This past weekend a bunch of us from Bikers’ Church headed down to Hamilton, Ontario to support our friends in the launch of the newest Bikers’ Church in Canada. It was exciting to see the interest that was shown in the new church. Ken, the Hamilton Bikers’ Church pastor, believes he will see many new faces when they have their second service, this Thursday night.
Ever have one of those weekends where nothing could get you down? That’s what the Hamilton Trip weekend was like for me. It was great to see the guys in Hamilton excited and so proud to be seeing their church become a reality. It was also amazing to see the support from the seven guys who rode many hours to be their for HBC.
But as much as the HBC launch was great to see, the highlight of the weekend for me was hanging with some of the guys from Ottawa. We’ve talked for years about doing a “men’s ride” and finally we had a weekend where it was just guys heading out on their bikes. We laughed, we joked around, and we did a lot of riding.
Mind you, I was riding a “girl’s bike.” Instead of taking my Wide Glide, I decided to enjoy the trip in comfort and took Heather’s ElectraGlide. What a difference! Yes, her bike is eight years newer than mine. Yes, it has 160,000 fewer kilometers than mine. Yes, it’s a bagger with a full fairing and a stereo system. And yes, I’m ready to move on to a new bike!
On Saturday, we pulled out of the Hamilton area knowing that rain could hit at any moment. Sure enough, half an hour into our ride home, the rain started. And it came in buckets. All day long. We decided to take the scenic route home, and rather than six hours of riding in the rain, we ended up riding a little over ten hours. And no, I didn’t bother with my rain gear.
But what a difference riding the ElectraGlide instead of the Dyna. It took much longer to get soaked right through to my skin. And even at my wettest, I still loved the comfort of the big bike.
I also loved the attitude of the guys riding with me. Every time we stopped, we’d laugh at how wet we were. We’d joke about the trip. We made light of the crappy day. After all, if you’re going to ride, you might as well accept that you’ll ride in rain from time to time. The best part of all was that we did it together.
It’s funny, but there are times when I love riding alone. My road trip was amazing because I did it at my speed, my way, my timing, etc. Sure, it would have been great to have Heather with me, but for the most part, it was great taking the trip on my own.
However, there are also times when there is nothing like riding in a group. Especially a group of guys that you trust, respect, appreciate, and yes, love. Guys you care deeply about.
That was the kind of weekend I had.
So, congrats to Hamilton at the launch of your Bikers’ Church. Thank you Heather for allowing me to spend the weekend in comfort. And thumbs up to the guys who made the trip so perfect, even in the rain. And Bruce, please don’t ever leave a can of Pam on an open flamed stove.
