Here I sit, back home after more than 2500 miles logged on my first solo motorcycle trip. Not as planned but still an adventure that was well worth taking.
When ever I ride my motorcycle, my head fills with all kinds of thoughts. Most of the time I think about what’s currently going on in my life. Being alone on the bike allows for plenty of time to self reflect, beat yourself up or think through some issue in your life. The quiet time alone in the saddle invites thoughts. It just can’t be helped.
On this trip I spent a lot of time thinking about surviving the ride. I know that is not what anyone would think is the first thing I would mention and its not what I would have thought if you asked me prior to the ride. I should also add that it was an usually large amount of time that those thoughts raced through my mind. As I write this, I’m trying to reflect back on the things I was feeling during the trip.
Excitement: This was the most exciting thing I have ever done on my own. If you don’t ride a motorcycle it may sound silly to you but it truly was the most exciting thing I have ever done. At first the anticipation I experienced while planning and waiting for the day I would leave was at times overwhelming. I played over and over in my mind how the trip could go, both good and bad and counted the days until I could set out.
I watched so many video’s of motorcyclists traveling across the country. Many videos of group riding but I tried to watch the solo riders as much as possible to try to get some insight on what they experienced. Watching those bikers ride solo made me challenge myself to do it. If they can I can. I was especially taken back and inspired by how many young women ride, by themselves, across this country. I couldn’t help but feel excitement for what I was about to take on.
Boring: Although I gained a lot of insight from those who ride, here’s the one negative thing I learned about solo riding that no one ever talked about. How absolutely boring it can be at times. Piling up miles and miles on highway roads just to reach your destination can be boring. The problem too is you will spend the majority of your time trying to get from point a to point b just to get to where you think you want to be. I can tell you that most places you spend your nights are nothing to talk about. They are usually just a hotel on the side of the highway or some small town where nothing happens. Unless you know exactly where you will stop and what kind of town it is, your just on pot luck for what you will find. Its not like every stay over is Manhattan or Palm Beach and traveling long distances, there are far more nothing burgers than Whoppers.
None of the videos I watched ever mentioned the mundane. My time spent riding was rarely as exciting as the thought of doing it. Sure there were some absolutely spectacular views and great roads to ride but overall they are outweighed by all the rides behind a semi on a two lane road in the middle of nowhere. Or mile upon mile of openness with little to see along stretches of road between towns. My guess is that talking about that might give others second thoughts about riding long distances and besides, it wouldn’t make for good video content! I just wish someone would have addressed it and how they dealt with it.
Being scared: yes that’s right “being scared.” If I am going to be honest about my experience riding solo for such long distances, then being scared is one major feeling I had. I believe it is impossible to ride a motorcycle and never once think about dying on the bike. I do not know one person I have ridden with that has never shared that thought. I will say that on this trip it was on my mind daily. I compensated the thoughts by praying to God and my mom to watch over me. To get me safely to my next destination.
Yeah, being scared. Its part of the experience of riding. If your not at least a tiny bit scared your probably a fool because you think nothing can ever happen to you and you probably ride in a way that reflects that thought. I will say that it did keep me more alert of all things around me and also made me slow down which in the long run, allowed me to enjoy the ride more.
Riding solo: I don’t recall worrying so much about dying ten years ago during a motorcycle trip with friends. I am sure the thought of dying occurred to me at one point but I do not recall it being in my head the whole trip. I think it was because I had other’s with me. Riding with others gives you a sense of security that is missing when riding solo. The idea of something unexpected happening with no one along to help you or assist others by telling them who you are or even for getting aide if you break down while you wait with your bike, plays over in your head. My worst fear would be to crash and have no one with me that knew who to call or to take care of my belongings. I did however, take precaution by placing an “in case of emergency” note in my wallet and also on my bike but its not the same as having a friend with you.
Riding solo also has its positives. I stopped when I wanted to as many times as I wanted to. I rerouted my course several times without having to discuss it with someone else. I ate everything I wanted while not having to check in on what someone else wanted that evening. I slept better than I have in a long time not having to deal with snoring friends. I woke each morning, took my time and left when I felt ready.
