Cyclerides.com Weekly Update

7/11/12

Greetings Riders,

Well, we are back safe and sound from our 2012 Road Trip. If you missed the newsletter last week, written on a picnic table in front of Grizzly HD in Missoula, MT., about the blowout on the Mako Glide while riding Lolo Pass, Click Here to Read. Our impromptu adventure this year took us over 3500 miles from Phoenix to as far North East as Missoula, MT and as far North West as Hood River, OR and a whole bunch of roads in between through Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Washington and California. Every trip has its’ own personality, but this one might have been one of the more unique, with a couple of interesting events along the way.

I have said this before, but it is really hard to explain the feeling of taking off on a 10 day motorcycle adventure with only a few clothes in your saddle bags, a GPS and a general idea of which way you want to go. The term “Freedom” is used a lot with riding motorcycles, but quite frankly I can’t think of a better word to describe the feeling of taking off with the wind in your face, leaving the daily grind in your rear view mirror, not knowing where you will be laying your head that night, and simply adhering to the edict of “Eat, Ride, Sleep and Repeat” for the next 10 days. And when you throw in the view of snow capped mountains, crystal clear blue lakes and rambling streams, from the asphalt of a few scenic byways, it is very hard to drag yourself away from that.

Since we all pretty much live in some sort of structure in our everyday lives, it starts to seem like we are the hamster on the wheel, knowing that the faster we run, the faster the wheel will turn, and we will still be in the cage. Be it our jobs, taking care of the kids, or other obligations, there is ALWAYS something that we have a schedule for in everyday life. It is nice to unwind by immediately getting rid of the things that we HAVE to do. In other words, take our schedule, leave it on the kitchen table on our way out the door and adopt a gypsy lifestyle for a few days to completely clear your head. With these once per year longer rides, that is what we try to do. It can never be 100%, but a good 90% is a start.

The only way that I have found to fully get away is on my motorcycle. Your focus is right in front of you at all times, the phone isn’t ringing, I’m not answering emails, and there is nothing that I HAVE to do at that particular time except keep the shiny side up and soak up the moments that are in front of me. It is you, the road, the elements and the adventure of seeing beautiful countryside while wondering where you will end the day and what new friends you will make along the way. For us, the unknown is the adrenaline that keeps us going 12 hours a day trying to soak up every mile while making hundreds of deposits into our memory bank of life.

For those of you that have experienced this type of freedom, you know exactly what I mean. For those that haven’t, I hope that you throw caution to the wind some day and give it a try. Reservations, strict routes and scheduled times to stop riding every night are overrated and unnecessary. Not really much different from the schedules of home. Try feeling the exhilaration of not knowing where you are going to stay the next night. Play the game of rolling into the next small town when you are really ready to quit riding for the day, not because it is on the schedule, then picking out the best motel. You might get skunked once in a while, but you just go to the next dot on the map and try again. That is all part of the adventure. Then go to a restaurant, visit with the locals that are just as intrigued with what you are doing as you are with why they live where they do. I can’t even count the amount of people we meet at gas stations and other stops that want to know everything about our adventure, seemingly living vicariously through our conversations.

This method probably isn’t for everybody, but it is how we have done it for the last several years and it has worked very well, and actually allows you to cover more miles in a day. Once you do it, I doubt you will go back to structure on the road again.

This year we covered a total of 3550 miles in 8 1/2 days of riding. Everything we took was in our saddle bags. Our day would start on the road between 7:30 to 8:00 AM after breakfast and ending at about 8 PM. We did 650 miles the first day to Bridgeport, CA and then averaged about 400 miles per day after that. From Bridgeport after the first day our route took us through the Sierra Nevada’s via the Sonora Pass, Ebbetts Pass, South Lake Tahoe, Bucks Lake Rd., Feather River Byway, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Boise, ID, Sun Valley, ID, Missoula, MT, Lolo Pass, Joseph, OR, Kennewick, WA, Hood River, OR and on to Bend, OR where we left the bikes at Wildhorse HD to be shipped back home. Seems like a lot, but believe me when I say that neither one of us were ready to give up the keys in Bend. We could have easily headed to the coast and spent another week working our way back home. But. . . That kind of timing was not in the cards this time, so we had to bend so long to the bikes and hop on an Allegiant Airlines flight back to Mesa Gateway airport.

