i was fortunate enough to meet up with some members of the "sport touring motorcycle club" recently. after checking out their web site (http://www.sporttouringmc.com) i was prompted to give one of their members a call. he went over the basics with me on the phone and made sure i had the proper gear they require for a group ride. i get the ok and meet up with them for their "philly cheesesteak ride" as a guest.

today's start was local to me in denville, nj. about 10 members show up with a great assortment of bikes. everything from an mv agusta brutale to a ktm dual sport:

after a quick rider's meeting we head out promptly at 9:30 in two groups of 5. the two things they stress are to ride your own ride (ride at your own pace and ability) and to be sure the bike behind you knows where you are turning.

the route to philly is a great combination of small back roads and sweeping secondary roads. you can tell much thought went into the route. and the group leaders' bikes are equipped with gps navigation to keep us on track. the overall pace is spirited but very safe.

here's the half way stop in lambertville, nj (about 50 miles from the start):

as a few guys gas up i admire a member's ducati monster s4r s:

outside of philly we hit some nasty traffic, but with the group leader's gps showing the way we divert most of it. after some zig and zagging we arrive at pat's king of steaks (http://www.patskingofsteaks.com):

pat's is know to be the home of the original philly cheesesteak but right across the street is geno's:

geno's is known as #2 on the block but the crowd there is just as large.

while you are on line (and salivating from the smell) you see what you are in for:

ordering a cheesesteak at pat's has a very specific syntax. if you screw up or take too long the help is very egger to scold you! lucky for us we got a primer from joe at the previous stop. i order my "cheese wit american" which translates to an american cheese cheesesteak with onions. the whole process runs like a well-oiled honda, until a tourist screws up and you hear yelling from behind the glass. after you pick up your meal you pass a window and see the goodness being prepared:

of course if american cheese is a little too fancy for you there is a back up (and plenty of it):

on the sidewalk next to the drink pick up window there is a little piece of history:

as we are getting ready to head out a few limos pull up:

when you are at a landmark this famous you never know what you might see. 1st a camera crew pops out of the limo #1. then after some brief anticipation a large guy wearing a suite and an eagles hat pops out of limo #2:

being that i'm a giants fan i don't pay much attention and continue to get suited up. my assumption that it's a new draftee is confirmed with a quick internet check when i get home. it turns out to be defensive end victor abiamiri from notre dame.