The Surly Pirate

Hello

2011-03-02T04:34:00.000-08:00

Back on the road

2010-01-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

For the first time in a couple months, I rode to work today.

The cold weather, coupled with my lack of heavy winter riding gear, caused me to reduce my riding to once or twice a week back in November, which was followed by the failure of my jacket one cold-cold November morning. I took my jacket in to a repair shop here in Corvallis and had them replace the zipper. They were backlogged, so it took over a month to get it done, but now it's back.

I drove the cage yesterday, and when I left work to go to school, I couldn't find a decent parking space anywhere. So of course, I kicked myself into gear and got all my riding gear out last night, and rode in this morning.

The ride wasn't too bad, and the addition of a heavier balaclava and silk glove liners really cut down on the chill factor. Now I just need to get some heated grips and possibly a heated vest, and I should be good to go year round.

Getting Started - Jackets and Pants

2009-08-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting subject here because the pants and jacket that you wear really stand out as a reflection of the kind of rider you are. I'm going to make a handful of generalizations here that are certainly not 100% true (there's always an exception) but which I've noticed.

If you see someone wearing straight leathers, you probably will assume he(she) rides a cruiser. If you see someone wearing some of those synthetics with massive colorful graphics on them, you'll likely think they ride a sport bike. Like I said, generalizations that are not necessarily true.

From what I've noticed, the synthetics are geared specifically for riding, and are shaped with longer sleeves that are formed slightly bent at the elbows. Some of them also contain armor plating in key locations to help absorb any impacts from laying down. You'll also likely be able to find a matching pant that may even attach to your jacket with snaps or a zipper. The downside is that when you're not on the bike, they may make walking around and performing normal tasks a little awkward. You're also a little more obviously a biker.

For the leathers, these are not geared quite so specifically for riding, and while they'll have the longer arms needed for riding, they're also quite suitable for normal, everyday use. However, as they haven't been formed specifically for riding, you might find the way it lays on you while riding to be a little uncomfortable. You'll want any leathers you get new to be a little snug because they'll loosen up as you wear them. Leathers also tend not to have the extra armor plates for protection.

Ultimately, which style you choose is up to you, but here are some thoughts I've had.

First, make sure it's all waterproof. You never know when, even in summer, you're going to get wet. And if you get mesh with a waterproof liner, make sure you carry your liner with you all the time, just in case.

Next, make sure it's comfortable in your riding position. Try it on and then pose like you're riding, see if they'll let you step outside and sit on your bike with it on (you could probably let them hold your key) if you've already got one. There's nothing that will mess up your riding experience more than uncomfortable gear.

For my riding gear, I bought a leather jacket on sale at an outlet mall. The jacket was designed specifically for riding, so it has the longer arms and some ventilation in the body. There's also a liner (which I don't like) and a "neck warmer" which is part of the liner. I went with leather because I'm looking to ride to school, where there aren't a lot of options for places to change clothes, so I wanted something I wouldn't feel uncomfortable wearing to classes.

I went to a local shop and bought a pair of mesh over-pants with a waterproof liner. I remember being a kid and falling off my bicycle while riding "fast". In this case fast couldn't have been much more than 20mph, and I would still rip holes in the knees of my pants. I decided that I ought to invest in the pants just because I didn't want to be filling in pot holes with skin when I lay the bike down.

Note: I always assume that I'm going to lay my bike down. I haven't yet, and I hope it never happens, but I'd rather plan for it happening and have it not happen than the opposite.

Guess that's it for now.

Namaste!

The Coast Trip

2009-08-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning my wife decided that we needed to take a trip to the coast. I was seriously considering taking the bike and making her drive the van with the kids, but I decided that we'd probably be out pretty late so making her drive would be a bad idea.

I thought I'd share anyway though. We started out in Newport at the Arctic Circle, a place that I haven't eaten at in a long, long time. I think things must have changed a lot since the last time I ate there however, as I didn't recognize anything on the menu. The menu straight up screamed that their meat was "Black Angus", which never fails to make me laugh because it reminds me of the restaurant's sign with a burnt out 'g'.

Anyhow, after we grabbed food we started heading north. We tried to head out to Yaquina Head, and had to turn around because they only take cash or check. So we went back, found an ATM, and ended up sitting at the shoe store and replacing the kids' shoes. Finally we managed to get back on the road and head out to the lighthouse.

