Some of you may remember the story from Shannon’s first ride in the twisties. The one where I went Too Fast, TOO FAST, TOOO FAAAST.
Well, she decided to give it another shot and I wasted no time in making a new route to take my purdy wife out on a ride again. Here’s where we went:
View Shannon Rides Again in a larger map
I learned a few things from the last ride thanks to all the comments and suggestions from readers out there. This time I picked a route that was a lot shorter and mellower. I also rode the route at a slower pace to try and keep Shannon comfortable.
The weather was great! It was sunny and warm and the traffic worked out great too. I took her through some very country roads and the scenic roads of our local watershed. I even found a road called Mine Mountain Road that I would like to come back and rip up the twisties solo!
We had our SENA SMH10 headsets on so we could communicate easily and with the new software we were even sharing the same music stream in our helmets. Since I took it easy and rode slower I didn’t even have hip pain from being squeezed when we were done!
The only sketchy part was coming down Fork Creek Road. It was pretty twisty, like parking lot maneuver twisty in places and the road was covered in loose gravel. The gravel would have been a lot more manageable if it was obvious, but this road had camouflage gravel. It was exactly the same color as the road but when you went to turn on it you could feel it moving under your tires. Combine that with the shadows from the tree tops and the weight of an FJR1300 hauling two people and I was really taking it slow through here. I wouldn't suggest this road for a street bike; even by yourself it could get you in trouble.
After making it through the gravel, road conditions got much better and we had a nice moderately twisty, but fun ride back home. I had a great time taking her around to show her some of what I get to see when I go riding and I am really glad she enjoyed herself this time. If I keep it up, she just might warm up to riding and we can share some great adventures together!
What I Learned:
- My readers are wise. A big thanks to all of you who pitched in advice and ideas for helping a new passenger feel comfortable.
- Shannon actually leans into curves so much that she was doing all the work. All I had to do was guide it through.
Spirit Strike:
Proverbs 18:22 ESV "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord."
Shannon is definitely a good wife to me and I am blessed to have her. I know riding is not her favorite thing to do, but she still went riding with me again, even after she was so scared last time. That is pretty awesome in my opinion. I'm glad she decided to marry me so many years ago. It might seem like I am bragging on Shannon a little bit, mostly because I am. She's a lot more awesome than she realizes and its fun to tell her in a public way!
Have you ever done something you weren't comfortable doing for your significant other? I would love to hear about it in the comments.