"I'm tired of poker runs". That sentiment seemed to play out as a theme this last weekend.
If you've read this blog for awhile, you'll know that I pretty much stopped going to them, along with bike shows, rallies, benefit rides, and such. You've seen one, you've seen them all. For me, paying $25-$50 to ride some roads that I've already paid for with my tax dollars, doesn't thrill me. However, there's still one children's charity event that I'll keep going to, which I'll tell you about someday.
Well on Saturday, some friends and I rode to Swallows Inn, a popular biker hangout in San Juan Capistrano for their annual chili-cook off. It's a sanctioned chili-cook off, and if you're like me, you love chili. There, I ran into a guy who's a VP in another riding club. I asked him why he wasn't at the poker run over at Biggs Harley-Davidson. He said that he didn't like poker runs anymore. He said they're all the same. He'd rather get some of his friends together, and just ride some roads, or find someplace new to go to. I didn't realize that he had been thinking like me.
Then on Sunday, I rode down to Lake Sutherland, just outside of Ramona, CA, to join another club on their annual picnic. I ran into a guy there whom I had ridden with a couple of times before. In addition to this club, he's a member of another one as well, but hasn't ridden with them in a long time. I asked why. He said that all they do are poker runs and benefit rides, and don't really go riding for the sake of riding.
He further explained himself with an anecdote, describing a moment of bliss, where he was riding his cruiser east along Highway 76, just before you get to the first Palomar Mtn turnoff, where the series of 30mph sweepers are. He caught up to some sportbike riders, who were riding a moderate rate of speed up to this point, and crept up behind them. Approaching the first curve, he leaned the bike all the way to one side and dragged his floorboard across the full radius of the curve.
He said he could see the sportbike riders jolt and look behind them in a "WTF?" response, as their concentration was broken from some blood-curdling screech that resembled something of a winged-dinosaur swooping down to snatch up some squid.
He chuckled as he finished his story, and I smiled and nodded my head because I understood what he was trying to tell me.
I guess I'm not tired just yet. Last weekend, my HOG Chapter went on what I thought was the best poker run I've ever been on. Stop by the blog if you want to see the write-up and pics.
ReplyDeleteToo much of anything gets old after a while I guess. This particular run just had everything going for it. $20 reg fee - not unreasonable. I say that with the idea that I know I'm supporting that Chapter's big fund raiser for the season, and that they in turn will support ours. The other things that made it great were: PERFECT weather. A very well planned out, long, beautiful, scenic route. Awesome locations for pit stops. A great steak dinner and mini-rally at the end.
There's no pleasing everyone. I say get out and ride, whether you're doing a club run, rally, or just go off on your own until you have to stop for the night. It's ok to get tired of poker runs, as long as you don't ever get tired of riding.