Many a great ride has started dressed in layers on a cold morning. By 10am
the jacket comes off, and by noon the sweatshirt allowing you to ride in comfort
the rest of the day in just your specially picked t-shirt. And the real good
ones go into the evening, retracing the process, but in reverse order. Arriving
home with the same chill you left with hours earlier, but with miles of great
riding in between. Having ridden in everything from below zero to 124 degrees,
I can attest to the need to dress in layers, as any rider will tell you. There
have been days where I never thought I would get the jacket off, and days I
never thought the one I brought along I would need. But I am glad I did in both
cases. One 4th of July going over Wolf Creek Pass on a Z-1 sans windshield I
was in a t-shirt, three days later following a snow plow with everything I had
with me on. But with great riding all the time. Yet here in So Cal we have
been so spoiled by the weather, many don’t enjoy dressing in layers. If they
had to it was either too hot or too cold. It was reinforced when talking with a
friend who had just bought a new Harley, his first without a windshield. And
one ride below 60 degrees had him setting his limit for riding below that
there. He froze, and later confided he had on his leather jacket. “I don’t
know how you guys ride in cold,” he told me. Now I don’t do windshields or
fairings unless it is in my truck. Riding to me means in the wind, and even the
small fairing on my Tiger deflects some air, yet leaves me in the wind. Yet
riding on a new Trophy SE last winter, on a warm 80 degree day in February, we
left Riverside in t-shirts, and taking the long way home over Oak Glen, where
the onboard thermometer said, 53, we were still comfortable. So maybe those
barns missing their doors do make great fairings, I still prefer to dress in
layers. There is life before 50 degrees, and also 50 years of age. Sometimes
you just have to use what you learned early to ride comfortably today. Yet for
some the price of looking cool, when really being uncomfortably hot wearing
leathers and chaps in 80+ weather tends to make them cold when they are really
needed. Form over function, I prefer jacket over sweatshirt. I just hope they
enjoy the ride as much as I do. They are missing out on some beautiful sunrises
and sunsets. But in between when the weather changes, I am reminded of a couple
from Maryland we met putting on our rain suits outside of Gettysburg. A sudden
downpour had a few of us under a gas canopy changing, and I will never forget
what he told me. “The weatherman said 50% chance of rain,which meant 50% chance
of sun. We chose to ride not taking a chance on 50%.” Amen, and amen. Dress
for the conditions, lots of great riding below 50 degrees...and the new Tiger
XCx I had last week even had a warning light for frost, which came on at 39
degrees. Have to trust them on that one, still too warm for testing that this
winter.
Many a great ride has also been interrupted by coming up on traffic,
causing a jam. And being embarrassed when you finally pass them and finding it
is a group of motorcycles, riding just below the sped limit. Maybe just as bad
for public perception as the guy wheelying past at 70, but this crowd
interruption always makes me wonder why ride at all, if you don’t ride for the
conditions. Like the man I know who has his motor built, dynos at almost 100hp,
a lot for a Harley, but never goes above 80. What a waste of money. Yet will
drone along at 60 across South Dakota, when we travel above 80 in less danger of
causing trouble than him. Interstates were designed in the fifties for cars to
go over 85 mph, even your old Harley or Triumph would run it 60 years ago, so
why not now. Life is a blast over 80, and 90, and at 120 yesterday airing out
my old 1978 GS1000. It felt good, and no animals were hurt during the ride. No
tickets either, not bad for a 60 year old man with a plastic aorta on a 37 year
old bike. So what’s your excuse? Too cold, or just too old? Or do numbers
like speed and temp control how and when you ride? I think of all the great
rides, roads, meals, and good times I would have missed if dictated by rules and
regulations. If riding isn’t any fun, why do it? Remember the freedom you just
told your friend about, well do you?
Dressing for the conditions is nothing new. The first set of leathers go
back to the Garden of Eden, when God sacrificed animals and made clothes for
Adam and Eve. Not for cold, but to cover their nakedness. A far cry from the
scantilly clad girls at Sturgis only wearing chaps...for protection of course.
But lets consider the weather at the beginning, perfect temperature, no rain, as
a mist watered the garden every evening, and all they had to do was get up and
live every day. Freedom like no others have ever experienced before, or after,
as no sin meant freedom, and no laws to bind them. But with sin came a
covering, and with a covering came a sacrifice made for them, and soon laws
came, and PETA followed. And more laws, more protests, and less freedoms. Laws
made for dress, to eat, of who to hang out with, and how to worship. A rule for
everything, and with more rules to break, brought more rules broken, and more
sin. But fortunately laws were given for forgiveness, just so you obeyed them,
or else. Sometimes not sure if you really were guilty or if the sacrifice was
enough. You lived in doubt, should I ride today, is it too cold? Or where can
I ride where there are no speed traps, just waiting to ruin my fun. Exacting a
fee for breaking the law. And that’s it, breaking the law exacts something from
us. A fine, jail time, losing your license, or worse yet, giving up riding all
together. Temps and speed limits arbitrarily set to limit all God has for
us.
And then along comes Jesus to set us free. Free from the law, but also to
free us from sin. To be forgiven, to go 66 in a 65 zone, to ride below 50
degrees, and enjoy life. Not quite on the par of no sin like in the garden, but
soon in heaven we will enjoy that. Oh if Adam and Eve had only ridden, maybe
they would not have sinned, and look at the great weather we would have today.
But they did, we do, and so Boston is waist deep in snow, floods in San
Francisco, and droughts in So Cal. Even the weather has turned against us.
Forcing us to dress in layers, or stay home. Our choice, to be bound in leather
like Adam and Eve, or stay home and be imprisoned in sin. Don’t let a 49 degree
day ruin your blessings. We can be free in Christ when we turn to him. And
live like he wants us to. Loving him first, then others as ourselves. For no
man hates himself and loves his brother. Add compassion to that, respect, and a
brotherhood forms, and we see why Jesus told us if a man needs your shirt, give
him your coat too. So he can get out and ride and enjoy life. To be encouraged
in love, and not be bound by numbers, laws, ego, or perception. That love is
there, sometimes in the form of a coat, like the one Dave and George carried of
mine bungeed to their bike, forgetting it was there,and wishing they had it all
the time while freezing. Jesus is there, he never left despite the temp, or
speed, and will guide you through. He may be just as close as a jacket bungeed
behind you, or the windshield in front of you. But you must let him into your
life....and them something wonderful begins. You enjoy the ride more than ever
before.
So many times we area asked “how do you find all these places?” Simple we
get out and ride. Works with blessings too, you need to get out into life where
they are. Don’t live life bound by laws, be bound by love and enjoy life.
Trust God and live, and ride. Sometimes we ride to eat, and eat to ride. Some
live to ride, and ride to live. We are bound only in love, love only found in
Jesus Christ, and we enjoy life to the fullest. Because of him. For some life
begins at 50, and they miss out on what goes on at lower temps. Some fear
anything above the speed limits, limiting the fun and potential of their ride
and life. Jesus gives us fullness of life. Sometimes one layer at a time,
sometimes all the layers removed. You will only know for sure if you get out
and live. Leathers don’t make you a biker, just a sinner needing a savior. All
have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God, so he sent Jesus. Remember
that next time you wear your leathers, God provided them for Adam and Eve first,
and they didn’t even ride. Today you can have forgiveness and ride with grade
and mercy with Jesus. Dressed in layers of love, for every condition. Some
ride behind windshields, I ride behind Jesus. I enjoy the freedom he gives, for
the rest of you cars will have to do. Never knowing what lies just the other
side of the window. Any questions, just refer them back to the garden.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com