Dead Man's Clothes

I'm going, going downtown
In a dead man's clothes

We are having the annual Community Wide Garage Sale on March 16th.   I'm going through a variety of clothes and other items, trying to decide what to keep and what to lose.   What to sale, what to keep and what to throw away.  

I hate to throw anything away, I'm not a pack rat but I am a clothes horse and that old concert T-shirt from 2004 means something to me.   Right now for example I've got an old CD from 1998 playing through the lap top speakers.   A song or two jump out at me, bringing back warm and fuzzy memories but the album as a whole doesn't hold up well all these years later.   Still though, I copy it to the memory stick labeled "Rob's old music" and place the CD in the "sell cheap" box.  I'm making space, clearing things out. 

There is a lot of sentimental value that I've attached to certain items.  T-shirts, CD's and even this old electronic blog that no one reads anymore.

I still have some good stuff from my motorcycling days, and as much as I hate to say it; I don't see myself getting back on the bike anytime soon and am therefore selling it.    If any of you read the post back in December of 2016, then you know my reasons that I stopped riding.   If not, while I made a promise to the woman I love. 

So in a way it's interesting that I kept the gear that I did.   I have an old open face helmet, my heavy "winter" riding jacket, some gloves, my Frogg Toggs (which I would keep regardless),   It's been over two years now and there really is no reason to keep this old gear.   It's taking space up in the closet.

Giving up on this equipment means that I am goodbye to biking.   Keeping it meant that I was planning on getting a new bike, to return to biking.   It was a way of me keeping "in touch" with the part of biking that I loved.

Now, if I do get another bike, I would need good equipment.   A good jacket might cost me anywhere from $150 dollars and up.   It's worth the price.   Good gear is always worth the price.   The gear I had was "decent gear" but it did the job well for several years.

My only question is should I try to sell it at all?   Padding breaks down over time.  Things get old.

A full face helmet is, in my humble opinion, not a question.   That could run from $150 to $700 depending on make and model.   I could see myself dropping an easy $250 on one.  My brain is worth it.  Gloves?  $50 to 100 bucks.

I've spent $300 to $1,000 dollars and I've not pulled out of the driveway yet on my imaginary bike.

I keep seeing video's about those motorcycle air bags.   Damn straight I would consider one.  Of course, I would want to play with the stupid rip cord to "test it" the first time too.  Just to make sure it worked when I went down the next time. 

However the point remains.   If I'm not comfortable, or at this stage willing to get back on a bike then looking at gear or having gear really does not make any sense.

There maybe someone looking for an affordable jacket, I've been there.

I also know there are riders that have suffered a whole lot worse than me, yet get right back up on the bike.   I knew a guy named Jim when I lived in Pittsburgh for example,  he lost a leg in a bike wreck.   Yet somehow got back on.

Maybe if my current job didn't take me all the way across town, where I don't have a choice but to use the highways, it would be a different story.   However that is an excuse too.   I'm not ready, nor am I willing to get back on a bike.

It's time to sell the old equipment and move on.  

In praise of rain gear.

It occurred to me the other night that I've written a bit about riding in the rain.  I've praised the gear that I have but I've never really done a full review of it.   It's about time I did.  When you ride your going to be hot, cold, wet, dry, sunburned.   Your going to be miserable at times....that's what riding does to you.  But your miserable for a moment and smiling the greater part of the day.  That's biking.

That being said I have to give credit where it is due.  Susan picked up my rain gear from someone for a few bucks.  It's actually large on me, being XXL.  I often feel like that guy in the picture when I first put this gear on.

Rain gear should be larger of course, your pulling it over your jacket.  Your pulling it over your boots and pants, often on the side of the road just before or shortly after the rain starts to fall.

Rain gear is not really designed for fashion.  It's designed to keep you dry.  I've used two different rain suits in my time on a bike.  The first I got from Target and it was really a cheap plastic suit designed more to just keep you dry if you had to work or walk around outside.  It was good for a stadium during a rainy baseball game.

I don't miss it.  That being said, the second and most current rain suit I have is designed by Frogg Toggs.  I've not sure what the model number or anything like that.  I will say this.  I LOVE MY FROGG TOGGS!!!

The last few days have been kind of nasty in Florida.  Raining just late enough to catch me out in it on my way home from work.  I carry my rain gear everywhere, it's an "unofficial" requirement in Florida.  It's yet to fail me when I've needed it most.

I've also learned a few things:  1)  It's best to pull up the pants as high as you can on your waist.  Sure it makes you look and feel stupid, but the water is going to run down off your helmet and jacket and pool somewhere.  Your crotch makes a perfect spot for that water to accumulate.   You want to avoid that.  2)  Your helmet is going to fog up unless you spent the money on a helmet with a pin lock.  There are a few anti fog agents on the market but I've found a little bit of denatured ethanol works best.  I use Fogtech DX from motosoutions.com

Here is what I love about my rain gear.   I'm comfy, dry and warm in it.

