MIKE HALL, Adventure Sports, Travel, Overlanding, Backcountry, Avalanche, Snowmobile, Snowmobiling, Snowboard, Snowboarding, Sledboarding, Winter Fat Tire Mountain Biking, Mountain Biking, Ski Patrol, Motorcycle, BMW Adventure Motorcycling, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Utah, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Jackman, Maine

Monday, July 20, 2009

Motor Pacing Jeff Through Wisconsin

My support motorcycle packed and loaded for a total of 300 miles. Of which 103 miles would be providing food, water and motorpacing Jeff when we hit some nasty headwinds. I carry everything we might need including extra clothes and energy drinks for both of us. This day July 17 was windy with temps in the 50s and a couple of rain showers. I wore my rainsuit all day.

"Motorpacing" is me, riding my motorcycle in front of Jeff on his bicycle. I act as a pack of bicycles enabling him to ride at a tempo in my draft. It can be very tricky with wind gusts on my motorcycle and he is about 6 inches from my back tire. He must be very attentive not to touch my tire and I dictate the pace so he has to respond to my throttle inputs. It takes very steady throttle control. I also comunicate the traffic coming up from behind, we are on public roads so we deal with traffic and on a busy hiway such as #77, I protect Jeff by flashing my brake light and riding behind him on the white line.

With storm clouds in the sky all day and a stiff wind out of the north, Jeff and I embarked on a 103 mile ride. Him on his cross-bicycle and me on my 1200 Suzuki, I had a few more horsepower under me.
The goal was Jeff's in-laws cabin in northern Wisconsin. His wife and kids would be there to meet him. 103 miles in 5.25 hours, it was a good pace on the cross-bike with knobby tires.

I would eat a POWER BAR, drink a caffeine drink get back on the motorcycle and ride 140 miles to arrive back home by 9:00PM, started the day on the motorcycle at 9:30AM to ride and meet Jeff in Wisconsin. 11.5 hours on the motorcycle this day for me. Good Times!!

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Summer Mountain Biking in Minnesota

Riding my non suspension bike, shooting a short vid, a little bumpy. It's great to get out in the woods.

We caught up to 2 guys ahead of us later in the ride. One of them hit a skunk on a twisty section and got sprayed, the smell was unbearable. We stayed ahead of them the last 2 or 3 miles back to the trailhead. I'll bet that was a nasty ride home for those 2 in their car. The spray got on him and his clothes and all over his bike. Never had that happen to me.