True Fear...

... this time is wasn't riding in the rain near Kamloops, BC.

About 10 years ago, when I started university, I started to get pretty serious headaches. They felt like my eyes were rotting out from behind. After a few months of this, I went to get an eye exam - low and behold I needed glasses.

When I was growing up, I thought it was normal to be able to concentrate and focus my eyes, and then relax and have everything go blurry. I could read the eye charts with ease and tested at 20/10 vision. I had played basketball, learned to shoot and drive all with good success and without glasses. Times had changed.

Jesus was there too.

Fast forward 10 years ago to my scare on the motorcycle when I accidentally forgot to put on my glasses (remember, I'm able to concentrate and focus for a short time now). I rode down the street, came to an intersection and everything went blurry. I found my glasses but lost a lot of confidence.

So, laser eye surgery must be the solution right? I decided to find out.

I went to Gimbel Eye Centre here in Calgary. When I walked in, I couldn't help but think how nice the place looked. It had an air of quality about it. After all, Dr. Gimbel was the pioneer of laser eye surgery in Alberta. Sitting in the waiting room with my friend Diane, I turned to the side and noticed a large painting of a laser eye surgery. The machines were there, an assistant, the surgeon, but then something I found strange - Jesus was there too.

This is a blog about motorcycling around the world, not religion. However, for the sake of accuracy I'll tell you that I'm not a religious person. I try my best to respect the religion of others, and that's about it. However, I feel that Jesus shouldn't be in the operating room with me. What if I was muslim? Buddist? a Jedi? Does the surgeon need luck? Do I? Am I going to die? It all left a bad first impression on me. And then came the testing.

Gimbel Eye Centre is set up for the best possible efficiency. I felt like it was like herding cattle and determining which cows could have surgery. Then getting passed on to the sales department for misleading information.

There were small rooms with five machines and five technicians, five patients and a couple of guests. We bumped into each other, could overhear other people's testing, it was horrible. You get herded around to different waiting rooms to meet with different people, don't even meet with the surgeon (have to book a surgery for that), get told you are a marginal candidate by the optomotrist but an excellent candidate by the sales department. You even get herded out a different door from the one in which you arrive.

Needless to say, the combination of being treated like cattle, being told they'd rather insert a contact lens INSIDE my eye rather than laser me (and not learning ANY of the results of my testing, and knowing that the surgeon would like Jesus in the room for surgery was enough for me to say, "not a flying chance in hell would I ever go to Gimbel Eye Centre". So I went to visit the Mitchell Eye Centre for another round of testing...

More to come... (and apologies for the lack of posts this week. I'm "Sprinting to the Finish" at the office)

The longest day yet

I was fairly tired when I got to Vancouver to visit with Bronwen and Neil and I was happy to start drooling on their couch when everyone got to sleep.

The next day I spend hanging out with Neil and getting to know him a bit better. Bronwen and I have been friends for years and, although she'd known Neil longer, I hadn't met him until they started dating a couple of years prior.

The next morning I got up with only one destination in mind - back home in Calgary.

Normally I wouldn't attempt such a long day in the saddle. However, the woman I was dating had been in Europe for five weeks and I was anxious to see her again. She arrived the day I was in Vancouver.

I set off a lot later than I'd hoped. Getting everything ready to go and double checking it took more time than I expected. Then, with directions out of town from Neil, I headed out of Vancouver toward Calgary.

The majority of the trip is a blur at this point (it was a few months ago). I know it was cool and cloudy in Vancouver and then it warmed up in the interior and cooled off when I approached Alberta again. I rode straight through, stopping for fuel and snacks only.

There was one stretch where I was briskly passed by a new VW GTI. I estimated it was going about 190km/h or so in a 100km/h zone. In all honesty, that was the thing I remember most about the journey.

I arrived in Calgary in the middle of the evening, having ridden about 600 miles (1000km). I parked my bike at my girlfriend's apartment and called her, pretending I was in Vancouver still. - Until I asked her to come downstairs.

