Oh my - just a bit of an adventure today.
Nothing profound here, but you may enjoy the trip (more than I did probably).
Started out a bit earlier than usual - 5am. Usually on Friday I'm outta the house at 6am to meet the guys for breakfast, but today needed to do some chores since the wife is out of town (feed the dogs, etc.) Runnin' late, per usual.
Now- I've always been of those "
ride the bike unless there is a REAL good reason not to " riders - and in Colorado - you have to take it when you can get it - so I headed out the door ready to ride. Bit cold (45), been raining, but looks okay now. Supposed to rain today, but not till later and I'm only going to be in town till 10am - then back home to work from home rest of the day. Besides - it's Colorado - not Seattle - never rains for that long here - I'm a native, so I should know - yeah right. (Course, it's not raining now.)
Headed down the canyon - 'bout 1/2 to the breakfast joint and the rain starts.
Oh well, not that much, my riding jacket is water proof unless it really rains.
Jeans, yeah - well - they dry. Gloves too - and I'm pretty much water proof.
Breakfast - great - but look outside, it's raining harder. Oh well - just across town to the office, then inside till 10 and then home. Its only about 18 - well okay 21 - miles home from the office, so no biggie. Slight worries about the electrical system. Remember my "Will I make it home today (Battery)" post - well - still haven't chased that down.
Oh yeah - and there is no gasket on the point cover - but no points either.
Off to the office. Raining harder
Get there - kinda wet - but okay.
Switched to reserve - so remember to get gas on the way home.
10am. Done. Head out. People coming in the building at the office are kinda lookin' at me funny carrying the helmet and saddle bags.
Wimps!
Oh man - it's raining
hard out and it's pretty darn cold (48 degrees). Clouds on the deck - puddles and water running everywhere.
Better think about routes. Probably need to stay kinda on the back roads - don't really want to get out on the highway - foggy, poor visibility, raining, roads are wet and puddled, and people driving fast (hope those Metzlers stick) - nah - I'll take the "in town" route.
Down the street to Horsetooth, around that new roundabout (watch that nice pretty slippery concrete at the crosswalks). Pull in to Conoco and filler-up. 3.01 gal, 153.2mi on the clock - looks like 50MPG to me.
Head on out - raining hard, visibility poor, wishing for a fairing or windshield.
Man - that traffic - why do people drive stupider when it is bad than when it is nice?
Brakes - work kind of.
Tires stickin' - mostly.
Brrr.
Cross College Ave, headed west - traffic thinnin' out - cool.
Turn right on Taft - headed to Drake, watch that painted cross walk...
Hmmm.... clutch felt a little funny there.Nah - just cold wet hands.
Out of traffic, start thinking about other stuff. Hmmm - been running slow, using high beam - worried about electrical, better drop it down a couple gears and keep the RPM up. DON'T need a dead battery now.
Down to 5th (yeah - I was in 6th - feels warmer when in a high gear ya know)
Then to 4th
Sqeeze the clutch for 3rd -
CRUNCH 
DAMN - The clutch cable just went. That's what I felt back at that corner.
Thinkin' hard now - I can ride this thing with no clutch - but I'd better not stop! How many stops between here and home?
First problem - the left turn light at Drake and Taft - it is red. The straight ahead is also red and blocked and the left turn lanes go first anyway. What to do?
Nobody behind me - drop it down to 2nd and creep along - hopin' I can time the light and the cars at the light move.
Gettin' close - no go!
Try for neutral! - damn - 1st - kajunk - stopped.
Now what? Back to neutral - start the engine (glad I put that new starter button in last weekend).
Here's the plan - nobody behind me - light changes, get some "foot" momentum up and jamb first (cross fingers).
Here we go - push, waddle, waddle, - grab 1st - dies.
Reflex -
stab the starter button. It cranks in gear (don't think it is supposed to - good thing it is old and it either doesn't have an interlock on the clutch - or it doesn't work) and I'm off.
Now - got lucky once, but multiple lights and stop signs between me and home.....
Unless I ride Horsetooth.
Longer, colder (altitude), still raining hard, lots of corners, steep, dirt/sand washing on road, but no traffic and only 1 stop sign between me and home - and I can run it.
Do it - left turn - up the hill and over the dam
Well - the rest is just a cold, wet, ride - with no clutch of course
Made it home - soaked and wet, but in one piece and
with the bike 
. Didn't have to call anybody to come rescue me.
Got a new clutch cable ordered - the bummer is it is OEM only - so it will be several days before I can ride again.
Yeah - that old bike can surprise you.
But one of them new fancy ones - hey - ya didn't see them on the road today (too purdy to get dirty
I suppose).
BTW - Don't tell the wife - she'll just tell me how stupid I was for trying to ride the bike today anyway..... She doesn't ride - so she just doesn't get it....
BG
