By Karl Zuercher, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Well another Two-Bits Rally has come and gone and I am wishing we could do it all over again. My goal in any of these types of rallies is to first, not embarrass myself, and second, finish well. I think I did OK, but unfortunately, the motorcycle gods did not smile on us that Saturday, July 8th, and everyone got wet.

Coming up from New Mexico on Friday it was mostly good weather. We ran into a little rain, but no worries, it didn't last. But by Friday night, it got very wet and decided not to let up. This year's rally started an hour earlier than last years and having to be at the rally start between 6:00 and 7:00 am was no big deal; except I couldn't find my glasses that I thought I had packed. To make matters worse, I forgot to pick up a fresh copy of my favorite Colorado recreational map. I know my way around Colorado pretty well, but a map comes in really handy when you are trying to schedule a route that will get you the maximum number of points in the least amount of time.

Finding a place open at that time on a Saturday morning to get what we needed, well I should have been awarded some bonus points right there. But Randy Bishop is a clever, if not stern rally master, and no points were awarded before the actual start. We did make it on time for the minimalist tech inspection and rider briefing. If you've never done one of these rallies, you should. They are just too much fun. Besides Kitty and myself, Curtis Ritchey came up from Santa Fe also. There were riders from Missouri and Nebraska, and of course, some local talent.

There is a talent, I think, to riding these rallies. So what if you've ridden to these places before? When you go seeking information specific to the location, you always have more fun and learn something along the way. You might have heard about the major washout of CO-67 between Deckers and Woodland Park. Since that was part of the base route, and impassable, we, like several other riders, decided to go for the big bonus at the very eclectic observation tower outside of Genoa, Colorado. Never been there? This was your chance!

The plan was to pick up a couple of bonuses close by and then zoom out on the interstate, collect a few more on the way back and pick up the grand prize. Ah the best laid plans. My naggigator, oops, excuse me; navigator Kitty, having lived and traveled all over the state, was to be the ace up my sleeve. However, Mother Nature was dealing the cards and it started to rain almost from the time we left at 8:02 am. I couldn't locate the first bonus location on the Morrison Rd, so not wanting to eat up too much time at the very beginning, on to I-70 and head for Genoa.

Getting through Denver was a breeze and once well out of town, the breeze really picked up and of course, so did the rain. We got to the tower about the time I calculated, but I was worried about the weather slowing us up. I was not looking forward to going back on the interstate, taking I-225 or E-470 to get to more points on the southwest side of town. But Kitty, having lived around the Franktown area, stepped in and convinced me to take CO-86 back saving us a lot of time and the weather even cooperated. It was absolutely beautiful out there, the best part of the whole days ride.

Unfortunately, by the time we got around Kiowa and Elizabeth, the rain picked back up in earnest. It was hard to find a place to even read the bonus sheet to figure out our plan B. Going by the bonus location at South Platte Park in the rain and spray of all the other vehicles, we saw a couple of other bikes. Kitty told me the road in there wasn't good even on a good day, and she was plenty anxious with the conditions, so we opted for the Discovery Pavilion out on S. Wadsworth. Trying to figure out where to get the needed information in the rain can be exasperating, but we managed and decided to head for Frisco with literally an extra 100 points in our pocket, having put my license in a sealed envelope. If you don't get stopped, and have to show your license, registration and insurance, you get the points. See how easy it is to get bonus points?

On a day like that though, it's real easy to accumulate penalty points. And penalty points are always more valuable than bonus points. To the tune of 5 points per minute that you are late to the finish. You know how the traffic is on I-70 going out of Denver on a Saturday? Add the weather factor and you get the idea. I figured we would head for the finish and let some of the others be late.

It was still raining at the clock tower in Frisco when we arrived, the only relief since Kiowa being the Eisenhower Tunnel. Rick Hall clocked us in at 1:31, well in front of the 2:00 deadline. Check the sheets for accuracy, turn them in, and wait to see how many riders would miscalculate the weather. It was a good ploy as we ended up in a tie for fifth place.

David Varley on his Concours won the event, and being the on the only Concours in the rally, the rest of us were immediately suspicious of the score keeping. But it's all for fun right? Last year we won a door prize and this year was no exception, I came away with a coffee mug from the Rider Warehouse. Randy and his wife Beth are great hosts and put a lot of effort into the rally, providing the door prizes and refreshments in addition to planning the whole thing. I'm told that next year's bonus locations will be masterminded by the sinister and evil brain of Rick Hall, should be an interesting rally.

I know the Denver area needed the rain just like we have needed it in New Mexico and it certainly put a bit of a damper of the rally, but it was successful in the fact that everyone finished safely and I'm sure, came away with a sense of accomplishment. Next year the rally will have good weather like last year's, so don't miss it this time. I hope to see you there!