"Hey, want to grab a coffee?"

Sitting down to lunch at good ol' A&W, I pulled out my map. Fortunately I had purchased a laminated version of BC and Alberta so I could still read it after the storm. I took a look at the map and realized how far I had ridden - and how far I really could go. So I made a call....

I called my friend in Vancouver at work and said, "Hey, what are you doing tonight? Want to grab a coffee?"

I realized when looking at the map that I was only three and a half hours away from Vancouver. Surely I had it in me to keep riding and make it all the way from Jasper, Alberta to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Following up on my coffee invitation I said, "Oh, and can I crash at your place tonight? I'm going to be a little tired"

So my coffee date with Bronwen and Neil was a go and I got back on the bike and rode the additional four hours (considering city traffic) to Vancouver and their new house in Kits. The sky had opened up once again and the storm seemed like a distant memory after I stopped for lunch. It was a beautiful day once again.

Boy was I glad to see friendly faces when I got into town that night. I was exhaused but I'd completed my longest riding day just a day after completing my previous longest riding day. I rode just over 800 kms (500 miles) in one day.

We had a good visit and I hit the couch. Zzzzzzzzz.....

I think I'm going to die now...

I have never been hit with such a fury in my life. I slowed the bike down to about 60km/h and the wind was tossing me around the road and throwing the rain with all its gusto at me.

Two thoughts were running through my head. Ok, three. The first, "Just relax your grip and keep looking ahead", second, I don't want to die and third, "I'm so incredibly happy I'm not on the KLR right now."

The spray from vehicles cut my visibility down quite drastically. I tried using the little rubber blade on the thumb of my gloves to wipe my visor. It only made things worse. I kept going.

The storm lasted for about half an hour. I rolled into Kamloops about 20 minutes after that. I was cold and felt like I had been mauled by a crocodile. So I stopped for fuel and lunch.

Then looked at the map and made a phone call...

A cold, wet hell ahead

Off I went on my way to Kamloops BC, about 6.5 hours away from Jasper. It was another stunningly beautiful day with a warm, but not hot breeze, bright blue skies and some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth. Until I got to about an hour from Kamloops.

That's when the wind started and I pulled over because I could see the storm ahead. I struggled to quickly put on my my waterproof jacket and pants because the wind was so strong. I had never experienced - or noticed experiencing being in such a quickly changing weather system. Looking West I saw a warm summer day. Looking East I saw a wall of cold, wet hell. I got back on the bike and kept riding. Maybe I could make it to Kamloops, or close to it, before the storm itself hit me.

I was wrong.

More to come...

A night in Jasper - what if?

After fuelling up the V-Strom, I headed across the street as two guys with BMW 1200 GS Bikes were there, and their bikes looked like they had been through a lot. I chatted with them for a few minutes. They were on a ride from Arizona to the Jasper area and back. It was nice to see someone else who was actually doing a long ride as I had never met anyone who had before. After a few minutes chatting they went on their way and I decided to change the oil in the bike.

I changed the oil and then set about finding a campsite for the night. I ended up riding another 75km or so before I found one that wasn't full. It was an enjoyable twisty road up a long hill near Castle Mountain.

Setting up camp I realized I had never done anything like this by myself before. It was nice to be alone with my own thoughts for the night. The trip around the world, my ride to Jasper, what life on the road would be like were all things that I pondered.

How would Dylan and I get along? What if... ah, the "what ifs". That's exactly what this trip is about. It's about conquering "what ifs" that we will face before the trip and during it. The "what ifs" from our friends and colleagues. The "what ifs" from the people we meet while planning this adventure. The "what ifs" will cause the trip to never happen unless the obvious ones are planned for and the others become an acceptable part of the risk we will face. Heck, I got a big "what if you encounter a bear" when I was entering the campground in Jasper as a warning from the warden. If the "what if" of encountering the bear was so bad, why would I even camp? Why would I ever go to such a beautiful place? Why bother?

