Comments on: Up the Mountain

By: hrw115

hrw115 — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 12:47:00 +0000

darn. I think my link didn't work.

let me try again:
http://www.speedgoat.com/product.asp?part=38586&cat=180&brand=44

Maybe that will work. :)

By: hrw115

hrw115 — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 12:46:00 +0000

Might I note it was a 1982 cadillac – and at factory weight of 4,100 lbs. – I can’t imagine riding a vespa and having a so-called “cager” in a land yacht barreling down on me – especially since that thing couldn’t stop on a dime to save its life!

“Cager”. I feel so uncool. How does my over-the-hill father know and use slang words I don’t? lol.
The term makes me want to share a funny sticker with everyone. Perhaps you have already seen it.
(http://www.speedgoat.com/product.asp?part=38586&cat=180&brand=44)
I recently also bought a bike (custom built mountain bike – quaint by vespa standards, I know, but I am just not as cool as my father). However, the culture seems almost undoubtedly the same. 🙂

And again – on the topic of the $400 pants – yes – I am sure that it only costs them $100 to make a single pair – and I am sure it is a big ripoff – BUT! $400 as compared to a possible trick knee, a broken bone, arthritis, or any other annoying longterm injury just doesn’t make the cost of *not* having good protective gear worth it. And if you do happen to get hurt – you are going to say…”man – I was such a dumbass for not getting good riding gear!”

If you are going to splurg on something – this is the thing to splurg on. 😉 Besides – if you get a motorcycle some day – you are definitely going to need good riding gear – so don’t think you can sluff this off just because it won’t go 80mph. 😛

By: Mad

Mad — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 22:57:00 +0000

Hahaha! You were told off good and proper Steve, that gave me a chuckle.

Irondad I've gone round a few corners on a CBR600rr and they are simply astounding, I could get my elbow down let alone my knee if I was brave enough (and that's a compliment to the bike not me). The guy didn't deserve one, the worrying thing is the blade may be way too much for him if he think's he used the 6 but never even got to the edge of the tyre...

Hi to Steve's daughter! :D

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 16:29:00 +0000

OK---there goes my daughter weighing in on me. You ahve to realize that her vehicle of choice for many years was a 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. In her tender high school and college years she tooled around in that monster.

I'm going to buy some armored pants but last time I looked the Roadcrafters were $397. Yikes!! So I'm not so quick to jump until I look around a bit. It will take a few chocolate chip cookies to take the sting off of that.

Seriously though I am not riding unprotected now but it would be nice to have some knee and hip armor. I promise I will order something before the week is out.

By: hrw115

hrw115 — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 15:59:00 +0000

Okay – hold the phone…..

Why do you obsess about buying a pair of pants – especially ones that cost $100? Stop that! You bought Danner boots that were like $200 and you love them! Go buy yourself some pants and quit obsessing. *THEN* treat yourself to a cookie. Within minutes – you will forget all about how you spent time obsessing about buying pants. 😉 Besides – you are done growing – and the worst thing you can look forward to is getting fatter (from riding for cookies). One pair of pants should last you for quite a while. 😉

Jason and I can treat you to some scooter things for your birthday – get you some protective summer (or winter) clothes, more camera equiptment, etc. Just remember – I try very hard to avoid visiting hospitals and funeral homes. 😛

By: irondad

irondad — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 00:36:00 +0000

I have to agree with Jim. I still would like to be able to have a lot of different bikes to play with. I do find that I am more content to have less and work on getting the most out of what I have. At the bike shop the other day a guy came in and was talking about trading in a CBR600 for a CBR1000. He claimed he had wrung all he could out of the 600. When I looked at the tires there were wide "chicken strips" on them. This guy had only explored speed. There is so much more the same bike could offer. When I get something new I want to say truthfully that I have fully explored what the old could do, first.

Dan

By: jim

jim — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 13:20:00 +0000

The cornfield picture reminded me of where I grew up.
I know what you mean about gimme more. The older I get that less that happens for me.
regards,
jim

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 04:17:00 +0000

Thanks Dan. I'm not sure why I am having so much trouble deciding on pants. Part of me doesn't want to spend the money. And I am always nervous buying clothes sight unseen. And part of me says the sailing pants are fine after all they are waterproof, codura nylon with kevlar reinforcing throughout. The ocean pours out a lot of punishment when you are being wrestled to the deck or into lines and shrouds by waves. The only thing missing is the armor.

The more I ride the more things I want and need. Already I am dreaming of another bike. Before I bought the Vespa I had my eyes on the BMW F650, the KLR650, Honda Nighthawk 750 and the BMW 1150 GS. My plans to ride the Vespa around here, say a 100 to 150 mile radius has turned into "gee, if I had a motorcycle I could run up to Nova Scotia".

This is the part of anything I do that gets annoying. The gimme more part.

By: irondad

irondad — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 02:27:00 +0000

Here's a thought on the Aerostich pants for what it's worth. I have both Darien and Roadcrafter pants. The Roadcrafters are about $90.00 more. I know it's easy to be free with someone else's money. I have to share this anyway. The Darien pants have no liner, just knee pads. They also seem harder to get on and off due to the zipper arrangement. The Roadcrafters are lined and easier to use for me. Plus there are better pockets. In the long run, the Roadcrafters will be, in my opinion, hugely more than worth the extra money. If you buy the Roadcrafters you might want to consider getting the bib-strap attachments. They hang from your shoulders more and it keeps them up better.

Anyway, just feedback from a long time user.

Dan

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 01:40:00 +0000

It's easy to be consumed by business. I struggle to keep time open for myself. The feelings that I am being selfish or unproductive are hard to resist. Career demands are great, I am finishing my MFA, I have been teaching at the university, I have pursued photography obsessively, I have a family and friends, and now riding on top of that. There are times that everything seems like business....

That's not why I'm on the earth. I need to step off the fast lane.