Front

Back

Frogg Toggs are 100% polypropylene.  Which basically means it's made to repel water.  Being relatively thick means that it is better designed than a cheap plastic rain suit, even if it's made from the same material.  Your going to stay dryer, and warmer, because of the layering of levels (at least 3) in a Frogg Togg.  In fact, I've slipped into rain gear on cooler nights just to keep myself that much warmer.

They also design suits made specifically for the motorcycle rider.   That means reflective material is woven into the suit itself.  Remember that we're invisible in broad daylight.  Rain is going to just make it that much harder to see you.  I still wear my yellow reflective vest over the rain jacket to be on the safe side.

Pants showing the boot zipper

The zipper is solid, and to help protect you from water getting in behind the zipper, there is a button flap that folds over the zipper.   I don't use it often, but the jacket also has a thin hood that slips up and over your head to prevent water from running down your neck and back.  I've found this collar is snug enough against the back of my helmet to prevent that anyway.  Both the pants and jacket can be folded tightly into a carry sack as well.  It can be compressed even smaller depending on how you pack the sack.

My hand in an effort to show size.

If I have an issue, it's there are no drawstrings in the pants or jackets to adjust the fit.  Although other models of the suit have that feature.  Nor is there a way to access my pockets in the rain suit.  I only bring that up because of a bit of an adventure the other night where I came across a three alarm fire, sadly I had no way to dig out my camera phone quickly, and I wasn't going to go fishing for it on the side of the road.

The other thing I bought specifically for rain and colder days was a pair of BILT waterproof gloves.  These are chemically treated to repel water and are a blend of nylon and polyester.   Again I don't remember exactly what model I ended up buying from Cyclegear.

Again I went with bright yellow to provide some visibility in low visibility circumstances, for me it's more about safety and function than looking like a fashion plate model.  I also highly recommend gauntlet style gloves for one big reason.  They slip over the jacket sleeve prevent wind and water from getting in.

These are very thick and solid gloves with 100% polyester lining.  Traveling along in the rain I'm not feeling my hands getting wet, and more importantly, cold. 

I can still feel the bike's controls with these gloves on and they have a reinforced palm to help save on wear and tear.  BILT sometimes gets knocked for shoddy workmanship.  Now I admit that these are not my everyday gloves and I only use them while riding in the rain but they have stood the test of time for me over the last year or so.  The stitching seems solid and tight.  If I have one very minor issue it that I wish they provided a bit more Velcro to the strap.

I like a tight fit against my arm and I've noticed that sometimes the Velcro comes loose when I'm riding.   This can allow water running down my arm into the glove.   It's a minor thing really.

So if your a new rider, or even an old pro, I'm going to highly recommend picking up a pair of Frogg Toggs.  It's going to add a whole other level to your riding experience.

close calls and blue balls (with a secret at the end)

 Close calls

I was going to enter the left lane, moving over to avoid a guy that kept stalling his souped up four cylinder stick shift car.  A quick glance in the mirror showed a black car exiting my lane and coming up fast, I stayed where I was and let him pass me then eased in behind him.

That's when the spider sense tingled.

He was moving to fast, pulling up quickly behind a slower moving car.  His brake lights glowed a angry red...I cursed and hit the brakes, the front wheel locked and the back end rose up ever so slightly...I let go of the front brake out of reflex smelling the burnt rubber of a burning brake.

The bike still moved forward and I pressed down on the front brake again as I came to an emergency stop.

I didn't panic.  I didn't curse...I didn't even think it was that scary at the time.   The event was so quick, so quick that I didn't think...I simply acted.

I didn't even think about it till afterword.   Replaying the event in my mind,  I had to smile, I was safe and the bike did not go down.  There was no accident.   Then I kicked myself for putting myself into what was a stupid situation to begin with.    I should have had a better situational awareness of the traffic around me.  I should have realized that if I was frustrated their were bound to be others being pissy as well.

The traffic was stop and go the whole day...what made me think the other lane would be open?   Why was I in such a hurry? 

Instead I was to worried about getting around a single car that was holding me back.

"Cocky," I used to say, "would get me killed."   Somehow I had violated the unwritten first rule of my motorcycle riding.  It's time I started to repeat that mantra.

And Blue Balls 

 I hate to use a off color phrase for male sexual frustration, but honestly I like the way it sounded with "close calls".  

In Florida this time of year we have pop up showers that can hit us any time of the day.  I rode into work the last two days.  Each time worried about the weather and each day the sky opened up so badly that that certain streets in the Tampa area flooded.  

I left work shortly after 8 PM both nights, I turn north, looking at darkening skies and feeling a bit worried about what I would be driving into.   I was not gone 5 minutes before I drove into the rain, it was a strong storm, and I started to count the time between lightening flashes...One Mississippi...two Mississ....crap.

That storm was moving quicker than I was and I started to seriously consider pulling over to put on my rain gear, or maybe just wait out the storm.   Then the skies opened up and I went from having a few drops on my helmet to soaked in a matter of moments.  

"No use putting on the rain gear now." I thought.  I drove gingerly though the storm for another 5 or 10 minutes....then that was it.  I was out. 

