Newsletter for May, 2000

Letter from the Prez…

At the Wanderers’ September meeting, nearly the entire agenda was devoted to discussion on whether the Wanderers should or should not remain a charted chapter of the Virago Owner’s Club. I must say that I was extremely impressed with the varied opinions and reasons given by the 18 club members who were present to engage in this discussion. I’d like to expressly thank you all for your patience and cooperation in allowing each other to voice their concerns, and also for sharing your thoughts with the rest of us. I think this was a very healthy and productive exercise, and I’m pleased that it went so smoothly.

Many of you have asked, and I have given my opinion on the issue. But the one thing I have tried NOT to do is persuade anyone else to change their opinion, or solicit votes on one side or the other. I have not even committed myself as to how I will vote. As your President, I feel that I should assist in giving direction to our club and help to make it an organization in which we can all be proud of and enjoy. But in this particular matter, I think the decision we are faced with should come from each of you, not from any pressure or persuasion from the elected officers. As I have said in the past, this is your club and it should be what you want it to be.

The discussions yielded many different viewpoints and reasons of why we should or should not remain with the VOC. And I can honestly say that I did not hear anything that did not have valid reasoning. To those of you who were not able to attend, I can only say that it is unfortunate that you missed the opportunity to participate in defining the direction the Wanderers will take from here. In any case, I urge each and every one of you to seriously consider the arguments and opinions expressed over the past several months. Obviously you are a member of the Wanderers because you are receiving something which you consider to be a benefit to you. Now you need to ask yourself the question, “How will that benefit be affected if we withdraw from the VOC?”

During our next meeting on October 18, we will be taking a vote to decide the issue of whether to remain with the VOC or withdraw our Charter. For those of you who cannot attend, a proxy form is on the last page of this newsletter – this will allow you to vote by proxy. Whichever way you feel on this issue, please do NOT be apathetic and withhold your vote. Your opinion counts. A majority (51%) of our registered members must be in agreement in order to change our charter. Not voting will have the same result as a vote not to change.

Whichever way the decision goes, I have every confidence that we all will remain friends and share in the same values which have kept us together and growing as a family of riders.

Sincerely,

Ron Growel

President, Wanderers of San Diego

· Steve Laszko Benefit Ride Update

As you will see, a good portion of this newsletter is dedicated to the Steve Laszko Benefit Ride. A lot was written and since this was a Wanderer’s event, I wanted to make sure everyone got to see everything. Editor

· Copy of the Article in the North County Times (before the ride)

Fallbrook's Laszko trying to fight back from paralysis

CLIFF KIRKPATRICK
North County Times

Racing can be fun to do and watch, but it has a down side. Injuries and fatalities are a part of motorsports every competitor must address before heading onto the track. When tragedy strikes, it leaves family and friends to step in with help.

Steve Laszko of Fallbrook, one of the area's top motorcycle road racers, knew the dangers of his sport. He still loves it and hopes to ride again, even though he's paralyzed from the neck down. Laszko was practicing for an AMA Supersport 600cc race on May 6 at Sears Point Raceway when he slowed to go around a rider. However, he was clipped. He fractured his neck and bruised the spine, which caused immediate paralysis.

In the three months since the accident, Laszko has seen some improvement while spending time in three intensive care facilities, according to his brother and teammate Bob Laszko. ``We've been told that there is a two-year window to expect movement to come back," Bob said. ``I've even seen it come back six years later in other people. We have all the hope he's going to make a full recovery. You have to stay positive. With experimental procedures and medicine getting better every day, it's a realistic goal."

Three weeks ago, Steve was moved to a rehabilitation center in Denver to begin the six-month process of trying to regain motion. Bob said tests have shown the possibility of being removed from a respirator soon.

``We are hoping he can breath on his own," Bob said. ``That would go a long way in improving the quality of life." Bob stays at his brother's side in Denver and is involved with the therapy. Their Aramel Racing team has been put on hold this season, but Steve wants the operation to restart next year with his help from the sidelines.

Steve has been in a serious race-related accident before that knocked him into a coma for three weeks. He knows how to recover and get back into competition. ``He's tough and he has the attitude," Bob said. ``He wants to get on a bike, but I don't think it's realistic to be racing at that level again. His neck's range of motion has been hampered with some fused vertebrae."

