Member Contributer PhatPat33 Posted September 23, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 23, 2007 CATSKILL THRILL A Pre Ride on the Wild Side It all started when SEBSPEED decided to host his fellow North East Vifferisti to a day in his backyard. Lucky for us, Seb's back yard is none other than the Catskill Mountains in Eastern New York. Through feedback from the Nor'Easters, October 6th, 2007 was decided for this year's Annual Fall Catskills Ride. I, unfortunately, can't make it that day, but Seb said something about a "pre-ride" on Sept. 22nd. Seb was planning on pre-riding the route to make sure that the group ride would work out. There were some new roads that he hadn't been on and he wanted to check them out. Well, I jumped at chance to finally meet up with Sebastian and get a tour of some his favorite back roads. For me, the day started out at home, in Central Massachusetts. I would have about a 2 1/2 to 3 hour ride to get to the start of the ride off of exit 21 I-87. The morning was a comfortable 64F and I used my liner in my jacket to keep warm. I also made sure to say good bye to my fans (aka, my cousins three dogs) The ride out there was pretty uneventful as I slabbed I-90, aka the Masspike, west towards New York. I jumped off of the Mass pike at exit 2 and rode Rt. 23 over the New York border and to the meeting spot. It was nice coming through the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Some of the foliage has started to change already. Next, I crossed the Rip Van Winkle bridge in Catskill, NY, where I would meet up with Seb. He was just pulling into the lot when I rode in behind him. We shook hands did a little tire kicking and tanked up with gasoline. Seb has a nicely set up, red Gen 6 with Ohlins suspension, grip heaters, throttle lock, etc. etc. and some sweet sounding 'Tunes coming from the rear. My custom gut (thanks KK and Lobster for the instructions) and his tunes sounded great in harmony together We left the gas station and made our way to the first fun road of the day. Seb, being the local and growing up, made mince meat of the turns. His side cases were nearly scraping in the turns as I watched sparks fly from his pegs.... YES, EVEN DURING THE DAY! I just kept thinking to myself as I watched him pull away from me, "damn, I wanna ride like that!" The whoopie-doos on one stretch of pavement had his front end lofting up and down like a yo-yo. My front end came up barely a little.... nothing like his though! It was quite entertaining to watch. (You all will definitely see what I mean on Oct. 6th). We carried a very nice spirited "pace" through most of the day. THANKS FOR WAITING UP FOR ME, SEB! As we were moving along, we were passing a few farms when.... HOLY COW!!!! Holy Cow! Seb's udderly amazing new friend Holy Cow!!! The cow paced us down the road and then eventually let us through. We also saw turkey, deer and a bunch of squirrels. The Catskills are alive with lots of wildlife, so paying very close attention was important. Rt 23 gave us this amazing view, which I'm sure will be a great spot for a VFRd group photo. Seb says that from this spot on a clear day, you can see Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and, of course, New York. A 5 State View... absolutely amazing. (Watch for tar snakes on this road) Seb showed me some more back roads which had me smiling from ear to ear in my helmet. He even showed me how to aim your headlight into the air to warn birds that he was coming :wheel: Most of the roads were Seb's favorite stomps. From there, we cruised some great twisties up the mountains along 23A, nice sweepers of 214, and finally to Phoenecia, our lunch stop for the day. We ate at a great restaurant called Brio's. We watched bike after bike ride by, checked out the local scenery and talked bikes. When lunch arrived, my jaw dropped... Check out this burger!! Before: After: My plate is the clean one.... Okay, so I'm a fat kid From lunch, we rode into Woodstock, NY. Yes, the one that is famous for the music back in 1969. The only thing is, "Woodstock" was actually held in Bethel, NY... not Woodstock. There were some interesting shops and lots of "groovy" people walking around. Give peace a chance, Seb We left Woodstock, feeling much more peaceful, not knowing what the next road looked like. I'm going to put this on record now and say, on October 6th, the people on the ride are going to be "laughing in their helmets" over the end of the road. I'm not going to spoil it, but it is F-U-N, FUN!! Coming down into the reservoir area, Seb showed me some amazing views of the causeway and some more great corner carving roads. Nice Noses SEBSPEED (Red) and PhatPat33 (Silver) at the parking lot by the Ashokan reservoir The route of the ride ended and I followed Seb through some more of his backroads back to Leeds. It was about 4:30 and I had a 2 1/2 to 3 hour ride back home, so we shook hands and parted ways. Thanks for showing me your back yard, Seb. It truly was a "Catskill Thrill" for me. I rolled 474 miles today. Cheers :beer: -Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer thx1139 Posted September 23, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 23, 2007 When lunch arrived, my jaw dropped... Check out this burger!! -Pat Pat, you really know how to hurt... -Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 Thanks for showing me your back yard, Seb. It truly was a "Catskill Thrill" for me. I rolled 474 miles today. Cheers :wheel: -Pat You're welcome Pat, I'm glad I finally got to meet you! Thanks for posting up the pics, I'm regretting not taking any of my own, but as you know I wasn't feeling 100%. I'll try to rig my cam up on the bike for some action shots on the 6th... :thumbsup: BTW, that first pic at the lookout was Rt. 23, not 28. The tar snakes shouldn't be an issue in a couple weeks, unless we get more unseasonably warm weather. And, oh boy, are the rest of you guys definately in for a treat on the 6th!! Hey-o!! LOL!! LMAO, bird-watching! :lol: The Catskill's #2 attraction, right next to leaf peeping! See you next time Pat, keep me posted next time you come back. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer NorthernVFRDave Posted September 23, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 23, 2007 Only a $2 tip? thanks for making VFR rides look cheap :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 Only a $2 tip? thanks for making VFR rides look cheap :P The tip is like a VFR... there's more to it than meets the eye... :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rivcyko Posted September 23, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 23, 2007 LOL. Now THAT'S a burger! I was more into Sebs Hair. Get a hair cut, 'ya hippie. LOL,.... Been lose'n weight? Look'n pretty fit, sir. Cool report. Glad the wildlife didn't put the kabosh, on you guys. The force will be with you,...always. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 LOL. Now THAT'S a burger! I was more into Sebs Hair. Get a hair cut, 'ya hippie. LOL,.... Been lose'n weight? Look'n pretty fit, sir. Nah... the big hair throws my proportions off... makes me appear slimmer... :wheel: Tell ya what, that cow was a big surprise for me! I came over a hill coming out of a real nice right-left chicane-type road section, only to slam on the brakes because of what appeared to be a late model Taurus driver conversating with the cow! No, really! The car was stopped, the cow had it's nose close to the window, and I could swear that in the split second that I spent assessing the situation I saw the driver's lips move... lol. I was like, well, while you're saying hello, could ya tell it to get the heck out of my way!?! :lol: That's a Greene County traffic jam for ya... The burger was kickass, I just started eating again earlier today... :beer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dr.toto Posted September 24, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 24, 2007 Thanks, guys. Nice day report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer solohvs Posted September 24, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 24, 2007 OK, I ran through the photos pretty fast, but it looks like you came across a cow in the middle of the road and then ATE it for lunch? Whoa - that was a serious ride? I guessing that for the REAL Catskills ride on the 6th at least one of us should bring pickles, kaiser rolls, lettuce, tomato and.... a grill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer PhatPat33 Posted September 24, 2007 Author Member Contributer Share Posted September 24, 2007 Pat, you really know how to hurt...-Chris Chris, this burger was right up your alley. Make your way to Brio's in Phoenicia, NY. They have a menu that not even you could finish eating. Thanks, guys. Nice day report. Glad you liked it, Doc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer PhatPat33 Posted September 24, 2007 Author Member Contributer Share Posted September 24, 2007 OK, I ran through the photos pretty fast, but it looks like you came across a cow in the middle of the road and then ATE it for lunch? Whoa - that was a serious ride? I guessing that for the REAL Catskills ride on the 6th at least one of us should bring pickles, kaiser rolls, lettuce, tomato and.... a grill? Solo, It would have been nice if you could have come with us yesterday. We actually had our choice of beef, venison :deer: , or turkey along the way. The cow was the most convenient as it blocked the road :wheel: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer PhatPat33 Posted September 24, 2007 Author Member Contributer Share Posted September 24, 2007 And, oh boy, are the rest of you guys definately in for a treat on the 6th!! Hey-o!! LOL!!LMAO, bird-watching! :lol: The Catskill's #2 attraction, right next to leaf peeping! See you next time Pat, keep me posted next time you come back. :thumbsup: I just typed that name of the "secret" road into google... Bob Dylan used to live on that road! Thanks again, Seb. I can't wait to get back there. BTW, are you sure that isn't a 