That's the frustration.   Do I pull over, dress in my rain gear and hope that I will continue to be rained on?  Or do I ride, wet, all the way home?

How many times have I driven in my frog toggs sweating my ass off?  

Summer in Florida is full of those pop up showers...riding in the rain is just part of the experience, although it can be a little frustrating at times.

(and my secret)

I'm thinking about becoming Batman.

   

stir crazy (or a taste of the long winter months)

I only had a few hours of free time this Saturday, Susan and I had tickets to a play and with everything she's gone through lately I wanted to make sure we attended it.  To make matters even more fun, there was a fifty five percent chance of rain today.  So a far ride was out of the question, I had been planning on a ride to nearby Brooksville for a while.  This is a historic town that is only about 45 to 60 minutes away and would make a fine day trip.

My plans for Brooksville would have to wait.  The entire weekend forecast was rain so I moved to plan B.  Ybor City (EE-bor) is a historic part of Tampa.  I had been wanting to explore that area by bike for a while as well.    Again it's only 30 minutes by bike from home.  Again the rain moved in earlier than expected.  My plans would have to wait.

What to do however?  My first and second plans were shot to hell?  I could find something to do right?

Right?  That 55% chance had moved to 100%, and their was no let up in sight.

I reviewed some of my old posts, and updated one or two based on some new information.  I read and reviewed a few of my friends blogs, only to find that many of my fellow bloggers had signed up for the Fuzzy Galore video blog challenge...and although I've been told that I have a voice for radio (and a face to match) I decided not to participate.

I enjoy the actual physical act of writing.  The sound of my fingers pounding down the keys and the joyful noise it makes   Looking into a camera?  Taking the time to edit, to actually think about what I wanted to say before hand?  Nope!  Not this guy!

Well that took up a couple hours...and I'm still bored.  It's still raining.

Do the dishes?  Clean out the closets?  No, here is a really riveting episode of Gilligan's Island I've not seen since 1973...or was it 2014?  Yes, the one where the Skipper finally snaps his little buddies head like a grape to get off the damned island.

I look at the window.  Still raining.  I consider my rain gear and how it keeps me warm and dry only to get a "No." from Susan.  I wonder off again....looking for something to do.

"Can there really be nothing?  Is this what my northern riding friends have to put up with for months at a time?"  I think to myself.

I look at gear on the computer, I try to convince myself that I really don't need a new jacket (but I really, really do!).

Again I look outside, it's the first free weekend I've had in some time.....and I can't do anything I had planned.  Even the housework I had wanted to do, like some painting outside, was put off due to this weather.

I suppose their is always next weekend right?

Closeout (updates on various things)

I caught a glimpse of her in the mirror today.  We were on our way to breakfast at IHOP and Sue was tucked in behind me.  I could not make out her face in her new helmet but I could feel her hands around me and the press of her body on my back.  She was buying breakfast and I could not have been in a better mood.

I knew I was in trouble when she mentioned her wanting to buy some sort of communication device so she could talk to me when riding.  How Christmas was coming up, and my birthday a few short months after that.  In other words, I should expect a communications headset.

Sometimes I catch a look at myself in my gear and it's odd to think about everything that is now in my closet that is biking related.  We now have four helmets, four sets of gloves, three sets of jackets, two pairs of boots, two sets of rain gear and a partridge in a pear tree.  We have come a long, long way from a canary yellow pullover and a shiny half helmet  Well it may not be the best gear it does serve a purpose, and hopefully we will never have to test our gear.

Now that fall is coming, we should be riding more as a couple.  It was incredibly hot and humid this summer, we didn't ride nearly as much as we could have.  The heat also effected my participation in the Equinox to Equinox rally.  I finished a very respectable 13th at of 202 participants and met my goal of a top 25 finish.  I managed a total of 291 points.  If I had continued to play I have no doubt I could have finished in the top ten, maybe even the top five.  You can see my various photo's here:  I was # 096.  Well I enjoyed it, I have to admit that I am not if I would participate again.  It just seemed it to long.  While the guys at the Pace Podcast do a great job, I just feel they just bit off more then they could chew.  It would have been nice to have had updates, either on the podcast or the website, regularly.  We will see what they have planned for next year.

Finally, I love a love a good adventure story.  I love travel stories and - at the risk of being called a "wimp" or worse - romance stories.  So when I came across this story on Scooterfile I had to follow up on it.  It seems that a young man fell in love with an idea.  To ride from Canada to Peru on a 150cc Lambretta.   Now that would be crazy today...but in the late 50's?  Perfectly insane.

Thanks to the Kickstarter website

One hitch in his plan. He met the woman he would marry three weeks before hand.  He still goes on the trip, and then, showing what must of been a sure sign that he was crazy in love.  He asks her to marry him and come on the journey with him.  You can't make these stories in Hollywood.  Unless you throw in an alien invasion or Zombies.

His son is trying to put together the money to tell his parents story.  From what I understand it's just a question of getting the money for the printing.  You can read more about the Bowman's adventure on their Kickstarter page.  The official website is at The Scooter Diaries and goes into much more detail about the project. Of course, their is a Facebook page as well.   It's an interesting story and worth looking into.  

