On 23/11/2021 11:46, Pete wrote:
> On 23 Nov 2021 10:48:25 GMT, "sweller" <sweller@mztech.fsnet.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>> My experience is probably a bit different but I do slightly bristle
>> when people say they are moving away from riding because they are
>> having a mental tussle with the risks.
>
> As you get older the risks from dying of natural causes (heart attack,
> cancer, and now covid etc) start to exceed the biking ones, so you
> could argue it's probably OK to stay on two wheels. Certainly helps
> mental health anyway.
>
I stopped riding at 35 because I was too busy, big mistake in retrospect.

As I have returned much older I did realise my limitations but it didn't
curtail my enjoyment.

Now the increased risk of disability with age has been realised but I
fully intend to get back on after a month's DVSA enforced adjournment,
I will just have to see how I adjust to lack of stereo vision but that
applies to both car and bike. My big worry is a bleed after a tumble
with the blood thinning drugs.

The moral is enjoy while you can.

On Tuesday, 23 November 2021 at 19:02:45 UTC, Turby wrote:
> On 11/23/2021 5:00 AM, Ben Blaney wrote:
> >
> >
> > I'm not giving up biking, no way. And I fully expect for it to be a much greater part of my life when the kids are older. Sometime soon I really would like to do a long ride, alone; perhaps that would recalibrate my brain.
> >
> I've traveled a lot, and I think the American west has some of the most
> amazing landscapes on the planet. From the Colorado Rockies to the Big
> Sur coastline, toss in the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and numerous other
> national parks, and it can be a great ride. Plus, there are a lot of
> great roads - Hiway 1 in CA, Utah 12, 89A in Arizona, 550 in Colorado...

I've not travelled anywhere near the amount you have but I've had more than my fair
share and I'd agree that the US has a lot going for it. The route from San Diego to
San Francisco was great (following the coast including Big Sur). Also enjoyed a lot of the
desert from Las Vegas through Los Angeles.

I'd love to one day go back and spend a few weeks bumming around in the states on a
bike.

On Tuesday, 23 November 2021 at 19:37:39 UTC, Mark Roberts wrote:
> On Tue, 23 Nov 2021 10:05:14 -0800 (PST), Stephen Packer
> <stephen...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >On Tuesday, 23 November 2021 at 16:58:47 UTC, Mark Roberts wrote:
> >> On 23 Nov 2021 10:35:55 GMT, "sweller" <swe...@mztech.fsnet.co.uk>
> >> wrote:
> >
> >> >I know it's the usual recommend what you own but it's the best touring
> >> >bike I've ever had. I've done some touring here and there and it's a
> >> >very civilised machine, great engine, high spec suspension, it's good
> >> >on fuel and can carry a ton of stuff.
> >> Chains rubbish though.
> >
> >Harsh. Chain problems can happen to anyone.
> Don't start me on about tyres...

I don't think I've had tyre problems. I recall two punctures though.

One of the scariest punctures I've ever had was on the Danish motorway when
the front went at 70+ on a heavily loaded XT that then weaved from side to side
violently across more than two lanes. In the snow. The other one in Spain was
far preferable but also a sphincter-tightening moment as the tyre popped under
braking, going downhill.

You've got off lightly... Which is more than can be said for your panniers.

On 24/11/2021 11:41, AJH wrote:
> On 23/11/2021 11:46, Pete wrote:
>> On 23 Nov 2021 10:48:25 GMT, "sweller" <sweller@mztech.fsnet.co.uk>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> My experience is probably a bit different but I do slightly bristle
>>> when people say they are moving away from riding because they are
>>> having a mental tussle with the risks.
>>
>> As you get older the risks from dying of natural causes (heart attack,
>> cancer, and now covid etc) start to exceed the biking ones, so you
>> could argue it's probably OK to stay on two wheels.  Certainly helps
>> mental health anyway.
>>
> I stopped riding at 35 because I was too busy, big mistake in retrospect.
>
> As I have returned much older I did realise my limitations but it didn't
> curtail my enjoyment.
>
> Now the increased risk of disability with age  has been realised but I
> fully intend to get back on after a month's DVSA  enforced adjournment,
> I will just have to see how I adjust to lack of stereo vision but that

What is/was the issue?

