What was the best... - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

phoenix · 10-19-2003, 02:05 PM

...ride that you had this summer?

Details....we want details

I'll be back with mine soon.

phoenix

Incognito · 10-19-2003, 03:40 PM

I don't have my own bike but my husband does. He has been working on getting it together now since his release from prison. It's finally done!!! He has taken it out for a few miles to break it in and pretty soon we'll get to ride together again. It's been along time....he lost his last bike to his addiction.

So.....my best ride so far has been here....

http://home.att.net/~knucklehead-47/puzzle.htm

phoenix · 10-19-2003, 04:31 PM

Welcome to our little corner,Incognito.

That's a cool site....thanks for sharing it.I posted it up in Web Wanderings.

phoenix

phoenix · 10-24-2003, 07:07 PM

Sorry I am so slow getting back to this.Apart from being just plain busy,I had a really depressed episode that kept me down.

Anyway...thinking it over I see that it's hard to choose one best ride.I had a great summer,with no serious mishaps.

The one that stands out for me is the Kansas trip.Still can't say whether the trip up or back was best,guess it's all good...lol.

I did seriously enjoy riding all that way solo,with directions taped to my tank.Only got turned around a couple of times.Got through St Louis with no major headaches,though I did get thoroughly soaked.Got dried out riding,and when I stopped to check my maps and stuff I could see a dark range of clouds,the storm front and clear skies beyond.My fond hope that me and the storm would part ways came to pass,and all was well.

The trip back with my Canuckian friend was a blast too.We took advantage of some off the wall photo opps.So I have pictures of me and her by a sign in MO that just says Mexico,with an arrow.And us and a friend in Climax

I really wanted to get one by the sign that said "Be Alert When Flashing",but it wasn't a good place to stop.We did try to heed the warning though

Lots of good local rides,just aimlessly wandering about.Had a fine ride Monday 10/20,it was in the high 70's.Probably the last t-shirt day of the year....sigh.I love Fall,but the long winter bites.

Good memories...

phoenix

BillJ · 10-25-2003, 06:42 AM

I didn't get to take any serious road-trips this year.

Went to Ireland, instead.

Got to go to a meeting in Dublin, and attend a bike show hosted by one of the outlaw clubs over there. Very cool stuff. Very creative!

Back in the States, I had to be content with weekenders around Texas. Not that that's a bad thing - Texas has so much to offer, once you get off the Interstates - but I am SO ready for a gen-u-ine, bedroll-on-the-bitch-rack, get-the-hell-outta-Dodge, who-needs-a-stinkin'-roadmap ROAD TRIP! My Virago-riding brother just moved to Prescott, Arizona, and I'm trying to figure out when he and I can hook up and go exploring his new home.

So, the "best" was probably a recent weekend in Kerrville - a little mini-vacation. I was two-up with my wife, on our Beemer, and my buddy was packing my wife's best friend on his '03 H-D T-Sport. Spent the night in Kerrville (at a hotel that was hosting an antique car club's annual rally, and serving 'way too much great food!) and spent the days wandering around some of the PRETTIEST scenery in the 48 states. :p

Gotta say, the day trip me and a sober buddy took a few weekends back was pretty sweet, too. I was on my rigid shovel (with the new, 'way-too-shiny front wheel) and he was on his FatBoy. Rode in a light rain most of the day, which is more fun than it sounds (and NO, we don't have windshields!)

Stopped at an AA conference in Blanco, and met some members of one of the sober motorcycle clubs there. Then on to Boerne to visit my buddy's old Army pal. Big ol' lunch at a funky little restaurant in downtown Boerne, and a very leisurely (and drier!) ride home, on the most remote goat-paths we could find. No Superslab for these cow-pokes, no sir!

Was a good ride 'cause it was just the two of us, and (since our wives are great friends) we don't get that many opportunities to do the "male bonding" thing, where it's just us guys. Gave us a chance to kind of catch up on program stuff, too.

Now I'm ready for that REAL road trip!!!

phoenix · 10-25-2003, 06:52 AM

Oh man...I would love to go to Ireland.I'd love it even more if I could take my bike.And then get back to Arizona.I love the desert,and it's so close to a lot of the other good states.New Mexico,Colorado.....aaaarrrgggghh...I wanna pack up and go NOW

Maps? We doan need no steeenking maps!

phoenix

BillJ · 10-25-2003, 07:09 AM

Didn't get to ride this trip over, but on my first trip, a year and a half ago, a fellow I met when we first got to Dublin brought me his Suzuki 600 and just GAVE it to me for the second half of our two-week visit! It was so cool! Scared the pee outta me, riding on Irish roads, but I still had a blast!

