Riding a dirt bike is a lot of fun, but it is not without planing and much detail. At least for me. First, I have to line up a riding partner. You do not want to go far from home by yourself. A solo ride takes much more planning as Norm needs to know exactly where I will ride or I have to stay close enough to walk, or worse case, crawl home. Fortunately I have a reliable fella (Tucker Nixon) that is eager to ride. My scheming begins usually the night before. Questions need answers. Where will we ride (usually always my decision)? Mental list of gear to not forget. A written checklist would be useful, but that seems beyond my capabilities at this time. The items- water, with ice, mulititool, two knives, cell phone (Mostly there is no reception, but it does give a guy a warm and fuzzy feeling if you have it with you), glasses (for reading and close up repairs), tool bag, with minimal tools and extra fuel, (my bike is fuel challenged), and a GPS, not for finding our way, but to keep track of how many miles we traveled, how much actual moving time (for me to keep track of the hours that have been added to my engine for maintenance purposes), the average speed (moving) for the ride, and the highest speed attained in the dirt (fun factor, no real purpose). The next thought is what to wear. I have two new pieces of gear, thanks to my buddy, Bruce. I usually wear a hodge-podge of old and new, green or blue or white, or some combination of colors. The day of the ride begins early, I need extra time to put all my gear on and check the bike out for trail worthiness. After fuel and tire checks, the what to wear begins, a twenty minute affair. First to go on are what my son Paul and I affectionately refer to as monkey-butts. These are a must wear item that are a pair of biker shorts that have a padded butt. Enough said about that. Next are my boot socks that go all the way to the knee. Usually have some company logo at the top. I have not purchased new socks for over ten years. It is a good thing they last a long time and that my feet don’t grow anymore (same for boots). Next are my foam knee pads/supports. I never had bad knees and I don’t know why I ever started wearing them, but they make my knees feel good. Now comes knee/shin guards. A plastic hard type of material that has been very useful as I find myself on my knees often, and not for the right reason either. Now I am ready to pull my riding pants on. They are a thick, padded, colorful piece of gear that make me look really fast. Now comes the biggest challenge, putting my boots on. This pair I have now are very comfortable, once I get them on correctly. I used to have a pair that really hurt to walk in and made me look like the Frankenstein monster, staggering around like I was intoxicated. The nice boots have a Velcro connection at the top and 4 long buckles strategically located along the two foot of its length. I have found that the Velcro has to be just right for the buckles to connect. I have a good friend (Bruce Sass, master dirt biker) that has boots that are so comfortable and the price of new boots with that thought be frightening, uses duct tape to keep them going. I am so glad that they now make duct tape that is in color. I have some on my car and it looks good. When my boots get old, I plan to use duct tape to make them last. The rest of the gear goes on quickly.
Nomads2 