> applies to both car and bike. My big worry is a bleed after a tumble
> with the blood thinning drugs.
>
> The moral is enjoy while you can.

--
Bruce Porter
"The internet is a huge and diverse community but mainly friendly"
http://ytc1.blogspot.co.uk/
There *is* an alternative! http://www.openoffice.org/

On 23/11/2021 22:46, Mark Olson wrote:
> wessie <willnotwork@tesco.net> wrote:
>> Turby <xsurf@xmail.com> wrote in news:snjdsk$pfj$1@dont-email.me:
>>
>>> On 11/23/2021 5:00 AM, Ben Blaney wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I'm not giving up biking, no way. And I fully expect for it to be a
>>>> much greater part of my life when the kids are older. Sometime soon
>>>> I really would like to do a long ride, alone; perhaps that would
>>>> recalibrate my brain.
>>>>
>>> I've traveled a lot, and I think the American west has some of the
>>> most amazing landscapes on the planet. From the Colorado Rockies to
>>> the Big Sur coastline, toss in the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and
>>> numerous other national parks, and it can be a great ride. Plus, there
>>> are a lot of great roads - Hiway 1 in CA, Utah 12, 89A in Arizona, 550
>>> in Colorado...
>
> I love riding the Million Dollar Highway.
>
>> that's the big problem riding east to west, which bits do you ride through
>> in your 3500 miles?
>
> There's really no point in doing an east to west ride across the USA,
I'll disagree.

Having done New York-> Chigago->LA (Route 66) and then returned via
Oregon (did a big fuigure of 8), we found the trip very interesting,
with many landscape changes (yeah, some flat bits in the middle).

It would have been improved by not sticking to old 66 so rigidly and
doing more detours (but that is another story).

Also ridden down the East from Toronto and across the North from Halifax.

> in my opinion. Pick a region, ride to it from wherever you live or
> fly into, and ride to that area. Then do a loop. There's a shitload
> of nothing in the middle of the USA that is just plain boring for the
> most part. I have to ride about 600 miles to the west before getting
> to the Black Hills in South Dakota, or about the same distance to the

Yeah, granted ND is a bit boring :-) I was well glad to get out of there.

> Ozarks. About double that to get to the great riding in Tennesee's
> Smoky Mountains. Luckily there are great roads in western Wisconsin
> and SE Minnesota that are only about 150-200 miles from me, so that's
> where we go for a riding weekend most times. Sometimes to the Upper
> Penninsula of Michigan.
>
> As Turby says, the American West is really the place to be riding.
> But that's just my opinion, FWIW.

The only place in the US or the World?

>
>> I'd want to stop in places for several days and ride out to see places like
>> you mention. Take several months rather than a week. Then I consider all of
>> the places still to see in Europe and doubt I'll get back to the USA.
>
> I agree with that approach. Staying put and doing local rides with
> plenty of time to socialize after with a group is a formula that has
> worked well for me and my group of riding buddies (who sadly haven't
> been doing much in the last 7-10 years).
>

--
Bruce Porter
"The internet is a huge and diverse community but mainly friendly"
http://ytc1.blogspot.co.uk/
There *is* an alternative! http://www.openoffice.org/

On 24/11/2021 09:09, Sqirrel99 wrote:
> Ben Blaney wrote:
>> The only functioning bike I have is the ex-TOG, ex-Ace 1976 Honda
>> CB400f.  Probably not ideal for a 3,200 mile ride.
>
> Pfft. Take your son, maintain the old Honda as you go, meditate on said
> maintenance and reconcile your previous mental breakdown. Easy.

Doesn't that require a course of ECT first?