The biking community there is much smaller, and apparently more closely-knit, than the American scene. I didn't see a lot of the elitist "my bike is better than that piece o' crap you're riding..." BS that you see here. Everyone's so crazy just to be riding that they recognize each other as kindred spirits.

If I ever live in Ireland, I look forward to beating myself silly riding my rigid over those meandering country roads of theirs!

BillJ · 10-25-2003, 07:13 AM

Hey, if you're interested, shoot me an e-mail, and I'll send you a piece I wrote about riding in Ireland.

mudflap · 10-26-2003, 05:06 PM

hey all,one of the rides this year was a sober rally in Beaver Utah,what a great trip the kind ya stick yer head and arms out of yer suitcase LOL.Went with two good Bros Bones and BillyBob,one of the roads was a gamble we got to a cross road fliped a coin took the scenic route,about 5 miles up the road the weather just opened up on us RAIN! and alot of of it .Got to the rally the next day man talk about a hoot sober bikers,the town was great the sober bike rodeo was just that rodeo.That was my first sober bike rally I think I will make alot more of these in the next year.

shovelhead · 10-28-2003, 08:36 PM

Had a good ride at sturgis, too many people tho, but the Black Hills are awesome. Put 275 miles on last Sunday just aimlessly riding around minnesota. Plan to send my bike to Daytona in Feb.
then ride down to Key West. Would like to ride all the way down there but can't get past the snow and ice we're gonna have.

Shovelhead

Gooch · 10-28-2003, 09:50 PM

My best ride this summer was bein part of the wedding party reception "entourage" for my bro John and his wife Dawn. Was a blast escortin the bride and groom through downtown Rochester, and then out along the Lake Ontario pkway to point breeze for a surf and turf after reception dinner. Probably about 12 bikes in our little pack, a few baggers, a couple customs, and a handful of stockers. All in all only about 225 miles that day but there was lot of gratitude and joy goin around that day.

2stop · 10-29-2003, 06:27 AM

Okay, that's it!! I am getting me a bike and have me some adventure, it's sounds like such a blast!! I love to travel, it's the only time I feel free, and somehow safe. What would I start with?

BillJ · 10-29-2003, 07:10 AM

Start with an MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) Basic Rider Education Course. Your state law-enforcement agency or local motorcycle dealership may sponsor them. Here in Texas, the Department of Public Safety manages training sites across the state, and individual dealerships have various programs and incentives to encourage participation.

Education saves lives, plain and simple. A training course will NOT make you "safe," but it will teach you some basic street survival skills that will help you enjoy a LONG and HEALTHY motorcycling adventure.

Another plus is that some states (Texas among them) accept completion of the motorcycle safety course in lieu of a road test, for getting your motorcycle license.

The course is also good for insurance discounts!!!

So far as what bike to get: that's a big ol' can of worms. Everyone has their bias. Look around at what other folks are riding, and see what looks best to you, for comfort, style and purpose. Cruiser? Tourer? Sport?

Then pester anyone you know who has a bike to take you for rides, so you can get a notion of what feels best to you.

Then start visiting dealerships and "trying on" different models. Just be sure to ask first! NEVER sit on ANYONE's motorcycle (even the dealership's) without asking first.

Keep us posted on your progress.

2stop · 10-29-2003, 07:19 AM

Call me crazy(take a number, the line is looooonggg!)but I think I am going to go through with this. I want to surprise my husband..he wants a Harley real bad and likes to ride. I doubt it will be a Harley I surprise him on, but plan on surprising him with me riding by the house, or picking him up at work!! Thanks for all the great info!!!!

PassDTab · 10-29-2003, 08:40 AM

Guess I'll chime in...
I've wanted a bike since I was probably 5 years old. Being female, it's kinda odd. My father restores and builds classics (mostly '57 bellaire chevys), so he sparked my enthusiasm of cars and bikes. I asked for one for so long and my father's response is "it's way too dangerous for you!" of course. Then, one christmas, there was a bike sitting outside....I was sooo excited. Looked at the tag and is was for my younger brother!!!! Argggh!! He's never wantes a bike in his life, never showed an interest in them or cars or anything. My dad's response to this was that "all boys your age are into this stuff". Can you believe him?? I can't believe how sexist my own father is. That was about the most depressing christmas ever, thanks to him. I almost feel he did it just to taunt me! Ad my brother never even rode it...turned around and sold it, since he wasn't interested - what a waste!!
Well, when I FINALLY get out of college I plan on getting a new HD sportster, or maybe an older sportster softail.