Help for Laszko

The Wanderers motorcycle club has organized a three-hour charity ride for Laszko's Rehabilitation Fund to help pay for the cost of the rehabilitation. The charity ride will be Sept. 10 and go through the foothills of Ramona and Rancho Bernardo.

All types of motorcycles are welcome. Registration begins at 8 a.m. on the day of the event, with a cost of $10 per person, at the parking lot on the corner of Kearny Mesa Road and Topaz Way. Members of the Laszko family plan to be there and participate in the ride. ``We are going to have a bunch of people out there and have some fun for Steve," Bob said.

· Copy of the Article in the Fallbrook Village News (before the ride)

Poker run to benefit Steve Laszko's medical rehabilitation

Joe Naiman

Village News Correspondent

Friends of the Laszko family have scheduled a poker run September 10 to raise funds for Steve Laszko's rehabilitation expenses.

About 30 members of the Wanderers Motorcycle Club will be volunteering their time for the poker run, and a significant turnout from various motorcycle clubs throughout the county is expected.

"I expect it to be a huge turnout based on the phone calls and e-mails I've been getting," san Don Presten, one of the organizers of the poker run.

A poker run is a motorcycle event in which participants receive five cards at various locations. The first card is received at the starting point, the fifth card is received at the destination, and three cards are received at stops along the way. Prizes are given for winning hands, and raffle prizes may also be a part of the poker run.

The poker run September 10 begins at the MWWD parking lot at the corner of Kearny Villa Road and Topaz Way in the Clairemont Mesa area of San Diego; registration will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Cards will also be handed out at Cypress Canyon Park in the Pomerado area, at the Indian of Ramona motorcycle dealership, and at The Hideout at Lake Hodges, where a buffet lunch will be served to those who wish. The final stop will be at St. Bernard Software in Rancho Bernardo, which is the company where Presten is a technical support manager.

The cost for the poker run is $10 per person, which includes two raffle tickets as well as the five poker cards. The optional lunch at The Hideout will cost an additional $7, with $1 of that donated towards Laszko's rehabilitation fund. Additional raffle tickets will also be available for purchase, and additional cards may be purchased at the end of the ride for $5 apiece.

The winning hand receives $100 and raffle prize winners also receive various gifts. The poker run will also feature a disc jockey who will provide music following the end of the ride.

The event will also include a pair of professional videographers; one will mount a camera on his motorcycle and the other will film the starting and ending points. The entire event will be videotaped, and a copy of that tape will be sent to Steve Laszko.

The poker run is being organized by Don Presten, his wife, Bobbie, and Rick Moyer, all of the Wanderers, an all-brand motorcycle club. "We decided to put this together, and we roped our club into it," Don Presten noted. "I never had any idea how difficult it was to organize one of these things."

The Laszko family has known Don Presten for more than a decade. At one time they had competing bulletin board systems, creating a friendly rivalry (Presten's e-mail is now through TFBnet, the Laszko's company), and while they first met through computers they enhanced their friendship through their motorcycling activities.

"They've really worked their butts off to make this happen, and we're very fortunate to have friends like this," said Bob Laszko, Steve's brother.

A variety of prizes have been donated for the raffle. "Just about every motorcycle dealership in San Diego sent us one thing or another," Don Presten said.

EBC Brakes will be donating 10 $50 gift certificates, and Z Custom Leathers also gave about $500 in merchandise for the raffle. San Diego V-Twins is donating a leather jacket and T-shirts, and Escondido Cycle Center is donating a set of tires.

"I'm quite impressed at how many door prizes we managed to round up," Presten noted. "I thought it was going to be a lot harder than it was. You tell a motorcycle dealer that it's for an injured rider and they start breaking out their checkbook."

Steve Laszko was practicing for an AMA Superbike race at the Sears Point Raceway May 6 when he broke his neck. He spent the first 17 days in Santa Rose Memorial Hospital before being transferred to Palomar Hospital on May 23. Palomar Hospital recommended a second operation in the event that Laszko's first operation didn't fuse and transferred him to UCSD Medical Center on May 26.

The second operation resulted in the fusion holding, and Laszko remained at UCSD Medical Center until August 14, when he was transferred to Craig Hospital in Denver. "He's doing very well now that he's up here. This is a fantastic place," Bob Laszko remarked.

