Touring - The Shame of Touring????

It amazes me how most non riders apparently view people who tour by bicycle. I recently went on my first 5 day, 400 mile tour in florida. It was a fantastic time, and I have great stories and pictures to show for it. I never volunteer any of this information to anyone I know (like coworkers) but often times I am asked about it. Since the trip a few coworkers have asked me what I did during my recent vacation, and when I explained, and showed pictures, it amazed me how they all basicly "looked down on me! "

They all just assumed that I was broke, and could not afford to go on a real vacation... Some even unknowingly made rude comments about me and my travel... Ironicly, it is safe to say that this was one of my most expensive vacations ever! before I started planning for this trip i had NO touring bike, and NO camping equipment!!!!!

some of the things I have heard:

"That is stupid, why not drive to where you want to go so you have time to rest and relax once you get there... that way it is a vacation!"

"That is too dangerous. I can't believe you would have the nerve to ride on those roads with all those sickos out there. You need to be safer than that for your family if nothing else"

"couldn't afford a plane ticket, huh..."

"How much longer till you get your license back?"

"You know the hotels really aren't that expensive out there, you probably could have at least stayed at a hotel each night to make the ride less miserable"

How the hell that guy got "miserable" out of my experience and pictures about the trip I will never know...

Has anyone else experienced this or do i just live in hell?


Mike

Has anyone else experienced this or do i just live in hell?
Many years ago I read a very inspiring book "Miles from Nowhere" by Barbara Savage. I have re-read it 6 times! She and her partner found cycling in Florida to be more nerve-wracking that anywhere else. Must be the gators! I admire your determination. Try a trip in northern Saskatchewan eh? http://www.saskcycling.ca Many folks I talk to are polite but incredulous that I would "take the risk" or "have the courage" to do quite easy and safe trips (I call them my "Pooh Bear" adventures!) When I see commercial tour operators offering supported trips at $200 a day and up, I wonder what the participants think they can't do on their own? Cook? Set up a tent? Fix a flat? It's the "cruise mentality". I tell them to start small, find an experienced group or individual to travel with and go for it. I did a 36 day trip across part of the Northern Tier for about $35 a day but didn't do it to save money!

Just be grateful you aren't one of them.

On my first tour down the California coast, I was riding along the Big Sur coastline among the finest bike riding territory that I know. Here I was on a mostly deserted highway on the edge of the continent so full of joy and satisfaction that it is hard to communicate. Up ahead, I see a flagwoman controlling the flow of traffic around a construction zone. I stop and she takes one look at me and my gear and says "You must be crazy." For me, that moment of "crazy joy" sums up the two views of touring; one from the pedeller and one from the watcher.

The best part is you were away from those who have this attitiude.

I joined a tour of friends through the Green and White Mts. this past summer. My first tour on a loaner bike. Most folks around here can't wait for me to go again (hey wait a minuite....)

Enjoy it!

"That is stupid, why not drive to where you want to go so you have time to rest and relax once you get there... that way it is a vacation!"




Ya, Right...

http://autodesk.blogs.com/photos/shaans_daily_grind/img_0241.JPG

I like the "could afford a plane ticket huh?"

Thats me. lol.

Many years ago I read a very inspiring book "Miles from Nowhere" by Barbara Savage. I have re-read it 6 times! She and her partner found cycling in Florida to be more nerve-wracking that anywhere else. Must be the gators!

Barbara Savage seemed to find everyone and everything irritating. What a grump!

very few people "get" touring. actually, even among the cycling community not everyone is into touring. so, you're in a very small subset of the population. very small.

the fact that they can only offer lame alternative choices to what you did makes me believe you've found something great. who the hell wants to be a in car when you can be exercising, breathing the air, and exploring.

Mike,

I hate to tell you friend, but a big part of the problem is the attitudes where you live and work. I don't like to stereotype places, but face it - some parts of the country have evolved less than others, and Florida in general seems to embody many attitudes that might be interpreted as "non-enlightened", at least with respect to healthy living and conservation of resources. Just look what they've done to the Everglades. Camping in Florida (and many other places, too) is defined more by the RV-experience than a healthy tour on a bicycle. If you lived out here on the west coast, or perhaps in the northeast, where the demographics are more oriented towards healthy living, physical challenges, and conserving the planet's resources - then you would have encountered more interest and admiration for your achievement. As it is, you have like-minded friends on this forum and you can seek out others in your area with similar thinking, or eventually move to a place where you find more compatible values.