The bother is that it's about experiencing life. I've spent too much of my life in classrooms and in achingly boring corporate meetings rife with buzzwords and balderdash to not go out at least once and stick it out there. We might get hurt, we might end up in jail somewhere, we might be delayed by politics or nature. The point is, that's ok. I have as much chance of getting hurt walking down the street, or as Dylan learned first hand, trying to get a glass of milk.

Ahem,
The next morning I didn't expect I'd sleep in as late as I did. I'd slept well and was very excited about tearing the camp down and moving on. I loaded the bike back up and headed toward Kamloops, BC. I calculated it to be about 6.5 hours away.

More to come...

Icefields and fuel fears

A couple of weeks after the glasses scare, I decided to finish breaking in the engine on the V-Strom. What better way to do that than a trip up the icefields parkway from Calgary to Jasper, Alberta. I thought I’d take a few days and see what it was like to camp while traveling with the bike. So I loaded it up with my camping gear and set off.

What an amazing road the icefields parkway is. It’s closed to truck traffic and it’s smooth as silk. I left Calgary with nearly a full tank of fuel and rode confidently up the highway, past the Columbia Icefield on route to Jasper. Then my fuel gauge started to flash.

Since I had only ever run one or two tanks of fuel through the bike, I was guessing on the fuel economy. I also didn’t consider the extra weight and drag associated with my luggage. I slowed down to a more economical speed with about 130km to go and my fuel gauge already warning me that I was running low. I had passed the “no fuel for 200km” sign 70km prior. When I left Calgary I thought I could make it with one tank of fuel.

I had never been to Jasper before so I didn’t recognize the road or the scenery along the way. I began to get more and more nervous as there were few signposts along the way to tell me how much further I had to go. Then my fuel gauge flashed differently. This time it meant, “dude, you’re really running low now.”

Jasper seemed like an eternity away. I slowed down further. What was left of the traffic, which wasn’t much, started to pass me. Then the sign showing Jasper was around the corner, about 20km away came into view. “Would I make it?” I wondered.

I rounded the bend into town and got slowed down by some road construction just before the town. Oh great.

Finally I rolled into town and made it to the first fuel station I could find. The V-strom took 21.5 litres of fuel. Thankfully there was a full litre of fuel left in the tank. I was pretty tired from the possibility of running out of fuel, and I had ridden by far my longest day yet – 435kms (270 miles).

More to come…

Getting a GIVI case: More than I bargained for

When I bought the V-Strom, I ordered a Givi topcase for it. Off I went, back to Turple Bros. in Red Deer, Alberta to pick it up.

I picked up the case and strapped it to the back of the bike. It was a beautiful summer day in early July and fairly hot out so I was anxious to get on the road and get the air flowing again. Getting ready to head back to Calgary, I took off my glasses to put on my helmet and the rest of my motorcycle gear - my helmet, jacket, gloves, earplug (just one because of being deaf) and then I headed off.

Turple Bros. is located right near the Queen Elizabeth II highway, otherwise known as highway 2. There is just a couple of four-way stop intersections on the service road until you get to the highway. I made it through all of them and came to a stop at the last one. As I looked around to make sure the intersection was clear, my vision went completely blurry.

No doubt I swore a few expletives as I realized my own idiocy. I had gotten on the bike and rode off without my glasses. I was scared, angry and embarassed all at the same time.

Fortunately I am farsighted. I can focus my eyes at any distance for short periods of time. I realized I didn't put my glasses on right after putting my helmet on. My eyes adjusted when I closed them to put on my helmet and I thought I could see clearly. When I got to the intersection, my eyes relaxed and everything blurred out.

So there I was, almost on the highway and I couldn't see and didn't know where my glasses were. I pulled the bike over to the side and took the long walk back to the dealer. Perhaps they fell off the bike when I got on it. Nothing.

I walked by the side of the road back to my bike. Nothing.

Then I headed back to the dealer to double check to make sure I wasn't looking the wrong direction and walked past them. I hoped I would find them and I wished they were not shattered.