ChrisND @UKRM wrote:

> in Douglas.
>
> Recovering the (unlocked) bike next day from by the wall,

We recovered a ZX10R racebike *with* *the* *key* *in* *the*
*ignition* after it had been left overnight.

We hadn't crashed it, just forgotten about it.

--
Simon

On 24/11/2021 12:33, YTC#1 wrote:
> What is/was the issue?

I don't think the Ophtamplogy or stroke people are sure but a sudden
complete loss of vision to right eye while standing working at a bench
on Saturday . CT scan shows nothing, MRI scan of brain good ECG good,
Ultrasound of carotid artery good so current guess is a clot starved
blood supply to back of retina (so not a stroke). Some peripheral vision
has returned following drug (diuretic I think) to reduce eyeball pressure.

Apparently any clot event leads to mandatory driving ban for a calendar
month, assuming no recurrence.

YTC#1 <bdp@ytc1-spambin.co.uk> wrote:
> On 23/11/2021 22:46, Mark Olson wrote:

>> As Turby says, the American West is really the place to be riding.
>> But that's just my opinion, FWIW.
>
> The only place in the US or the World?

Do you have me confused with some sort of idiot (don't answer)?

In the US, naturally. There's obviously lots of great places in the
world to ride, the US doesn't have a monopoly on that.

--
FJR1300A, GL1000, KLR650A6F, EX250J9A, DR200SE, Vespa Ciao

On 24/11/2021 11:41, AJH wrote:
> On 23/11/2021 11:46, Pete wrote:
>> On 23 Nov 2021 10:48:25 GMT, "sweller" <sweller@mztech.fsnet.co.uk>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> My experience is probably a bit different but I do slightly bristle
>>> when people say they are moving away from riding because they are
>>> having a mental tussle with the risks.
>>
>> As you get older the risks from dying of natural causes (heart attack,
>> cancer, and now covid etc) start to exceed the biking ones, so you
>> could argue it's probably OK to stay on two wheels.  Certainly helps
>> mental health anyway.
>>
> I stopped riding at 35 because I was too busy, big mistake in retrospect.
>
> As I have returned much older I did realise my limitations but it didn't
> curtail my enjoyment.
>
> Now the increased risk of disability with age  has been realised but I
> fully intend to get back on after a month's DVSA  enforced adjournment,
> I will just have to see how I adjust to lack of stereo vision but that
> applies to both car and bike. My big worry is a bleed after a tumble
> with the blood thinning drugs.
>
> The moral is enjoy while you can.

Amen to that.

Carpe diem.

Though my right hip is complaining a bit about starting the Sunbeam
these days.

--
Moto Morini 2C/375, Moto Morini 2C/350
Gilera 175 Sport, Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen
1937 Sunbeam Model 14 250 Sports
"Do not adjust your mind, there is a fault in the reality"

Ben Blaney wrote:

> I'm not giving up biking, no way. And I fully expect for it to be a
> much greater part of my life when the kids are older. Sometime soon
> I really would like to do a long ride, alone; perhaps that would
> recalibrate my brain.

I find travelling and, importantly, the shared joy of camping, cooking
and generally fucking about with Mark and Steve is a big part of the
journey.

Not wanting to make it sound like a big gay rideout our trips are a lot
of fun.

Also, we cover such large distances we don't have to make conversation
for significant parts of the day.

--
Simon

Stephen Packer <stephen.packer@gmail.com> wrote:

> I'd love to one day go back and spend a few weeks bumming around in the states on a
> bike.

If you're open to company, I'll join you.

The Heart of the West Adventure Route that sleazy and I did in 2014
was unique in that it showed how you can travel long distances in the
western USA off road without seeing any cars and very few people except
others on off road bikes and the occasional farmer/rancher/fisherman.

Started in Wyoming, then Montana, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and back
to Wyoming. Parked our cars & trailers at the municipal airport
in Rawlins.

We met up with Tony Huegel for breakfast and he invited us over
to change oil in our bikes at his garage where he lives in Idaho
Falls. Great guy and the cost of the route was well worth it as he
does a lot of first hand research to guarantee the waypoints and
routes are workable and sane.