I once again got snap happy with the camera on this trip and took just over 2000 photos that I will be sharing with you over the next couple of weeks. There are definitely a few that will be blown up and put on the garage wall or gallery. I have included just a few of my favorites on this page to give you a glimpse.

Click Here to View these beautiful photos.

Click Here for an approximate view of our Google Map route from the first few days.

Click Here for an approximate map of the final days.

Go to the Cyclerides.com Facebook Page to see all of our posts from the trip. Even if you are not a member of Facebook, you can still view the photos and comments on this page. And while you are there, “Like” the page. We are almost to 4000. Be sure to see my latest post of the action shot of the deer that is staring me down on the side of the road trying to decide which way to go.

If you can’t get into Facebook, Click Here to see this Great shot!

Stay tuned for next week where I will start with the first few days and post the photos of the Sierra Nevada passes. Awesome beauty only 800 miles away.

Bike Nights

Every Tuesday Night

Mad Dog Saloon Tuesday Bike Night in Mesa. I am really excited about Mad Dog Saloon as it is a perfect stand alone bike night location with a huge patio. For those of you that live in the area you will recognize it as the former Salty Senorita’s. The patio is huge with an outdoor bar, the inside is huge as well with garage doors that open to the outside and TV’s everywhere you look. And plenty of motorcycle parking. There will be food and drink specials including $1.00 tacos on Tuesday’s. Mad Dog Saloon is located at 1860 S. Stapley, just 3/10 of a mile South of U.S. 60 on Stapley. Stop by and check it out. See you there for opening night on Tuesday, May 8th. Click Here for Details, Map and Photos of the Mad Dog Saloon.

Thursday Nights

Arrowhead Harley-Davidson is keeping Thursday Bike Night alive on the West side with a rotating bike night for the next few weeks which tonight, July 12th will be at the Moon Saloon, 6:30 – 9 PM, located behind Hooter’s at 16554 N. 83rd Ave. in Peoria, just North of the dealership.

July 19th – Tilted Kilt, July 26th – Hooter’s, August 2nd will be People’s Choice.

* VIP Motorcycle Parking

* Arrowhead Harley Girls

* Door Prizes

* Food Specials

See flyer for details. Click Here.

This Week

Saturday, July 14th

SEMA/National Car Collectors Show. In conjunction with the SEMA/National Car Collectors Show we will be inviting motorcycles of any make to join the show. there will be Music, Awards, Vendors, Food and fun for the entire family. Come show off your motorcycle and be a part of this National Event. 67th Ave. and Bell Road behind Mexteca Restaurant in the K-Mart parking lot from 5:00 - 9:00 P.M.

Next Week

Saturday, July 21st

Buddy Stubbs Anthem Hogs & Dogs. Buddy Stubbs Anthem H-D invites you to join them on July 21^st from 11AM to 2PM for their scheduled Hogs & Dogs event! This month, in addition to FREE food and drinks, they welcome the expert trainers from T.E.A.M. Arizona for a special on-site class devoted to the art of cornering. Learn the secrets to getting the most out of each and every corner while riding your Harley-Davidson!! The FREE class begins at 12 PM and is a great opportunity to gain essential motorcycling skills or just brush up on those you may have forgotten. Registration is limited so please be sure to RSVP to marketing@buddystubbs.com. Buddy Stubbs Anthem H-D is located at 41715 N. 41^st Drive, Anthem, AZ or on the web at www.anthemhd.com.

Extras

Mid Week Updates will be made on the Cyclerides.com Facebook. New Easy to remember Facebook address. Go to Cyclerides.com Facebook. Over 3900 FANS! Take a look at all the new photos posted on the wall. If you are not on Facebook, you can still view the page, but you will not be able to post. There will be a link there for you to sign up for Facebook if you are inclined. Click the LIKE button!

This must be Ricky Ricardo’s dog. He has gotten the Latin moves down. Click Here to View

Not sure who this belongs too, but I accidentally got someone’s voice mail from CVS Pharmacy. Click Here to Listen.

Video of the Week: Not even sure what to say about this one, except, they had a goal, and it worked! . Click Here to View. Click on the Video of the Week graphic on the page.

If you would like to sign up for the Cyclerides.com Weekly Update Click Here.

Until Next Week,
Blessings and Safe Riding To All,

Barry Caraway
"The Road Is Yours - Take The Ride"
www.cyclerides.com