Bits & Pieces

Neat stuff happening, just a few links to share. My friend Steph (IowaHarleyGirl!) alerted me that my review of Sonny Barger’s book was quoted on none other than Sonny Barger’s website! I had seen that Motor Sports Newswire had done this also, but was tickled to see the link back to BCN from the Barger website too. I’m glad they all found something snappy and quotable! (And by the way, Steph’s review of Barger’s book was also quoted – neat!)

I have two articles in regional biker publications out now – if you are in the area, hope you will pick up a print copy of each of these. You can also read them online at the links below!

Throttler Magazine published a piece I wrote about Tina Anders-Grover, Alligator Bob Martin, and Jan Wilen – all artists who create custom motorcycle seats using leather tooling techniques.

And, Thunder Roads Iowa – now under new ownership – ran my article about why I love to ride in Iowa. Thanks to both of these awesome publications for the opportunity to appear in print!

And finally, my friend Sarah was in a bike accident this week – my thoughts and prayers are with her and I ask again that EVERYONE please, make sure the way is clear before you pull into traffic. The life you save by looking TWICE could be that of someone you love!

More soon!!

Last call for comments!

Just a quick reminder that comments are due on Friday, June 25 by 5 p.m. (CDT) if you want to be eligible to win a copy of Sonny Barger’s new book, “Let’s Ride”! Read the book review, below, and leave a comment on the book review post to be eligible. I’ll be drawing winners this weekend!

Memorial Day 2010

The blog was “down” this past weekend so I didn’t get a chance to post a Memorial Day message, but I did want to take a moment to recognize the millions of Americans who have given their lives in service to their country. While there is no way to repay such a debt, I take to heart the words by Eleanor Roosevelt that appear on this year’s Freedom Rock:

Dear Lord,
Lest I continue
My complacent way,
Help me to remember
That somewhere
Somehow out there
A man died for me today.
As long as there be war
I then must
Ask and answer
Am I worth dying for?

Bits ‘n pieces

Been taking some time to apply for new jobs this week and today I realized it had been a LONG time since I blogged about anything! Then I actually peeked in here, and to my relief discovered it had only been a week. It sure FELT like a lot longer than that! Anyway, just a few notes to share:

First, I took Kitten (plus hubby and his bike – LOL) out to a long-standing bike night event last Thursday and had a neat experience: we were standing at the bikes and a man came up who I didn’t know and said, pointing to Kitten, “So is this the new Dyna?” When I said yes it sure is, he told me his name was Tim and that he is a big fan of the blog. I always get a kick out of being “recognized” from the blog – it has happened maybe four or five times over the past few years. It’s an absolute delight to meet people who read and enjoy what I post here, and learn more about their motorcycling adventures! So I wanted to be sure to say THANKS to Tim for introducing himself and making my day with a very nice compliment!

Also, I sure hope you aren’t getting sick of me linking out to Chessie’s blog yet – I just think she writes the very best “make you wanna be there/ride that” ride reports, and always has stunning photos to go along with the wonderful stories. Here’s the latest, a VERY inviting write-up about a leisurely trip along NC state road 209.

Finally, Friday May 7 is International Female Ride Day – so, as I’ve said before, if you are a woman who rides her own, get out there and make a spectacle of yourself! (I’m not sure I will have a chance to ride, but maybe I can at least pull Kitten out of the garage and clean her up a bit!) Be sure to leave a note in the comments and tell us if you plan to ride, and where!

Happy 2010!

J&P Cycles Open House: hot, sweaty fun!

Cripes I turn around and the summer’s half over! I have been MIA from this blog and all my others for a few weeks, but I am back and promise to do better by y’all who anxiously await word of my adventures. (THANK YOU for that, by the way.)

I’ve spent a few weekends working on my flower garden at home, but prior to that we did have two very nice rides around south-central Iowa that I will try to blog about at some point in the very near future.

For now I wanted to make sure to share the story of our recent trip to J & P Cycles Open House in Anamosa, Iowa.  Been trying for YEARS to make it to this event and for one reason or another it just never worked out.

This year it came up as a last minute reminder from Garry and Shirley so we decided to “just do it.”  Keep in mind the weather here up til about two weeks prior had been cool and wet (at least for Iowa in summertime). Then we hit a hot patch, which hung in there til literally about 4 p.m. on June 27. (That’s the day of the ride, for those keeping track.)

Now normally a trip to Anamosa on the bike is about a 3-1/2 hour deal, about 170 miles or so. But not for us. No, when you ride with us you have to go south to go north, which is exactly what we did. Steve and I, along with our daughter Stephanie, rode down to Carlisle to meet up with Garry & Shirley, from there to the Casey’s just outside Pleasantville to pick up Chuck (Shirley’s BIL), and from there (for whatever reason) decided to take “92 over to Washington.” Mind you, I thought this would be straight east – but it wasn’t. Turns out you just subtley keep going southeast, then, finally, just as you are crying out to the heavens “WHY ARE WE GOING SOUTH WHEN WE WANT TO GO NORTH??”, you turn left at Washington and then you are going north. And realizing you still have a two-hour ride.

