2007 SMOG East Trail Ride (Part 2)

For October, the weather was unseasonably warm. Don't tell Al Gore, he'll want to make another mockumentary calling for an outright ban on Spanish motorcycles. Before the catch phrase Global Warming/Global Climate Change (or whatever they are calling it these days) people referred to this weather as Indian Summer. I guess that's not a PC term anymore. A couple of EZ-Ups provided shade and, at times, there was a slight breeze.


Here Lauren practices her "Thumbs Up" for the camera. Her favorite part of the day was the group photo. Perhaps she wants to be a model when she grows up?

The ride kicks off at 10:00 a.m. with a group photo. Well, it's supposed to be 10:00 a.m. Around 80 riders were in attendance for the 17th annual ride and the group photo was taken just before 11:00. Ken McGuire, who does a great job organizing the SMOG East Rides and running SMOG, takes the group photo and holds a brief riders meeting. We were told the loop was 10-miles in length. Ken is an attorney... the loop was just over five miles. Maybe it just seems a lot farther on a vintage bike.


I loaded Jacob, Lauren and Kyle onto my Bultaco and pushed them over to where the group photo was taken. None of them fell off and I didn't pull anything important in the process.


Sponge Bob on his 100% original, unrestored, Ossa Super Pioneer. You'd be hard-pressed to find another unrestored '75 enduro bike in this good of shape. However, riding a vintage enduro bike like this makes you glad to get back on a modern enduro bike.


CATRA VP and Sherco dealer, Trials Pete, showed up with this Bultaco model 199 Sherpa T. One of the last models to ever roll out of the original Bultaco factory in Barcelona. He also brought along a Bultaco Alpina and a Bultaco Frontera and not only rode, but completed loops on all three, despite some problems with the Alpina.

After the group photo, everyone hits the trails. Most don't make it around one lap. Lots of vintage bikes were broken down on the trails. Also a few riders were having trouble getting up some of the hills. This is the only time some of these guys ride all year. The trails were bone dry and quite dusty. Sponge Bob and Trials Pete helped keep an eye on my kids while I did two hot-laps on my '03 Gasser.


At the three previous SMOG rides I attended this was the bike I rode, back when it was in Alpina trim. I'm older and wiser now. This year I rode it around the field and had the kids sit on it during the group photo. Trailer Queen much?

Click here for part 3.