Sunday, August 17, 2008

The Legend of the Ride Bell

An Article about the Ride Bell found on many bikes.

(source: www.volusiariders.com)

Here are some pictures from Google Images: (they come in different shapes and styles)

















The Gremlin Bell

Many of us have heard the story about Evil Road Spirits. They are little gremlins that live on your bike. They love to ride, and they’re also responsible for most of your bike’s problems. Sometimes your turn signals refuse to work; your battery goes dead, the clutch needs adjustment, or any of several hundred things that can go wrong. These problems are caused by Evil Road Spirits. Road Spirits can’t live in the presence of the bell, because they get trapped in the hollow of the bell. Among other things, their hearing is supersensitive, so the constant ringing of the bell and the confined space drives them insane. They lose their grip and eventually fall to the roadway. Have you ever wondered how potholes are formed? The bell has served its purpose. If you pick up a bell of your own, the magic will work, but if your bell is given to you, the power is doubled, and you know that somewhere you have a special friend helping to look after you. So, if you have a friend who doesn’t have a bell, why not give them one? It’s a nice feeling for the recipient to know you care. The bell, plus a good preventive maintenance program by the bikes owner, will help eliminate Evil Road Spirits.

Polishing the Bell
It has been a tradition among some of us for a long time to attach a brass bell to our motorcycles to remember our brothers and sisters who have gone down riding. It’s a small thing, but the reason a brass bell is chosen is that, as we ride, it gets dirty and tarnished. Every time we get down to wash and polish it, we are reminded of friends lost, and our thoughts turn to the meaning of being in the wind. As we ride and hear the bell ring, we know that our brothers and sisters are riding with us, and how easy it would be to join them with a single mistake. And maybe, just maybe, the next time a situation comes up; they will be there to help us...as long as we remember them by polishing the bell.

A Little Bit About Lockhart

Lockhart is a quintessential Central Texas town. You know the kind of old Texas charm that comes from the central square plan that seems to be all over this great state.


The Court house dominates
the square and is surrounded by various shops one containing a clock museum, and several antique and curio stores. (They also have a night club!)

The city began construction on August 15, 1893 and was completed in March of 1894. According to the city website, the court house’s interesting color scheme is a result of the limestone and Pecos redstone that makes up it exterior facade. The trim is not painted and is naturally the red color shown in our photos.




Originally built wi
th electrical services It did not have any indoor plumbing. The city later retrofitted the broom closets with bathroom fixtures. However, change always comes comes at a cost and the renovations were met with push back from the local judge.


“It is said that when the first water bill was received, the county judge was so shocked at the charges that he padlocked the restrooms.” ~Anon (City of Lockhart)












Lockhart is featured in several prominent films including one of my all time favorites “The Great Waldo Pepper” starring Robert Redford, and Susan Serandon.


Other films include: (List courtesy of the Lockhart Visitors website)

  • A Perfect World (Martindale, Texas)
  • A Slipping Down Life
  • A Small Town in Texas
  • Deadly Blessing
  • Deadly Family Secrets
  • Flesh and Bone
  • For the Love of Zachary
  • Hard Promises
  • Home Fries
  • Honeysuckle Rose
  • Living a Lie (The Unspoken Truth)
  • Ned Blessing (Caldwell County)
  • O'Dill and Evett Go to the Edge of the World (Luling, Tx)
  • Olympia
  • Raggedy Man
  • Resurrection
  • Rolling Kansas
  • Screen Door Jesus
  • Second-Hand Lions
  • She Fought Alone
  • Texas Justice
  • The Big Green (Dale, Texas)
  • The Getaway
  • The Great Waldo Pepper
  • The Faculty
  • The Newton Boys
  • The Only Thrill
  • The Red Headed Stranger
  • To Live Again
  • Tornado
  • Waiting for Guffman
  • Whats Eating Gilbert Grape
  • Where the Heart Is
For more information concerning Lockhart go to: http://www.lockhart-tx.org/web98/



Of Gremlins, Gravel Monsters, and Great BBQ!

Hi…My Name Is “K” and I have a BBQ problem! As most of you know our trips have a culinary destination, which wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have a navigator who is co-dependent and a conspirator in planning. So we usually end up "stuffed to the gills" trying to mount up to head home.

We’ve wanted to go to Lockhart for awhile but you know how it is…it’s one of those “I’ll get there sooner or later" destinations in your backyard. It’s kind of like the New Yorker that has never bothered to see the Statue of Liberty. So we were watching a late night Travel Channel show about BBQ and low and behold they featured Lockhart. “That’s it we’re going!”

Now that name may not mean much to the average person reading this blog but to Texans, Lockhart is the BBQ Capital of Texas by a 2003 resolution of the Texas Legislature.

There are 4 main BBQ places in town and we want to eventually sample each one.

Kreuz Barbeque Founded circa 1900(pronounced Crites, long i)

Blacks Barbeque Blacksbbq.com Founded 1932
Chisholm Trail Barbeque Founded 1978
Smittys Market Founded (unknown, probably the newest)

This is a basically simple trip…Oh wait a minute…this is supposed to be a simple trip. However, the simple things end up a little more complicated or hazardous than we’d like. Not to worry, nothing major happened, just a couple of OOOPS moments. You know, Gremlins the malevolent creatures that tortured WWII aircrews. They hide your gear, make things difficult, get you lost, make your bike breakdown, etc… We had our run in on this trip.

