ATGATT (all the gear, all the time)

During lunch another rider from Taos, NM stopped in. He was on his way to Cleveland, and was a tour director for Aerostich tours. It was the multiple aerostiches in the parking lot which drew his attention to us.

After lunch we continued riding on the now wet roads. They were still very twisty and scenic, especially highways 213 and 52.

The rain was starting to 'float' the oils out of the road surface, so we were careful. Unfortunately one of the slick spots got Paul.

The combination of lean angle and suspected diesel spill contributed to a lowside which resulted in scratching the side of the VFR and some gear damage. Paul was not hurt, and the Honda fired right up. If you follow the photobucket link on top right side of this blog you can see the photos. The Aerostich knee was worn through but the underlying armor padding and plastic remain intact (his knee was the first to touch down). There was a small tear in his glove and when trying to stand up while still sliding his helmet tapped the ground. The gear did its job. This is why we wear all the gear all the time, because there are conditions we cannot control and an impact at any speed can be life-altering. Plus we don't want to leave our loved ones a vegetable.

The remainder of the ride through Kentucky's Natural Bridge area was wonderfully scenic and relaxed and we arrived safely at our hotel room. Then a guest staying at the hotel backed into Joe's ST1100, breaking the mirrors and an auxillary lamp. The driver was forthright about it.

Today we ride more great roads, 241 miles to Princeton, WV