The Challenge: Being scared went through my mind before I even put my leg over the seat the very first day. I just kept thinking I can be scared enough that it would keep me from trying this and then I would regret it the rest of my life or I can face the fear and go out and live my life, take a risk and feel the emotion of the reward for doing it. The later prevailed and I am ever so grateful I took the chance. I remember challenging myself to do this, especially the first day when I was rained on. I kept thinking I should be safe and turn back instead of pushing through to my first stopover. It would have been so easy and probably the smart thing to do, just turn back and try again the next day. But I just kept thinking I needed to challenge myself to do this. Ride through the rain and not be a wimp about it. Most of life can be hard and so can motorcycling. But just like life, it can be very rewarding when getting through the tough times.
Lesson: One of the dangers of riding is what can happen to you if you look in the wrong direction while handling a curve or a u-turn. I practiced for weeks prior to going out, on keeping my eyes focused on where I wanted the bike to go. The worst possible thing a biker can do in a state of panic is look at the place he thinks hes going to crash into. The bike will ALWAYS go where you look. If you want to avoid a crash you must look where you want the bike to go not at the area where the danger lies. Easy to say but without practicing you will look where you do not want to go. Its just a natural response to look at what you don’t want to hit but you can train yourself to look away. During my ride I focused on points ahead of me especially while in tight turns and switchbacks. I found that focusing on the vehicle in front of me made me naturally follow the road and safety navigate the curve. The same can be done by watching the lines on the road up ahead of you not directly in front of your tire. It worked flawlessly for me throughout my trip. I can remember thinking to myself “trust your training, look ahead and the bike will follow your eyes.” The lesson here is to practice technique every time you ride.
Blessed: A sense of calm came over me several times during my time riding. The beauty of nature coupled with the feeling of freedom that comes from motorcycles can be a really wonderful experience. At times I found myself almost in a trace, so much so, that I had to snap myself out of it and remind myself I was on a motorcycle.
The beauty of the open road, the mountains, the sunshine, the aromas that surround you, can take you to places of serenity that you will never experience any other way. Motorcycling is a terrific way to travel albeit other than for the reasons that it sucks! Put all those other things aside and being on a bike gives you a sense of being one with your surroundings.
The aroma of funnel cakes made me smile as I remembered going to fairs and smelling the same wafting from the food court. The flowers in bloom or the scent of the pine trees filled with morning dew as you tear through a curvy mountain road. The smell of burning firewood that precedes the evening when you pull into a town at the end of a long ride.
I am blessed to have had the opportunity to experience these things since I was 17 years old. It had become a passion of mine and I didn’t even know it. It sneaks up on you as the years roll by like the miles on your odometer. You get motorcycling in your blood and every time you pull out on your bike you are reminded of how much you love riding.
I am blessed that for almost 50 years I have had an angel on my shoulder watching over me while I experience what few others do. I am blessed for having a life that affords me the opportunity to ride a motorcycle. I am blessed and I thank God every time I get off my motorcycle for him bringing me safely back home.
I learned a lot about myself on this trip. I realized more than ever how the people in my life that shared their homes and hearts with me along the way, mean more to me than I can put in words. My time on the road would have never been as memorable if they weren’t part of my journey.
I learned that I can push myself when I’m feeling like I can’t ride any longer. My body aches more now as I age out but I still have it in me to do the long trips. I wasn’t sure if I could still hold up to it but in the end, I did.
And last but not least, I witnessed again how beautiful this country is. A glorious mountain range that makes you feel insignificant when you stand by the rim of an overlook. That these mountains have been here for millions of years and will remain so for perhaps a million more, and I will be gone. That people everywhere just want to share a smile and a story with me and that we are a curious species, forever looking to connect with others to experience what being human is.
There is so much natural beauty in this country that we all take for granted. Most of which, many of us will never experience first hand, but in the end, I did…. once again from the seat of my motorcycle.
Just one mans opinion
The Regular Guy