CotC 8 Day 1 - May 9, 2010

I could have predicted it.  It happens every year.  I didn't get any sleep last night.  Just knowing what lies ahead is enough to get my mind spinning.  We are about to embark on Chrome on the Coast 8; our annual motorcycle ride that takes us up the coast of California to the wine country.  

The ride started in 2003.  After the 9/11 terrorist bombing in New York, Harley Davidson decided to release a Firefighter commemorative motorcycle (much like the police edition).  Many from our department purchased the bike.  Mike Riordan, one of our Captains, decided to organize a ride to see the coast, and go to Monterey.  That was the start of something very special.  That first year there were 7 or 8 bikes.  Last year we had 29.  This year we had 42!!  

There have been some cancellations, and some additions.  My last count was 31 bikes and 36 riders.  We'll see who shows up to ride.

I am sitting at the Starbucks in east Pasadena - our meeting location.  I am only 2 hours early.  I am pretty anal that way.  Since I am organizing this thing, I better be first there!!  I've been running the logistics and developing the routes for many years now.  This year I had some help.  My good friends Bill Beaumont and Wendell Eaton arranged some of the events / hotels that we'll be staying in.  I can say (without hesitation), that these accommodations will be the finest that we have ever had.

My wife Pam and I pre-rode the routes on Spring break.  (She can't get the time off in May to do the actual ride, so we sneak away in April to preview the roads.)  It was a good thing that I did it this year, as I made some changes to the maps based on the quality of the road surfaces that we encountered.  Over the years I've listened to the riders comment and critique the routes.  This year, I made several changes to the overall ride philosophy to accommodate those requests.  Here are the big three:  1) we get up too early - 2) the routes were too long - 3) we don't get back early enough - - - - So, the departure time will be pushed back an hour, the routes are 100 miles shorter, and the goal is to get back to the hotel by 3 pm.  When we pre-rode the routes in April, we timed each one and made changes to fit into those new goals.  When riding in a group, it is important to note that the larger the group the slower it moves.  But that plays right into the heart of this ride.  It is about taking your time, seeing the sites, and breathing in the clean, crisp coastal air.

This year I tried my hand at a website - https://sites.google.com/site/chromeonthecoast/ -- If you want to see the itinerary and maps, click on the "resources" link on the left side.  You will find them there!!

So, I will finish my gourmet coffee and go out and clean my windshield for the 10th time.  I am excited.  I can't wait.

I'll write more when we get to the hotel - 

Sean