Escape Velocity

I've been thinking about how much I enjoy riding, and how stupid I am to take the bike to work when I know there is a 60% chance of being caught out in rain.   It's pitch black when I pull out of the parking lot at work.  I'm in full battle gear.  My rain suit fits over my jacket like a glove.  I slide on my gauntlet gloves, bought specifically to deal with rain and cold weather.  Kimmie shakes off the water like a cat and we begin the long ride home.  Dodging raindrops and looking at the lightening in our rear view mirror, praying that I can outrun the thunderstorms plaguing the area.

Lately I've not been riding much.  This is due to a combination of factors which includes weather, my self employment and my regular job (I work for 3M). I have had to take the car places.  I have had to attend meetings, classes and other events that, for whatever reason, I was not able to ride to. The fact that I've been working overtime has contributed as well.  This is a pattern that is repeated at the end of every month.  I just get to busy to go and enjoy a nice long ride somewhere, anywhere.

I am surprised at how much I miss riding.  So when the chance to ride to work presents itself.   I take it, even though I damn well know it's not a good idea.  Riding to me has become more than just a cheap way to get from point A to point B.  No, it's much more than that to me now.  It's become my escape.

My job really is not that stressful.  In fact, even during the worst moments when the board is filled with red and people are screaming, freaking out, panicking....I have an almost Zen like state.  I used to work on projects that would cost a company hundred of thousands of dollars if they didn't do it right.  My job was to make sure it was right.  I had the right to shut them down if I wasn't happy.  I did sometimes knowing that I was in the right..  Later on in my life I dealt with people's lives.  Making decisions to grant loans, to help make dreams realities based on credit. Based on deposits and ratio's and choices...based on cold, hard calculations.

I left that job when the math didn't make sense anymore.  When the logic was based on bad assumptions and greed.  We all know what happened after that.  Yes, you can blame me for the near collapse of the banks a few years ago.

So stress?  Not in the least.

So why do I escape?  Why am I feeling this desire to ride?

It's quiet for one thing.  It just the wind noise and the bike, no other noise.  My attention is on the road ahead of me.  No fiddling with the radio trying to find something I want to listen to.  No phone calls.   I've considered a cheap bluetooth for the helmet but decided against it.  I don't want the distractions.

Generally speaking I'm not a risk taker.  I may speed but not excessively.  I may ride in weather that I should not of, earlier this week being a perfect example, but have no issue pulling over and waiting.   Or even leaving Kimmie somewhere and picking her up in the morning.  There is a risk to riding.  Cars are built to protect the rider, bikes give the rider responsibility.   To pay attention, to always be aware of the surroundings.  Some argue that riding is freedom.   I understand that...it is freedom but it also takes us back to a time when we were not as "coddled" as we are today.  I am responsible for my own safety.

For example, a giant chicken

Motorcycles are built for the back roads.  Sure I can ride on the freeway, get up to at least 100 miles per hour (161 km/h) but honestly why?  Personally for me; the freeway is designed for the car where as the bike is designed more for some back country road where I can smell the heather, listen to the spring peepers and actually see things that I would not see.

One of the reasons I was so excited about the Equinox to Equinox rally was because I know had an excuse to go out and ride.  Sadly even this fun event fallen by the wayside lately.  One day I just said, "It's to damn hot to ride!"

I know that soon enough I'll be able to ride more, I'll be going places again and not just to and through from work.   I know that soon enough I'll be packing a weekend back into the top case and Susan and I will be off somewhere.  In the meantime I just have to bide my time.  And that is the hardest part.

It's been a slow week - updates

It's been an odd week.  Due to a combination of work, weather, rain, vacations, and a host of other things I've ridden my bike a grand total of...twice.

Maybe three times if you count running to the store for a loaf of bread, a ride of less than five miles.  I came back from my little vacation to  St. Augustine and rode to work on a bright sunny afternoon.  Weather.com does not usually fail me, they were calling for a 30% chance of rain on the way home that night.  My normal commute home is 35 miles one way and, depending on traffic and can I make all the green lights, can take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.

The rain started lightly, I didn't bother to put my rain suit on.  Experience has shown me that Florida has several different of showers...this was a quick drizzle.  There is also the "Florida Car Wash" - a harder rain that lasts for under 10 minutes.  I went through the drizzle.  Five minutes later it started in full, buckets of rain driven by a ever increasing wind.  Well not at "Hurricane" levels it was certainly miserable.

"So Robert" you may be asking yourself "why didn't you pull over and slip your rain suit on?"    Because gentle reader, I was in the middle of no where.  Despite this being a fast moving highway this part of the road has not really been developed.  By the time I was able to pull off under a bank's awning I was already soaked to the bone.  Putting on the rain suit by now was silly, but I did it anyway.  It did help somewhat on the last 10 miles of the ride.  

I've been caught out in the rain before, and actually generally enjoy it.  I am a Rounder after all.  At night however it's another story, I am not worried so much about how the bike handles and my ability to handle the bike in the rain.  I worry about being seen, about a car speeding to fast for conditions and skidding into me.  I worry about the cagers.