The kids really enjoyed the tidepools, and all the various wildlife. The wife got some pictures with her new zoom lens (the real reason behind the trip) of the seals out on the rocks. We tried to wait in line and climb to the top of the lighthouse, but got annoyed with the line and decided we had more important things to do. After the lighthouse, we continued north to the "Devil's Punchbowl" at Otter Rock, after a brief stop at Beverly Beach for the kids. It turns out that Mo's at Otter Rock doesn't do Fish 'n' Chips, just shellfish dishes, so we wandered back south.

In our southerly wanderings we ended up in Waldport, which is a lot smaller than I remembered. So we turned around yet again, heading north to a restaurant in Newport called Chalet. After a nice dinner (breakfast for me) there, we wandered down to the "Historic Nye Beach" to close out the evening taking sunset photos. The kids decided that despite how cold it was, they were bloody well going to get wet. I stood there in amazement wearing my nice warm jacket, in the windy cool evening, as my children threw themselves into the water.

Actually, my oldest, who tries her best to range away from her parents/family, was the only one out in the surf, while the other played that classic game of "Can't get me" with the incoming tide, not necessarily trying to win. After the sun went down, we bundled the shivering ones back into the van, grabbed some gas, and came home. unfortunately, Dairy Queen in Toledo was closed. I think that's the first time I can remember not stopping there on the way back (it's sort of a tradition). Ah well, we had a blast, and that's the important thing.

Namaste!

Stressed Out - Riding as relaxation

2009-08-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Friday was a bad day for me.

I woke up in pain, having slept on my back incorrectly somehow. However, I've done this enough that I can usually function for about half the day. I emailed my boss to let her know what was up, and that I likely wouldn't be in, and hopped on the bike to go to school.

I had two finals, and I felt like I hadn't done so well with them. However, I managed to pull some decent scores, I've since learned, so I don't feel too badly about it now.

However, after my second final, I checked my work email from school, and found that a bunch of drama was being slung. Basically, a co-worker of mine was under a lot of stress, and something I had said (innocently) had set him off. Now, this co-worker is likely considered quite a bit more important to the company than I am, having been there significantly longer. To top that off, I had set up an out of office message about a week ago, using a template, to inform people that I would only be checking my email twice daily. This was done in an attempt to increase my productivity for the company. However, my boss's boss didn't like, as the template seemed to indicate that I had a very heavy workload.

Needless to say, I was pretty stressed out. I spent six years in the Navy, doing my best to keep my head down and stay out of political games, and yet here I was at work, being thrust into center stage. I had originally intended on just heading home after my finals, so I could lay down and stretch out my back. Instead, because I was so stressed out, I decided to go for a little ride.

I'm a member of a forum at PNW Riders, and in our forum we've copied a game that people have been running called photo tag. The premise is pretty simple - find a semi-identifiable local landmark and get a picture of your bike in front of it. Then, the next person who puts up a picture of their bike in (more or less) the same location, gets to put up another picture. And the game goes on until it dies.

So I rode from Corvallis, out through Philomath, and then north on highway 223, up toward Kings Valley. About a mile or so shy of KV, there's an old church at a corner which has a steeple, and on that steeple, there are stars above the slat windows. Once I'd gotten my picture there, I meandered my way back toward Corvallis, and eventually home. While doing this, I took a little side trip out to an old covered bridge called "Harris Bridge" and got some more pictures.

The entire time, of course, my back was hurting, and yet I was still debating going in to work because of the drama. Ultimately, I decided to head home, because I was in pain -- rapidly approaching the limits of my pain tolerance. However, I have to say that even though my ride was short, the fact that I got to take it was a huge stress reliever.

Namaste!

Getting Started - Important Gear: Gloves & Footwear

2009-08-12T17:02:00.001-07:00

Another important item to obtain is a solid, well-fitting pair of gloves. You might even want to get two!

I bought a set of $20 mechanic's gloves in all black, and they've served me well for riding, so there's no absolute need to spend close on to $100 in order to buy motorcycle gloves. One thing I recommend though, is that you get a set of gloves (either your main or a backup pair) which has a cuff that fits over the sleeve of your jacket.

