"I thought you'd be use to rides like that. It is, after all, about in your back yard!
[/quote]
Right, that's how I could see he was working too hard.
I notice I've slowed down lately- it takes a lot of energy to keep up the concentration it takes to stay full out all the time- especially on a public road. Too many folks in pick-ups and Buick Regals don't seem to care about yellow lines around here. (plus turtles, wild turkeys, snakes, dogs, etc in the road)
I noticed several sportbike riders racing around some of the roads with apparently no regard for safety. There always seemed to be one or two off to the side taking a break...
Turns out they all have radios. They take turns sitting in a turn-out and warn of traffic so they know when it's "safe" to roll it on in the wrong lane to pass fogies like me.