That being said, Kimmie handles exceptionally well in the rain.  Where as my old beloved Burgman seemed sluggish at times, Kimmie's handling is a pleasure.  A 2013 Kymco Xciting weighs 473 pounds (214.5 KG).  The 2013 Burgman weighs 489 pounds (222 KG), you would not think that 16 pounds (7.26 KG) would make that big of a difference.  Kimmie does have 98cc more power as well, I've said it before and I'll say it again, she's a sport bike compared to my former, beloved Burgman.

Xciting on left, Burgman on the right

Now of course I'm not the same rider I was a year ago either.  That being said, if given the choice I would take the Burgman over Kimmie (don't tell her that please).  For me it's an issue of storage.  I never had an issue with the Burgman carrying everything.  I had to buy a top case for Kimmie, and still have to take my jacket into work.  

In the coming week I hope to attempt an oil change on Kimmie.  I am quickly approaching 6,000 miles on Kimmie, so I may just take her to my friends at Affordable Motor Sports and have them do a full 5,000 mile service on it.   

One thing I've learned about motorcycling is that its the little things that you need to pay attention to.  Example, after sitting for a week my tires were 5 pounds low on pressure.  That affects everything.  

Well that's it.  Another 5 minutes of your life wasted, thanks for reading!

Caught out in the rain again....but with different results

Every week on a Wednesday I have to drive into Tampa.  As I ride around I look for scooters.  On any given day I see about ten to twelve out riding on their scooters, but since it was a rainy miserable morning I really did not expect to see anybody riding anything.

Trash bags can be fashion too!

I saw six people riding scooters - everything from a little 50cc Sunbeam to a 650 Burgie - out in the rain.  I saw maybe one or two motorcyclists.   The riders wore everything from a poncho made out of a green garbage bag to full rain gear to just a tee shirt and jeans.  "Well if they can do it," I thought, "then I can too."

The chance of rain was going to be lower than it had been but their was still a good chance I was going to be wet.  It seemed the storms started to roll in when I was ready to roll out and head to work over the past week.  This time however I was going to be smart; so I packed a change of clothes (including underwear and shoes) and put them under the Burgie's seat.  I kissed the girlfriend good bye and took off down the road.

I had gone about 10 minutes when I saw the traffic heading towards me with their wipers on which could only mean one thing.   I was heading into a storm.  So I pulled off onto the side, well off the road, and pulled my rain pants on and zipped up all the zippers on my jacket to ensure no water could get in...and hit the road again.

It started lightly at first...then harder...then reached a climax of a steady warm thumping on my helmet.  It was a summer shower that would last the rest of my ride into work.  Steady and strong but never threatening. I watched my speed, made sure I had about a 3 - second stopping distance between me and the cars ahead of me. I avoided the slick paint of lane changes and road stripes.  In other words everything that a motorcyclist should do in the rain.

I stayed dry.   I stayed warm but I never felt "hot."  I started to hum "The man that sold the world"  to myself.     In other words I was enjoying myself.    Once I got to work and took off my gear I was pleasantly surprised.  I was dry.  In fact, the only time I got we was heading from the bike to the door to the building.

Rain lessons

Thank you National Geographic!

It was bound to happen sooner or later, that moment when I would be caught out on the Burgie in a terrible storm.  I have no one to blame but myself in this case, and I learned a few things about myself.

Like never doubt my first instinct.  I had pulled off the road to make sure my jacket was zipped up tight just in case I hit rain.  I could see the storm ahead of me and watched the flashes of lighting zip between heaven and earth.  Watching the cars coming at me in the opposite lane I noticed they had their lights lit (a requirement in Florida when it rains) but the wipers were off and the cars did not seem wet.  My first instinct was to put on my rain gear, at least my pants…but I didn’t do that. 

So I headed into the maul of the beast, thinking that I would be fine; after all I was only 15 or 20 minutes away from the dry office where I work.  Then it hit.

Florida thunderstorms are like no others I’ve experienced.  Well brief they are certainly strong, as buckets of rain poured down on me again and again.   I cursed the low stock windshield that I have on the Burgie as the rain rolled up it and off, pinging off my helmet.  My jeans started to get soaked and I felt like there was a puddle forming in my crotch.  I also learned that I should zip up ALL the zippers in the jacket when I feel I might get wet.  The water was forced into my sleeves and down the vents.  “Waterproof my ass” I cursed.

I rode on, at no time did I feel like I was not in control taking it slow but traveling with traffic…then it got worse and I could not see.  “There is an overpass up ahead, I’ll take shelter there.” I thought.  I drove some more, keeping to the right lane and wondering where the overpass was…”THERE!”  I started to pull over only to find a wrecker there, holding the dry area under the bridge hostage.  So out into the rain I went, cutting across three lanes to pull into a MacDonald’s parking lot where I would wait 10 minutes or so to sit out the storm.

I dried my gloves as best I could, wringing them out and drying them underneath the hand dryer.  Letting rivulets of water pour from my sleeves.  I called my work, letting them know I might be a few minutes late and my girlfriend letting her know that although I was wet, I was safe.