Lastly, don't assume that all the comments and thinking on the part of your co-workers and associates are necessarily negative. Some of them may be hiding veiled admiration or even envy for your accomplishment and obvious determination to take control of your life and make positive changes. Most of them could not do what you have done, so in order to salvage their self-esteem they minimize your achievement or make it sound odd. Even though they do so, it doesn't mean that they don't think about what you did the next time they step on the scale and see their lifestyle has added another 5 lbs. Ignore them and keep up the good work - you may be having a greater influence on them than you realize. You certainly have inspired many of us on this forum with what you have accomplished and your great attitude. Take care.

~john

Barbara Savage seemed to find everyone and everything irritating. What a grump!

And I always thought that I was the only one who felt that way about St. Barbara:rolleyes: I gave up on her book when she got to India and started complaining about the toilet facilities. Sure, I do my share of kivetching but at least I have fun doing it. She was just way too serious.

By the way, her's is only one of two books that I have ever read that I didn't finish. And that includes taking 5 years to read Moby Dick and "War and Peace".

"That is stupid, why not drive to where you want to go so you have time to rest and relax once you get there... that way it is a vacation!"

"That is too dangerous. I can't believe you would have the nerve to ride on those roads with all those sickos out there. You need to be safer than that for your family if nothing else"

"couldn't afford a plane ticket, huh..."

"How much longer till you get your license back?"

"You know the hotels really aren't that expensive out there, you probably could have at least stayed at a hotel each night to make the ride less miserable"

Mike

I've said it before the cyclist is considered too poor to afford motor transport or even public transportation. You're not going to change this opinion with anyone who owns a motorcar. They don't understand that the journey IS the vacation and just laying around on a beach quite frankly is boring.

And I always thought that I was the only one who felt that way about St. Barbara:rolleyes: I gave up on her book when she got to India and started complaining about the toilet facilities. Sure, I do my share of kivetching but at least I have fun doing it. She was just way to serious.

By the way, her's is only one of two books that I have ever read that I didn't finish. And that includes taking 5 years to read Moby Dick and "War and Peace".

I think Barbara was just being overdramatic to make the book interesting. There was very little in her journey that she actually enjoyed. It was all about getting past one mess and into another. After all, who wants to read a book where people actually enjoyed themselves.

I think Barbara was just being overdramatic to make the book interesting. There was very little in her journey that she actually enjoyed. It was all about getting past one mess and into another. After all, who wants to read a book where people actually enjoyed themselves.

I found myself really feeling sorry for her poor partner. Read "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. He overcame trials and torments with pretty good humor and wrote an endearing book about it.

Ya, Right...

http://autodesk.blogs.com/photos/shaans_daily_grind/img_0241.JPG



!!!Look at that shoulder!!!

!!!Look at that shoulder!!!

haha. i noticed that too.

They all just assumed that I was broke, and could not afford to go on a real vacation...

Mike

On my first tour last summer I was surprised to see that many people in large towns and small cities saw me as a rich man, that I could afford to take so much time off work and cycle around.
On the other hand I was also surprised to see that people in small villages saw me as very poor, not able to afford a car to go on vacation with.
This part was good as I got a lot of free food and water :D

Why would you need the approval of your coworkers? Chances are that you will have different views with them on most subjects, not only touring via bicycle. Everyone is different, and most people don't get along or have similar views by nature. Hence the need for laws, wars, etc.

I have never toured, even though i would like to some day. However, i ride a lot and have gotten all sorts of negative comments from non riding family, coworkers, etc. I've learned not to bring up the subject much. If i do, i don't ellaborate on it. Am i ashamed? Not at all, just the opposite in fact.

My experiences on the bike are my own. I don't need to share them with anyone. I know of their value and what they mean to me. There is no need for anyone else's approval for that to be so.

I am not looking for approval. I am answering questions when asked... there is a HUGE difference. I was just pointing out the negative responces I received from everyone.... Lighten up!

next time you see one of them getting into or out of their car in the parking lot say to them "Oh, you drove to work. What, too lazy to ride?" then pedal off. That's no more rude than what they've said to you, trouble is you realize that but they won't.

they're most likely just jealous of you. I think things like riding a bike longer then an hour a week scare people. Those folks probably went home and couldn't stop thinking about how far you went in those five days and just couldn't believe it. maybe, but who cares,right.

