Knight's Valley lite

Seven people showed up for the January ride, only six would make the ride. Eric complained of sore ribs from a recent stack and threw the responsibility of having a great time under the lumens of the full moon on Shawn, Lindsey, Mike, Jim K. Sebastian and Sean Large. Sebastian rode a rental bike, which in itself was amazing, that the bike shop would rent to the Bikin' Fools. Sean Large managed to get parental leave from his expanded family to romp around in the night. Michel would be AWOL, something to do with a job performance review the next day. Well??? What could possibly affect one's attitude better than getting out with the fella's on a mission of moonlight madness?

Shawn relaxes by the fire

The ride started, as typical, at the Calistoga Inn with a pre-ride infusion of electrolyte therapy. The merriment began late in the afternoon and would continue into the bright night. Even though there was a cloud cover, the light was bright and adequate. There was plenty of light to help the lunatistas traverse the Sonoma County hillsides. On this ride only a few bovine brethren would join the group. The thundering herd of past rides was not present. There would be no bovine flanking maneuvers or moments of disaster dancing on the hooves of dozens of bad cows.

Sebastian soaking up the good energy

The dinner offering proved to be another delicious event. A semi, out of the way spot was located to build a raging fire that would cook the delightful, highly satisfying meal for the bikers. Several beef items were cooked to perfection while the few local cows looked on with some scepticism.

The ride produced no flats or problems with a minor exception that Shawn had with chain suck at the very end of the ride. He broke a spoke that did not prevent his finish. Lindsey finished so strong that he was able to etch a Sweat Angel into the pavement at the end of the ride. The pre-car shuffle made the return easy at the end of the ride. It was a subtle but significant ride. It maintained the spirit of adventure and the rewards of trekking into the special zone of the full moon.

Sean anticipates the adventure