Tail Of The Gecko

The Tampa Bay Riders Club schedule rides twice monthly.  Attendance is rather sparse for an area wide biking group in my estimation, but I suspect there are reasons for this.  It may just be that if you ride a Harley, you partake in the rides organized by Harley riders.  Perhaps you just have a group you ordinarily ride with, or maybe your preference is to ride solo.  Me, I don't mind either way, and besides, this group gives me an opportunity to ride around the area without having to come up with an itinerary by myself.  The rides are usually 120-150 miles with various destinations.  We've gone to museums, festivals but mostly restaurants.  Nice group of guys and I enjoy their camaraderie.  I call them the Geezers with Goldwings.

We always meet at Barney's which is a Yamaha dealership in north St. Petersburg.  From where I am it is about 15 minutes away using the Interstate.  One member comes from Tarpon Springs which is about 40 minutes away and another comes from Brandon, which is 35 minutes away, so they have had a good ride before we even get started.   

The usual smattering of bikes intermingled with the geezer Goldwings.

The itinerary is always the same:  A fun route to somewhere special (festival, museum, great restaurant) in a group, then everyone is on their own coming back.  Since I don't know the area and avoid Tampa, I try to latch onto someone on the way back, but sometimes that doesn't happen so I navigate the way home as best I can.  With smartphones, you may get lost but you are not lost for long.  And I don't do Tampa, although we have ridden through as a group.

Beautiful scenery today as we are taking the Tail of the Gecko route from the Born To Run magazine, page 62, which is available free online.  Lions. 

The run starts around San Antonio, winds through Fade City, Floral City and up to Inverness.  Along the way we went through St. Leo and drove by their monastery and university, home of the Fighting Lions.  Somehow, you'd think it should be the Fighting Friars, or the Maniacal Monks.  Lions seems so ordinary.  I mean how many universities can boast a bunch of monks walking around?

Okay, so the Tail of the Gecko doesn't have 318 curves like the world renowned Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina, but it is picturesque and rideable year-round.

Good roads and lots of horse farms.

Lonely dead tree in an empty field.

Hey, look! I can take pictures behind me, too.

Are these Spanish Oaks?  Hmmm.  Dunno, but pretty.

Yes, it takes some dexterity to manage picture taking and driving a motorcycle.  Risking life and limb for my loyal readers.  

Only way this could be better was if it was my homies up North I was riding with.

Piss poor picture but this was a stop halfway along the route.  It is a gas station and convenience store, with bikes parked all around the place.  Must have been a hundred or more bikes taking a break from their riding.  Most appeared to be the sport bike variety.

The Beast parked next to a flaming Honda.

This strange looking bike was parked along the pit stop and had to get a picture.  

Frankly I'm more a of a traditionalist with bikes, so this one seems more of a novelty that a true cycle.  But still, might be a nice comfortable ride, what do I know?

There's our group parked amongst the many other bikes partaking in a nice Sunday ride on the Tail of the Gecko.

There's an old Geezer on his Goldwing.  This is Bill and Shirley on their Goldwing.   Just arrived for the winter after summering in New "Hampsha".  They put 12,000 miles on their bike this summer.  They ferried it up to Canada and rode all over Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. He's about 85 and rides like a bat out of Hell.  Old Coot's fearless.

TOMORROW PART 2.