Bernice and I reached a milestone yesterday.
I had the day off and I convinced Derek to play hooky from his responsibilities and go for a bike ride. We headed for some touristy yet unspoiled lakeside towns. It was a mostly sunny day but not too hot – just perfect for riding. We were delighted to take a brand new stretch of highway between Port Burwell and Long Point. Long Point itself was almost entirely shut tight. The only exception was a fast food and general store combo where we stopped for a terrible cup of coffee. Well, that’t not how we ordered it but it’s what we got.
On that stop I snapped a photo of Bernice’s odometer.
To longtime riders, 5,000 kms isn’t a big deal but, hey, everybody had to start somewhere! In those 5,000 my confidence has grown and I’ve had loads of new experiences. There was another one yesterday – a very scary, steep hill covered in a blanket of loose gravel and sand. After slipping and sliding to the halfway point, I actually turned off the motor so I could think about how to continue safely without having to worry about operating the bike at the same time. My patient and very experienced husband walked up and gave me the advice I needed to make it the rest of the way, upright. This is why the motorcycle instructors spend so much time on worst case scenarios because if you get into one without having thought of it, or a firm plan, panic can take you. I didn’t panic but I also didn’t have a plan! The differences between a car and a bike are enormous when you hit anything less than perfect pavement.
Now that Bernice has reached 5,000 she’s due for an oil change and a once-over. I’ll book her in soon. She and I have a lot more road to cover this summer.