A few minutes passed and I was off again, riding the last few miles in a light but steady rain.  I pulled in and walked into work, soaked from head to toe – much to the amusement of my boss – and checked in right on time. 

The most important lesson I learned however is that my girlfriend really and truly does love me.  We were fighting over stupid things, on a day that should be celebrated due to some very good news concerning her health.  So when I texted her asking her to bring me some dry clothes…she did.  Without question or complaint…she brought me cookies as well, taking time out of her day and her duties.  She was still upset, I could see it in her eyes but I know we will forgive each other and move on with our relationship.   That’s what we do.  That’s what love does. 

The ride home from work may be uneventful; as I write this the sky is clear and bright but there is a 40% chance of me riding home wet and miserable.  I know that I can get home safely and will be slipping my raingear on before leaving work tonight. 

Random thoughts and images.

June 1st is the official start to the Rainy Season in Florida.  We need the rain badly, as the lakes are below their normal levels and countless turtles take their lives in their own hands to find a patch of mud on the other side of the blacktop.  As much as we need the rain, as much as I want my veggie garden to thrive...I am weary of the rain as well.

I ride to work every day and if I didn't have my paper route to do two days out of the week I get the feeling that my car would sit for weeks without moving.  I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing.  I am planning on replacing one of my two cars eventually and using the bike full time anyhow.   The problem is that my experience riding in rain is limited.  Over the past two years or so that I've been riding some sort of scooter I can count the number of times I've ridden in the rain on one hand.  One of the first things I bought when I got the Burgie was a good rain suit.  It sits under the seat in it's pack...waiting.  I have a 50% chance of getting wet tonight, a 70% chance tomorrow.

June 18, 2012 is also National Ride to Work Day.  I'm always amazed that there are 3 or 4 other motorcycles at work, that I know of, and yet my old Scooter is always parked there.  I do understand that there may be reasons why someone can not ride to work.  I also understand that their are other alternatives - for example when I lived in Pittsburgh I rode the bus every day despite that fact that I could have driven in and parked for free.  It was just easier to ride the bus.  A girl at work owns a Prius and a Harley, yet the Prius gets better gas mileage than the hog...so yea, I get it.  However it seems to me that if you own a bike, you should ride it.  Not just on the weekends or from Tavern to Tavern but to work and to school and to the grocery store.

For example, the other day I was in Tampa on business and driving past an ancient woman riding a Peace scooter.  Her toothless smile was so wide that you could get lost in it.  She had a look of pure, simple, childish joy on her face.  I could not help it and yelled out "YOU GO GRANDMA!" and got the biker wave in return.  Some images you have burned into your brain and have to acknowledge them.   I know that years from now I'll be riding somewhere with that same grin and sense of childlike wonder, I only hope that someone see's me and that I impress them as much as she did me.


That is one of the reasons I write.  To share these impressions and images with others.  One of the other reasons I write is to hopefully teach someone else something...anything really.  What not to do, what to do.  To just get them to think about something differently for a moment or two.  One blog that does a fantastic job of that is "How to ride your scooter safely."   If your riding any sort of two wheeled vehicle this is required reading.  


Finally, if your not familiar with a site called Fuelly, you should be.  It's designed to give you hard figures on your fuel consumption as well as tips on how to increase it.  It's not hard to use and it should be interesting to see how my car's and bike compares to others over time.

Taking chances....and rainy days

I will never understand why people insist on getting smaller cc bikes.  I believe you need to have the right bike for your circumstances.

Now please don't misunderstand me.  I know very well why someone would want a lower cc scooter.  Hell, I started riding on a small Zuma 125 because of the lower costs, fuel mileage and other reasons.  The top speed on that bike with an open throttle was maybe 55 mph.  Living in the city it was fine for stop and go driving but I would never take it out onto a freeway, nor would I ride it night on busy roads.  In all fairness I did ride at night on the Zuma but it was on back country roads at 1 AM.  Ninety percent of the time I never saw another car.

Yesterday I on my way home from work taking my normal route.  It was after 10:30 at night and traffic, while not heavy was certainly heavier than normal for that time of night.  I pulled up to a red light and see a single red dot about a mile ahead of me.  "Another biker" I think to myself.   The light goes green and I catch up to the other bike in a matter of minutes.

He was riding something similar to this.

It was some guy wearing a dark shirt, no helmet, no jacket, no reflective gear at all riding a motorized bicycle.  His top speed was maybe 30 mph.  We were riding on a  road where the speed limit is posted as 65 mph.  I yelled over to the guy that I would tuck in behind him and follow him.  My larger bike would not protect him of course if we got hit from behind, but at least my taillights and reflective stripping on my jacket would be a bit more visible.  He took the lane closest to the side of the road, I took the outside and for roughly five miles we putted along, getting passed by all type of cars and trucks.