It’s my own fault “S” bought a Ride Bell to ward off these endearing creatures, but I’m so anal I couldn’t find the right spot to strap it on the bike. To break it down, the trip went something like this…

I made a u-turn and put my foot down on loose gravel and slipped but thankfully didn’t tip "S" or the bike over.

On the way home, “S” Lost one of her gloves so we had to backtrack and find it in a construction zone.

At one point, I felt “S” jerk and the bike shook, so I slowed and yelled back what happened. I received a sheepish “nothing” reply so off we went. I later found out “S” learned that even one inch of open visor can let rocks in. Apparently, a pebble pinged off of my helmet into her visor and homed in on her nose like a cruise missile. The sheepish reply was because her eyes were still watering.

Later we stopped for water and a map check. I went in to buy more water and an ice cream sandwich. I looked out of the store window just in time to see “S”, water bottle in hand tipped up into her face shield. Water gushed out of the bottom of her helmet as she involuntarily coughed! It’s one of those moments you wished for a video camera.

I walked out and sat down next to her opening our Ice Cream sandwich, calmly looked at her and stated something along the lines of “Tried to drink with your helmet on Huh?” She turned beet red “You saw that?” Yep! Classic!

All's Well That Ends Well!!!

We chose Black’s as our first choice as it is supposedly the oldest BBQ restaurant continuously operated by the same family since 1932. However, Kreuz’s restaurant has been in operation since 1900 but not by the same family. And so the BBQ Wars have raged on since at least 1932.

A word to the wise, don’t ask for BBQ Sauce at Kreuz’s…Black’s has it but they don’t like the idea that they had to start offering it…LOL










Black's was great! I had Pork Loin and
Turkey; “S” had Brisket and Sausage. The brisket was melt in your mouth tender, and the Pork Loin and Turkey was moist. Now the Sausage was in a league of its own. Often Sausage is so finely ground that it gets a texture kind of like spam. However, Black’s does it right! There are chunks of meat in the casing and the spices were perfectly balanced. Yes, we shared! One down, three to go!


Oh and one other thing! Even Jackalopes can't resist good Texas BBQ!










Lesson’s Learned:

1.) Eat at least a small Breakfast. (We wanted to save room for BBQ.)

2.) 183 South and the County Roads surrounding it are flat and not pretty.

3.) Watch where you put your feet down after a U-Turn Gravel is slick as ice.

4.) Keep your visor closed on rural roads.

5.) Gremlins know if you’ve been given a Ride Bell and haven’t put it on. (See Ride Bell Explanation)

6.) Most importantly, don’t try to drink out of a water bottle with your helmet on. !8-D

Larsenosters Where Are You?

We Miss You Guys!!!



Monday, August 11, 2008

Sometimes You Get Left to Your Own Devices

While “S” was in Anaheim I decided to strike out on my own. The start to this trip actually began on the weekend of the ROT Rally. Early on Saturday morning, before we went out to the Rally, we hopped on the bike to go eat breakfast at Las Manitas on Congress in downtown Austin. If you’ve never had breakfast there I highly recommend it.

Las Manitas

211 Congress Ave

Austin, TX 78701

(512) 472-9357


On the way I ran into a guy that was working on his BMW touring bike. I offered to help him out if he needed it and we struck up a conversation. He mentioned that he rode with a group of guys every Saturday and told me they link up at the corner of 360 and Bee Caves Road every weekend at 6:00 am to go riding. At “S’s” urging I got up early on Saturday (5:00 am) and headed out attempting to find the Hill Country group.

The cruiser purred underneath me while I cruised up and down Loop 360 at dawn. Repeatedly!


I never found the group.


Oh well, beautiful day on my own isn’t such a bad thing either! o, off I went. I headed back toward Pflugerville and ended up on a county road east of town.


I cruised along the lazy curves of the road lost in my own thoughts as I passed rows of corn and other crops. Only the Cows thought I was interesting enough to glance at me as I passed through the country side. I left them to their hay munching them my exhaust burbling the sweet song of the V-Twin engine.


I angled around a bend and came across a wooden church, gleaming brilliant white in the morning sun, its pointed steeple clawed at the morning sky. I pulled over, because I’m a sucker for historic markers, and grabbed my camera out of the tail bag.



All original! They don't make them like this anymore. In my mind I can picture the local town carpenter and people spending hours on this church. All of the decorative details and fine finish work is readily apparent in these photos. Check out the beautiful wooden pews. Chris and Kurt would love this place.


Of course no old church would be complete without beautiful stained glass windows. The morning sun shines directly through the glass casting a warm glow over every varnished surface. It gives you the feeling of warmth and beauty that beckons parishioners to go inside.

To bad the door was locked.

Behind the church is the original cemetery. You hardly see a church with its own Cemetery any more.

I also stopped to snap a few photos at the town community center. Rural areas are so neat. I noticed a lot of beer and soda cans out back so it's still in operation!

Another clue that they still use the Community Center is the energy conserving fluorescents. (Click on the photo to enlarge then look at the porch light ;-D)

ME!


Thursday, August 7, 2008

Why We Ride...


"K" came across this article and thought it came close to explaining why millions (including us) enjoy riding.
"Why We Ride..."

Here's another interesting article, I came across today!
"Naked Motorcycle Riding is Legal in Sweden..."