Heart of the West Adventure Route:
https://www.backcountrybyways.com/

A photo album of the trip:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KR38zxP9m8udS14JA

I still have the GPS track from 2014, but of course a lot may have
happened in the last 7 years so I'd gladly pay for a new custom route
the next time. Was planning to do it again with the missus on her
new DR200S but work got in the way.

--
FJR1300A, GL1000, KLR650A6F, EX250J9A, DR200SE, Vespa Ciao

Mark Roberts wrote:
>>sweller wrote:
>>This is what Steve, Mark and I use
>
>To be clear; we have one each.

sweller wrote:
>Not wanting to make it sound like a big gay rideout

How much protesting is too much ?

On Wednesday, November 24, 2021 at 6:58:48 AM UTC-5, stephen...@gmail.com wrote:

> I'd love to one day go back and spend a few weeks bumming around in the states on a
> bike.

Well then let's make that day soon, and I'll come with you.

On Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 2:02:45 PM UTC-5, Turby wrote:

> I've traveled a lot, and I think the American west has some of the most
> amazing landscapes on the planet. From the Colorado Rockies to the Big
> Sur coastline, toss in the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and numerous other
> national parks, and it can be a great ride. Plus, there are a lot of
> great roads - Hiway 1 in CA, Utah 12, 89A in Arizona, 550 in Colorado...
>
> The problem is, you'll want to share the experience with your family.

Correct. I'd love to do a big trip in a fun, big, comfortable car, with K and the kids. Trouble is, she swears she hates road trips, possibly because of the time we went from Colorado Springs to Galveston in my Porsche in July and I insisted on having the roof down almost all the way...

On 24/11/2021 13:48, sweller wrote:
> ChrisND @UKRM wrote:
>
>> in Douglas.
>>
>> Recovering the (unlocked) bike next day from by the wall,
>
> We recovered a ZX10R racebike *with* *the* *key* *in* *the*
> *ignition* after it had been left overnight.
>
> We hadn't crashed it, just forgotten about it.

"It's a trap!"

--
Eddie eddie@deguello.org

On Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 2:39:44 PM UTC-5, wessie wrote:

> that's the big problem riding east to west, which bits do you ride through
> in your 3500 miles?

I bought a book. It's the book of https://www.roadtripusa.com/ but with additional detail. I think I'd like to do The Loneliest Road, which is Ocean City, MD to San Francisco, CA. Partly because the starting point is only 500 miles away from home, and partly because the end point has lots of people I know (with whom I will leave the bike to be collected by a shipper, while I fly home), but mostly because it goes through the best bits of Colorado and Utah and Nevada. The start should be a nice ride too: Virginia and West Virginia. But there's a hideous boring bit in the middle (Missouri and Kansas).

On Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 5:33:33 PM UTC-5, Mark Olson wrote:
> Ben Blaney <benb...@gmail.com> wrote:

> > It's a valid point. The only functioning bike I have is the ex-TOG,
> > ex-Ace 1976 Honda CB400f. Probably not ideal for a 3,200 mile ride.
> Back around 20 years ago, while in Yellowstone we saw a whole
> collection of classic cars that were participating in a round the
> world rally. One of them was a genuine honest to god Aston Martin
> DB5 in silver/gray, identical to the Bond car. I peeked inside and
> it was absolutely filthy with McDonalds and Burger King wrappers,
> french fries, drink cups, etc.

Love it. I have no issue using my classic vehicles. But when the limiting factor is my mechanical ability to keep them running to actually finish the trip...it seems that discretion is the better part of valor.

> Very obviously out there and being used as the makers intended.
> > The other bike I own is the ex-Champ, ex-DrWill, ex-sweller 750
> > Turbo that is in my dad's garage in Essex, awaiting a restoration by
> > the guy who did my Honda. At this point it hasn't moved under its
> > own power in a decade.

> Get on it, man.

