Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

Thank You and Goodbye

11K views 106 replies 65 participants last post by  SuperSlow35th 
#1 ·
As some of you know I am making a major life change and stepping out of my comfort zone starting on November 6th, 2011. I will be leaving Phoenix for southern Florida via my own power.

I want to thank all you riders out there who have ridden with, helped out, put up with, laughed and ever thought that I was being too cautious on SoMo. I have learned how to be a better rider from every one of you. From watching your lines to the encouragement to try a line that scared the heck out of me for many years only to find out that it was really easy all along. I hope that I have helped other riders as well and will miss SoMo and the many other trails here in Phoenix.





I have put a lot of thought into this trip and sold nearly everything I own in order to do this and I am leaving everything else up to chance once I leave here. I have loaded and reloaded everything I am taking with me multiple times at this point and have also built in redundant features into what is going with me. One of those features is the fact that, if needed, I will be able to load the trike onto the trailer and pull the trailer with the bike in an emergency. Another being that I am bringing 2 spare drive wheels for the trike and spare tubes, tires, cassette, derailleur, chain, and enough tools to fix any part on the bike or trike.

There will be a send off ride starting from 48th St and Warner (NW corner) from the Cafe'. We will be meeting at 7am, November 6th, where we can chat and have a good time until 8am, when we will head east on Warner to 56th St/Priest and head south to Wild Horse Pass Rd (the one that goes to Firebird Raceway), where the group ride will end, and I will head south towards Tuscon.(those that wish to ride further are welcome to but it will be on the shoulder of the freeway)

You can also follow me on Facebook at Robert's Ride Site
Welcome to Facebook - Log In, Sign Up or Learn More
where I will be posting my progress, stories, and pictures along the way when I can get internet access and power.

Again
Thank you all for the good times :thumbsup:
Robert
 
See less See more
3
#6 ·
same here in that i have no idea who you are but wish you the best of luck in your journey. you are doing what prob 90% of other people don't have the nerve to do, get outside their comfort zone. if i'm around the morning of the 6th i'll stop by to bid you farewell.

Godspeed.
 
#11 ·
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle. ~ Ernest Hemingway

Good luck!
 
#12 ·
This reminds me of the folks who climb Mt. Everest. Or attempt to climb it. It's a monumental undertaking and possibly a check mark on one's personal bucket list. Maybe you are fundraising as well.

I suppose all those intrepid mountain climbers have a send-off party with friends and well-wishers. And I suppose they say stupid things like be safe and come home in one piece. But I've lived long enough and followed enough stories about how many people die going into the wild or climbing or traveling down shoulders of high-speed highways, that I feel the best advice I could give is to tell you to find meaning or adventure some other way.

I have a friend who made it just over halfway across Canada on his bike before he was struck by a couple of old timers in their RV. My wifes father stopped along the should of the interstate to assist a driver and was killed by a tractor-trailer driver who dozed off. I know of another cyclist killed trying to live a dream of riding from Central America to Alaska.

You are planning a ride on the most boring strech of highway in the south. I've driven it all the way to the South of Florida and it was awful. Drivers are speeding and looking into a setting or rising sun, while becoming more and more drowsy. I was forced onto the shoulder several times by drivers drifting into my lane. There will be days, weeks, where you won't see anything of interest, just more highway. Tragedy strikes in a split second on our highways. In Flagstaff, we have had three fatalities involving bikers killed by motor vehicles. One was a drunk driver who was charged with a crime. The other two were possibly ticketed, but were impaired by either the sun or by their inability to see the biker in their mirror. Many others survived being hit by cars or trucks. They may look back and wonder why they put themselves in so much risk.

It is my intent to scare you. To cause you to be even more careful. To get you to abort the first time you have a close call out there. I'm guessing it won't take long.
 
#26 ·
This reminds me of the folks who climb Mt. Everest. Or attempt to climb it. It's a monumental undertaking and possibly a check mark on one's personal bucket list. Maybe you are fundraising as well.

I suppose all those intrepid mountain climbers have a send-off party with friends and well-wishers. And I suppose they say stupid things like be safe and come home in one piece. But I've lived long enough and followed enough stories about how many people die going into the wild or climbing or traveling down shoulders of high-speed highways, that I feel the best advice I could give is to tell you to find meaning or adventure some other way.

I have a friend who made it just over halfway across Canada on his bike before he was struck by a couple of old timers in their RV. My wifes father stopped along the should of the interstate to assist a driver and was killed by a tractor-trailer driver who dozed off. I know of another cyclist killed trying to live a dream of riding from Central America to Alaska.

You are planning a ride on the most boring strech of highway in the south. I've driven it all the way to the South of Florida and it was awful. Drivers are speeding and looking into a setting or rising sun, while becoming more and more drowsy. I was forced onto the shoulder several times by drivers drifting into my lane. There will be days, weeks, where you won't see anything of interest, just more highway. Tragedy strikes in a split second on our highways. In Flagstaff, we have had three fatalities involving bikers killed by motor vehicles. One was a drunk driver who was charged with a crime. The other two were possibly ticketed, but were impaired by either the sun or by their inability to see the biker in their mirror. Many others survived being hit by cars or trucks. They may look back and wonder why they put themselves in so much risk.

It is my intent to scare you. To cause you to be even more careful. To get you to abort the first time you have a close call out there. I'm guessing it won't take long.
Really? Just when I think you can't get any more douchy....you double down.....I realize that you have concerns and have lost folks close to you....but have you ever heard of a thing called tact?

To the OP.....awesome undertaking...I wish you all the best!
 
#29 ·
@Malibu-prodigal son is looking at it from a self centered perspective.Instead of encouraging someone to live life to the fullest,with a "make sure you be safe and take every precaution"comment.He insists on pulling attention to himself with macbre tales of death from his own life.
Would you tell someone wanting to be something dangerous,like a firefighter or police officer about horror stories of dying in the line of duty,just before that person goes off to training?
Maybe YOU should take into consideration that this guy,obviously has thought about this for a while and understands the risks.Yet,..he wants to do this in his life!
Every point could have been made without being a dick about it.But that wasn't good enough for him.

Carry on rbtcha!You're the man!
 
#16 ·
Thank you for all the Well Wishes and for taking some interest in this. I have no non-profit, charities, or fundraisers in this, this is about taking a chance and living a dream. I never turn down donations but a pat on the back, a hug, a good shake of the hand with the words "Have Fun" are equally as meaningful. I hope you will follow me and live my adventures with me on this journey.
 
#20 ·
Why so much stuff? Tools and redundancy aside, it seems 5 boxes too many!
My guess is that pretty much everything he still owns in this world are the bikes, the trailer, and what is in those boxes. I would have a tough time getting everything I own down to a space that compact.
 
#27 ·
Question. Any light system on the rig? Thinking if you get caught in poor weather. It might be handy for others to see you.
Answer. Yes, I have a Light In Motion Seca 1400 incase i get caught out after dark to see where I am going. On "the human bike-a-pede... " as Longhairmike put it, I have 2 white flashing frog lights on the steering knuckles, 1 red facing rear just below the mirror and one on the back of the seat (traffic side) as well as one on the flag of the trike. On the trailer I have 2 red Frog lights (one on each side mounted to the wheel guards) plus a red reflector. On the trailing bike I have a Cateye 360 visible (clear backed version so its visible from all directions) mounted to the seat post and a 5ft flag as well that will also have a small red flasher on it when i find some more batteries for it.

Visibility is the most important part of keeping me safe on the road.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top