Das Boot

4 10 2011

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Yeah Yeah… I know that’s a submarine but don’t worry only you and I know that. The rest of these guys think I’m referring to my footwear, which I am so it’s cool.

Combat Touring Boots.
These things are great. After this trip they are just about broken in… they are tough, and really wouldn’t want to have to hike out wearing these, but for a leisurely stroll to look at some scenic overlook they work fine. Bring some moleskin for the first few trips, especially if you’re not used to full height boots and you’ll be fine.

In terms of water proofness, they are water proof right out of the box. 300 miles of downpour on day two or three (I don’t remember which day it was) proved it to me. Eventually I may apply some mink oil, which is my particular favorite leather waterproofing product, but not yet.

The boots provide great support, and I would imagine great protection in the event of a crash, which luckily I avoided.

They are sorta overkill for around town however, and I find myself grabbing my old engineer boots if I’m just going to the corner.

And the other drawback is they they are pretty pricey… so that may keep you from getting them, especially if you’re not going on any around the world trips.

But if you are…..

Here’s where you can get ’em, from my pals at Aerostitch.





Guess who was pissed?

4 10 2011

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Does anyone remember these things?

3 10 2011

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This is sort of a rant I think, but it’s really a sales pitch, for a way of traveling, and ultimately, I guess, for a way of being. And when I say sales pitch, I’m selling me more than anyone else.

It’s a philosophy I call: letting the bike decide.

Assuming you have the time on a trip and you’re not needing to be at point a by time x, then don’t plan anything, just ride. Go.

I have found this works on simple one day rides too, where pretty much all I choose is a starting north, south, east or west ( not much east in my current geographical situation, but you get the idea) then you just ride. You’ll find the best roads, see the coolest stuff, meet the most interesting characters. You just do.

So throw those maps away, don’t highlight a route, and don’t even get me started on GPSs ( which never ever ever will direct you to the ” right” road.)

Just ride, be ready and open to what you find. Go with it. You surfer dudes know what I’m talking about, cause you’re cool.

This guy does a good job of explaining what a triptik is (was?) for you guys that don’t remember ( or maybe you’re from Bulgaria?   😉  )
http://actionallen.blogspot.com/2010/06/aaa-triptik.html





Foundational Stuff

3 10 2011

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Ok, like it or not here’s the first gear review. For those of you who subscribed to email updates to either entice me to visit you or to satisfy your voyeuristic tendency you might want to unsubscribe til the next trip…I won’t feel bad…. well maybe a little…sniff..sniff..

Ok on to the review…. you can tell from the picture that I’m gonna talk about what I call the “ass interface”

Today I missed one thing about the trip: my ldcomfort underwear. I swear, that’s the truth.

I’m not being paid by them, I’m not a secret company shill, these things are truly well designed, well made, and they work.

I rode one day early on with my Aerostitch riding shorts, those were the ones I used on a ten day Baja Mexico/ Africa Twin adventure ( pre blog days). And they just are not that comfy after a while. You would think that those shorts with the padding in the ” right” places would be better, but it’s not so. I think it’s because eventually the padding has to stop, which creates a seam, a transition, which causes pressure eventually, which you notice, and notice, and notice and eventually that’s all you can think of and then you stop riding and do something else. End of long ride.

With the LDs you don’t have padding, you don’t have seams, nothing bothers you, assuming you have a good seat and you’re not wearing pants with pockets and other stuff in the wrong places. ( I’m not suggesting you need to get all Fulsom Street Fair just well designed MC pants.)

And the LDs fabric is some magic moisture wicking thing… beats me how that works but they kept me comfortable from 111 degrees in the desert, to 46 on that last days run, to 90s Florida humid stuff. They worked great.

Zero monkey butt. ( If you know what that is then I’m sorry for you)

And you can wash them in the sink and they really are dry the next day. I brought 2 pairs with me and other than that one day with the ‘stitch shorts and the one non ride day in SF, that’s all I wore. For 16 days!

They aren’t cheap, so remember my bday people, you know what I want.

You can find them at www.ldcomfort.com

I found them on the Ironbutt Association’s website so there ya go, they aren’t a secret if those guys know.

And, yes,  that is a photo of me wearing them. Took it with my camera phone, good right?





100 miles of pouring rain….

18 09 2011

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…and there’s still love bugs on the windshield.  Those little guys got some staying power. Someone should make a glue out of them. Or just name a glue …there ya go some more industious person…a free idea for you to exploit.

Standing on the deck of a bar with some cajuns…I have no idea what they are saying !!


location@3:39pm,9/18 http://m.google.com/u/m/zubzl4





Dear crazy driver guy

18 09 2011

location@1:56pm,9/18 Baton Rouge, LA http://m.google.com/u/m/xFTnq3

Just cause you live in the south that don’t make you no NASCAR driver. You missed me… try again.





Start of Day Two

18 09 2011

location@9:22am,9/18 Crestview, FL, USA http://m.google.com/u/m/duLd8E

 

Secret ingredients:
Moleskin.
The “H”.

More details to follow. Aren’t I glamorous?





Ténéré

18 09 2011

The Ténéré (Berber: Tiniri, literally: desert, wilderness) is a desert region in the south central Sahara. It comprises a vast plain of sand stretching from northeastern Niger into western Chad, occupying an area of over 154,440 square miles (400,000 km²). Its boundaries are said to be the Aïr Mountains in the west, the Hoggar Mountains in the north, the Djado Plateau in the northeast, the Tibesti Mountains in the east, and the basin of Lake Chad in the south. The central part of the desert, the Erg du Bilma, is centered at approximately 17°35′N 10°55′E. [1]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenere





The Hooters is actually in Crestview

18 09 2011

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And the waitress Taylor is the nicest person I ever met.