I'm waiting for my restorer's availability. I'm stockpiling parts.

> I think you should buy an FJR on a lark. Used ones in really decent
> shape and low miles (10 - 20k) used to be available for more or less
> pocket change, around $5k even in today's market, I would think. Sleazy
> knows a fellow who has a 1st gen with over 400k miles on it. Mine's
> got about 80k miles and runs like brand new.

Buying something would certainly create an impetus to go out for a long-ish ride. Hard to get excited about that when we're forecast snow all weekend.

> <googles>
>
> Fuck me. Prices have gone up a bit.
>
> https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/mcy/d/minneapolis-2014-yamaha-fjr1300/7406354821.html

Ouch. Prices of everything are up hard.

On 24/11/2021 15:22, Eddie wrote:
> On 24/11/2021 13:48, sweller wrote:
>> ChrisND @UKRM wrote:
>>
>>> in Douglas.
>>>
>>> Recovering the (unlocked) bike next day from by the wall,
>>
>> We recovered a ZX10R racebike *with* *the* *key* *in* *the*
>>   *ignition* after it had been left overnight.
>>
>> We hadn't crashed it, just forgotten about it.
>
> "It's a trap!"
>
:-)
In my case the nice IoM policeman just insisted people just wouldn't
steal it and it was quite safe where it was :-)
C

--
The Deuchars BBB#40 COFF#14
Yamaha XV750SE & Suzuki GS550t
http://www.Deuchars.org.uk

On 11/24/2021 2:22 AM, Ace wrote:
> On Tue, 23 Nov 2021 10:27:10 -0800, Turby <xsurf@xmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 11/23/2021 1:21 AM, Champ wrote:
>
>>> Ah yes, I could well be misremembering. Which is the problem with
>>> infrequent training - we need to renew every 3 years
>>>
>> Every 3 years?
>
> Fairly standard interval in any first aid certification, be it for
> industrial, mountain safety or motorsports.
>
>> I got my training as a boy scout, then in high school,
>> then in the army. I think my last training was in the late 60's.
>
> Then it's fair to say that you have no training, although I bet you
> can remember how to tie bandages.

I wouldn't go that far. Those plastic dummies were cool. I actually
taught it for a while.
>
> Some of the stuff we were taught even in the late '70s has since been
> proven to be harmful and not even slightly effective, like the thump
> on the chest to try to 'restart' the heart. A lot of CPR stuff has
> changed, notably how many breaths/compressions, but the old rhythms
> could still be effective and not harmful.

Was never taught the thump. But did learn not to stop CPR. And how to
treat for shock.

--
The erstwhile Thomas
FJR1300, R1200GS, ST1100 (in memoriam)

On 24/11/2021 13:52, AJH wrote:
> On 24/11/2021 12:33, YTC#1 wrote:
>> What is/was the issue?
>
> I don't think the Ophtamplogy or stroke people are sure but a sudden
> complete loss of vision to right eye while standing working at a bench
> on Saturday . CT scan shows nothing, MRI scan of brain good ECG good,
> Ultrasound of carotid artery good so current guess is a clot starved
> blood supply to back of retina (so not a stroke). Some peripheral vision
> has returned following drug (diuretic I think) to reduce eyeball pressure.
>

Ewwww

> Apparently any clot event leads to mandatory driving ban for a calendar
> month, assuming no recurrence.

Only if you tell them :-)

--
Bruce Porter
"The internet is a huge and diverse community but mainly friendly"
http://ytc1.blogspot.co.uk/
There *is* an alternative! http://www.openoffice.org/

On 24/11/2021 15:22, Ben Blaney wrote:
> On Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 2:39:44 PM UTC-5, wessie wrote:
>
>> that's the big problem riding east to west, which bits do you ride through
>> in your 3500 miles?
>
> I bought a book. It's the book of https://www.roadtripusa.com/

Think I have an older revision of that :-)

--
Bruce Porter
"The internet is a huge and diverse community but mainly friendly"
http://ytc1.blogspot.co.uk/
There *is* an alternative! http://www.openoffice.org/

