Posts Tagged ‘bike’
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
So this is it. My last post. I’ve been back in England for a month now and life is… well life is normal I guess. One thing I can say though, is that riding across the high-desert in Peru feels like a lifetime away when you’re caught trying to steal someone else’s pushchair outside your nephew’s nursery. William, the little rascal, assured me that the pushchair was his but promptly bailed on me when the real owners walked over and politely informed me that I was making a mess of their pushchair. The situation was made slightly more embarrassing in that not only was I taking the wrong buggy but I couldn’t even assemble the damn thing. In the end the ever so helpful (and slightly smug) victims of my attempted theft had to help me erect my sister’s pushchair; something that proper parents appear to accomplish with only a flick of the wrist. Rather than stand by his uncle as events unfolded, my ‘sweet little’ nephew pulled the old crying trick and took shelter in the bosom of a nursery teacher. Whilst I’m hurt by his treachery I’ll let him off this once as he is only two and a half. In fact, the more I think about it the more I admire his quick thinking and resourcefulness. Smart kid.
The long awaited reunion with my motorbike was emotional but not in the conventional sense. No misty-eyed embrace between man and machine. More along the lines of: “Surely you can’t charge that much to dispose of the crate? You thieving b@stards! Oh, if you put it like that I guess I’ll have to. Here you go.” Followed by installing the battery the wrong way round, thus unknowingly blowing the master fuse, and then worrying that none of the electrics worked. It took a while to realise that the battery could have the + and – terminals switched and after doing this it took another 10 minutes or so of frantic key twisting and calling the RAC breakdown recovery service before I thought to check the fuses! Replacing the master fuse brought back the electrics. Unfortunately this didn’t appear to be enough to make up for over 7 weeks of neglect and the infernal machine refused to start. I think the engine finally caught on about the 20th push start so I cancelled the RAC call-out. And then as one final test I had to pump up both tyres from 4psi to 30psi with my mini-now-broken-foot-pump. Why hadn’t I just ridden the bloody thing into the sea in Brasil and left it at that! Thankfully my sister was there to take the luggage home and of course my nephew provided moral support with the occasional helpful statement like: “Ollie. What that?”; “Ollie motorbike broken” and “Mummy, I need wee, wee.”
Before:
After:
With both bike and rider finally back on British soil I feel that my Latin American motorcycle adventure has come to an end and although the bike needs a lot of love and my right ankle still occasionally aches and bruises I reckon we did ok. It’s good to be back and I’m actually looking forward to knuckling down to a bit of normal life for a while. I’ve even started to make a living…
However, whilst the wanderlust is quelled it is by no means extinguished. In a previous post I mentioned a couple of ideas for future travels and I’m pleased to say that my dad is up for one of them so we’re looking into it. If we go ahead with the idea I’ll produce and online resource for others that wish to do the same (as I did with www.greasysprocket.co.uk) and will also keep those that are interested up to date with a blog. I’ll post links to the online resource and blog here. The planning and preparation involved will be considerably more than that needed for riding a motorbike across a couple of continents so I can’t guarantee that we’ll make it. I am fairly sure though that father and son travelling over strange lands in a confined space will be anything but uneventful. If you thought I was absent minded at times you should meet my dad!
Here’s the PLAN.
If I can learn how to do this…
… and we can take this…
…we’re going to try and fly here.
Got to go now as I have quite a bit of work to do. Thanks for reading and good luck in any future adventures of your own.