Laszko still has some lung problems; his right lung collapsed during the ordeal and he had pneumonia. But paleontologists at Craig Hospital are working on Laszko's lung problems.

Laszko also has level 4 pressure sores, one on his tailbone and one on the back of his head. A plastic surgeon will operate for that condition September 13. That will be followed up by five weeks of bed rest to heal the surgery, after which Laszko can participate fully in his rehabilitation program.

Part of his rehabilitation will focus on strengthening the functions he still has. "Half of rehab is to help him use whatever he's got ," Bob Laszko noted.

The other half is to help him carry on with life despite the loss of certain functions.

Although Laszko has been paralyzed since his accident, some hope exists. His spinal cord was intact, allowing some hope for long-term recovery. Currently he has some sensations in his arms and fingers and motion of his head.

Laszko is expected to stay in Craig Hospital for the next six months.

Additional details about the poker run can be obtained by calling Presten at (619) 449-4888 or e-mailing dpresten@tfb.com to reach Presten by the Internet.

· Copy of the Article in the Fallbrook Village News (after the ride)

Poker run raises over $9000 for Laszko's medical expenses

Joe Naiman

Village News Correspondent

Approximately 140 motorcycles participated in a poker run September 10 to raise funds for Steve Laszko's rehabilitation expenses, and organizers were successful in raising more than $9000.

"I think we exceeded our goals. We had a lot of donations from people who just drove up and donated," said Don Presten, one of the organizers of the poker run. "We got lots of compliments on the route. It was a beautiful day and the weather was awesome."

In addition to the motorcyclists who participated in the poker run, approximately 100 people drove up to the destination in Rancho Bernardo. "We had quite a large number of people," Presten remarked.

The poker run was organized by Don Presten, his wife, Bobbie, and Rick Moyer, all of whom are members of the Wanderers, an all-brand cruiser club. "It was just our little way of helping out," Don Presten remarked.

About 30 members of the Wanderers Motorcycle Club volunteered their time for the poker run. "The Wanderers were awesome. The whole club participated," Presten said. "It was a great club event."

While the Wanderers organized the poker run, motorcyclists from clubs throughout the county participated.

are received at stops along the way. Prizes are given for winning hands, and raffle prizes may also be a part of the poker run.

The poker run for Laszko began at the MWWD parking lot in the Clairemont Mesa area of San Diego. The second card was given out at Cypress Canyon Park in the Pomerado area, the third card was distributed at the Indian of Ramona motorcycle dealership, and the fourth card was passed out at The Hideout in Lake Hodges, where many of the poker run participants also enjoyed a buffet lunch. The fifth card was handed out at the final stop at St. Bernard Software in Rancho Bernardo, where Presten works as a technical support manager.

The poker run cost $10 per person, which included two raffle tickets as well as the five poker cards. The lunch at The Hideout was optional with $1 of the $7 cost donated towards Laszko's rehabilitation fund. Additional raffle tickets were available for purchase, and additional cards could be purchased at the end of the ride for $5 apiece.

The winning hand was held by Brenda Steeves of Santee, who is a member of the Womenmoto club. Steeves had a full house, obtaining three aces

and two tens. She won $100 for the best hand, but she donated that money back to the rehabilitation fund.

The final stop at the event also included a visit from Bob Laszko, Steve Laszko's brother. Bob Laszko has been staying in Denver, where his brother is undergoing rehabilitation at Craig Hospital, but he drove in the day before the poker run and left three days later.

"It was terrific," Bob Laszko said of the poker run.

Bob Laszko provided a speech which thanked the participants, organizers, the volunteers, and those who donated prizes. "Don hatched the idea for this poker run within days of Steve's crash at Sears Point. The amazing thing is he knew how much hard work it would be to pull it off, and he still pushed ahead," Laszko said of Presten during his speech. "Motorcyclists have a long history of coming together to aid our comrades in need. Today you have all written another chapter in that history."

Steve Laszko had provided a few words for his brother to read at the poker run. "I am grateful for the support of my fellow riders, racers, and friends, old and new. Knowing that all of you are pulling for me strengthens my will to give the rehab program everything that I have. I hope one day that I can beat this injury. Your help here today will go a long way towards helping me do that. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart."

