Went for another ride!

The temp hit 49 so off I went! I put on some thermals and some leather and then I pulled the cover off of the bike. I stayed in town but had a really nice ride. The rain we received this week did a really nice job of cleaning the sand off of the roads. I cruised by my folks old place and then went around the lakes.

We received a bit of bad news this weekend. I've been coaching youth sports for roughly 12 years. During that time I've worked with a lot of kids including my own. There's one young lady who has been very special to me. She came to me as a "special needs" child my first year coaching girls softball with my daughter. I had met her through the schools and she had opened up to me the first time she'd met me which I guess was very rare at the time. She was attending a school designed to work with kids in her position. Well, this young lady turned out to be one of the top players in our league and she fell in love with the game.

From that point forward, her folks insisted she play for me as she responded well to my coaching style. Her success in softball really seems to have helped her make some adjustments in her life. This young lady is roughly 12-13 now and I had the chance to coach her for 5 years. The only thing special about her these days is her softball skills and the place she holds in my heart.

Her father passed away on Christmas Eve at the age of 43. I got to know he and his wife pretty well during those 5 years. They are really good people and they always put their children first which I respect a great deal. This fellow was 43 years old and has left behind two beautiful daughters and his wife. What a shame to have passed so young.

During my ride yesterday I passed their house. I though about stopped but simply passed. I ended up turning around and heading back to let the family know my wife and I were thinking of them. I only got to see the two girls and the oldest was really having a tough time. I wish there was a way to remove this child's pain!

Anyway, sorry to get depressing but I wanted to share this with everyone. Please keep this family in your prayers, I'm sure they'll need it...

Ride safe!

Ian

Quotable quotes

I was looking at a custom bike recently and when the owner was asked what his inspiration was he said "it's not an inspiration, it's an addiction" which leads me to one other quote that we have all heard regarding riding and why we do it...."if I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand."

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and here's hoping we all have a great New Year.....for riding!!!

Sportster for sale in OK...

Here's a quick follow-up to my post on the ride in OK. The custom Sportster I rode in Oklahoma City is for sale. If anyone is interested in learning more about it, be sure to contact me via the website and I'll put you in touch with the owner. It was a really nice bike and went down the road quite well. There's not much left original on it as it's been completely re-done.

Ian

Wishing for sun...

Here we are, December 16, 2007, and I'm already wishing for some warm weather! We just received our second pounding of snow in the last week in addition to a couple of recent ice storms. Funny story though, we were just at a Christmas party the other night with some friends, and a fellow was telling me that when he was plowing his driveway after the last storm, he'd seen two odd lights coming up the street across the way. Upon further investigation he realized it was two motorcycles out for a late storm ride. The crazy part is we had been hammered with about a foot of snow!

Oh well, here's hoping for a nice day before Christmas so I can take a little ride!

Merry Christmas!

Ian

Riding last Sunday!

OK, it was a short ride but we couldn't resist. The temp was in the high 40's so we mounted the steel horse and hit the road for a little while. We stayed in town but it was sure nice to be on the road for a little while!

Springfield Motorcycle Show January 18-20, 2008

Hey, it looks like we will have a booth at the Springfield Motorcycle Show this year! Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Wishing you a merry Christmas!

Hey folks, we just wanted to wish everyone a merry Christmas! Here's hoping for great riding weather next year!

Ian and Christine

Going to Oklahoma!

I'm heading off to Oklahoma to spend some time with a new customer down there. The owner of the company is generously allowing me to ride his "older" Sportster while I'm down there!!! How exciting, December riding in reasonable weather... I'm looking forwarding to riding around the area down there and seeing what there is to see. I'll share some photos and any nice rides I discover while I'm there!

Check back this weekend for some updates!

Ian

A late fall ride!

That's right, the temp was pushing 50 around lunch time (OK, maybe that's being generous)yesterday so we couldn't resist. The wife and I bundled up, jumped on the bike and hit the road for a little while. We cruised up into the "hills" stopping at the Granville General Store for some of their famed store made cheddar cheese (it's worth the ride). We met a couple of great folks, Terri and Paul. Both are locals. Paul was riding a beautiful Victory and used to ride with Terri's husband Ernie, who I learned passed away from cancer not too long ago. I guess Terri has never ridden herself, but has been seriously considering it. We let her jump on Christine's V-star 650 to "try it on for size". Nice fit! Hope to see her on the roads next year!

We fired up the bike and headed down Route 189 into Granby, CT and finished a nice little loop back to the house. It was a little cool, but a perfect day for a short ride! Any excuse to get on the road...

- Ian

Welcome to Cool Bike Rides!

Welcome to our blog. Please keep it clean but feel free to use this to share your riding experiences with others. We'd like to keep this something you wouldn't mind your kids reading! If you have any questions please contact me directly at icreswell@coolbikerides.com. Also, visit our website at www.coolbikerides.com!

I hope to see you on the road soon!

Ian