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Tags: adventure, bike, england, motorbike, motorc, motorcycle, nephew, nursery, pushchair, shipping, wanderlust
Posted in england | No Comments »
Friday, July 31st, 2009
I’ve always believed that (metaphorically speaking) if you fall off your horse you should dust yourself down and get back on as soon as you possible. Otherwise I might lose my nerve for good. A few years ago I fractured a bone in my wrist whilst preparing for the Mega Avalanche mountain bike race in France, 5 days before the race. The only way I knew I’d be able to do anything like it again was to put a rubber washing up glove over the cast (for grip) and complete the race. Until today that was the hardest psychological thing I’ve ever put myself through. Compared to getting back on my motorbike and riding down the sh*tty dirt road I had my accident on, sitting at the top of a snow capped mountain on a mountain bike with a fractured wrist seemed easy. However, I managed it and the bike and rider appear to be ok. I have a feeling it’s going to take a little while to get all my confidence back but at least I’ve started the process. I also now know what I did wrong in order to come off the bike two weeks ago. In Baja California I learnt the hard way that when riding over sand you should stand up and put the power on. Two weeks ago I learnt that you should NOT do that with wet clay. Apparently the best way to cross wet clay is to slow right down and gingerly, almost walk your motorbike through it. Always a learning experience… I need to do a couple of things before I leave so I think I’ll be heading for Guatemala early next week.
Before I leave I want to say something about Lisa and John and their Lost Reef beach resort. The Lost Reef Resort is a small and beautiful beach resort with 5 cabanas, a bar, restaurant and pool on the beach. The small size of the resort means that Lisa, John and their staff can treat you like a person rather than a just a holiday-maker. It also seems that their bar is the centre of the community here. From workmen building the road through residents and tourists to banana plantation owners. They all come here and are treated like family. You could say that I’m biased because of all they and their friends have done for me whilst I recover. However, the rest of the community can’t be wrong. If you fancy a holiday in a Caribbean resort. Sun, swimming, sailing, scuba diving, great food and bar I suggest you give The Lost Reef Resort in Placencia, Belize a look.
It’s going to be quite a shock going back to the old motorbike touring lifestyle of cheap hostels and camping after this luxury but I guess I’ll have to get used to it. I’m also going to miss the hysterical and often infectious laughter coming from Rosa and Maria in the kitchen and bar.
Find out more about Ollie’s trip at his Greasy Sprocket website.
If you’re on facebook and you want to see any photos then visit the actual blog here.
You can also see photos from Ollie’s trip in in his Greasy Spocket Photo Gallery.
Become a fan of Greasy Sprocket on facebook
Tags: baja california, beach resort, bike, camping, hostels, lost reef resort, mega avalanche, motorbike, motorbike touring, mountain, mountain bike, rider
Posted in belize | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 9th, 2009
About 5 hours ago my bike and I came within a few inches of falling down a mountainside. An accident that at best would have been serious and at worst would have meant a box each for the journey home. I’m not telling you this because of the event. Motorcyclists all over the world are seriously injured or killed everyday. I’m telling you this because of the ridiculous thought that when through my mind as we approached the point of no return. Here’s what happened.
I was enjoying myself, winding my way through the mountains to San Cristobal de Las Casas. The bend in question was a left handerand I was coming uphill so the drop at the side of the road was on my right. As I came round the bend I was faced with an oncoming pick-up truck in my lane, that was attempting to overtake a car. (Blind bend overtaking is not uncommon in Mexico.) The oncoming truck left me with nowhere to go but further right, and sharpish. As the truck swerved back into it’s lane I managed to get upright, to avoid getting clipped by the truck and to start braking (hard) before trying to turn left again to make the corner before we ran out of road. Mexican roads don’t usually have a hard shoulder. The edge of the road normally drops about 10 inches to flat grass or gravel. In this case the edge of the road dropped to a few inches of flat grass and then down, down, down. We made it but with only a couple of inches of tarmac to spare. Kind of like tight-rope walking on the while line at the side of the road. Thankfully it wasn’t wet.
As the bike and I swerved and wobbled towards the edge of the road I’m sure my life should have flashed before my eyes or I should have thought of a list of things I should or shouldn’t have said or done. Or loved ones I wanted to speak to. But no. My final thoughts would have been:
“I wonder if I’ll be able to repair the bike after this? I hope the frame and engine aren’t too badly damaged.”