Take Care All!

BillJ · 10-29-2003, 03:54 PM

I will never understand why some men object to women riders. If you enjoy something as much as I enjoy motorcycling, what could be better than looking over and seeing the person you love right there beside you, enjoying the same thing?

For years I've been encouraging women to fulfill their dreams of owning their own bikes. I've taught 'em shade-tree mechanics when I could, ridden long miles with 'em while they got used to handling a bike on their own, been there for 'em when the going got tough, written about 'em in magazines like Harley Women...

In fact, I'm trying to help my wife's best friend get a Sportster now, and me and some friends are sending our female significant others to an MSF Basic Rider Course for Christmas.

If in the wind is where you want to be, don't let some man tell you "No!"

Lilya · 10-29-2003, 05:26 PM

Riding a bike has always been one of my dreams and I read the info you gave to 2Stop with interest, Bill. It sound a lot safer in the States than in Europe.

I´ve gone bikeriding in Italy and in Ibiza on a Vespa

But it scared me to death. First, the roads are winding and dead narrow. There are about thousand bikers on these roads with you, swearing and cursing and the speed... my God. I fell, but didn´t hurt myself too much.

Has anyone here been on similar roads in Europe? What do you think about Vespas? I have a feeling they´re pretty uncool. When I rent them in Ibiza, the guy asks: "Do you want small, medium or large?" After Christmas I´m going to Cuba and I´m going for a ride. What should I check for over there?

Quote:

Use adversity

BillJ · 10-30-2003, 04:00 PM

Lilya,

My only experience with "European" riding was a brief foray through the Irish countryside - winding, dead narrow roads like the ones you saw in Italy, and frequently covered with a slimy mixture of cow manure and water that farmers use to fertilize their fields. What fun!

Based on that experience, and what I've read elsewhere, I've concluded that most American bikers:

A) have it far better (safer, easier, less restrictive) than their Euro counterparts, and:

B) would probably curl up in the fetal position and regress to thumb-sucking if they had to ride those roads every day! I am SO grateful to be an American biker!

So far as Vespas go: I live in a University town, where some of the college kids and assorted others ride Vespas to and from school and work. Vespas are a kind of dorky retro-cool thing... so unhip that they're hip, y'know?

Miraculously, Vespa riders seem to do okay on surface streets, but every now and then I see one of 'em out on the freeway, and I just shake my head. The way we Texans drive (pedal to the metal, cell-phone in one hand, and coffee or cold beer in the other) anyone out in highway traffic on an underpowered Vespa is playing Russian Roulette with a semi-automatic!

The only thing I know about Cuba is that some Cubans love Harleys, and that there are a lot of motorcyclists.

Lilya · 10-31-2003, 05:57 AM

Makes you wonder how the Italian highway pirates can hijack tourists and steal everything from them - on those Vespas. There are two by the side, one in front and the fourth at the back. Absolutely terrifying.

Thanks a lot, Bill for your reply. I get the picture. I guess I´m stuck with these Vespas (

) when I´m in Italy or Ibiza, but I´ll be more careful. I can see now how truly dangerous this is. There are Harley clubs in Europe, but they are pretty exclusive.

I will ask for a Harley in Cuba. I envy you all and wish you much happiness on those wonderful roads.

Thanks a lot,

Quote:

Use adversity

jr95Tstorm · 11-10-2003, 06:44 AM

Hey Lilya,

2 wheels is 2 wheels and long as you're riding... LIke Bill said if you can take an MSF course or something similar that would be to you benefit. Also the Suski Savage or Honda Rebel or the Buell Blast are good bikes to start if you're nervous about riding. Actually they good bikes in their own right... Nice light low to the ground bikes....

Lilya · 11-10-2003, 12:07 PM

Thanks for your advice, Storm.

I will check out those other choices when in Cuba and later when I go to Ibiza. Forget Italy. It is downright suicidal, and I am no force to be reckoned with, trembling on my rented Vespa. So unhip they are hip?

I get it. I knew it before.

Wishing you a wonderful winter ride.