Why, you might ask? Well, with your arms on the handles, your sleeve openings will be directed toward the oncoming wind while you're riding. What this means is that, firstly, you'll get air conditioned arms. Which is nice in the summer, but perhaps not so nice when it's only 40 degrees outside. Secondly, if there is any sort of heavy rain, you'll get water blowing into your jacket sleeves. Finally, I've noticed that occasionally when riding at speed I can feel the collar of my jacket about halfway up my head, and I suspect that I look like some sort of freakish hump-backed monster (which is a mildly entertaining thought, and not at all directed at truly hump-backed individuals). Ultimately, if your gloves have some sort of cuff that slips over the outside of your jacket sleeve, you'll avoid all these minor inconveniences.

Footwear. All I can say is - wow. I've seen some people running around in shorts, T-shirts, and flip-flops on their rides (with their helmets of course, it's the law here). I don't know how they can do it. Aside from the simple bugs you might run into (like bees, wasps, hornets, etc.), your tires might kick up rocks (as might the car ahead of you!). In my experience, flip-flops (or thongs if you like, but really doesn't that word make you think of tiny underwear?) are never terribly sturdy shoes. So what will you do when you're 10 miles from home and end up putting your foot down around a corner, or because the car in front of you is moving quite slowly, and the strap rips out of your shoe?

I choose to wear boots, because they support my ankles when I have to muscle my ride around parking or stand at a light, but I suspect that a nice shoe would work fine as well. I also like the extra layer of protection from insects, but I guess I'm sort of conservative like that. I think it's better to sweat a little than to try and fill in pot holes with your skin.

Getting Started - Important Gear: Helmet

2009-08-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

For the purpose of this, let's assume that you've taken my advise and already gotten through a basic rider training course and had your endorsement placed upon your license. The next big thing I recommend is finding a decent helmet.

Now, I know there are a ton of highly designer domes out there with pretty flames drawn on them, or American flags. Let's be honest with ourselves though, we're looking at an item that is to be worn in order to protect your noggin.

There are three main styles of helmet: Full Face, 3/4, and half helmets. Within these main styles are a large variety of options, including: convertible helmets, flip-face helmets, motocross helmets, and more. Many options are available for your helmet, including high end features like built in bluetooth features.

However, you've just started riding (well, not yet, but you will soon) and it's entirely possible (though unlikely in my opinion) that you might decide that riding a lot is not for you. Also, when you're first riding, you'll want to limit the number of devices you can distract yourself with while riding, and therefore send yourself into a ditch, phone pole, or other equally painful meeting.

First thing you should know is that the basic technology for helmets hasn't changed in a long, long time. You have some sort of hard outer shell to protect yourself from minor collisions (i.e. insects, rocks), lined with an impact absorbing material, which is in turn lined with padding for comfort. The materials get updated with new discoveries, but the basic design is the same. That said however, those new materials, along with basic degradation over time, cause the general suggestion that you replace your helmet about every five years. I suspect you can safely get away with 10 or so, but I haven't ridden for that long yet, so I can't give a final verdict :)

As for my choices, I went with a full-face helmet, because I wasn't thrilled with the idea of being able to eat my dinner by riding with my mouth open. I was grateful for my full-face helmet about 5 minutes after leaving the lot with my bike when I rode through a cloud of bugs, and then a couple of times further on during that first ride I was a little startled by large bumblebees caroming off of my shiny dome.

The other really important thing to take into consideration is the shape of your head. I know that hats come in one size fits all, but it turns out that not all helmets are made the same. For this part, I really recommend that you go to your local power sport or cycle accessory shop, and try on helmets.

While you're trying on helmets, you should really pay attention to how the helmet rests on the top of your head. Look for any particularly tight spots around your head, and make sure you can easily turn your head to each side. If it feels like it presses in a particular location, even just a little, you probably want to try on other helmets.

Also, in my humble opinion, it's better to have a helmet which fits well than one which is lighter. Your neck may be tired for a while, but eventually your neck muscles will build up to the point that you won't even notice the helmet. However, a poorly fitting helmet will bother you until you get rid of it.

When you find one that you like the fit of, wear it around the store for 10-15 minutes. You're probably wanting to take long rides out in the boonies (I know I do!) and in 10-15 minutes you will be able to make sure that the helmet fits well. It's entirely possible that you'll end up grabbing a helmet that feels good for the first 2 minutes, and then when your body heat warms the padding up, and it starts conforming to your head, you'll notice that the thing presses on your head funny and gives you a headache. This extended trial is intended to minimize the likelihood of such a thing happening.