Bob Laszko also brought the family's racing trailer to the poker run's final stop. "It was a heck of an event. I think they did an excellent job putting it together, and I couldn't have been more pleased," Laszko said.

Steve Laszko was practicing for an AMA Superbike race at the Sears Point Raceway May 6 when he broke his neck. He spent the first 17 days in Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and also spent time at Palomar Hospital and UCSD Medical Center before being transferred to Craig Hospital August 14.

Laszko's paralysis resulted in level 4 pressure sores, one on his tailbone and one on the back of his head, which had caused him to have head pain for four months. He had plastic surgery to remove the pressure sores September 15.

"They did an excellent job," Bob Laszko said. "He's actually fairly pain free."

The operation will be followed by five weeks of bed rest to heal the surgery, after which Laszko can participate fully in his rehabilitation program. Part of the rehabilitation will focus on strengthening the functions he still has, while the other part will help him carry on with life despite the loss of certain functions.

Laszko has been paralyzed since his accident, although some hope for regaining movement exists. His spinal cord was intact, allowing some hope for long-term recovery. Currently he has some sensations in his arms and fingers and motion of his head.

Laszko is expected to stay in Craig Hospital for the next six months.

· Copy of the Ride Write-up by Bob Laszko

What a weekend! My father and I flew back to San Diego on Thursday.

The benefit poker run was held on Sunday. Don & Bobbie Presten, Rick Moyer, and the Wanderers Motorcycle Club came through for Steve and put on a great show. 150 riders participated on a 125 mile route through the foothills of eastern San Diego.

The riders enjoyed a BBQ lunch at the Hideout and munchies at each card stop. The door prize raffle at the end of the ride was a huge success. The large number of donations had almost every participant heading home with something.

Many of Steve's friends and all of our uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews showed up at the end of the ride. Our cousin Sheri had boxes of t-shirts made up to commemorate the event.

We still have a few large and extra-large shirts available for those of you who weren't able to purchase them on Sunday. They are available for $5 each, shipping included. Call (760-728-4397) or email (rml@aramel.com) us to place an order. We can accept credit cards and checks.

We should have some pictures of the event posted here in the next few days. A video editor from the local NBC station was on hand to record the event so that Steve will be able to enjoy it as much as everyone else did.

Let's see ......... am I missing something ............ oh yeah, the total amount collected from the ride ............... better sit down for this one ................ $9,000! I thought Don was kidding when he called this morning with the news.

There really are no words to properly thank all of the folks who put the benefit together, participated in the ride, donated merchandise and services for the raffle, and were on hand to show their support and love for Steve. The best I can do is to reprint the speech (below) my father, brother James and I gave as the event was winding down. Even that doesn't come close to how grateful we are and how much the benefit will improve the quality of Steve's life.

· Copy of the “Thank You” Speech by the Laszko’s

Editors Note: This is a copy of the speech given by Steve’s father Bob Sr. and his two brothers Bob Jr. and James to the riders at the end of the Laszko event:

First of all, we would like to thank Don and Bobbie Presten, Rick Moyer, and all of the members of the Wanderers Motorcycle Club for your efforts in putting together this terrific event. Don hatched the idea for this poker run within days of Steve’s crash at Sears Point. The amazing thing is he knew how much hard work it would be to pull it off, but he still pushed ahead. All of you worked very hard to make this event happen, and we are very grateful for your time and effort.

Second, we want to thank all of the companies, fans and friends who donated merchandise and services for the door prize raffle. Many of you are present here today, so I would like to mention you all:

Finally, we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you for participating in today’s ride. Motorcyclists have a long history of coming together to aid our comrades in need. Today you have all written another chapter in that history.

Steve asked us say these words on his behalf:

“I am grateful for the support of my fellow riders, racers, and friends old and new. Knowing that all of you are pulling for me strengthens my will to give the rehab program everything that I have. I hope one day that I can beat this injury. Your help here today will go a long way towards helping me do that. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”

· Wanderers ride to Idyllwild

By Bill Edwards - The Wanderer's had a planned ride to Idyllwild, led by myself (for the first time!) on Sunday, August 27. We met at Packard's coffee house in Ramona, and departed just after 8:00AM. There were six bikes, including myself, Don Presten, Sal Orso and his friend and guest Carl, Bill Bishop, and Steve and Toni Moyer (what a great surprise they could attend).

