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Links Page Member's TravelBlog DesmoReno Photo Album | |
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DesmoReno Member's TravelBlog
A place to share memories and stories of our adventures
"Ride" by Michael Dietrich 'michael Riding for me is an escape. The constant blur of the road, the scenery, that last final stretch to the horizon that never ends. Senses aware and finely tuned to the moment. All of the cumulative sensory inputs; the experience of the ride. Cogito Ergo Zoom: “I think therefore I go fast” in the singular, first person, carbon and titanium clad nomad. Today I’m riding. And this is a best ride. My surroundings are obscured at the edges of my peripheral vision, attention focused on the road ahead. This small stretch of road is famous for twisting, flowing geometry and there is a curve that I rush toward, pass, and am rushing toward again. Thoughts drift in and out of the yellow line blinking by, punctuated by the pulsing backbeat of the twin cylinder engine between my legs, yet another entity in this reality of sight and sound, metal meshing with metal at an impossibly fast rate, triumph of years of loving development, designers and artists and engineers working to produce this end result all so that I can Ride. And yet another rhythm. “Sunlight on chrome, the blur of the landscape, every nerve aware.” Music: the soundtrack written and composed for this moment of live production enters my head, abstract art with linear motion. “Drive like the wind, straining the limits of machine and man.” Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts. I just blurred by exit 83 where I would normally exit. I am now beyond the purpose of the trip and am now simply riding. Soon the sun is low on the horizon and casts its glow high on the surrounding hills, adding depth, a backdrop, a brightly lit scrim behind my stage. Continue to accelerate up a long hill and leave the last of the cars behind. “Shifting and drifting, mechanical music, adrenaline surge.” The road opens up a bit as the landscape is further darkened. I think of evolution, how this escape is necessary. People are trapped every day in a noisy, polluted, grinding conglomeration of traffic. No Freedom. No Escape. Not Riding, Commuting: honk! Screech! GET OUT OF THE WAY! More cars, wait your turn, yield, stop, no way out, follow this cars bumper and merge behind the other cars bumper to reach the destination and turn around and do it again. But later..... Back to surreality, turn, calm, lean right, lean left, twisty mountain road I will soon swoop back down, pull over, motor off, music up, contemplating going back. I think of the factors that go into making this, an “epic” ride. Most of the time it is not planned, it just happens this way. Tonight I dream of the Ride. Lovingly rendered in magnesium, titanium and octane. *Lyrics from "Red Barchetta" by Rush. Michael's Favorite (2-Day) ride: 
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