What was I thinking when I came up with this three-month off-road marathon idea? That I was still that young, fearless, strapping adventurer who rode across Africa more than 30 years ago? Aching knees were making it increasingly clear that my aging body was in disagreement with this foolhardy undertaking. So this unexpected phone call was my chance to abandon this overly ambitious endeavor without having to admit to myself that I wasn’t physically up to the challenge.
However, I’d not taken into account the tenacity of my wife, a lifelong adventure rider herself. Upon hearing my plan to fly back to Thailand to look after our daughter, she told me in no uncertain terms that she was against it, insisting that I stay the course no matter what. As she was in California for business, she’d call our domestics to ensure our daughter was taken care of. Besides, she’d already booked a flight for our mid-trip rendezvous in Washington. But when I mentioned that the long days in the saddle were killing my knees and I wouldn’t be able to finish the journey, she threatened divorce if I dared return home early. As long as I could kick start the XR650R, I was to continue riding. She argued that I hadn’t flown halfway across the globe to give up midway through my marathon because of some old-man ailments.
What choice does a guy have when facing such a force of nature? So, I regrouped and continued the arduous journey. Calling mindfulness to the rescue, I gradually shifted focus from the nagging pain to the challenges of trail riding and the ever-changing scenery. In the ensuing days, to my surprise, the knee issues slowly dissipated and my enjoyment grew exponentially. I rode once again with gusto.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September-October 2020 من Adventure Motorcycle (ADVMoto).
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September-October 2020 من Adventure Motorcycle (ADVMoto).
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Stuant Gregory IS IT AN ADDICTION?
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CHASING PEAKS IN THE HIMALAYAS
It was 2:00 a.m. on my fourth day in India. My eyes blinked open in the dark of a hotel room in Drass, a town in the Himalayas on the Indian side of the border. Yesterday was our first day riding on a six-day trip through the Himalayas, and my brain could not process everything I'd seen and experienced.
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A GUIDE TO GETTING STARTED
MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE
LESSONS LEARNED ON THE ROAD
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Kitti and Martha Forget Black Dog CYCLE WORKS
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Essential GROUP RIDING Tips
FOR ADVENTURE RIDERS (ON OR OFF THE ROAD)
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Kevin and I initially met in the Marines. We have been riding together for a few years, and riding BDRs the entire time. Our first attempt at a BDR was in Utah, where we were completely unprepared and significantly ignorant of our capabilities. It led to some interesting moments conquering Lockhart Basin where we developed our backcountry motto: “Less Gear and More Water.” We document our rides on our YouTube channel, “Be Gone for Good.”