[QUOTE=mtnroads]Mike,

I hate to tell you friend, but a big part of the problem is the attitudes where you live and work. I don't like to stereotype places, but face it - some parts of the country have evolved less than others, and Florida in general seems to embody many attitudes that might be interpreted as "non-enlightened", at least with respect to healthy living and conservation of resources. .....where the demographics are more oriented towards healthy living, physical challenges, and conserving the planet's resources .....

Are these the same areas of the country that have rolling brownouts (California and the northeast) as they conserve the planet's resources? I think we have missed something here.

Try quitting your job and heading to Australia to tour by bicycle for 3 months!! Just imagine the comments then!! :eek:

But what really amazed me, was that I got the comments you've mentioned AND ALSO the opposite sorts of comments (i.e. comments about me being incredibly irresponsible, and "must be nice to be so rich", etc.) from members of another cycling forum ... people who I thought would understand the desire to tour by bicycle.

I've come to the conclusion that the majority of the population (including non-cyclists and cyclists) just do not understand the desire to see the world at a slower pace, and have no idea how much careful planning, budgeting, and thought many of us put into the decision to see the world at a slower pace.

mcavana, you seem to have a gift to start very interesting discussions on this forum... some of the answers you got are really funny.

As for myself, I very rarely got this kind of comments... in general people were curious about my trips or about the weight of my bike... and sometimes they were openly envious.

I am not looking for approval. I am answering questions when asked... there is a HUGE difference. I was just pointing out the negative responces I received from everyone.... Lighten up!


You titled this thread "THE SHAME OF TOURING" I guess the implication was that there was some form of shame that your co-workers made you feel. Sorry if i misunderstood.

Hey, Mcavana.

Let 'em see your rippling thighs, beef jerkey-like arms, and serene temper and invite 'em to go take a flyin' leap. . .

Better yet, forget 'em.

Barbara Savage seemed to find everyone and everything irritating. What a grump!

Come come! Barbara's writing style and transparency makes the book a classic in my opinion.

Unfortunately, Barbara lost her life in a bike accident. I wonder what ever became of her husband?

You titled this thread "THE SHAME OF CYCLING" I guess the implication was that there was some form of shame that your co-workers made you feel. Sorry if i misunderstood.

Sorry if I mislead!!! I FEEL NO SHAME!!!!! I must admit though, it really threw me off when I got so many negative responses... If I had thought of it ahead of time I guess I would have expected it, but I didn't.

Have any of you seen the movie 40 year virgin? I guess that movie really acurately demonstrates how the average person views a cyclist.... In the movie, one of his most "pathedic" characteristics was that he commuted to work by bicycle... and he did not even own a car. I guess to the average person, that is just so pathedic that it is funny... I on the other hand DON't think it is funny at all!!! I too commute to work by bike... and I wish I had the balls enough to get rid of my vehicle!!!!

mike

Sorry if I mislead!!! I FEEL NO SHAME!!!!! I must admit though, it really threw me off when I got so many negative responses... If I had thought of it ahead of time I guess I would have expected it, but I didn't.

Have any of you seen the movie 40 year virgin? I guess that movie really acurately demonstrates how the average person views a cyclist.... In the movie, one of his most "pathedic" characteristics was that he commuted to work by bicycle... and he did not even own a car. I guess to the average person, that is just so pathedic that it is funny... I on the other hand DON't think it is funny at all!!! I too commute to work by bike... and I wish I had the balls enough to get rid of my vehicle!!!!

mike


You have a point ... it's as though we cyclists should feel shame for our choices. Winnipeg, where I used to live, is extremely anti-cyclist. I did not own a vehicle during my last 5 years there (I still don't own a vehicle) and instead, I rode my bicycle, walked, or rode the bus. I had no problem with that - it was inexpensive and easy ... it saved me thousands of dollars each year in insurance, fuel, repairs, etc.. I used the money I saved to travel to different locations around the world to do cycling events (randonneuring), and those events would be written up in the company newsletter. So everyone knew the type of cycling I was into, and that commuting to work by bicycle probably helped me train, and lots of them chatted quite pleasantly about it ....... and yet about once a month I would get a comment from one of my coworkers like: "Still can't afford a car?"


And speaking of the media's perspective on cycling ... there is a commercial ... I think it is an insurance commercial .... where an adult male (the insurance rep?) is riding a bicycle and as he rides through a neighborhood, the people greet him, and at least one of them calls out, "Still saving for a car?"