The weather was clear and warm, but not too warm yet, as we headed up Hwy 78 towards Santa Ysabel, and then out Hwy 79 towards Warner Springs, Sunrise Summit, Oak Grove, and the turnoff at Hwy 371 towards the Pines to Palms Hwy. We stopped at the Casino along the way for a butt break, where Steve immediately won a huge jackpot at the slots! This was great, as he agreed to split all his winnings among those of us who had attended this ride. Heh heh. Too bad for those that missed it. I should be receiving the Pink for my bike in the mail any day now. Oh, OK, he only won $10.00, but hey, he won!

Once we reached the Pines to Palms Hwy, and turned left for Idyllwild, I was in unfamiliar territory, as I'd never ridden or driven up there before. What a beautiful ride, it was amazing to come up out of the high desert and see pine trees suddenly. Kinda magical. And I really like the road up into Idyllwild itself, real nice twisties. I thought the town itself was sort of like Julian, but had even more "up in the mountains" feel to it. It also had even more "touristy" feel also.

Sal found us a good place to park and eat, and then it was back down the hill towards Hemet. We had a pretty slow pace now because of the traffic going down this road. But I thought it was a great ride down, lots of sweepers and switchbacks, and great views of the desert below. In Hemet, we turned off on the R3, Sage Rd., which is kinda like Old Julian hwy, but longer, and headed south on that until we reached a turnoff for Rancho California at Benton Rd., which took us back to I-15. Here we rode through some "wine country", and I swear I could smell wine as we rode past some of the wineries.

So the ride officially ended at a gas station near I-15 in Rancho California, with folks having things to do at home. Me, I headed for the first turnoff at Rainbow....This was a good ride, and I want to do it again.

· Tecate Taco Ride Write-up

Short and Sweat by John Q - Left Chula Vista about 10:30 am. It was warm. Hit Otay Lakes Rd and Highway 94 about 11:00. It was hot Reached summit with great desert view about 11:30 it was SEARING! We had collectively forgotten it was Mexican Independence day. Ate delicious Taco's in Tecate anyway, decided it was far too toasty to ride anymore. Rode home to rehydrate with help from Sam Adams.

· Friday's ride to the Coffee Tree

By Tera - I guess John Q. was so disappointed, he forgot to write! We met at Burger King, had a lovely ride up through Wildcat Canyon (John Q, Tera, Ron and Lorn) and made it into the driveway first try...well, Tera's been practicing for a YEAR! (but forgot to move her car! doh!) Tracy had apple cake, brownies, and assorted drinks, everyone got to share...

One couple couldn't find it (We have to remember to post the address (# on the mailbox) too, I guess. They got there about 8:00, but had to go pick up some people too short to ride yet (kids) Cheers! Thanks, everyone!

More from Gary S - There were 6 bikes and 8 people who took Highland Valley to the Coffee Tree via Bandy Canyon and Hwy 78. A very pleasant ride. Really wasn't all that uncomfortably hot.

This was daughter Dawn's first Friday evening coffee ride on her Intruder 750, she did great. Other daughter Laura rode on the back of my bike.

While riding down Bandy Canyon road to 78, I goofed off by hitting my kill switch, opening the throttle for a short while, then closing the throttle and turning the kill switch back on. Dawn was about 60 yards behind me, and she briefly thought one of her tires had blown out. Not sucha smart move on my part.

Five more bikes came in from the south, and a couple more from other directions.

When we got there, I found a fellow trainman from the Poway-Midland Railroad who'd ridden all the way from Idyllwild. I hadn't seen him since he'd been to Sturgis, he'd grown a beard, and I wasn't sure I know who he was.

However, a few spoken words, and all was well. Well, he went to Sturgis, and all I got was a crummy T-shirt (actually, it's a great T-shirt - thanks Jerry).

Tracy had the yard lit with tiki torches, and it was great. She had background music playing softly, music that won the war (big band music from the 40s). The coffee service expanded to include designer creamers, and there were several kinds of cake, brownies, and cookies.

It was dark fairly soon after getting there. The days ARE getting shorter. There'll prolly only be one more ride this season. Dawn, ChiWei, Laura and I were the last to leave.