So, short version, it took us about 5 hours to ride about 203 miles from Des Moines to Anamosa. That’s with our usual frequent stops for water and potty breaks, of course. Everyone likes to blame me and my tiny gas tank, but I can tell by the constant bum-rubbing that they are all secretly ready to take a break each and every time.

Anyhoo, the map shown here is NOT to give you the exact route we took – I know your eyes are too bad to actually READ it… it’s just meant to show you how far out of our way we went. (And enjoyed every minute, I think… well maybe Stephanie didn’t enjoy EVERY minute…)

So finally arrived in Anamosa and parked just inside the gate, great view of the “sea of bikes” but also a lonnnggg ways from the building and the activities. We found the water/food vendors easy enough (FREE water – bless you, J&P!) and tried to stroll/shop, but there were just too many people and it was too dang hot to be outside. After about 90 minutes or so we decided to head back home. (Yes, five hours in the saddle for 90 minutes of stompin’ around in the heat, bitching. Is it any wonder you think bikers look crabby?)

Took the most direct route home, 151 west to Marion & Cedar Rapids (hit a VERY brief patch of rain just a mile or so outside of Anamosa), then 218 South to the Interstate, then I-80 west to Newton, then 14 south to 163 (where Chuck spun off to head home to Pleasantville), and 163 west into Des Moines. Somewhere in there, the humidity shut off and it was almost cool for the last bit home. (It’s that Iowa weather – if you don’t like it, just wait around 5 minutes and it’ll change.)

Here are the rest of the photos, most of ‘em courtesy of Stephanie (our official event photographer – did I mention we LOVED taking her along?).

And, just for the record, it’s two weeks later and I’m STILL sportin’ that fine burn line that shows pretty clearly where my helmet and sunglasses end and my uncovered face begins.  It’s good to be a biker chick!

April is helmet awareness month, part 3

April is Helmet Awareness Month so I think it’s only fitting to end this series of posts by sharing my view of the helmet law debate.  If we get out of the first 100 days of the Obama Administration without a federal mandate, I’ll be amazed. (Hell if we get out of the 2009 runaway Iowa Legislature without a mandate, I’ll be amazed.)

Proponents of helmet mandates state that helmets “work” – meaning, they save lives. Let’s look at that statement:

Helmets might save lives, but only in those cases where head trauma would have been the cause of death. About 37 percent of all accidents involving riders not wearing helmets, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (Note: that’s not 37 percent of all accidents. It’s 37 percent of all accidents where riders were NOT wearing a helmet and where head trauma was the cause of death. You can further dilute this by noting that the helmet would only have saved the life if it prevented a sufficient degree of the trauma.)

Understanding that even a very small percentage still represents actual human beings with families and friends who love them, it’s important to note that every life is worthwhile. But, it’s equally important to note that helmets only prevent head injuries. The vast majority of motorcyclists who die in accidents do so as a result of body trauma – blunt-force injury to vital organs other than the brain. Helmets, therefore, do nothing to prevent the vast majority of motorcycle fatalities.

When you couple this with the fact that about half of all motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle, it seems more logical to argue that accident prevention should be of greater importance than taking away personal liberty from all riders because a small percentage die from one type of injury.

As I said in my first Helmet Awareness Month post, I wear a helmet and I’d love it if you did, too. But, I don’t think our government should step in and force everyone to wear them.

First ride of the season – 2009

I was bumming today because I put my daughter on a charter bus bound for NYC – missed her before they even left the parking lot, but of course am so glad she has the opportunity to go and do some sight-seeing. Went to breakfast, came home and did some yard work, then decided as the temp climbed above 50 that we’d take the first ride of the season. I’d been out to the garage a couple weeks ago and started the bike, so knew the battery was good and she was ready to go.

We decided to keep it simple, just a jaunt down to Carlisle to see Garry and Shirley (and their new dog, Buddy). That’s a much shorter ride now that we are on the south side of town! It was wonderful to be out, had a great visit (CUTE dog!) and then took a slightly more scenic route home where we skipped the highway and instead wound our way around the Easter Lake area. VERY pretty, slower speeds, less traffic. Seemed like it only took 15 minutes tops to get home, but by then it was cooling off already so good enough.

Heard Kristin, Hollie & Howard were out for a bit today,too – sorry we missed you guys! Where’d ya go?? :)

Frogs on choppers, your toxic bike and poor fashion choices, and new HOG members…

Just a few newsy notes to share this week – here we go:

If you join our HOG chapter…
I will gladly introduce you to the group! Had a great time at the HOG meeting this past Wednesday, it was my first as New Member Ambassador. I had a blast introducing eleven new members to the group, even received word that one of the couples I introduced had thought I did a great job – that was neat to hear! Went back up to the Big Barn on Saturday for the “zero run” and chili feed – a few bikes showed up to ride one mile for each degree of temperature. I think it was 28 or so, I know it was spitting snow… then over a hundred members enjoyed chili and fixin’s.