It's a common North American perspective that a bicycle is a kid's toy, and once you've reached the age to drive a car, you should outgrow cycling.

It amazes me how most non riders apparently view people who tour by bicycle. I recently went on my first 5 day, 400 mile tour in florida. It was a fantastic time, and I have great stories and pictures to show for it. I never volunteer any of this information to anyone I know (like coworkers) but often times I am asked about it. Since the trip a few coworkers have asked me what I did during my recent vacation, and when I explained, and showed pictures, it amazed me how they all basicly "looked down on me! "

They all just assumed that I was broke, and could not afford to go on a real vacation... Some even unknowingly made rude comments about me and my travel... Ironicly, it is safe to say that this was one of my most expensive vacations ever! before I started planning for this trip i had NO touring bike, and NO camping equipment!!!!!

some of the things I have heard:

"That is stupid, why not drive to where you want to go so you have time to rest and relax once you get there... that way it is a vacation!"

"That is too dangerous. I can't believe you would have the nerve to ride on those roads with all those sickos out there. You need to be safer than that for your family if nothing else"

"couldn't afford a plane ticket, huh..."

"How much longer till you get your license back?"

"You know the hotels really aren't that expensive out there, you probably could have at least stayed at a hotel each night to make the ride less miserable"

How the hell that guy got "miserable" out of my experience and pictures about the trip I will never know...

Has anyone else experienced this or do i just live in hell?


Mike
I kinda get a chuckle out of the attitude that you are "too broke for a real vacation"! I dunno! Generally, $1500.00 +/- for a good touring bike, couple of hundred for a trailer, $100 or so for the tent, Cycling clothes ain't cheap either...........Then you have the time to take off to ride? I vote on they're jealous! My favorite recent comment on the idea of me touring was "Aren't you getting a little long in the tooth for hammering around on a bike?" Hell, I'm only 46! What am I supposed to do, move into the Nursing Home and gum my gruel?

The rude/thoughtless comments by non-cyclists shown above are some of the reasons I rarely socialize with the people I have worked with most of my life. Almost invariably they can not cope with cycling or Dancing. If you have anyone at your workplace that shares Any of your serious enthusiasms you are indeed fortunate.

A bike trip you will remember forever, that's part of it, too. Another funny thing that happens when they hear about you riding your bike on a trip they say "I couldn't do that, I can barely ride around the block." Then if you tell them you stayed in motels, they think you're a wimp for not camping. I met a young couple in Kansas that fed and sheltered cross-country cyclists. They got started because they thought the cyclists were poor homeless nomads. We also encountered people who thought we were thieves or some kind of lawless low-lifes.

I met a young couple in Kansas that fed and sheltered cross-country cyclists. They got started because they thought the cyclists were poor homeless nomads. We also encountered people who thought we were thieves or some kind of lawless low-lifes.


That's interesting ... when I toured in England/Wales, Australia, and Canada I never encountered any negativity to my cycletouring. I got A LOT of questions ... so many that I felt like I should print up a brochure ... but no one ever treated us like thieves or lawless low-lifes.

But then ... in England/Wales, cycletouring is looked on as fairly normal - a lot of people cycle over there. In Australia, the people are just so incredibly friendly ... and curious. And my touring in Canada has mostly been in the Canadian Rockies, where a lot of people do cycletouring too. So the type of reactions probably depend, to some extent, on where we ride.

That's interesting ... when I toured in England/Wales, Australia, and Canada I never encountered any negativity to my cycletouring. I got A LOT of questions ... so many that I felt like I should print up a brochure ... but no one ever treated us like thieves or lawless low-lifes.

But then ... in England/Wales, cycletouring is looked on as fairly normal - a lot of people cycle over there. In Australia, the people are just so incredibly friendly ... and curious. And my touring in Canada has mostly been in the Canadian Rockies, where a lot of people do cycletouring too. So the type of reactions probably depend, to some extent, on where we ride.
Don't get me wrong, we also encountered many wonderful people, some invited us to stay at their homes, fed us , etc. Once we met a group of 3 going the other way on a quiet road in Missouri. The 7 of us stood in the road chatting and a lady in a nearby house sent her kid out with a tray with 7 glasses of cold orange juice for us. I'll never forget that type of kindness.

Don't get me wrong, we also encountered many wonderful people, some invited us to stay at their homes, fed us , etc. Once we met a group of 3 going the other way on a quiet road in Missouri. The 7 of us stood in the road chatting and a lady in a nearby house sent her kid out with a tray with 7 glasses of cold orange juice for us. I'll never forget that type of kindness.


