trip with the wifey.  He did report that I287 clear with no black ice issues.  After speaking to Ed, we decided to meet at the Fairfield rest stop on I95.  After I completed shoveling  I spoke with Captain and informed him of my plan.  He stated he was not sure if he could make it to me in time so I should leave him behind if he's not there at 0930hrs.  Since I changed the time I advised him that I would wait...no worries.  After getting dressed I got on my Ultra and SHUCKS she didn't start.  I was cutting it close for time so I quickly jumped on my wifeys Softtail Slim (picture attached).  When I started the MC, she ran outside and yelled "What are you doing?!?"   I wanted to yell back I'm going to buy a pizza but I didn't want to take any chances.  She made me promise that I would clean her baby when I returned.  I gladly accepted and took off.

When I arrived at the rest stop Ed was already waiting.  After gassing up I noticed Captain was there and ready to go.  We left with me and my WAZE assisting with the navigation and Ed took the sweep.  The highway was consistently wet in the 1st and 3rd lanes so I tried my best to stay in the middle to avoid the splashing from other vehicles.  I also decided to maintain a longer than usual space cushion (4 to 5 seconds) for safety and splash avoidance.  My decision came in handy because there was a point when we merged onto I287 when my WAZE notified me of an object in the roadway.  When you hear the message, my experience has been that you have approximately 4 tenths of a mile before you see whatever is being reported.  Right on cue, I noticed an opaque back near the center lane.  I also noticed a vehicle with its hazards on traveling in the middle lane that initially appeared to be going slower than that other traffic.  As I signaled to change lanes I immediately realized HOLY SHIT the vehicle was completely stopped on the highway in the middle lane right next to the debris.  Thankfully I had been alerted early enough which helped with avoiding a possible disaster.  The rest of the way down was uneventful other than the constant one way snowball fights we continued to experience because NO ONE cleaned off their cars.  

Upon arrival I decided to park in the front as to not risk slipping and sliding down their steep driveway.  Our arrival time was 1101hrs.  It turns out that there was a wedding on the lower level so sign-in was set up on the top level.  Initially I walked over to the high tables next to the bar.  Captain wasn't pleased with my choice because it was too far and he believed we would be ignored.  He found a bunch of tables next to the kitchen and allowed me to pic our final destination.  Lunch and sign-in were both quick and efficient.  The ride back was significantly better.  Most of the roadway was dry.  As I mentioned earlier, I promised to clean her MC so I followed Ed to have our buddy Gaije spray salt away on our MC's before we rode home to finish the process.  (picture attached)  Once I arrived home, I finished cleaning the MC.  I was cleared after her inspection.  It was a great day! 

Respect My Authoritay

Connecticut's Rockaway riders, from left: Grumpy, Captain, Token2, Fonz, CT Blogger, John J., Anonymous Ed and Scott.

Connecticut Polar Bears at lunch, from left, Anonymous Ed, Token2, Scott, John J., Captain, Fonz, CT Blogger and Grumpy. Photo by Grumpy using wide-angle mode on his new LG cell phone.

Motorcycle Polar Bear Blog, Polar Bear Grand Tour, ride to Rockaway, NJ, February 19, 2017

By: Chris Loynd, a.k.a. CT Blogger

Mark Twain, longtime Connecticut resident, famously said, "If you don't like the weather in New England now, wait a few minutes." We weathered a wacky weather week. Last Sunday we were forced by snow to drive. This Sunday we were almost too warm, almost.

 In Connecticut some of our foot-deep snowfall lingered still a week-and-a-half later. What was left was decorative in places. It accented craggy rock faces and lightened shadowy forest floors. Admittedly we also saw side of the road snow banks black with dirt. Still, I thought snow added an appropriate winter look to what felt all of a spring day.

Even at daybreak our temperatures were above February's average daytime temperature. Due to our relatively close destination, we had a late start, 10:00 a.m. By then the temperature was near 50 degrees; on the ride home it climbed nearer 60. Our CT Polar Bears were changing out gloves and shedding layers.

Anonymous Ed took the lead. He was great on the highways. Once we exited, he struggled a bit. At lunch he said something about the GPS on his bike being different from the one he was used to in his car.