On 11/24/2021 3:58 AM, Stephen Packer wrote:
> On Tuesday, 23 November 2021 at 19:02:45 UTC, Turby wrote:
>> On 11/23/2021 5:00 AM, Ben Blaney wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm not giving up biking, no way. And I fully expect for it to be a much greater part of my life when the kids are older. Sometime soon I really would like to do a long ride, alone; perhaps that would recalibrate my brain.
>>>
>> I've traveled a lot, and I think the American west has some of the most
>> amazing landscapes on the planet. From the Colorado Rockies to the Big
>> Sur coastline, toss in the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and numerous other
>> national parks, and it can be a great ride. Plus, there are a lot of
>> great roads - Hiway 1 in CA, Utah 12, 89A in Arizona, 550 in Colorado...
>
> I've not travelled anywhere near the amount you have but I've had more than my fair
> share and I'd agree that the US has a lot going for it. The route from San Diego to
> San Francisco was great (following the coast including Big Sur). Also enjoyed a lot of the
> desert from Las Vegas through Los Angeles.
>
Las Vegas is another thing. I don't know of anywhere else in the world
that shows the depths humanity will sink to.
Which brings up the human stuff. What museums, institutions, etc, are
worth stopping for? If you're interested in music, a trip to New
Orleans, Nashville, and Chicago would be good. For arts, New York City, etc.

> I'd love to one day go back and spend a few weeks bumming around in the states on a
> bike.
>

--
The erstwhile Thomas
FJR1300, R1200GS, ST1100 (in memoriam)

On Wed, 24 Nov 2021 04:03:35 -0800 (PST), Stephen Packer
<stephen.packer@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Tuesday, 23 November 2021 at 19:37:39 UTC, Mark Roberts wrote:
>> On Tue, 23 Nov 2021 10:05:14 -0800 (PST), Stephen Packer
>> <stephen...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> >On Tuesday, 23 November 2021 at 16:58:47 UTC, Mark Roberts wrote:
>> >> On 23 Nov 2021 10:35:55 GMT, "sweller" <swe...@mztech.fsnet.co.uk>
>> >> wrote:
>> >
>> >> >I know it's the usual recommend what you own but it's the best touring
>> >> >bike I've ever had. I've done some touring here and there and it's a
>> >> >very civilised machine, great engine, high spec suspension, it's good
>> >> >on fuel and can carry a ton of stuff.
>> >> Chains rubbish though.
>> >
>> >Harsh. Chain problems can happen to anyone.
>> Don't start me on about tyres...
>
>I don't think I've had tyre problems. I recall two punctures though.
>
>One of the scariest punctures I've ever had was on the Danish motorway when
>the front went at 70+ on a heavily loaded XT that then weaved from side to side
>violently across more than two lanes. In the snow. The other one in Spain was
>far preferable but also a sphincter-tightening moment as the tyre popped under
>braking, going downhill.

Perils of using old patched tubes innit.

>
>You've got off lightly... Which is more than can be said for your panniers.

I did another trip with them panniers.
I did have the front brakes fail! Fortunately as we were getting on
the ferry home; fixed at the petrol station, in Harwich, next morning.

Surprised you haven't mentioned the failure of the ancient valve stem
in Finland.

--
Mark Roberts

On 24 Nov 2021 13:48:03 GMT, "sweller" <sweller@mztech.fsnet.co.uk>
wrote:

>ChrisND @UKRM wrote:
>
>> in Douglas.
>>
>> Recovering the (unlocked) bike next day from by the wall,

>We recovered a ZX10R racebike *with* *the* *key* *in* *the*
> *ignition* after it had been left overnight.
>
>We hadn't crashed it, just forgotten about it.

heh. I think that was after the Senior, in 2013 - last race of a big
fortnight, and we headed straight to the beer tent
--
Champ
neal at champ dot org dot uk

I don't know, but I been told
You never slow down, you never grow old