I even turned on my brights to help him see.  Eventually he turned off, taking a similar road and I continued on straight wishing him the best.  Hopefully this was a one time thing for him.  He was taking a bigger chance than I would ever do.  In fact, the reason I sold the Zuma is that I would have to travel that road back and forth to work; I didn't think the Zuma was safe on those roads even with it's higher speed.

On a more personal note it rained over the weekend.  We needed the rain badly here in Western Florida, as we are in a prolonged drought, but it also showed a weakness in my plans for the future.  I know that eventually I will have to get rid of one of my cars.  It just does not make sense to me; economically or environmentally, to have two cars.  That however means riding in the rain at times.  It poured here the other day, buckets of rain coming down.  I have a rain suit and a decent one at that.  I've not used it yet.  I decided to take the car one day, and I'm glad I did because the rain was so bad that I would not see 10 feet ahead of me at one time.  The other day I rode into the dark clouds knowing I had a 50% chance of getting wet.  I also had a 50% chance of staying dry.  I stayed dry.

If I want to get rid of at least one of the cars, I have to accept that I am going to get wet.  That I will have to ride in less than ideal conditions.  I'll get there.

Learning curve's

Every time I go out, I learn something new about the bike and myself.  On Saturday I thought I go get gas, then take the bike out for a nice spin on a lovely day.

I misjudged exactly how far I would get on the gas I had.  In fact, 1.5 miles up the road I'm calling the lovely, beautiful, smart and incredible girlfriend to pick me up.  Did I mention how wonderful she was?

The girlfriend let me know she was not happy about picking me up and getting gas for me, in fact I'm still suffering from this experience.  Lesson learned...About 210 miles is as far as I go go on a tank of gas, after that find a station quickly.

When I left in the morning the temperature was in the low 80's, a wonderful warm and sunny morning, within the hour the sky darkened, the clouds moved in and every time I looked down at my ambient air gauge...the temperature seemed to drop another 3 or 4 degrees.  I had packed a sweater under the seat and tossed that on, but not rain gear.  A friend had got caught out a few days before, and I should have learned from his experience.  The rain however held off and my little 50 miles sprint on the bike was all good.

An old bridge found on the ride.

David Masse, who writes the wonderful Life on Two wheels blog, once mentioned that he carried a crushed beer can with him to stabilize the bike when he pulled into soft shoulders to take a few photo's or so.  "Good idea" I think to myself, and promptly don't do that.   Then I pull off the side of the road to get a couple of pics of an old decaying bridge, which sadly my photographic skills do not do it justice.  I start to put the camera back into the bag and "OH SHIT!"....no the bike did not tip.  I was able to catch it in time...but lesson learned.  The camera landed softly on the grass and I was glad I dropped it, and not the Burgie.

There is a lot of learning involved.  How to do the basic maintenance, how to look for certain things, how to protect yourself, how to drive in X condition and how that differs from Y condition.

Is it worth it?  Oh sure there are gas savings, my full tank ran me a total of $12 dollars and I know I can go a MAXIMUM of 210 miles before needing to fill up again.  Does it save the environment?  Am I making friends in a larger community?
Along with the tangibles are a whole bunch of intangibles.

Ah Florida!

Of course finding something as strange and wonderful as this on the road does make it worthwhile, and being able to pull over quickly to take advantage of the camera is certainly a plus.

I'm still learning, the curves of the road and the lessons that the bike has to teach me.  What other joys does the road hold?  What other horrors and surprises?

To know that, I have to simply ride.

Rain Gear - the Gearing Up Saga continues in this week's exciting episode!

When we last left our intrepid hero he was standing in the parking lot in front of a homeless shelter getting trained on a little Honda Rebel in the pouring rain...we join him now.


The evil motorcycle instructor speaks first:  "What you guys may want to do for tomorrow is stop at a Target or Wal - mart and pick up some camping rain gear. It's about $30 bucks and in this economy we all got to save a little green."

Which is exactly what I did.  Picking up a green colored rain suit from Coleman.  The next day the weather radar didn't even give a chance of rain...opting for the much more easier to understand "RAIN!"  I have to admit that the suit kept me about 98% dry throughout the day, of course we were doing low speed maneuver's in a closed parking lot and there is no way to tell how well the suit would put up with normal driving speeds with cars passing you in either direction.

Coleman rain suits

I never really thought about something like this before, opting instead to eventually buy the more traditional motorcycle rain gear.  This suit however had Velcro adjustable cuffs and snaps on the arms and legs.  The pants leg was designed to go over my boot without issue and snap shut, keeping water out of the boot.

Currently I've two pair of gloves, a lighter "summer" pair that I wrote about already, and a pair given to me as a gift that I can tuck the jacket that I'm wearing under and then Velcro down so the jacket does not ride up.  Neither really works well with this jacket and I 'm starting to see way serious riders might have 3 - 5 if not more pairs of gloves.

The zipper was protected by a storm flap with snaps.  Well the 20mm PVC plastic may not be the greatest...it served my purpose well on the course.

Still though you can't help but wonder how it will perform on the road in a real world circumstance.  I have to wait and see though.  I returned it because the size I had was to large, although I do think getting a size larger - at least for the jacket is the way to go.  I want to be able to dress in layers if I'm going to be out on a nasty day and need to keep that in mind.