:) :) :)

Those are the things that make me want to tour again!! I've had many similar encounters on my travels. :)


But those are also the things that the people who drive to their motels and spend the week sitting on the beach or browsing through tourist traps miss out on. They miss out on meeting all the wonderful people in obscure little places out there. They miss out on the adventure!!

Maybe you are the CEO, but even though I have been the VP, I never talked about my outside sports. I found people in the Investment industry, who are actually quite open minded as a mater of business opportunities and finding fixes, were just the opposite end of the spectrum for outdoor sports. No point in trying to get them to understand. I just start from the perspective that they won't understand even if they seem to dig it, so why bother. If I had to make an office group udnerstand something like touring, I might include some pictures of stuff that would undermine their preconceptions. Pictures of you strapping the bike to your SUV, drop a few comments about the executive rage for cycling, or how your hubs cost a grand, etc... If in fact you can't aford a car, a house, and you are camping because while you like it you can't afford anything else, then they have you right. I would agree though that because cycle camping is so slow, and these days not event he water is necesarilly comped, it can be a really expensive holliday.

When I came back from my recent tour, I got an interesting reaction from a few people. Some of them wanted to hear all about the trip. Then they immediately started to say stuff about safety and so forth. They were just venting their own insecurities. I do wonder why people are so scared of riding bikes. As a mater of long term exposure it makes me a little nervous, but so does any travel. You just have to be in a few accidents you can't walk away from...

I do wonder why people are so scared of riding bikes.

It's because the media really plays up cycling-related accidents. Living in Winnipeg, I saw car accidents all the time, and yet only a very few of them showed up in the paper or were mentioned on the news. And yet there was a running statistic of cycling-related accidents reported in the news every summer.

Also, people see the bad cyclists all the time ... the ones who run stop signs, ride on the wrong side of the road, zip in and out of traffic, wear dark clothes at night, and generally make the drivers very nervous or angry. They don't notice the good cyclists as much because the good cyclists aren't doing illegal or foolish things to attract attention. So when people think about riding a bicycle, the image that pops into their heads is the image of the cyclists flirting with danger, breaking laws, etc. ..... therefore, cycling = dangerous.

Plus, most non-cyclists, who might ride their bicycles around the block at most, aren't very skilled at bicycle handling. If they feel slow and wobbly on their bicycles, and intimidated by the traffic, they probably think we all feel the same way.

The town where I live is fairly unenlightened, compared to say, Portland or something. Even the guy at my LBS told me I was an oddball, and I asked for things nobody EVER asked for. Examples? Well, I got a Bell Metro there for $30, because no one was interested in them, and I saw they had Kryptonite Evo2000 and New York locks marked down to under $30. I asked him why, and he said that %99 of his customers don't buy locks, because cycling for them involves putting the bike on top of the car and driving, mountain or road. I asked if he carried the Shimano sandals and he said I was the first person to ever ask him about them.

So obviously cycling in most of Tennessee is much akin to golf, just another car-centric leisure activity for those with money to burn. It's not without hope, though, I have noticed more commuters in the mornings than ever before since gas went up about a year ago.

Anyway, as far as people not understanding, I work as an auto mechanic, so commuting and touring by bicycle, even when it's cold and wet completely baffles my coworkers, but unfortunately I am too big and mean-looking for them to say anything really nasty to me! **** people who don't understand or treat you like a DUI, their world is most likely already a hell of their own design, and they'll never escape their cage of mediocrity. Besides, in a few more years, there's gonna be a heck of a lot more of us...

I am not looking for approval. I am answering questions when asked... there is a HUGE difference. I was just pointing out the negative responces I received from everyone.... Lighten up!

Actually, that sounds like a great reply to the touring nay sayers - "I am not seeking your approval..."

The difference between driving 700 miles in a car versus pedaling a bike over the same route is about the same as looking at a tree versus looking at the spaces between the leaves. :)

Except we haven't had rolling brownouts in California for years, and those were due to a stupid law and market manipulation. California is more efficient than the country as a whole in electricity use when comparing similar climates so what you just said is complete bunk.

It amazes me how most non riders apparently view people who tour by bicycle. Has anyone else experienced this or do i just live in hell? I get a similar thing with commuting. Sometimes it sounds like a put down, sometimes it sounds like they're worried or concerned for you safety or poverty, or stupidity. Over time I’ve answered the statements and shot down their wrong assumptions and these people ALWAYS come up with another wrong assumption.