1000? Also, it's time you finally went east and checked out the Berkshires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer chaoslost200 Posted September 24, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 24, 2007 Thanks for the wonderful little tour of my childhood home. I've never ridden my bike up there but used to love the twisties in my Prelude in high school. Next time you head up that way you should ride the Hawk's Nest out to Port Jervis NJ. Its a great ride and isn't too far from the Woodstock site in Bethel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 Thanks for the wonderful little tour of my childhood home. I've never ridden my bike up there but used to love the twisties in my Prelude in high school. Next time you head up that way you should ride the Hawk's Nest out to Port Jervis NJ. Its a great ride and isn't too far from the Woodstock site in Bethel. I think I'm gonna check that out, thanks! Many more pics to come after the 'real' ride in two weeks. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 OK, I ran through the photos pretty fast, but it looks like you came across a cow in the middle of the road and then ATE it for lunch? Whoa - that was a serious ride? I guessing that for the REAL Catskills ride on the 6th at least one of us should bring pickles, kaiser rolls, lettuce, tomato and.... a grill? Us New Yorkers don't mess around... the right saddlebag folds out into a hibachi; condiments and 'tools' on the left... :wheel: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 I just typed that name of the "secret" road into google... Bob Dylan used to live on that road! Cool! I'll have to look that up myself, for future reference. BTW, are you sure that isn't a 1000? You know, ya got me thinkin. Maybe the dealer lied to me and that's the real reason I keep scorching the edges of my tires, lol. :wheel: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer AvalonRacing Posted September 24, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 24, 2007 Nice write up PhatPat. I love it up there, it makes me wish I wasn't so far away. I expect to see some really great images from the 6th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BonusVFR Posted September 24, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 24, 2007 Great pics! Thanks. Seb likes Burgers? Maybe we need a road kill thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer solohvs Posted September 24, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 24, 2007 Now I can't wait to ride with you guys. The photos were fantastic and the weather seemed to be perfect! I have 29th and 30th to myself and I have a map of the local roads so I might ride both weekends. Just waiting on someone at work to step up and take my Saturday assignments so I can sneak off and ride. I have all my Sundays and Mondays off... so that doesn't help much with a Saturday. A HONDA barbeque grill? Christ they make lawnmowers, generators and marine products - it seems like a natural market to expand into. Ahhhhh... check the ground wire on that new Honda grill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer skuuter Posted September 24, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 24, 2007 Great ride report and pics......looks like you and SEB had a great ride............ :thumbsup: :warranty: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 27, 2007 Share Posted September 27, 2007 Thanks for the post and pics! Watch out for the cows. An Oregon rider died Monday night when he hit one after dark. Black angus on the road. How is that legal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 27, 2007 Share Posted September 27, 2007 The cow picture is screaming. Me myself and Irene! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 The cow picture is screaming. Me myself and Irene! Just moved it to the top of my netflix queue. don't think I've seen it before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Bent Posted October 2, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted October 2, 2007 The cow reminds me of the night my Sweetie and I were on a two lane road in Missouri at night, pouring down rain, and barely missed smacking a BUFFALO standing in the middle of the road. No, we had not been drinking and there are a lot of buffalo raised in Mo. Fortunately we slowed down enough to see it and go around it. There was no going through it. :warranty: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 The cow reminds me of the night my Sweetie and I were on a two lane road in Missouri at night, pouring down rain, and barely missed smacking a BUFFALO standing in the middle of the road. No, we had not been drinking and there are a lot of buffalo raised in Mo. Fortunately we slowed down enough to see it and go around it. There was no going through it. :blink: Wow! :blink: I tried to get around the cow, but it kept cutting me off!! So I ate it for lunch. :goofy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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