If you “appear” between 18-28…
Received an email from a guy named “Peter Beer” recently – now I’m not sayin’ that’s his real name, I’m just sayin’ he sent me an email. (He did greet me by saying “Hey Corn Dog” – so he’s at least reading the blog instead of harvesting emails!) Pete says he’s a producer for “Gigantic Productions” in New York, and that he is producing an episode of the MTV “True Life” series about going to Bike Week. He’s looking for “…people who appear between 18-28, to participate in the show…”

Now by 18-28 I assume he means age-wise, which lets me out because while I like to think of myself as being perpetually 26 years old, I most definitely do not “appear between” 18-28. I’m not about to post Peter’s… er, “attachment”… lest it be found to contain a virus that may unleash itself in my email. But, he did leave this contact info so you can get in touch if you’re interested in the project: casting@gigantic.tv or call 212-343-2674. And yes, I’d definitely love to hear from you if you contact him and you find out he’s either a). full of shit, or b). on the up-and-up.

If you think your bike is giving off dangerous radiation…
The UK has granted a patent to a Canadian inventor for his ‘electromagnetic shielding motorcycle seat’. The invention is designed to protect the rider’s vital organs from the electromagnetic field created by the rumbly parts of the bike. The release states:

“‘Various types of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic field (EMF) radiations have been linked to health disorders including cancer. Many motorcycles generate excessive ELF EMF radiation up through the seat penetrating directly into the rider’s groin and torso. The prostate is of major concern as it is one of the closest delicate glands invaded by the radiation. The colon and neighboring organs are also at risk,’ adds (inventor Randall) Chipkar.”

Now again, I’ve done absolutely no research to explore the scientific validity of the claim that a bike’s electromagnetic field radiates anything harmful. You are welcome to start the vetting process at the inventor’s website, http://www.motorcyclecancer.com.

If your pet frog is disobedient…
… give him a motorcycle! Little Nong Oui of Thailand seemed content to drop the live food he was carrying around when tempted with this hot green chopper (what frog wouldn’t be??), and even predicted a couple of lottery numbers. He was pop-pop-popular until his predictions came out wrong; now all he’s got is his bike and his cruising/boozing frog-friends. Is it his fault those crazy Thai villagers were trying to find numbers in his spots?? NO, I say… ride on, Nong Oui!

If you’re feeling out of date…
… then you probably are! “The biker-chick look is so over,” proclaims the stylist for that show on TLC where the princess and the clothes horse tell dumpy women that their clothes are horrible and they should start thinking twice about what they put on in the morning. She’s instead encouraging these same dumpy women to go for something called “The Safari Look.” Seems to me that the only people for whom the ‘biker chick look’ is over… are those who weren’t really biker chicks in the first place! Yeah, that’s what happens when you try to be somethin’ you’re not.

A few quick links for winter reading

Okay fellow winter-state bikers, are you going absolutely BONKERS yet, waiting for spring?? Seems we have had our usual January weather all throughout December – so I’m hoping we’ll get a break here one of these days.

A few quick thoughts to pass along:

I wanted to be sure to share a link I found recently – the photo at left probably shows that I haven’t really learned the proper technique, but the link is a humorous and instructional article about the best way to tie a doo-rag out of a bandana. The photo also shows that I look better with glasses than without, unlike most people.

As predicted, I’m hearing more rumblings that suggest our state legislature will be pursuing a mandatory helmet law this year. It frankly pisses me off considerably – I am simply trusting that ABATE will fend off the nannies for us again.

This site was recently included in a list of motorcycle-related blogs in an article at FindingDulcinea.com, an internet-based library of resources on a wide variety of topics. A happy little blurb about BCN suggested that it’s “regularly updated,” which prompted me to get in here and write an update.  

Late last year I had a lot of trouble with the files that create the color scheme and layout of this site, and I lost the file that contained links to other biker chick blogs. I’m working now on rebuilding that list, and happily found a new blog to add to it. Please take some time to check out Karen’s Riders on Adventure site, and look for the full list of biker chick bloggers coming back very soon! (Update: I’ve restored the Biker Chick Blogroll and have added several new sites! Check them out below right!)

Finally, here’s a cool story about a 70-year-old woman in Florida who’s embarking on a four-month motorcycle tour to promote awareness about breast-cancer screenings.  The self-proclaimed “Vagabond Granny” will travel 8,000 miles across the United States on her 1996 Yamaha Royal Star. Her trip is sponsored by the United Breast Cancer Foundation in New York.

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