I have a theory:
They are not saying this stuff for you – they are saying it for themselves. They see your accomplishments as something that highlights their lazy ways. They need an excuse for why they should not do something that dangerous/stupid/uncomfortable (or whatever). They NEED to rationalize to themselves why you are ‘not really’ more accomplished than they are.

Take pride in these offhand complements from lesser mortals! :)

(snip) I gave up on her book when she got to India and started complaining about the toilet facilities.

Well, 'our' Machka even dared to complain about the toilet facilities on the PBP...! :eek:

I'll bet she would faint in India... :D

Why not use this stereotype to advantage???

I usually avoid the RV-choked campgrounds, but when I have a hankering for a really nice dinner and I am either miles from nowhere or miles from my budget - I pull into a campsite next to the biggest, baddest Winnebago out there. You know the type - longer than the Queen Mary with a satellite dish, Jeep Cherokee, and a couple of beater bikes strapped to the back that never get used.

Then I pull out my mooshed loaf of bread, peanut butter, and jelly - and start making me a sandwich. 99 times out of 100 Harvey cames over and starts asking the usual questions then hollers over to Eunice to throw on another steak. (This approach is not very effective for vegans, obviously.) I've had steak, lasagna, chicken, pizza - you name it - sitting inside or under the canopy of a monster RV.

I think we ALL have stereotypes of one another. It's part of the "condition humaine" - that and french fries. Last summer, I had a retired couple give me a whole bunch of home-made peanut-butter cookies - probably baked in the RV oven. Needless to say - I don't have an oven on my bike. The couple was retired - travelling all over North America - heading to one of their kids' weddings near Calgary. Once you sit down together, you find out that you have more in common than you think.

And this comes from one of the biggest car & RV bashers out there. I think all of us rave from time to time - certainly yours truly - certainly St. Barbara. But it's when our preconceptions get challenged that we experience that something extra that makes touring so worthwhile.

Best - J

I haven't toured yet, but I'm fixin' to. Still in the threatening stage I guess. When the subject comes up, some of my co-workers (semi drivers) are amazed at the training mileage I put on each week. One individual with a pussgut asked some sarcastic question like, "What? Are you nuts? You're gonna ride a bike up Vancouver Island?

I said, "If I have to explain it, you wouldn't get it anyway."

Ride On.:)

Many years ago I read a very inspiring book "Miles from Nowhere" by Barbara Savage. I have re-read it 6 times! She and her partner found cycling in Florida to be more nerve-wracking that anywhere else. Must be the gators! I admire your determination. Try a trip in northern Saskatchewan eh? http://www.saskcycling.ca Many folks I talk to are polite but incredulous that I would "take the risk" or "have the courage" to do quite easy and safe trips (I call them my "Pooh Bear" adventures!) When I see commercial tour operators offering supported trips at $200 a day and up, I wonder what the participants think they can't do on their own? Cook? Set up a tent? Fix a flat? It's the "cruise mentality". I tell them to start small, find an experienced group or individual to travel with and go for it. I did a 36 day trip across part of the Northern Tier for about $35 a day but didn't do it to save money!

I bookmarked this site for next year. Looks like a great tour. Gives me chance to get back to my roots since I was born in PA 60 plus years ago. Maybe even look up my cousins who I have not heard or seen in the past 30 years.
This year I plan to tour from Montreal to Halifax on my Tour Easy or my Bacchetta recumbent.
Non bike tourers do not get the message. I crossed America from coast to coast in 2003 and I keep telling people I saw the U.S. one blade of grass at a time. What a rush. I still get flashbacks of the trip and the absolutely fantastic people I met.
If you are not living on the edge you are taking up too much space

OP,

Dude, you really tick me off!!!


The real SHAME of all this, is you didn't post pics of your bike, your friends, and your tour. :mad:

OP,

Dude, you really tick me off!!!


The real SHAME of all this, is you didn't post pics of your bike, your friends, and your tour. :mad:


where have you been????? http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=183528 That is the first thing I did when I got back!!!!!!!


Mike

Patriot, are you that weirdo mcavana met on a camping ground while touring? ;)

[QUOTE=Magictofu]Patriot, are you that weirdo mcavana met on a camping ground while touring? ;)[/QUOTE

LOL!!!!!