Quote:

Use adversity

goneriding · 11-10-2003, 04:28 PM

I would have to say riding to LA and back with my good friend Jo. We took Highway 5 from Manteca on the hottest day of the summer. When we reached Lost Hills (right before the grapevine) it got to 114 degrees. I thought that we had died and gone to Hell. We pulled over and rested in the shade - then, knowing that it was not going to get any better, I walked over to the mini mart. I purchased a six pack of knee high crew socks and began stuffing them with ice. We had them wrapped around our necks, stuffed down our shirts and pants. There was a guy staring at us while we were doing this, I turned to him with my sock in my pants - and said am I making you jealous. It was hillarious, two chicks riding down the freeway on the Harley's with crew socks full of ice stuffed every where.

The other great ride of the summer was to Gualala with my women's riding group! Wow, what a beautiful ride to the coast on a perfect weekend. We went to a Beat the Heat ride with the Redwood Coast Riders. Our group took almost all the plaques for the bike games. They had a weinie Spitz contest where my friends husband won that with a 14 foot distance. If you live in California - this is a must ride of the Summer.

jr95Tstorm · 11-11-2003, 06:47 AM

I'd have to say mine was a trip to upstate CT... I was with a friend who had never rode more than a half hour around town.. Friends have a cabin on a lake and invite several families up there to enjoy a Day on the Lake... I think he was more

10-19-2003, 02:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
phoenix Paused Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Dreaming Summer Posts: 807	What was the best... ...ride that you had this summer? Details....we want details I'll be back with mine soon. phoenix

10-19-2003, 03:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
Incognito Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: On pins and needles Posts: 116	I don't have my own bike but my husband does. He has been working on getting it together now since his release from prison. It's finally done!!! He has taken it out for a few miles to break it in and pretty soon we'll get to ride together again. It's been along time....he lost his last bike to his addiction. So.....my best ride so far has been here.... http://home.att.net/~knucklehead-47/puzzle.htm __________________ "Let your heart guide you. It whispers, so listen closely."

10-25-2003, 06:42 AM	#5 (permalink)
BillJ Casual Hero and Raconteur Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Austin, TX, USA Posts: 1,123	I didn't get to take any serious road-trips this year. Went to Ireland, instead. Got to go to a meeting in Dublin, and attend a bike show hosted by one of the outlaw clubs over there. Very cool stuff. Very creative! Back in the States, I had to be content with weekenders around Texas. Not that that's a bad thing - Texas has so much to offer, once you get off the Interstates - but I am SO ready for a gen-u-ine, bedroll-on-the-bitch-rack, get-the-hell-outta-Dodge, who-needs-a-stinkin'-roadmap ROAD TRIP! My Virago-riding brother just moved to Prescott, Arizona, and I'm trying to figure out when he and I can hook up and go exploring his new home. So, the "best" was probably a recent weekend in Kerrville - a little mini-vacation. I was two-up with my wife, on our Beemer, and my buddy was packing my wife's best friend on his '03 H-D T-Sport. Spent the night in Kerrville (at a hotel that was hosting an antique car club's annual rally, and serving 'way too much great food!) and spent the days wandering around some of the PRETTIEST scenery in the 48 states. :p Gotta say, the day trip me and a sober buddy took a few weekends back was pretty sweet, too. I was on my rigid shovel (with the new, 'way-too-shiny front wheel) and he was on his FatBoy. Rode in a light rain most of the day, which is more fun than it sounds (and NO, we don't have windshields!) Stopped at an AA conference in Blanco, and met some members of one of the sober motorcycle clubs there. Then on to Boerne to visit my buddy's old Army pal. Big ol' lunch at a funky little restaurant in downtown Boerne, and a very leisurely (and drier!) ride home, on the most remote goat-paths we could find. No Superslab for these cow-pokes, no sir! Was a good ride 'cause it was just the two of us, and (since our wives are great friends) we don't get that many opportunities to do the "male bonding" thing, where it's just us guys. Gave us a chance to kind of catch up on program stuff, too. Now I'm ready for that REAL road trip!!! __________________ Bill J. from Austin Evo FXR (AKA "The Banshee") Rigid rat shovel (AKA "The Bitch") Ratted-out Evo FLT (AKA "The Bagger") The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom, and I'm trying to get there as fast as I can!