While you're wearing your helmet around the store, this would be a good time to look at other accessories that you might want. In my experience, the salesmen at your local shops are likely riders themselves and a good source of knowledge about local hangouts and rides, so if nothing else you ought to be able to pull a good story or two out of them.

Namaste!

Getting Started - How to learn to ride

2009-08-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

I'd been dreaming about learning to ride for quite a few years, until last summer when my adopted brother and I decided we'd go ahead an get our endorsements. After doing a little research we decided that the best option was to go ahead and take the Basic Rider Training course at the local community college. Here in Oregon we've got TEAMOregon, which is a group of instructors who travel around the state and teach a short 3-day riding course. In Oregon, passing this course will substitute for taking the written and riding exams at the DMV.

The course cost us $150 each, and we had to register about two months in advance. This long wait time was probably due to high gas prices last summer. So the BRT class consisted of one evening of classroom instruction during the work week, and then two days of split classroom/range time that weekend.

The course has its own bikes and helmets, though you're welcome to bring your own. However, I recommend that you go ahead and use what's there so you don't have to worry about wear and tear on your own equipment. The course was quite simple, with the class going over each control on the bike individually, and working with it until each person had managed control.

By the time we hit Sunday's ride, we could more or less tell who was going to pass the class, and who was still a little awkward and would need to retake it to gain complete mastery. Luckily, Dan and I managed to get everything down well enough that my only criticism during the test ride was that I took a corner "too slow".

I highly recommend taking the BRT, or whatever your local equivalent is, because you have a chance to learn how to ride with someone there to help you and walk you through from beginning to end. You also get to use someone else's equipment, just in case you lay it down (and you might).

I also considered borrowing a friend's bike heading out into the countryside to practice that way, but that involves taking up someone's time and their ride, and they may not be a good teacher. As I said, I really recommend taking the course, because it makes you a better rider.

Once you've taken the course and gotten your endorsement from the DMV (or local equivalent) you're ready to get setup and ride. I'll start into that in another post.

Namaste!

Why I ride

2009-08-08T22:31:00.001-07:00

This piece is really the reason that I decided I could go ahead and try blogging, of course, I mangled my left index finger pretty badly with a rubber mallet whilst installing the laminate floor in the upstairs hallway. So this article may be quite a bit shorter than I was intending.

I was terribly worried about the idea of riding a motorcycle, but I knew quite a few people who had done it, and most of them seemed to enjoy it. However, I had heard all the horror stories of people who had ridden well for years, and then got messed up by regular drivers who hadn't seen them. There was even one fellow that I knew who managed to get his leg caught on a guardrail, whereupon he flipped up and over it, breaking it terribly, and throwing himself down to the bottom of a 20 ft deep ravine. He managed to crawl back to the road where a trucker took him to a mall and he was life flighted to a hospital.

Why am I telling you this?

I want you to understand how scared of motorcycles I was. This fellow had been riding for only a short time, but still a few months. I was worried terribly about it because I'm the sole income for my family, and I have three kids. I didn't want to be laid up in the hospital and end up having my family need to move back in with someone who would take us because we couldn't afford anything better.

However, the reasons that finally pushed me to start riding were both economic and (for lack of a better term) spiritual. I read a book a while back called "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". While the book is not primarily about the motorcycling, the bikes do play a significant role. I "fell for" the idea that by going everywhere in an isolatory box, I was missing out on feeling like I'm a part of the world.

The final straw though, was Economics. To give you an idea, I get ~25 miles per gallon with my 1995 BMW 325i. I love this car, and am not at all badmouthing it. However, if we assume a standard gallon of gas costs $2.50, then I'm paying about $.10 per mile just in fuel costs. Now if I drive 12000 miles per year, and my insurance on this car is ~$700/year, then I'm paying about $.06/mile for insurance. That ends up being $.16/mile not including maintenance. Now the bike gets 45 mpg, which comes to $.06/mile for gas and Insurance is ~$200/year, which is about $.02/mile if I drive the same distance.