Looking down the road for anything shiny, I was reminded how much garbage people litter. Every chocolate bar wrapper, every drink bottle, every piece of broken glass caught my attention. Heck I'd never looked for a pair of glasses by the side of... oh wait, I have, but that's another story. Anyway, I've never looked for my own glasses by the side of the road, particularly while not being able to focus my eyes.

I realized that looking at the side of the road was part of the solution and I focused my effort on the middle of the road (bad pun intended).

It was hot, I was wearing my motorcycle jacket, I couldn't see, I hadn't eaten much that day and I had been walking for almost an hour. Then they caught my eye.

Running up to them I hoped that they were still usable. Fortunately karma was liking me that day and there were only a couple of slight scratches on the frames. The lenses were still near perfect. What amazing luck.

I rode home and couldn't stop thinking about how simple a mistake I made and how it could impact the trip. I would not be able to do the trip with glasses. I would need to get my eyes fixed first. In the meantime, I bought an extra pair of glasses to carry under my seat - just in case.

More to come...

A couple of V-strom pictures

Here are a couple of pictures of the V-strom from one of my first mini trips on it. Once again, out to Kananaskis Country.




And the front of the bike...




And one fully loaded up on a trip across British Columbia. This was taken near Jasper, Alberta.

Hello V-Strom

In Red Deer, Dylan and I picked up the V-Strom. We drove up in my old VW Golf - I miss that car.

The first thing I noticed is how quiet it was. With earplugs in at idle I could hardly tell it was running. To me this is a very good thing. I am completely deaf in one ear and I take my hearing very seriously. The KLR was quite loud and I'm not one to be making a whole lot of noise as I go by. My condo is on a busy one-way street and the sport bike crowd likes to gun it going in front of my building in the summer. It drives me nuts and was one of the major reasons why I was hesitant to ride a motorcyle in the first place. It's amazing how a few idiot riders on the street can solidify a reputation for motorcyclists. Anyway, I digress.

I rode the V-Strom home with a big grin. It was an incredible experience to say the least. I felt power like I never had before and I understood perfectly why Dylan refused to go around the world on the KLR. The KLR was like a big, tall two-wheeled car. It accellerated like a car, braked like a car and handled like a car. The V-Strom had passing power, and 6th gear to cruise along the highway. It was fantastic.

Bye-bye KLR

After sitting on the Suzuki V-strom I was hooked and needed to have one. The only thing stopping me was my next to brand new, slightly dented Kawasaki KLR 650. I decided I would post the KLR for sale for a reasonable price. If it sold, so be it. If not, then I would wait until Spring 2007 to sell it.

I had two people look at the bike. The first one seemed interested, but he wasn't serious about it. The next guy to come saw the condition it was in and knew that he was going to get a decent deal on a two month old bike. We got all the paperwork sorted out and got the bike up to Dylan's place for some maintenance that needed to be done on the bike (the famous "doohickey" mod) and other parts.

When I bought the KLR I thought it was awesome. It turned out, I thought riding a motorcycle was awesome and the KLR was all I knew. The V-strom made the thought of riding around the world something that I could actually achieve - with Dylan of course.

As I mentioned in previous posts, the economy in the Calgary area is on overdrive right now. That meant there were no V-Stroms to be had in Calgary and those that were available (after being shipped from other dealers) were selling for MSRP, plus shipping, plus a gazillion other fees that many dealers charge. Then I called Turple Bros. in Red Deer, Alberta.

Turple Bros. is a dealer I had never heard of (I'd really never cared about any motorcycle dealers) However, they have been selling bikes for 50 years in central Alberta. Glenn Turple, the founder of the dealership, still works the sales floor. I can only imagine the change that he's seen in his lifetime - both in bikes and in society in general.

First off, Turple Bros. had a V-Strom in stock. Second, they were willing to sell it for less than MSRP. Finally, their staff are friendly and down to Earth. I was sold. We got all the paperwork sorted out and Dylan and I headed up to Red Deer to pick up the V-Strom.

More to come...