I think it’s time to get some perspective on this trip and perhaps try to get a little less attached to the bike…
Tags: accident, bike, motorcyclists, san cristobal
Posted in mexico | Comments Off
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
Would you believe me if I told you I was caught in a hail storm today? Well I was and although external factors were involved the main reason was once again my failure to think things through properly. If I had been thinking clearly, rather than rushing to get back on the road, I would have not made the following mistakes:
- Not taking into account that the rainy season had started since I’d arrived in Oaxaca, 3 weeks ago.
- Not really looking at the map carefully enough.
If I had looked at the map I would have noticed that the road to the south coast runs through mountains (up to 3,500 metres). During rainy season the heavens open for about an hour or so everyday, generally in the late afternoon. I knew this because I was usually in a classroom at the time. I reasoned that as long as I’d completed my journey by early afternoon each day I would be fine. This brings me to my third mistake. Thinking that the 200 odd miles would only take a few hours I messed around in Oaxaca for most of the morning, rather than get on the road first thing. In fact, I now recall when alarm bells should have been ringing and alternative options considered. As I was leaving Oaxaca at mid-day I asked a shop assistant how long the journey to the coast would take. She replied that it was about 6-7 hours. When I looked puzzled she added that you had to drive through the mountains to get there. I don’t know why but rather than take what she said seriously I just smiled, said good-bye and got back on my bike. Oaxaca is in the mountains for god’s sake. You utter idiot!
Sure enough, before long the road started to wind higher and higher and after a while the cloud came in (or I rode into the cloud - not sure which). And then there was a huge clap of thunder and lightning and it was as if someone emptied a large bucket of water and hail stones over me (repeatedly). These were hefty hail stones too (0.5-1 cm diameter). Within seconds I was soaked to the skin and could barely see further than 15 metres. After persevering for a couple of minutes I gave up and took shelter in a hut by the side of the road. Just when I was wondering if I would have to stay the night the worst of the storm passed so I decided to try and make it to the coast regardless of the wet conditions. The once enjoyable, winding (if potholed) mountain road was now criss-crossed with muddy rivers, small landslides and the occasional fallen tree. And if that wasn’t enough I rounded one corner to have 2 angry dogs attack the bike. I don’t think they understood but I gave them my full repertoire of abuse all the same as it made me feel better. When the thunder and lightning started up again there was nothing I could feasibly do but carry on. There was no way I was going to camp by the side of a mountain road in those conditions. Although the fork lightening was fairly spectacular I couldn’t really appreciate it because all my concentration was focused on staying upright and on the road.
It was all worth it though. I am writing this at a table on the beach in Puerto Angel. I’ve just enjoyed a very tasty dinner as I watched the sun set. I would have taken a photo but the wet weather seems to have drowned my camera. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting two very tasty women from Barcelona. (Unfortunately they are leaving on a bus for San Cristobal tonight. I guess you can’t have everything!) The owner of the restaurant has offered me a place for my hammock so off to bed now and looking forward to a pre-breakfast dip in the sea tomorrow.
Note for motorcyclists: I’ve read mixed reviews of the tyres I currently use (Bridgestone Trailwings) including their nickname in the wet ‘Deathwings’. However, although I was riding cautiously they served very well in what must have been some of the worst conditions possible, excluding ice of course.
Find out more about Ollie’s trip at his Greasy Sprocket website.
If you’re on facebook and you want to see any photos then visit the actual blog here.
You can also see photos from Ollie’s trip in in his Greasy Spocket Photo Gallery.
