- Some of the riders at the morning meet up spot at the Starlite Diner -

We give thanks to God for His wisdom and His Blessings….

The November ride for the SouthEast Pennsylvania chapter of the CSBA started off a bit cold. Most of the attendees had to brave temperatures around freezing on their way to the Starlite Diner. As a result, we took a little longer to begin our morning roundup and pre-ride meeting - while waiting for the bright sunshine to warm things up – and 20 of us rolled out about an hour late.

Much like the October rides, this time of year is fraught with the risk of “fall foliage” being strewn all over the roads, especially after some rain. Such was the case this month, as 36 hours beforehand, a powerful storm rolled through the area and left a lot of carnage behind it. As we discussed the “Rules Of The Road” and “Rules For The Ride”, we cautioned that there would probably be a lot of storm runoff, gravel, wet leaves, and wet roads along the route. Unfortunately, that exact combination of factors claimed the day for one of our riders in the lead group, early on in the route. Fortunately, because he was fully dressed in good riding gear, along with good slide protection for his bike, he was able to ride home with relatively minor injuries.

- Russ conducting the morning riders meeting and rules of the road (photo by Elaine Torres) -

- Some of the riders at the morning meet up spot at the Starlite Diner (photo by Elaine Torres) -

As we soldiered on through the day, though the Sun was shining bright, it was still a bit on the chilly side for most of the morning. As a result, a couple more riders decided to make an early stop and leave the ride to warm up and head home. This would turn out to be another advertisement for wearing the proper gear for the ride.

As the delays accrued and the traffic increased, we arrived at the planned lunch stop fairly late and found a nearly full parking lot. The restaurant was not able to take a group as large as ours so, fortunately, we had a backup plan from our recon ride 2 weeks ago in the form of an Italian restaurant and pizza shop in Broadheadsville, not far off the route.

Because we had been running so late, about 10 of us were left to continue from there after 3:00 to finish the afternoon route. As we headed into direct sunlight for most of the way, we made a stop atop Blue Mountain for a quick photo op and then continued the rest of the way. At the final stop, we said our goodbyes and headed home, just in time to beat sunset.

- Photo taken from the overlook on Blue Mountain (Photo by Justin Heist) -

All in all, it was a challenging day, but still a very enjoyable time for scenery and fellowship. Thank you to all attended, and a sincere wish for a speedy recovery for all who experienced difficulties along the way.

- Some of the bikes at the morning meet up spot at the Starlite Diner (photo by Rick Johnson) -

On behalf of the CSBA, we would like to take this moment to thank everyone for your continued participation, involvement and giving attitudes on our rides and events. Whether you come out to ride or just break bread with us – we welcome your participation. These rides are designed for you, our riders, to enjoy the roads and have fellowship with us. We’re promoting a fellowship and an environment in which we want you to come and enjoy your love with others that share your passion for riding.

Visit our CSBA Day @ the Races Event page: (www.facebook.com/CSBA.Day.at.the.Races)

Stay tuned for more information on our next ride which is the "Berks County Blitz" being held on Saturday December 7, 2019.  Subscribe to our mailing list for the latest information on upcoming events by entering your email address in the boxes on the bottom right corner of the website.

All of our rides are great – so try to arrange to make one of them if you can. For more great pictures and videos from this event, visit the Facebook event page for our “Pounding the Poconos” Ride here: [www.facebook.com/events/2326358647679240/] or visit us on our website at www.pacsba.org.

On behalf of the CSBA and our chapter, we give thanks to you for coming and enjoying the day with us. See you again soon and don’t hesitate to reach out to me (or any CSBA member) with any and all questions you may have about our rides or the CSBA Organization. Blessings to you all!