I give him a B+, four out of five stars. On the highway he was steady and reasonable and that counts for a lot. That right fork turnoff for Main Street in Rockaway is a bit tricky. Lucky for Ed I was riding in third position. Also lucky for Ed there was a connecting side street closeby, albeit down a wicked-steep hill.

Captain was riding second position and tried to signal Ed he was missing the turn. The turn once missed, Captain hesitated about whether or not to follow. Hey, you gotta stick with your ride leader, even if he leads you to the wrong destination. In third position I kept coming and urged, nearly pushed, Captain to follow his leader, rather than making the over-the-berm hard right turn he desired.

Fonz who was second to last in line, and therefore not the sweep, wanted to sweep still. Token2 as sweep is obligated to stay with any rider who falls out of line. So when Fonz ditched the rest of us, instead taking the correct right fork, Token2 had to follow.

As we descended the cliff, I mean sidestreet, we found Fonz doing his authoritarian thing and blocking the road to help us enter. Of course that did nothing for the closer lane of oncoming traffic. Fortunately that car driver took pity on us and blocked cars behind him to let us out all in a line.

Anonymous Ed did see the big "The Exchange" sign of our destination, but appeared challenged in making a split-second decision to park on the street in front or the parking lot in back. He went for the back and we followed, well some of us followed. Fonz went for the street and took a couple of our riders with him. Parking lot choices were slim; there is a wicked-steep hill built into the lot. Maybe a low-slung car would be able to park parallel and not roll over. I was taking no chances with my high center of gravity Honda ST.

After all the fork-of-the-road and parking confusion, you know what happened? We all found our Connecticut mates and a big booth and had lunch together, despite our bikes being scattered across two parking lots and the street.

The Exchange parking lots and street front were packed, but the restaurant and bar were not. Our theory was because it was such a beautiful day a lot of the more local Polar Bears rode to the destination early, signed-in, then went touring around in the unexpectedly warm February sunshine.

This is often one of the brutally cold rides on our schedule. Was it two years ago the temperature started in minuses and never went above five degrees on this run? Grand Tour Grand Pooh Bah Bob told us his outdoor thermometer said 52 degrees when he awoke at 5:00 a.m. Assuming the thermometer was broken, Bob booted up his computer to check the weather.

Scott rode in a windbreaker over a fleece vest. He's never cold. He said he was tempted to choose a tank top instead of the short sleeve tee shirt he was wearing as his base layer just to tease me. Me, I still wore my silks and electrics then actually turned up my electrics, just a little.

On the way home we decided to shoot over to the Garden State Parkway so we could enjoy our stop-at-the-top. Once again Captain tried to drive Anonymous Ed from the second position. Ed made a right turn right in front of a big sign that said go straight for I-80 East. I don't know if it was luck or lucidity but no sooner than we turned we picked up an I-80 East on-ramp.

There was still a bit of confusion getting to the Garden State Parkway. At one point our sweep shot to the front, partly to help Ed find the GSP and maybe also out of Fonz frustration. We called Fonz out at our stop-at-the-top and he admitted to being challenged in having the patience to wait for the sweep on lane changes. Maybe we make him sweep next week, or leader.

Any of us who have been at the front or the back of the pack can attest that it is not easy. I had one of the most disastrous leads with a confused and likely illegal loop at the foot (or was it head) of the Whitestone Bridge. I too blamed my GPS. I too was saved by my sweep.

So kudos to Anonymous Ed for stepping up for the lead. Study your maps and set your GPS Fonz, I hereby publicly challenge you to lead next week's ride to Hooters. There are some nasty turns on the local roads after you exit I-80. If you like, I can ask Captain if he'll ride second. And we will all respect your authority . . . at least for the duration of the ride there and back.

Bob pic of the week.

Renegade sweep and leader Fonz, left, with never-cold Scott, right. What you see on Scott is the totality of his warm gear.

Scary parking lot for motorcycles.

John J. climbs the hill.

Captain earned his 60-point pin.

Chris did too.

Flight B Leaders Rich and Joan.

Ski slope parking.

It was . . .

. . . and some did!