Become a fan of Greasy Sprocket on facebook
Tags: bike, hail storm, map, motorcyclists, mountains, oaxaca, puerto angel, rainy season, restaurant, road, san cristobal, storm, tyres
Posted in mexico | No Comments »
Sunday, July 5th, 2009
I moved to a hostel in the centre of Oaxaca on Saturday in order to meet a few more non-Spanish school students. And on Tuesday night I went for a couple of drinks with a street vendor who was staying there. He’s pretty much as local as they come. He was born nearby and has spent the last 18 years travelling around southern Mexico selling the jewellery he makes. To my surprise we actually managed to understand each other and the various others we met during the evening. Admittedly topics didn’t go much further than personal background, drink, drugs, women and politics but I was pretty happy with the result. Politics is a common topic here because Oaxaca is still recovering from a teachers protest that got rather out of hand. In 2006 40,000 teachers were forcefully removed by 3,000 police from the town square (Zocalo). The teachers were then joined by other disgruntled groups (such and APPO) and retook the Zocalo and some surrounding buildings. By this time the world media had taken notice, mainly because a US journalist was shot dead. At which point the federal police and the army were brought in to clear the area. Reports of numbers of civilian dead range from 2 (Mexican government) to 40 (human rights groups). There are still protesters camping out in the Zocalo and with national elections coming up tensions occasionly run high. I’ve heard Oaxaca described as an ‘uneasy calm’ and although I’ve seen a couple of scuffles between opposing political groups I have never felt unsafe here. However, a Texan guy in my hostel had a rather unsettling experience late at night with a group of balaclava clad, machete wielding protesters but he admits it was all his fault. He was very drunk, they were protecting their sleeping area and no one came to any harm in the end.
On a lighter note. Andrea (my Spanish teacher no the student) invited me to visit the family of her boyfriend (Alli) and spend the day riding round the countryside near their home. Alli and his friend, Juan Pedro, race moto-cross bikes so we would be exploring the countryside on their nimble 250cc moto-cross bikes and my, much less nimble, 650cc rally-touring bike! To make things slightly more challenging it transpired that not only would I be I following on my heavier bike but I would also be carrying Andrea on the back. If Alli was at all nervous about entrusting his girlfriend’s safety to a guy he had only met hours beforehand he didn’t show it. I also didn’t let on that Andrea was only my second passenger… It was fortuitous that Andrea was with me because 20 minutes into our off-road trip Alli and Juan crashed into each other, damaging Alli’s bike and Juan’s legs! My trusty steed did me proud and we all managed to get back to the family home with no further incidents.
Andrea wasn’t kidding when she said I would meet the family. There must have been 4 or 5 generations gathered at the house. They all get together at the grandparents’ house on Sunday afternoon and I felt privileged to be a guest. As is becoming common on this trip, the bike was a cause of much interest, and the general consensus of the family was that I must be mad to undertake such an adventure. Needless to say, they all made me feel extremely welcome and it was a Sunday I won’t forget. Thank you Andrea.
To top it off, through some stroke of luck my last night here coincided with an amazing firework display in the town. The locals were celebrating one of their many religious festivals (San Cristobal – or something similar) which involved a quick procession and an enourmous firework dispaly. The warm-up act consisited of young men (and boys) holding a paper-mache bull with an arensal of fireworks over their heads and runing into the onlooking crowd. I think the objective was to see how far into the crowd they could get and how many screams they could cause. The head of pyrotechnics lit all the fireworks with his ever present lit cigarette. I’m starting to love the Mexican approach to Health & Safety. Photos below.
My Spanish probably isn’t quite ready yet but my restless nature has got the better of me, so I’m heading south to the coast today. I met an American film-maker here and he has recommended Zipolite beach. For those that are interested, he has just finished making a documentry about the life gurads and the rehilitaion clinic at Zipolite. Not sure when or how it will be released but here’s a link to his webiste anyway (http://www.jeffarak.com)
Find out more about Ollie’s trip at his Greasy Sprocket website.
If you’re on facebook and you want to see any photos then visit the actual blog here.
You can also see photos from Ollie’s trip in in his Greasy Spocket Photo Gallery.