10-25-2003, 07:09 AM	#7 (permalink)
BillJ Casual Hero and Raconteur Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Austin, TX, USA Posts: 1,123	Didn't get to ride this trip over, but on my first trip, a year and a half ago, a fellow I met when we first got to Dublin brought me his Suzuki 600 and just GAVE it to me for the second half of our two-week visit! It was so cool! Scared the pee outta me, riding on Irish roads, but I still had a blast! The biking community there is much smaller, and apparently more closely-knit, than the American scene. I didn't see a lot of the elitist "my bike is better than that piece o' crap you're riding..." BS that you see here. Everyone's so crazy just to be riding that they recognize each other as kindred spirits. If I ever live in Ireland, I look forward to beating myself silly riding my rigid over those meandering country roads of theirs! __________________ Bill J. from Austin Evo FXR (AKA "The Banshee") Rigid rat shovel (AKA "The Bitch") Ratted-out Evo FLT (AKA "The Bagger") The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom, and I'm trying to get there as fast as I can!

10-25-2003, 07:13 AM	#8 (permalink)
BillJ Casual Hero and Raconteur Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Austin, TX, USA Posts: 1,123	Hey, if you're interested, shoot me an e-mail, and I'll send you a piece I wrote about riding in Ireland. __________________ Bill J. from Austin Evo FXR (AKA "The Banshee") Rigid rat shovel (AKA "The Bitch") Ratted-out Evo FLT (AKA "The Bagger") The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom, and I'm trying to get there as fast as I can!

10-19-2003, 04:31 PM	#3 (permalink)
phoenix Paused Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Dreaming Summer Posts: 807	Welcome to our little corner,Incognito. That's a cool site....thanks for sharing it.I posted it up in Web Wanderings. phoenix

10-24-2003, 07:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
phoenix Paused Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Dreaming Summer Posts: 807	Sorry I am so slow getting back to this.Apart from being just plain busy,I had a really depressed episode that kept me down. Anyway...thinking it over I see that it's hard to choose one best ride.I had a great summer,with no serious mishaps. The one that stands out for me is the Kansas trip.Still can't say whether the trip up or back was best,guess it's all good...lol. I did seriously enjoy riding all that way solo,with directions taped to my tank.Only got turned around a couple of times.Got through St Louis with no major headaches,though I did get thoroughly soaked.Got dried out riding,and when I stopped to check my maps and stuff I could see a dark range of clouds,the storm front and clear skies beyond.My fond hope that me and the storm would part ways came to pass,and all was well. The trip back with my Canuckian friend was a blast too.We took advantage of some off the wall photo opps.So I have pictures of me and her by a sign in MO that just says Mexico,with an arrow.And us and a friend in Climax I really wanted to get one by the sign that said "Be Alert When Flashing",but it wasn't a good place to stop.We did try to heed the warning though Lots of good local rides,just aimlessly wandering about.Had a fine ride Monday 10/20,it was in the high 70's.Probably the last t-shirt day of the year....sigh.I love Fall,but the long winter bites. Good memories... phoenix

10-25-2003, 06:52 AM	#6 (permalink)
phoenix Paused Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Dreaming Summer Posts: 807	Oh man...I would love to go to Ireland.I'd love it even more if I could take my bike.And then get back to Arizona.I love the desert,and it's so close to a lot of the other good states.New Mexico,Colorado.....aaaarrrgggghh...I wanna pack up and go NOW Maps? We doan need no steeenking maps! phoenix

10-26-2003, 05:06 PM	#9 (permalink)
mudflap Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Utah Posts: 30	hey all,one of the rides this year was a sober rally in Beaver Utah,what a great trip the kind ya stick yer head and arms out of yer suitcase LOL.Went with two good Bros Bones and BillyBob,one of the roads was a gamble we got to a cross road fliped a coin took the scenic route,about 5 miles up the road the weather just opened up on us RAIN! and alot of of it .Got to the rally the next day man talk about a hoot sober bikers,the town was great the sober bike rodeo was just that rodeo.That was my first sober bike rally I think I will make alot more of these in the next year.