She grew up in Niceville down the road ( which could account for her nice-ness, not the town’s name, a joke she hates, but just the small town nature)

Kyle is moving in next week. He’s an army veteran and mixed martial arts competitor with a strong wrestling background, if he gets the other guy on the ground it’s over.

Kyle gave Taylor a fake engagement ring as a promise ring, it turns her finger green sometimes. I couldn’t tell it was fake, she had to explain.

She didn’t say it but she’s clearly in love with him. What do I know kids ( a bit actually) but you should just do it, get married… try it, give it a chance.

PBR makes me all sentimental…





Don’t tell Todd: Niceville Has a Hooters

18 09 2011

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So after the hammock I felt good to go.. and since no one voted I was the “decider” and off I went.

But when I spotted the fourth deer on the side of the highway I figured it was time to take a break . Way too late for any sort of camping move so it’s motel time.

The 1000 miles in one day is harder than I expected….I guess if it was easy everyone would do it right? I’ll work up to it I guess… early start will help.

So to counteract all the caffeine… it’s a big PBR at Hooters. ( Does that make me a hipster?)





Just shy…

17 09 2011

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Of 700 miles… just shy of getting out of Florida for the second time in one day.. resting at the rest stop…. in one of my hammocks, yes I brought two, afterwards I’ll decide go or stay…..

Vote:





My new favorite answers:

17 09 2011

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Roland Ochoa’s location@7:39pm,9/17 Florida http://m.google.com/u/m/zQewcY

Q:Aren’t you hot:
A:You tell me, Mamn
…or…
A:I don’t know, ask your wife.

Q: How far you going?
A:All the way.

Q: Why you doing this?
A: Why aren’t you?

Q:Are we there yet?
A:Shut up voices!!! …..Do DoDoDo DoDo Do Dooo……….





So is it cheating?

17 09 2011

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My Location@6:09pm,9/17 2458 SW Us 221, Greenville, FL 32331 http://m.google.com/u/m/ww17EY

 

After a nice dinner at Denny’s in Georgia where a very nice waitress filled my camelback for me (people tip your waitresses… don’t be cheap either with this silly percentage thing… give em real money, yo) I wandered down some Georgia roads that have led me back to Florida and I10. Is that cheating? Beats me… gonna boogie further west and try to slip by New Orleans tonight without the socially correct visit to the sisters…. Oops..sorry she probably read this…. check ya on the flip side kids… I’m flying solo. ( Well with all of you guys on the interwebs that is)





You Gonna Get Gas?

17 09 2011

WARNING WARNING THE FIRST OF MANY RANTS:

So the guy who I will refer to as The NonBuddha asks : You gonna get gas?
( This is after waiting in his big ol pickup truck behind me at the last fuel stop… where I had not dismounted but I was checking in on Google latitude because I’m so hip)

I knew what he was saying in his passive aggressive pushy-ness. I’m sure he’s used to bossing around his children and his wife. He probably has some poor coworker or employee that he uses his sarcastic pretend politeness on to bully his way thru life. If he had been straight forward…” dude move your bike while you txt I’m in a hurry for my heart attack” Then I would have moved – no problem.

But you know me, right?

Here’s the full exchange:

The NonBuddha: You gonna get gas?

Me: I just did. ( Continue to play with internet)

The NonBuddha: Well I’d like to get some.

( a few more editorial comments : he’s sitting in AC, I haven’t been there anywhere near how long it will take the NonBuddha to pump his giant gas tank…I only hold 4 gallons ( plus one more in reserve) Plus how does this guy know I’m not texting my sick wife or something )

Transcript continues:
Me: ( calmly) isn’t there another pump open? ( Eye contact established by me for the first time)

The NonBuddha: no

….. insert pause…..

At which point the “mom” at the pump on the other side says: “you can use this one, we’re leaving.”

I’m sure that is the conciliatory role she plays with her annoying American male as sure as I also am that the NonBuddha has an equally enabling wife in his life ( because otherwise he would have learned by now how to talk to people instead of being all pushy and indirect at the same time… I’m bet this guys kids just “love” him…. or he wouldn’t have made it this far thru his life.

What’s the lesson? Beats me… maybe you know.

PS: this is the kind of thing you obsess about inside your helmet for a few hundred miles until something else displaces the thought… and in my case it’s some Do DoDoDo DoDoDo  Do Dooo  song that I’ve been singing for the past hour non stop. ( Guess the song from that clue and you win a prize)





Challenge met.

17 09 2011

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Roland Ochoa’s location@3:53pm,9/17 Georgia http://m.google.com/u/m/dN5qRS

First time off bike… is outside of FL.

Buns were just starting to burn..





Fuel stop number one. Murder attempt number one..

17 09 2011

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My Location@11:55am,9/17 Florida’s Turnpike, North Okeechobee, FL 34972 http://m.google.com/u/m/dqdKiQ

Attempt number one..@116 miles.. lady in a white SUV…I wonder if I should have installed that super loud truck horn I left sitting on my coffee table?

No getting off the bike fuel stop was a success.

And away we go…





And….Start.

17 09 2011

location@9:42am,9/17 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, USA, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA http://m.google.com/u/m/xL1VJ4





One more beach bfast

17 09 2011

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Then I’m hitting it.

Challenge number 1: when my ass hits the saddle I will not get off the bike until I am outside of the long state Florida. Can I do it?