Tags: bike, drink, drugs, fireworks, mexican, mexico, non-spanish, oaxaca, off-road, politics, rally-touring, school, spanish, spanish lessons, spanish teacher, students, women, zocalo
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2009
After a week of waiting it was a relief to return to Rice & Beans (San Ignacio) and be greeted by Ricardo with the correct tyre in his hand. I was now only one step away from being back on the road. That step being to change the new tyre for the worn one on my bike.
I was also greeted by my new friends (Ricardo’s workmen) who by the looks of things had been enjoying a few beers that afternoon. After a quick drink with them and as good a catch up and you can have in stilted Spanish and English I got up to start work on my bike. No sooner had I removed the rear wheel when a few of my new pals assembled themselves into a pit crew. So as to keep everyone happy (and against my better judgement) I allowed these very willing but slightly alcohol impaired mechanics to help change my tyre. It was only after the team´s second failed attempt, which resulted in both my original and spare inner tubes having multiple pinch punctures that the friendly Englishman briefly erupted into a foul-mouthed Anglo Saxon. The expletives were not aimed at anyone but I think they got the message that this was a job best done on my own.
So at 10:30pm on a Friday night I was left to repair two punctures and fit the inner tube and tyre, which I managed in 20 minutes. The original, better quality, tube is a write-off (with 5 punctures). I just hope I can pick another one up on the way.
It´s all my own fault. I should have just said no to the help from the beginning. Never mind eh. Yet another learning experience.
Tags: alcohol, beers, bike, englishman, inner tube, mechanics, pit crew, punctures, rear wheel, repair, san ignacio, spanish, tube, tyre, wheel
Posted in mexico | 2 Comments »
Thursday, May 14th, 2009
Today was a hard day but a good day. With the aid of a Spanish-English dictionary, sign-language and various implements we could find on the beach and in the campsite Adam, Eduardo (the campsite owner) and I hammered, bent and patched my bike back together.
Once fixed we were back on the road. Adam had the first spill of the day in some deep sand leaving the beach. Although initially apprehensive after yesterday, as the day wore on my riding and confidence improved, along with the condition of the roads. Still gravel, rocks and dirt but importantly less sand. 20-30 ft cacti and huge buzzards circling overhead gave the desert a slightly eerie feel. In 4 hours riding we didn’t pass a soul. Nothing concentrates the mind more than knowing that if we got into difficulty it was most likely us that were going to have to get ourselves out of it. The idea being to keep your bike on the hardest bit of road you can find and avoid the sand at all costs. Although it feels counter intuitive, if you do hit sand just stand up and put the power on. It worked for me every time today.
We’re camping just off a beach that appears to be continually patrolled my soldiers (with guns). Will not be surprised if we wake up in a gun-fight.
Adam is going to heard back up the the US tomorrow and I’m going to head south and try and find a replacement for my now bald rear tyre. The last couple of days have be exciting and occasionally frightening but moreover they have made it patently obvious that it is no joke out here.
You can find out more about Ollie´s trip by visiting his Greasy Sprocket website.
Tags: beach, bike, buzards, campsite, desert, dirt, gun-fight, guns, riding, roads, sand, soldiers, tyre
Posted in mexico | No Comments »
Monday, May 11th, 2009
Here’s an interesting little test for you Ollie. “What do you do when you’ve lost your keys and the spares are locked in your luggage boxes on your motorbike?”
The border crossing in to Mexico was quick and easy and I’d ridden 200 miles south into Baja-California when I came to my first military road-block. Everything up to that point had been a breeze and I was really starting to enjoy the ride. I don’t know about you but bored looking soldiers with machine guns makes me a little nervous, even though I had nothing to be worried about. Remembering the advice I’d read, I switched off the engine and took my helmet off. A soldier politely asked me where I was going and what I was doing in Spanish. I replied in my best Spanglish. He then asked me to get off the bike and we started to go through my duffel bag. Him pulling items out and me explaining what they were used for. All in perfect Spanglish. The bag search complete, he then turned his attention to my luggage boxes and asked me to unlock and open them. It was at this point that I couldn’t find my keys.