10-28-2003, 08:36 PM	#10 (permalink)
shovelhead Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: mpls MN Posts: 12	Had a good ride at sturgis, too many people tho, but the Black Hills are awesome. Put 275 miles on last Sunday just aimlessly riding around minnesota. Plan to send my bike to Daytona in Feb. then ride down to Key West. Would like to ride all the way down there but can't get past the snow and ice we're gonna have. Shovelhead

10-28-2003, 09:50 PM	#11 (permalink)
Gooch Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: out there... Posts: 2,668	My best ride this summer was bein part of the wedding party reception "entourage" for my bro John and his wife Dawn. Was a blast escortin the bride and groom through downtown Rochester, and then out along the Lake Ontario pkway to point breeze for a surf and turf after reception dinner. Probably about 12 bikes in our little pack, a few baggers, a couple customs, and a handful of stockers. All in all only about 225 miles that day but there was lot of gratitude and joy goin around that day.

10-29-2003, 06:27 AM	#12 (permalink)
2stop ~Author of My Life~ Join Date: May 2003 Location: Doing what I thought I couldn't.... Posts: 4,666	Okay, that's it!! I am getting me a bike and have me some adventure, it's sounds like such a blast!! I love to travel, it's the only time I feel free, and somehow safe. What would I start with? __________________ Many Hugs and Hope too, Tammie "Think of all the beauty still left around you and BE HAPPY." ~Anne Frank~ "Things do not change, WE change." ~Henry David Thoreau~

10-29-2003, 07:10 AM	#13 (permalink)
BillJ Casual Hero and Raconteur Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Austin, TX, USA Posts: 1,123	Start with an MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) Basic Rider Education Course. Your state law-enforcement agency or local motorcycle dealership may sponsor them. Here in Texas, the Department of Public Safety manages training sites across the state, and individual dealerships have various programs and incentives to encourage participation. Education saves lives, plain and simple. A training course will NOT make you "safe," but it will teach you some basic street survival skills that will help you enjoy a LONG and HEALTHY motorcycling adventure. Another plus is that some states (Texas among them) accept completion of the motorcycle safety course in lieu of a road test, for getting your motorcycle license. The course is also good for insurance discounts!!! So far as what bike to get: that's a big ol' can of worms. Everyone has their bias. Look around at what other folks are riding, and see what looks best to you, for comfort, style and purpose. Cruiser? Tourer? Sport? Then pester anyone you know who has a bike to take you for rides, so you can get a notion of what feels best to you. Then start visiting dealerships and "trying on" different models. Just be sure to ask first! NEVER sit on ANYONE's motorcycle (even the dealership's) without asking first. Keep us posted on your progress. __________________ Bill J. from Austin Evo FXR (AKA "The Banshee") Rigid rat shovel (AKA "The Bitch") Ratted-out Evo FLT (AKA "The Bagger") The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom, and I'm trying to get there as fast as I can!

10-29-2003, 07:19 AM	#14 (permalink)
2stop ~Author of My Life~ Join Date: May 2003 Location: Doing what I thought I couldn't.... Posts: 4,666	Call me crazy(take a number, the line is looooonggg!)but I think I am going to go through with this. I want to surprise my husband..he wants a Harley real bad and likes to ride. I doubt it will be a Harley I surprise him on, but plan on surprising him with me riding by the house, or picking him up at work!! Thanks for all the great info!!!! __________________ Many Hugs and Hope too, Tammie "Think of all the beauty still left around you and BE HAPPY." ~Anne Frank~ "Things do not change, WE change." ~Henry David Thoreau~

10-29-2003, 08:40 AM	#15 (permalink)
PassDTab Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: houston, texas Posts: 73	Guess I'll chime in... I've wanted a bike since I was probably 5 years old. Being female, it's kinda odd. My father restores and builds classics (mostly '57 bellaire chevys), so he sparked my enthusiasm of cars and bikes. I asked for one for so long and my father's response is "it's way too dangerous for you!" of course. Then, one christmas, there was a bike sitting outside....I was sooo excited. Looked at the tag and is was for my younger brother!!!! Argggh!! He's never wantes a bike in his life, never showed an interest in them or cars or anything. My dad's response to this was that "all boys your age are into this stuff". Can you believe him?? I can't believe how sexist my own father is. That was about the most depressing christmas ever, thanks to him. I almost feel he did it just to taunt me! Ad my brother never even rode it...turned around and sold it, since he wasn't interested - what a waste!! Well, when I FINALLY get out of college I plan on getting a new HD sportster, or maybe an older sportster softail. Take Care All!

