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So for Xmas, one of the gifts I got for Fuzz was a copy of "The Long Way Round" book and dvd, as we've made some trips on the bikes and really enjoyed the television program. The dvd is comprised of all of the episodes from the show, as well as some extra bits. The book basically transcribes many of their daily diaries, with quite a bit more than what was shown on the program. Of course, I immediately took the opportunity to read it as well - I mean, I might as well, right? :wink:
The program, while it does a decent job of describing their trip, really doesn't give an accurate representation of it. These guys did some pretty hard riding - beyond the simple "3 month 19k mile" journey, they dealt with some serious terrain, and had some amazing experiences. I must say - the book really touched me. I'm not sure what aspect of it has really affected me, but, it's an awesome story and I absolutely recommend it to anyone who finds the idea of a long bike trip interesting.
A few things I learned from the book/show - first, the GS is an amazing bike. Those bikes had the crap beaten out of them, and kept coming back for more. Pretty amazing what they are capable of. Second - I would absolutely love to make that trip. Although I have never experienced a trip of that magnitude, or dealt with any riding quite that hard, I find it very easy to relate to their experience - the tough parts of a long trip that can sometimes test you and your ability to continue, that moment when you decide whether you will quit or push or regardless of the difficulty. There's a strange sentimentality that comes along with it, and the unique bonds that can result from them are irreplaceable. You learn what you are made of - what you are capable of, and those moments bind you to the people you share them with in a way that doesn't seem to happen unless you are sharing in the misery of it all.
So, it got me thinking - I'd love to hear any stories any of you might have about trips you might have made, or tough spots you pushed thru on a bike. Iknow a few of you have made some considerable rides, others maybe not so long - but, still probably have some great tales.
For me - the one image that imemdiately comes to mind involves the trip Fuzz, me and our friend Mike made a couple of years ago up through the Northeast. Day 1 we decided to head up thru CT, MA, VT, NH and stay over just into the NH border, then continue on from there to ME the next day (Roughly 350 miles or so). Well, the weather was brisk but not horrible, and when we crossed into NH we decided to continue on and blitz the last 350 miles and get to Maine that night. We crossed the Kangamangus Highway, had dinner, and decided that we would probably be at our destination in Maine from there in about 2-2.5 hours. (This is the point when you can assume things were going to go wrong :wink: ) As soon as we got moving - the skies opened up with a nonstop downpour for the rest of the night. With temps in the low 30s, and pouring rain, we pushed on over the white mountains - narrowly avoided a mooose crossing in the pitch-black, pushed on at a consistent 35-40mph, and a 2.5 hour trip turned into 6.5 hours. Pulling over every half hour to empty the water out of our boots and heat ourselves up, what started as a crappy ride became "us against the weather" - and we refused to lose. It was so absolutely cold and miserable, but we refused to let the weather beat us. The further we went, the worse it got, like the weather saw us pushing on and threw whatever it could at us to keep us from finding the end. Eventually, we made it to my Mom's door - cold, wet and tired. From 6:30a to 1:30a the next day, that 700 miles showed us just about every bit of weather that could be thrown at us - I wouldn't trade it for the world.
It doesn't have to be a journey of such magnitude. Thats the beauty of riding. Each trip away from home can be an amazing and eye opening experience. The aloneness in a group of people is ironically such a bonding experience that can seal or break a freindship for a lifetime. Let's hear your road stories...
The program, while it does a decent job of describing their trip, really doesn't give an accurate representation of it. These guys did some pretty hard riding - beyond the simple "3 month 19k mile" journey, they dealt with some serious terrain, and had some amazing experiences. I must say - the book really touched me. I'm not sure what aspect of it has really affected me, but, it's an awesome story and I absolutely recommend it to anyone who finds the idea of a long bike trip interesting.
A few things I learned from the book/show - first, the GS is an amazing bike. Those bikes had the crap beaten out of them, and kept coming back for more. Pretty amazing what they are capable of. Second - I would absolutely love to make that trip. Although I have never experienced a trip of that magnitude, or dealt with any riding quite that hard, I find it very easy to relate to their experience - the tough parts of a long trip that can sometimes test you and your ability to continue, that moment when you decide whether you will quit or push or regardless of the difficulty. There's a strange sentimentality that comes along with it, and the unique bonds that can result from them are irreplaceable. You learn what you are made of - what you are capable of, and those moments bind you to the people you share them with in a way that doesn't seem to happen unless you are sharing in the misery of it all.
So, it got me thinking - I'd love to hear any stories any of you might have about trips you might have made, or tough spots you pushed thru on a bike. Iknow a few of you have made some considerable rides, others maybe not so long - but, still probably have some great tales.
For me - the one image that imemdiately comes to mind involves the trip Fuzz, me and our friend Mike made a couple of years ago up through the Northeast. Day 1 we decided to head up thru CT, MA, VT, NH and stay over just into the NH border, then continue on from there to ME the next day (Roughly 350 miles or so). Well, the weather was brisk but not horrible, and when we crossed into NH we decided to continue on and blitz the last 350 miles and get to Maine that night. We crossed the Kangamangus Highway, had dinner, and decided that we would probably be at our destination in Maine from there in about 2-2.5 hours. (This is the point when you can assume things were going to go wrong :wink: ) As soon as we got moving - the skies opened up with a nonstop downpour for the rest of the night. With temps in the low 30s, and pouring rain, we pushed on over the white mountains - narrowly avoided a mooose crossing in the pitch-black, pushed on at a consistent 35-40mph, and a 2.5 hour trip turned into 6.5 hours. Pulling over every half hour to empty the water out of our boots and heat ourselves up, what started as a crappy ride became "us against the weather" - and we refused to lose. It was so absolutely cold and miserable, but we refused to let the weather beat us. The further we went, the worse it got, like the weather saw us pushing on and threw whatever it could at us to keep us from finding the end. Eventually, we made it to my Mom's door - cold, wet and tired. From 6:30a to 1:30a the next day, that 700 miles showed us just about every bit of weather that could be thrown at us - I wouldn't trade it for the world.
It doesn't have to be a journey of such magnitude. Thats the beauty of riding. Each trip away from home can be an amazing and eye opening experience. The aloneness in a group of people is ironically such a bonding experience that can seal or break a freindship for a lifetime. Let's hear your road stories...