The warmth of the sun on my weathered skin feels heavenly as the wind whips my face riding down the stretch of highway on my Harley. Listening to nothing else but the sound of the engine and enjoying the scenery around me. A continuous rush surges through my body, like the euphoria I got when I was a kid and jumped from a swing for the first time. I am talking pure adrenaline. I was hooked as a very young child with this adrenaline-charged fascination which was created by none other than riding in a speed boat. It is the openness and the freedom, which attracts me. Think of the scene from the Titanic when Leonardo tells Kate Winslet to open her eyes while spreading her arms wide on front of the ship, that’s the type of sensation I get when I ride.
Trying to understand why people enjoy riding is difficult because there are different reasons for all riders, but the majority love the many open roads and we like the connection that is strong between us. If you ask a hundred people you will get a thousand different answers, but one always stands out; freedom.
My bottom may get a little sore in the saddle after a couple hundred miles, but the desire to keep going is not a burden. Road dirt or the bugs between my teeth isn’t a nuisance, and the bulbous knots on my shins from the rocks usually disappear after a month. I hope you realize I am joking about the bugs in the teeth, it’s usually on the forehead, but I never joke about the yearning to ride. It is relaxing and exhilarating at the same time, and if the weekend calls for good weather that’s usually where you’ll find me. Just like the saying “Ride to live, live to ride”.
My bucket list includes the 100K Club organized by the Iron Butt Association of Chicago, IL. To reach my goal may take several years, so to start this season off we decided to ride out to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. My enthusiasm and excitement wanting to ride The Tail of the Dragon must be wearing thin on my husband because that’s all I talk about. It has some of the most challenging switch back curves and steep grades with no shoulder on the roads. We will visit the spectacular beauty of the Cherohala Skyway and seek out many unscheduled stops along the way. Well folks, its 7:30 a.m. and we have to leave by 8:00 so I must close and saddle up.
P.S. Don’t bother asking someone why they like to ride, that’s like asking someone why do you like to play golf?
Lori Dunse
Guest Columnist of The Jersey County Journal
Advocate for Riders
Published 5/31/12
June 6, 2012- -
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June 7, 2012- -
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Who can say in words that indescribable feeling one receives while riding on two wheels,motor humming, a sense of balance with the forces of the universe?? Your words come pretty close, freedom is such a nebulous... more
June 13, 2012- -
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