2005 Riding Season in a Nutshell

The 2005 riding season is coming to a close here in the Midwest, at least for this “fair weather rider.”

I’m sure all the usual sources will be providing their “year in review” articles in the very near future (I sure miss the ones Dave Barry used to do!), so I thought I’d get a jump on them by providing you with my 2nd Annual “Season in a Nutshell.” Here are some of the stats and highlights of 2005: 

Stats:
Miles logged: 2,180
Most miles in a day: 365 on 7/23
Hottest Day: 7/23/05, 101 F
Coldest Day: 3/6/05, 45 F
Drops: 0
Other ‘rolling blunders’: 1
$ spent on HD clothing & bike accessories: 1175
Highest gas price paid: 3.01 per gallon

Most Improved Skills
Using head and eyes to “look where you want to go.”
Overall awareness of traffic, surroundings, & potential hazards

Best mod or accessory added to bike:
Buckhorn handlebars for improved riding position
Willie & Max saddlebags for carrying STUFF

Bonehead Move of the Year:
Tangling with the gate arm in the parking garage at work (don’t ask)

Milestones reached:
Purchased first HD
First overnight trip in July
First girls-only trip in July
Most miles in a day, ever – 365 on July 23
Most hours on the bike in a day, ever – 12 on July 23

Best Day Riding:
Saturday, July 23 – awesome day!

Worst Day Riding:
No major mishaps this year… worst “day” was the whole month of September when I didn’t ride even ONCE til the 30th, for no good reason!

Prettiest new vista:
Hiway 6 & County Road F45 from Altoona to Newton through Colfax.

Locations visited:
Albert Lea, MN
Boone & Scenic Valley RR – Boone, IA
Clear Lake, IA
Livonia, MO
Newton, IA
Pella, IA (Cordova State Park Observation Park)