Green is also not my best color.  My scooter is invisible to begin with, and in the rain a little more visibility never hurts!  I'm currently seeking a yellow one and am actually considering something like a picture from Frog Toggs.   Of course, for the price of the pants and jacket I may be better off getting actual "motorcycle rain gear" which will not only keep me dry but protect me in case of a fall.

Like everything in life however it's a compromise...do I get something I know I will need and use for a lower price sacrificing quality (and possible safety) because I can afford it now, or put it off till I can afford it later.  If I do that I know that if I'm caught out in the rain (and I live in Florida...I will be caught out in the rain) that I will not only get wet, but be less visible and possibly suffer from hypothermia as a result?

For now I try to avoid riding in the rain whenever possible.  But right now I'm leaning towards spending the $50 dollars or so and getting something like the Frog Togg's above.  I would rather have something to keep me dry and safe for now...I will buy the better suit later although I'm seeing sales on various discontinued items.  While buying online might be cheaper, I still feel that putting on the gear and reviewing it up close and personal might be the way to go...I can always go back and find a better price online.

Random thoughts on rainy days.

The girlfriend woke softly to the same sounds of rain drumming on the roof that I awoke to moments before.  She placed a warm soft hand on my chest and snuggled her naked body even closer to mine.

"I guess you're not riding today."

I grunted, enjoying her closeness.  Closing my eye and drifting off to the sound of her breathing mixed with the soft random thuds of rain on my roof.

Over the last two days here in West Central Florida we have been battered by the remnants of tropical storm Lee which has made the humidity, which is always high, even higher and the temperatures climb.  Rain continues to threaten to was over us.  The day before yesterday I did not ride into work due to the threat of rain, only to have the afternoon be bone dry.  Yesterday the skies opened and it rained; hard and fast and constant, the wind blowing wild.

It was not a fit night for man or beast to ride in.

Nelson-Rig SR-6000 Rainsuit

I don't have proper rain gear yet.  All I have is a plastic poncho which I think would be more of a hindrance than a help.  I've been lucky in that I've only been caught out in the rain once; I was riding my original Zuma 125 on the back roads of Pasco county when the storm caught up to me.  The rain felt like a pellet gun hitting me at a 40 mile an hour pace, I suppose the rain would feel like a shotgun blast at closer to highway speeds.

Being exposed to the weather is one of the drawbacks of riding.  The sun beats down on you, your going to get wet.  These are givens.   As a new rider I have to balance my comfort with safety.   My full face helmet is great to protect me in case of accident and from wind buffering, but is also heavy and a bit hot.

I wear a "highlighter" yellow jacket (not pictured) which makes me a bit more visible I hope, but also a bit warmer as well.  I admit to wearing short sleeve shirts and even shorts at times for the shorter jaunts I've taken.

The first weekend of October I'll be taking my endorsement class for my motorcycle license.  I'll be required to have the following:

• Long sleeve shirt or jacket
• Denim jeans or heavy pants (not excessively baggy, long or with holes or frayed edges)
• Over the ankle boots covering the ankle bone (not tennis shoes or fashion boots with heels)
• Full-fingered leather gloves
• Shatter resistant sunglasses or safety glasses
• Sunscreen and lip protection

I'll need the boots and gloves.  I was also told a rain suit was in order as well.  Now it comes down to simple research.   The boots are not an issue, I just need to find something comfortable with non slip oil resistant soles that are water resistant.  The gloves are easy as well although I wonder why one pair is $9.99 and another is $199.99.  Is there that big of a difference?


I want a rain suit as well, but again...what is best and affordable?  I would rather pay for quality and have it last than buy cheap.   But I can not justify spending a few hundred dollars on it either.

Rain, Rain Go Away...

If the television was to be believed then their was a 50% chance of rain yesterday.   It is going to happen eventually I know, where I have no choice but to drive through a thunderstorm or get caught out in a torrential rainstorm.

Growing up I was told that it rained every day in Florida, and although I now know that was an old wives tale, a storm can come up out of no where.  It can last 5 minutes or all day.  So before taking off for work today I checked weather.com and saw showers at 3 PM and at 9 PM.  Unlike the TV, weather.com allows for a much more localized forecast.

It take me just under an hour to get to work, I start at 4 PM, and would be driving directly into the belly of the beast.

Normally I would not ride in the rain, I'm still a "newbi" and know enough to avoid putting myself into a potential dangerous situation.  For what ever reason though I decided to go.   I don't have a rain suit, although I do have a poncho.

I kept riding, riding, riding into the darkness ahead.   My Burgman has a ambient air  temperature gauge, which I kept an eye on as well.  I figured that if the temperature started to fall drastically that I would be heading into the rain.

It never did rain, the ride was uneventful.  At 9 PM the rain started to come down and I moved the bike from the parking lot to a covered area to keep it dry.

Today I have to ride into work again.  I have a 50% chance of getting rained on when I leave for work.   A 30% chance on the way home.  So do I roll the dice again?  Or play it safe?