I should explain that I keep my bike keys separate to another keyring, that holds all the other keys (luggage boxes, padlock, security chain, alarm) and it was this keyring I had lost between border customs and here (200 miles south). In rather agitated Spanglish I tried to explain that I’d lost them, whilst wondering what the punishment was for not cooperating with a search. They in fact, seemed rather less bothered about the loss than me and just tried to move me away as I started to frantically check all possible hiding places for my keys. Nothing! With a spectacular lack of forethought I’d locked all my spare keys in one of the luggage boxes on my bike, which I now couldn’t get into because I’d lost my keys. IDIOT!
Pull yourself together Ollie. No one said this would be easy.
As I rode the remaining 30 miles to San Felipe I weighed up the consequences of no keys and desperately tried to think of a way to get at my spare set without too much damage. I’d have to camp because I couldn’t leave the bike out off sight and unsecured (no security chain and no alarm). I’d need to somehow cut or smash the padlock and force the box lock either at a garage at the side of the road or when I stop for the night. How the hell would I explain all that in Spanish? Not sure a good day after all.
In San Felipe I tried and failed to saw through the padlock with my Leatherman. I had just started looking for suitable (padlock-smashing) rocks when a very drunk, middleaged lady staggered up to me and introduced her self as Lyn. She and Ron (her husband) were going to be my camping neiboroughs for the night. Great. Not only have I locked myself out of all my possessions but I’ve also got this drunk-bore to contend with. Thinking that I might as well make the most of the situation I explained my predicament and asked if they had a hammer. Lyn was sure they did. She wakes poor Ron from his booze induced coma and once he’s figured out where he is he does in fact produce a hammer. The padlock gets smashed, the box lock forced and I retrieve my spares. Bingo!
I felt it only polite to sit with Lyn and Ron for a drink whist Lyn rattled on about how her daughter knew Kate Middleton and how they have been asked to go and stay with them. Followed by “I don’t know what all the fuss is about? We all p*ss the same.” I hadn’t heard that one before. Anyway, I’m grateful to Lyn and Ron for helping me out and I wish them all the best for the remainder of their holiday (as long as it’s not near me).
The kicker to this little fiasco is that after a quick dip in the sea and a shower I was rummaging around in my duffel bag for some closes and I found my original keys. I must have dropped and buried them in the bag in my flustered state during the search. Bugger, bugger, bugger.
On the positive side. I’ll now manage my keys in a slightly more intelligent fashion and the campsite I’m staying in is beautiful. Heading south tomorrow as it’s still rather touristy and expensive here.
Tags: alarm, baja, bike, Kate Middleton, keys, lost, lost keys, luggage, luggage boxes, Lyn, mexico, motorbike, padlock, punishment, Ron, san felipe, security chain, soldiers, spanglish, spanish
Posted in mexico | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
WARNING: This is a shameless plug for a motorcycle store in Las Vegas, Nevada. If you’re not near Las Vegas, are unlikely to visit or not interested in motorbikes you may want to skip this post.
First, a bit of background. I arrived in Las Vegas after 2 days of trying to improve my off-road riding in various forests and deserts, which involved rather a rough time for my bike. I was a little paranoid about the sound of the engine and I also needed to buy some knee and shin protection. I was tinkering with the bike outside my motel and a guy starts talking to me about my bike. Turns out he’s local and rides trail bikes so I asked him where I could buy the knee and shin guards. He recommended “Sam’s Cycle Supply”, just up the road. The following morning I rode to the shop and go in to try on the guards.
I didn’t know at the time but the owner (Sam) was outside with a customer. When he comes in he asks if the bike is mine and then is able to give me the full history of the bike make and model and what other bikes had the same engine as mine. Bear in mind that they stopped importing my make and model of bike into the US over 8 years ago! We get chatting and I tell him I’m worried about the sound of the engine.
