Getting back on the road

Monday -- Martin Luther King Day -- dawned warm for a change. The thermometer read 42 degrees at sunrise, a contrast to more than three weeks of subfreezing overnight lows.

Some ice remained on our driveway but rain Sunday changed most of the rock-hard frozen tundra into a muddy mix of gravel and dirt so I suited up, backed the Super Glide out of the garage and fired her up, confident that I could make it down the steep driveway.

I made it and turned onto Sandy Flats Road, finding a hard-surfaced secondary road covered with water, mud and debris from the sometimes-heavy rain that fell on Saturday night and Sunday. Water and mud coated the bike as I negotiated the one mile stretch to Poor Farm Road, another secondary road also dotted with water and mud.

By the time I made it to U.S. 211, the Glide and the lower legs of my chaps looked like I had been dirt-biking but I found the main highway mostly dry as I turned south and headed to Floyd to meet friends for breakfast.

After breakfast at the Blue Ridge Restaurant in Floyd, I grabbed a cup of coffee at Cafe del Sol and pondered a route for the day's ride. The conditions on the secondary roads pointed to only one riding strategy: Stay on primary roads: Too much water, mud and debris on the other byways.

I needed to run some errands in Christiansburg so I headed north on Virginia Rte. 8. Some wet spots on 8 as well but mostly dry pavement. The glide carved through the corners and I enjoyed the sun and the first ride in more than a month.

At Christiansburg, I turned south on U.S. 11 and headed for Radford -- a pleasant 12 mile stretch of three-lane road. Just outside of Radford, a stretch of road where the sun doesn't reach offered some challenges.

From Radford, I turned onto Rte. 114 for a ride back to Christiansburg. Took care of errands and headed back to Floyd as the sun began to set and temperatures started to fall. My driveway had melted some more and the slick mud offered a end-of-the-ride thrill as I gunned the Glide and sent mud flying at the left-hand turn at the top.

Hosed the Glide off and put her away for the night. With luck I'll get a couple of more rides in this week before the weather turns cold and wet -- again.