More from John Q - Relax? Of course, that's what these Friday evening forays to Ramona are all about right? Well, sit tight while I tell you the tale of this weeks journey.

The South/East County contingent had three bikes gathered at the Lakeside Burger King this week with four riders. Dick Useted Rod and Rose Fleming and myself. On leaving the parking lot I waffled a moment, thinking maybe this week we should take highway 67 up the hill then thought "not." I should have listened to myself. Up Wildcat Canyon Road we went, preceded by a single car, driven by a damsel obviously unsure of her A. direction B. driving ability C. how to negotiate curves. Suffice to say it wasn't our quickest trip ever up that mountainside. Midway to the casino I checked my mirrors and noticed we'd gained another rider.

Not for long. The next short passing zone brought the scream of 15,000 RPM (alright, it's a guess, might have been 14,500) as the sportbike zinged past the three of us. Great sound and we were to see this guy again....soon. Almost as soon as we'd crossed that cattle crossing and were in view of the casino we spotted the cars...lined up. Not just because it was Friday evening either. It turns out someone had T-boned a telephone pole on the first right hander past the casino straightway. (One too many free drinks at the slots?) They had split the pole in two and did likewise to their minivan. Traffic was being detoured off the pavement onto a dirt road. Do we go for it? I check with the other riders.

The only other option is to go all the way back down and take the 67. We go for it. This is where the sportbike rider has parked it. He's not taking that pretty thing into the dust, no way, no how. This turns out to be a not too bad ride actually. It's a sort of undulating dirt road, not too loose and we follow the other cars knowing they have no more idea where everyone is going than we do. After several long minutes of this we found ourselves in a part of the Barona reservation generally unseen by the tourista's. We seem to be headed for a corral of sorts, a lot of people are around, maybe they're holding a little rodeo or something and the thought occurs to this rider. If these folks had a grudge, they'd have a wonderful opportunity here to drive a lot of people into a great big corral and close the gate behind us.

Whoops, almost forgot about the "other" van...the white one. The BIG white van that pulled out of the casino driveway not so much right in front of me but more into the "side" of me. Who knows what the driver was looking at. I was within a few feet of the

back bumper of the car ahead but out this guy comes. It was a full four finger on the brake lever halt for me and I let the guy have it with the horn too. MAN was that horn loud this evening! It turns out Rod and Dick had done the same, hitting their red buttons as I pressed mine. Three Virago's with their dual horns sure can make a LOT of music.

OK, where was I. Oh yeh, just before reaching the corral we're informed by a loitering cowboy that the highway is "thataway." Thank you sir. Unfortunately "thataway" is now being vigorously watered down by one of the locals. Yes, turned into a veritable swamp! We drive through the wiggly squooshy muck anyway and then, hit more dust. We'll be washing motorcycles again this weekend.

Once back on Wildcat Canyon we made up some time, cleaning the mud off the sides of our tires with every curve (a lot more fun this way than hose and sponge) until we're almost to the stoplight at San Vincente Road. Here we find another small backup waiting for the light to change. Our good fortune now, we get a green light and everyone seems to be turning right, heading out to San Diego Country Estates...well, all but two trucks, one pulling a trailer and driven by a tried and true member of the "Anti Destination League." Hell, he was probably the President!

We rode into Ramona at the scalding speed of...35 miles per hour. Oh yeh, the second truck? 1960's vintage and it's never had an overhaul. Hey, I swear! That sucker is fouling the air more than a thousand cattle on a diet of pork and beans ever could. Of course this also means we drive past the infamous chicken ranch at a pace that makes it virtually impossible to hold your breath long enough. Phew!

Once past Main street and onto Highway 78 all went well...well, sort of. We managed to pass our destination and ended up riding about a quarter mile to a safe turnaround spot. Just keeping tradition alive ya know?

Tracy's Coffee Tree really is a terrific place. It's not really a business..yet. Tracy has big plans down the time line a couple of years though and just sort of wanted to know what we thought of the location. This is five and a half acres of quiet with a large lawn, a very comfortable (surroundings wise) seating area perfect for some story telling and conversation.

For this visit payment was on the honor system. I'm afraid we didn't exactly over tip. Tracy may end up rethinking whether to make this a "motorcycle friendly" place. <grin>

Anyway, an eventful ride that, in the end, really was relaxing. And that's what it was all supposed to be about in the first place.