“No problem. I’ll ask one of my mechanics to listen to it when he gets in. Would you like a coffee?”
Yes I would. We start talking about tyres and whether I’ll be able to get replacements in Central and South America. Sam recommends a few tyres and then suggests I wait for Fernando to get in as he is Mexican and has loads of knowledge and contacts for south of the border.
In the mean time I ask for the nearest internet cafe or library so I can check emails, etc. Sam offers me the use of one of his computers (for 3 hours…)
When Fernando arrives, it turns out he had a bike with the same engine. He has a listen and gives mine the all clear. Fernando talks me through tyre options and where I will be most likely to find replacements. We start talking about Mexico. How to ride safely. What police to avoid. What to do if you get stopped. Places to visit. Places to avoid, etc. And get this. Fernando then offers to put an itinerary together for me in Mexico. I can pop in to collect it on my way back from Bryce Canyon in a couple of days. How amazing is that?
At no point are these guys selling anything to me. In fact, they give me pizza and cola. I was wondering how they manage to survive running a business like this (I only bought a pair of $15 guards). I then realise that there had been a constant stream of customers coming into the store since I’d been there. People trust these guys and it seems to me that as well as being extremely friendly and generous to their customers they also know what they are talking about and their customers trust them.
Thanks for all your help Sam and Fernando. Much appreciated.
Sam’s Cycle Supply – 3900 N. Rancho Drive, Suite 101, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89130 (Phone: 702-367-7267) They don’t have a website. They’re a people business.
Tags: america, bike, engine, internet cafe, las vegas, mexican, mexico, motel, motorcycle, motorcycle store, nevada, off-road, sams cycle supply
Posted in usa | No Comments »
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
I’m sat in my tent in the middle of the desert near Death Valley, having had my best day so far. Between setting off at 11am and setting up my tent at 8pm I’ve ridden through orange grove, prairie, forest, mountains and desert. On roads, gravel, dirt and sand tracks. Been lost for hours and nearly run out of petrol. Dropped the bike a couple of times and thought I’d broken it once. Bashed up my skin, got cramp in my shoulders and ripped the skin off my thumb. And loved every minute of it. (Well the bashing up my shin wasn’t great and I did get a little anxious when I thought I’d broken my bike!)
It this point it’s worth mentioning that the only worldwide GPS map available is the Wanderlust World Map v2 from www.smellybiker.com. Although it covers the world it doesn’t always have the level of detail needed for non-major roads and tracks. Strictly speaking you should always carry a paper map. However, although I have maps for every other country I don’t have one for the USA. I’ve been managing by using GPS to get near and then asking someone the way. I guess I didn’t think I’d be in the States long so didn’t bother to get a map. Now I think about it it is a little silly.
Anyway, after the disaster of yesterday I’d decided to bin Kings Canyon and head east to Bryce Canyon before heading south to Mexico. I was roughly following my GPS east and thinking how I hadn’t had the chance to really use my knobbly tyres off-road. The US roads are really abrasive and they are wearing the knobbles away pretty quickly. So, GPS roughly directs me east on what was a major road. I see a sign for Sequoia National Forrest at the side of the road and suddenly the road becomes a gravel track. Bit odd but I guess I’ll carry on regardless. The rest of the day was filled with winding tracks of gravel, dirt and sand through the most amazing and varied scenery. No idea where I was going but hoping the road would come out somewhere near civilization. Absolutely amazing! Can’t describe all the shenanigans that went on but I had a great time and was generally saved by helpful Americans whenever I got into a tight spot (when they were around).
I’ll try to upload some photos soon…
Looks like today was a better day after all.
Tags: bike, broken, bryce canyon, death valley, desert, forest, gps, gps map, kings canyon, map, mexico, mountains, national forest, orange grove, petrol, prairie, tyres, usa
Posted in usa | No Comments »
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