"There Are Signs Everywhere"

[murrayg]

That’s a line from the quirky movie I like, “Fools Rush In,” with Mathew Perry and Selma Heyak. Selma’s character see signs that they are to be together and Mathew’s character is too stupid to see any signs except at the end when he proclaims “there are signs everywhere,” and they live happily ever after.

 

Yesterday I had a signs to slow down ride. On June 24th a group of volunteers and I are hosting the 4th annual Cancer Road Challenge Poker Run and Bike Show. I was going to ride the route again to make sure that nothing has cropped up to spoil the expected 400 riders fun. The route is approximately 117 miles through a few of Arkansas' near famous country roads.

 

Sign one. A blue subcompact is parked adjacent to my side of the road. I don’t know if it is entering the roadway, parked or abandoned. Under the circumstances, I slow down. It turns out a guy was sitting in the car and after I pass him he continues to just sit there. Weird.

 

Sign two. I’m whistling along, (whistling is a moderate form of exuberant riding for me) and I drive into this lush green umbrella of shade. The temperature drops and so does visibility, but I think I see something shinny up ahead to my right. I slow down and it’s a good thing. A green mini van is creeping towards my roadway, from a dirt road. The van was almost totally camouflaged except for the wheels. I get on the brakes and so does she and we don’t have much drama.

 

This is a normally empty road. It takes a little bit to get back to whistling, but like a bad habit I pick up the pace and head for sign number three, but of course at this point I don’t believe in signs.

 

Sign three. I’m back to whistling along on Rt. 187 pass Beaver Lake Dam on my way to Eureka Springs. Rt. 187 loops back to Rt. 62 and usually is lightly traveled and it was also yesterday. Sweepers left and right and we are having fun until we come upon a green ( I know Green again) Subaru Outback doing 20 mph. When you’re doing 60-65 (that’s my story and I’m sticking with it) you can over come a car doing 20 rather quickly. I get on the brakes as I can’t pass do to oncoming traffic and lack of good sight lines. The driver doesn’t pick up the pace until he turns off 1 mile later. ARGHHH!

 

Sign four. I make my way through the nonsense that is Rt. 62 in Eureka Springs to go to Rock House Road, a little slip of a country road. Rock House leads to Rt. 221 a short (10 miles), glorious road that challenges me each time I ride it and I love this road. On Rock House I’m traveling at a much more moderate pace, because there is grit and stuff in the road occasionally and several dirt drive ways and a few tricky corners. I then have a near deer encounter. The deer materializes on my left on a sure collision course with the front left of the bike. I get full drama on the brakes, swerve and miracles of miracles, blow the horn at the same time, (I ride a 97 R1100RT and blowing the horn when you want takes a lot of practice. Many a time I’ve hit the blinker instead of the horn.) and the deer cuts in behind me. When my hear stops flip flopping around I check my bike’s clock and it’s 9:45 a.m. Now, I’m convinced, “there are signs everywhere.” I slow down and head for home.

 

Sign five. Less than ten miles from home, on county rd 40 I feel a shimmy. I hope its not another nail in the tire. I slow down but the shimmy seems to go away. I gas up and it returns so there is something definitely wrong. ARRRghGH! Fortunately, or another sign of sorts Bentonville BMW I s on county road 40. I pull in the dealership and the consensus is it doesn’t look good and that it could be the final drive. At 40k I replaced the final drive and now 34k later a potential for another. I don’t know what to think, but I’m beginning to think I can’t afford this quality BMW workmanship.

 

117 miles, three weird car encounters, a near deer strike and a possible failed final drive and up to the final drive issue I still had a blast, but it does get one to thinking.

[SageRider]

You mean (other than the final drive) this isn't normal???

[murrayg]

I know I'm spolied, but one or two weird things in a little 115 mile ride is what is normal, not five and certainly not deer.

[AZJerry]

I remember those Ozark roads. When I was attending the University, I drove those roads around Fayetteville. I was driving a Corvette and drove between Fayetteville and Batesville. I remember close encounters with chicken trucks. I seemed to meet them on curves and they were taking up more than half of the road.