· John Q’s Anti-Destination Ride

Well folks, this kinda wierd idea of John Q. Lawrence's went pretty well. The idea was "what if a bunch of riders took turns at leading a ride, with no particular pre-conceived ideas of where they were going to end up." Pretty good idea.

We met this morning in Kearny Mesa with a planned departure of 9:00AM. Due to some poor service inside the Denny's, the departure was a bit delayed. Nonetheless it was a beautiful morning, with perfect riding weather...sunny and clear, and not nearly as hot as it had been the last few weekends.

Besides "orchestrator" John Q, there were Jim Hunt, myself, Ron Growel, guest Darrin Koenig, Don & Bobbie Presten, Dick Usted, Pat & Larry Sammarco, Steve & Toni Moyer, Rick & Lin Moyer, Rod & Rose Fleming, and new member Jim Hotz, 13 bikes in all.

Only eight of these folks were brave enough to step forward and draw numbers out of Rose's freshly painted helmet to determine what order they would lead the ride in. I got number 1 and groaned. But quickly traded for number 7 with Steve Moyer. Each rider would lead for about 20 minutes, and they yield the lead and fall into formation at the rear. So we formed up in that order, everyone else in the rear.

So let's see, it was Steve & Toni first, then Rod & Rose, then Rick Moyer, then John Q., and that got us up to Santa Ysabel for a butt break at Dudley's. And it was definitely an interesting ride getting there, as we went sort of directly, and sort of out of the way. Rick Moyer's route was especially fun and different.

Leaving Dudley's it was Jim Hotz' turn, and before we left he wouldn't say which way he would go. Up towards Julian? Back towards Ramona? Or out Hwy 79? That's what it turned out to be, with a gentle ride over Mesa Grande. Then it was Don & Bobbie Presten that took the lead, turning west on 76. Don pulled into the Hinshaw resort to find out if enough folks were hungry enough yet to stop there and eat. Don was leader number 6, I was slated next at number 7, and Dick Usted was the last leader with card number 8, and the original plan was that he would lead us to the nearest place to eat from wherever we happened to be. But it was obvious we were heading away from available places that might accomodate that many folks, so I can see Don's concern.

There was then a conference, and it was decided that after we reached the S6, Ron Growel would lead us down to Fat Ivor's in Valley Center. So we departed from the plan a bit here. That's the Wanderer's for you. We ride to eat!

This turned out to be a great choice too, as we all had a great lunch and pretty good service too. Well, a great choice for all but poor Jim Hunt. A bee somehow how got into his drink, Jim took a sip, and got stung on the inside of his lower lip! Went straight to his brain, the pain did. Yikes!

Probably woulda killed me. Jim passed out for a bit. After lunch he went straight on home, saying he was OK enough to ride. Hope so buddy, hope you made it home safely.

Then it was my turn to lead, so I took this crew, minus a few riders who headed home after lunch, on down Lilac Rd, and surprised even myself, bypassing Old Castle Rd. (my original plan), and down Couser Canyon. Well, I needed some real twisties after all that protein, and besides I wanted to stay away from traffic for awhile, at least.

Back at 76, it was finally Dick's turn to lead, but when we got to the I-15 nearly everyone bailed for home! I think Dick was a bit disappointed about that, but he trouped on, leading me, Rod & Rose, and Jim Hotz back down Old 395 and into Escondido. Jim lives in Ramona, so he waved goodbye at 78, and Dick took us on down through Eden Gardens on Harmony Grove Rd. and then down into Encinitas, where he politely found a Starbuck's "Just for you, Bill." Later he took us through Rancho Santa Fe and into Del Mar's
"backdoor", where I dropped off through Sorrento Valley and they headed for I-5 and home.

It was a great ride, and a great day to ride. Soon the shorter, colder days of winter will be upon us, and our rides will be, by necessity, much shorter.

· Note from our Webmaster

Wahoo! We’ve seen a major speed increase on the Wanderer’s Website this month. Redrival, our free service provider is promising even more speed in the near future as they finish a server upgrade. The newfound speed is reflected in our visit numbers:

Jul 31 - Aug 6: 79

Aug 7 - Aug 13: 67