2010 Laconia Prayer Ride

Admittedly, I was not well prepared for this trip. On Friday, the day before the ride, I installed a windshield on my bike. It was on my bike when I bought it, but I had taken it off because I hated how it looked. But, with a lot of highway riding ahead of me, it would be nice to have a windshield, I reasoned. Fortunately, I was smart enough to take a test ride with the windshield on Friday night, rather than waiting until the day of my trip to New Hampshire. The low windshield took the strain off my upper body alright, but caused so much turbulence on my helmet and goggles that I felt like a bobble-head, so I removed the shield.

Anna wanted to come on this trip, but, as of 9:00 Friday night, was unable to confirm a babysitter, despite trying for several days. Since this was a long trip, there was uncertainty as to when we would return to Rhode Island, so we decided she would sit this one out.

Saturday morning, I was off to a late start. I was slightly panicked as I rode alone to our first rendezvous point at the Lincoln Mall McDonald's, but I arrived in time. A group comprised of 10 members of our Romans 8 Riders chapter, plus some members of the Kingdom Kruzers chapter, rode up Route 146 north into Massachusetts, then on to Interstates 290, then 495, then 93 into New Hampshire, to our next rendezvous point at the Tilt'n Diner, in Tilton, N.H.

The weather was fairly warm and partly-to-mostly sunny, but windy, and after getting pelted with sand, I resolved to make a larger windshield my next upgrade. More so than wind, though, pollen was my nemesis. I forgot to take an antihistamine, so my nose and eyes constantly watered, and, every time we stopped, I had sneezing fits. Sue Caron even noticed that one of my eyelids was swollen.

Tilt'n Diner was where members of several chapters of the Christian Motorcyclists Association converged for lunch before riding to Laconia. I sat at the counter of the 1950s-style diner next to Ed Kershaw, who recommended the turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberry sauce. After finishing the sandwich, Ed told our waitress it was excellent. "It's just like Thanksgiving," he remarked.

"Without having to deal with the in-laws," I quipped, eliciting a laugh from Ed.

Tilt'n Diner sits at a busy intersection just off the highway, but police blocked traffic as our group of about 50 motorcycles left the diner. Police also stopped traffic at several intersections, making for a smooth ride to Laconia, where we parked at a Methodist church, just a short walk to Winnipesaukee Pier, where we formed two circles and prayed for God to prepare the hearts of CMA members and bikers who would be attending Laconia Bike Week next month. "Our best testimony as Christians is our witness what Jesus has done in our lives," one female CMA member said. After a briefing back at the church, the CMA chapters split up for their respective rides home.

Romans 8 Riders vice president Roland Caron wanted to see his son, Jeff, who was at a truck show at Hampton Beach, N.H., so we agreed to take a side trip there, instead of riding straight back to Rhode Island. We rode east on some scenic roads, and some congested roads. While we were stopped underneath an overpass, I couldn't resist revving my bike to hear the roar of the open pipes echoing. Manny's wife, Denise, turned around and smiled, and Bob Levesque said, "That sounds like Pastor Joe's pipes," referring to Joe's old Sportster, the Red Baron, which was prematurely retired after it was rear-ended by a car (Joe was okay). We also rode through some rotaries en route to Hampton Beach, an oceanfront resort town, where we had to stop and turn around a couple times before we found the location of the truck show, at a beach front state park.

After Roland's son met us in the parking lot, we rested in the beach pavilion and quenched our thirst with some sodas. No Romans 8 Riders road trip would be complete without a stop for lunch or dinner (today we had both), so our next major decision was where we would eat dinner. At first, the group decided on a seafood restaurant in Hampton Beach, but when we found it, it was apparently out of business. We then decided to get on the highway and stop at an Applebee's restaurant in Seabrook, N.H.

By the time we finished dinner, it was dusk. We decided to return on Interstate 95, but our group got separated in traffic on Route 128 before we were due to split off. Fortunately, the people in the group that was behind - Cameron, me, Bob Levesque and Ed - were riding into Rhode Island together anyway. After having had dinner and some coffee, I felt slightly refreshed, but my fatigue quickly caught up with me on the highway. My helmet felt heavy on my head, and the ride home seemed like it was taking forever. But once we reached the East Street exit in Dedham, Mass. (where my uncle lives), I knew where I was and had a reference point, which gave me a psychological boost. We caught a brief rain shower after exiting onto Interstate 95 in Norwood, Mass., but it passed quickly. The four of us rode to Interstate 295 south, where there was less traffic, and then Bob and Ed exited onto Route 14. Cam and I continued riding on 295 and then 95 south, exiting onto Route 138 in Richmond.

I arrived home after 10:30 p.m., having logged a total of 426 miles that day - my personal record to date. Plus, I get to add a new state to the small, but growing list of states I've ridden in (see the map at the bottom of my blog).