10-29-2003, 03:54 PM	#16 (permalink)
BillJ Casual Hero and Raconteur Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Austin, TX, USA Posts: 1,123	I will *never* understand why some men object to women riders. If you enjoy something as much as I enjoy motorcycling, what could be better than looking over and seeing the person you love right there beside you, enjoying the same thing? For years I've been encouraging women to fulfill their dreams of owning their own bikes. I've taught 'em shade-tree mechanics when I could, ridden long miles with 'em while they got used to handling a bike on their own, been there for 'em when the going got tough, written about 'em in magazines like *Harley Women... In fact, I'm trying to help my wife's best friend get a Sportster now, and me and some friends are sending our female significant others to an MSF Basic Rider Course for Christmas. If in the wind is where you want to be, don't let some man tell you "No!" __________________ Bill J. from Austin Evo FXR (AKA "The Banshee") Rigid rat shovel (AKA "The Bitch") Ratted-out Evo FLT (AKA "The Bagger") The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom, and I'm trying to get there as fast as I can!*

10-30-2003, 04:00 PM	#18 (permalink)
BillJ Casual Hero and Raconteur Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Austin, TX, USA Posts: 1,123	Lilya, My only experience with "European" riding was a brief foray through the Irish countryside - winding, dead narrow roads like the ones you saw in Italy, and frequently covered with a slimy mixture of cow manure and water that farmers use to fertilize their fields. What fun! Based on that experience, and what I've read elsewhere, I've concluded that most American bikers: A) have it far better (safer, easier, less restrictive) than their Euro counterparts, and: B) would probably curl up in the fetal position and regress to thumb-sucking if they had to ride those roads every day! I am SO grateful to be an American biker! So far as Vespas go: I live in a University town, where some of the college kids and assorted others ride Vespas to and from school and work. Vespas are a kind of dorky retro-cool thing... so unhip that they're hip, y'know? Miraculously, Vespa riders seem to do okay on surface streets, but every now and then I see one of 'em out on the freeway, and I just shake my head. The way we Texans drive (pedal to the metal, cell-phone in one hand, and coffee or cold beer in the other) *anyone* out in highway traffic on an underpowered Vespa is playing Russian Roulette with a semi-automatic! The only thing I know about Cuba is that some Cubans *love* Harleys, and that there are a lot of motorcyclists. __________________ Bill J. from Austin Evo FXR (AKA "The Banshee") Rigid rat shovel (AKA "The Bitch") Ratted-out Evo FLT (AKA "The Bagger") The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom, and I'm trying to get there as fast as I can!

11-10-2003, 06:44 AM	#20 (permalink)
jr95Tstorm Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: SW CT Posts: 22	Hey Lilya, 2 wheels is 2 wheels and long as you're riding... LIke Bill said if you can take an MSF course or something similar that would be to you benefit. Also the Suski Savage or Honda Rebel or the Buell Blast are good bikes to start if you're nervous about riding. Actually they good bikes in their own right... Nice light low to the ground bikes.... __________________ jester CT State Rep Sober Bikers United www.soberbikersunited.org

11-10-2003, 04:28 PM	#22 (permalink)
goneriding Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Redneck Country Posts: 85	I would have to say riding to LA and back with my good friend Jo. We took Highway 5 from Manteca on the hottest day of the summer. When we reached Lost Hills (right before the grapevine) it got to 114 degrees. I thought that we had died and gone to Hell. We pulled over and rested in the shade - then, knowing that it was not going to get any better, I walked over to the mini mart. I purchased a six pack of knee high crew socks and began stuffing them with ice. We had them wrapped around our necks, stuffed down our shirts and pants. There was a guy staring at us while we were doing this, I turned to him with my sock in my pants - and said am I making you jealous. It was hillarious, two chicks riding down the freeway on the Harley's with crew socks full of ice stuffed every where. The other great ride of the summer was to Gualala with my women's riding group! Wow, what a beautiful ride to the coast on a perfect weekend. We went to a Beat the Heat ride with the Redwood Coast Riders. Our group took almost all the plaques for the bike games. They had a weinie Spitz contest where my friends husband won that with a 14 foot distance. If you live in California - this is a must ride of the Summer. __________________ Shut Up and Ride! (It's a Biker Thing) Bring on the twister - I ain't skeered Show Good Character When Being Pestered By Somebody Weaker Than You.

11-11-2003, 06:47 AM	#23 (permalink)
jr95Tstorm Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: SW CT Posts: 22	I'd have to say mine was a trip to upstate CT... I was with a friend who had never rode more than a half hour around town.. Friends have a cabin on a lake and invite several families up there to enjoy a Day on the Lake... I think he was more