Northeast Motorcycle Expo

As winter starts to ease its icy grip on New England, and withdrawal symptoms from being unable to ride motorcycles start to become almost painful, mid-February is the perfect time for a little encouragement to let you know riding season is (hopefully) just around the corner.

On Saturday, I attended the Northeast Motorcycle Expo at the Bayside Expo Center in Boston, along with a few other Romans 8 Riders: Spike, our chapter president (on the right); Mike Chretien, road captain (center); Bob Levesque (on the left); and Duke Davies (not pictured).


This was my second year attending the show. When I went last year, I did not even own a bike, so it was very difficult to see dozens of used motorcycles for sale by Motorcycles of Manchester, which were displayed at one end of the building, knowing I could not afford any of them - even the more modestly-priced ones.

"That's where you got the bug last year, sitting on the bikes," Bob reminded me. But at this year's show, I was much more subdued, since I bought my dream bike - a 2002 Harley-Davidson Wide Glide - a few weeks ago.

At the Bruce Rossmeyer Harley-Davidson tent, where new and used Harleys were for sale, Spike - who would love to see an all-Harley CMA chapter - couldn't resist teasing Bob, who owns a Kawasaki: "C'mon ... they can sit you down and get you financed," Spike said.

Unlike last year, where we left the show with a bagful of catalogs and handouts, this year we left mostly empty-handed. We did, however, receive an unexpected blessing when a leather and boot vendor, Bruce from Myrtle Beach, S.C., turned out to be a fellow Christian. Noticing our CMA patches, Bruce quickly asked me, Bob and Mike what our favorite Bible verses were. Then he quoted Scripture and prayed with us, urging us to have a fruitful season sharing the gospel with other bikers, because he believes Jesus Christ's return will be soon. He prayed that God would give us a "double portion" of his Spirit.

"That man was on fire!" Mike exclaimed afterward about Bruce's enthusiasm for the Lord.

Walking around the expo center, we also saw several CMA brothers and sisters from other chapters, including the Kingdom Cruzers from the East Bay, R.I. area, as well as Buck West and Bill Hegenauer, CMA area representatives from northern and southern New England, respectively. Rindo Barese and his wife, from the CMA Blood 'N' Fire Warriors chapter, based in Dedham, Mass., also manned the CMA tent in the exhibit area.

Besides new and used stock motorcycles, the show featured custom motorcycles, including radical choppers with fat rear tires and long, raked forks with skinny front tires. If you had $48,449 burning a hole in your pocket, you could have bought a Boss Hoss motorcycle (the red bike), with an engine that looked like it could rival a Caterpillar diesel in size and power.

While I experienced sensory overload during last year's show, being brand new to the world of motorcycles, this year I was more jaded, I suppose. I wasn't looking for a bike, nor any accessories, and I already have riding gear. For me, it was all about the fellowship and spending time with my CMA brothers. And, no Romans 8 outing would be complete without a meal - this year, it was at Ponderosa steakhouse.

Random thoughts ...

Here's a few random tidbits that, individually, are not enough for a bona fide blog entry, but together, will do the job:

Roland's Prayer
My brother in Christ, and fellow Romans 8 Rider, Roland, who works in the construction industry, was recently laid off. During a praise report at our monthly meeting last night, Ro said that after getting laid off, he didn't pray for anything to do with money. Instead, he said he prayed for peace during his time out of work. (I thought that was really cool!) God has definitely answered his prayer, reported Roland, who added that he has been very content, at peace and often smiling. He has received the added blessing of being able to spend a lot of time with his son Jeff. After the meeting, I told Roland I really enjoyed the two days we spent painting at Bob's house, including our conversations, wisecracking and especially, his Three Stooges impersonations.

Priorities
Today, I spent six hours grinding a cement patio to help my friend Ben. My back was aching, so he offered me a Tylenol, but I declined. Ben, who is in early 60s, and I got into a conversation about our temperamental backs. I told him my back doesn't usually bother me when I'm standing, but mostly after I've been sitting or laying down, especially when I get up in the morning. "I suppose I should buy a new mattress," I told him. Then, without missing a beat, Ben (who used to own a Harley and knows I'm in the market for one) smiled knowingly and said, "But you'd rather buy a Harley."

Moving up
I recently decided I want to get a Big Twin Harley, instead of a Sportster, but if I was going to get a Sporty, there's a cool-looking 1200 Custom that's been for sale locally for about a month. It is customized with a Fat Bob gas tank and bobtail rear fender, which sets it apart from your typical Sportster. When I first spotted it on Craiglist, the owner was asking $5,200. The second time I saw the ad, the asking price was $5,000, and now it's down to $4,800. My friend Pat, who owns a 1995 FXDL, knows I'm looking to buy a Harley. I saw Pat at a meeting Wednesday night, and he gave me the phone number of a guy he knows who is looking to sell a bike. Turns out it is the same bike I've been watching on Craigslist. According to Pat, the bike's owner is selling the bike because he wants to move up to a Big Twin.