Recap:
Car: $.10/mile - Gas + $.06/mile - Insurance = $.16/mile Cost to drive
Motorcycle: $.06/mile - Gas + $.02/mile - Insurance = $.08/mile Cost to Ride

So, with gas at $2.50/gallon (which is lower than what it is at the pump right now) it costs me half as much to ride as to drive. As gas prices go up, the savings does as well. Seems like an all around win to me. However, if I didn't have a route to school/work that wasn't a main drag, I probably wouldn't have done it, just for safety's sake. Since I do have a "back-road" which parallels the main drag between here and Corvallis, I feel pretty safe riding.

Guess that's it for tonight. I plan to write more about this, but my finger is killing me.

Namaste!

The Agreement?

2009-08-07T21:58:00.001-07:00

I’ve seen a number of different blogs which rely on a daily posting strategy to keep readers interested in coming to the site each and every day, in order to keep their revenue streams steady and predictable. I may get a little flack for this, but I don’t agree. Oh certainly it makes a lot of business sense, because you’re likely going to have “dry spells” where you can’t put together an article that’s worth reading to save your life, and other times the posts will just pour out like water. So you can then stockpile during “feast” times, to help pass the “famine” times.

However, I think the problem with this is that one ends up writing a lot of articles to please the masses, and then don’t end up saying much of anything useful in the long term. Hence my previous posting on sleep apnea, because I think that’s an important topic. Perhaps in the future I’ll elaborate on those posts, perhaps not, but that’s not my point.

I’m hoping to draw a significantly high following so that I can start bringing in a little income “on the side”. Then hopefully, that little bit will begin to expand until my “side” income can replace my “main” income. I’ve read the works of a couple of bloggers, and once I figure out how, I’ll throw some links up for my favorite reads, who have taken their blogging and gone full-time with it.

I only wish I had enough to say about anything to do that, and maybe this will help me do that. Let’s be honest here, as I like to be, wouldn’t it be awesome to be able to leave your job behind because the number of people reading what you wrote was high enough? Then you’ve got “an audience” and can voice your opinions, and know that at least someone out there is listening. I know that when I push out new ideas and people listen, I feel pretty good.

For example: when discussing the candidates during an election, I had a co-worker who felt that one candidate had less experience than the other, and was going to vote for the other candidate even though their own viewpoints agreed with the less experienced. I made one simple point: the candidate would have a cabinet of advisors to inform him of specifics regarding particular issues, and so not having the experience really wasn’t much of a drawback.

My co-worker told their spouse, who told a bunch of his co-workers, and every one of the people who heard that one simple point no longer felt they had to vote for the more experienced candidate. Did they all vote “my way”? Probably not, but that’s not really the point. I felt pretty good when I heard this story back from my co-worker, because I had contributed to “the discussion” simply by putting forth my idea.

So here’s my promise to you: I will post whenever I feel like I have something important to say. I will likely put for a lot of useless “for the moment” posts, which I hope will be entertaining in the interim between whenever I post useful and meaningful articles that can potentially be referenced for years to come. In return for this promise, I want it understood that sometimes I’ll have nothing to say for potentially long stretches, and sometimes I’ll put forth a veritable orgasm of posts because I’m feeling particularly loquacious.

I’ll try to post at least once a week, but I’m not promising that one, just hoping I can do it.

Namaste!

Work less.... part deux

2009-08-07T21:35:00.001-07:00

Carrying on with my previous post, you’ll recall that we’ve established the fact that I haven’t had a “good night’s sleep” in at least 3 years, because I have Sleep Apnea. A lot of people look at me when I then tell them what my Veteran’s Administration disability rating is. However, before I tell you what my rating is (a number which really ought to tell how serious this is all by itself), I should explain why it’s as high as it is.

First off, the only reason I knew to get tested for it was because of my wonderful wife. She’s a night owl, and often stays up after I pass out reading or writing something interesting. One night, while we were living in Washington, she noticed that I had stopped breathing while I was asleep. I’ve had a couple friends over the years whom had been diagnosed with this, and thus we were aware of what it likely was.

As I was approaching my discharge from my time in the Navy, she noticed it, and I mentioned it to my doctor, who then had me perform a sleep study. You saw my results in the last post. The prescribed for me a machine called a CPAP, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, machine. For the rest of my life, I’ll get to wear a mask over my nose when I got to sleep, and have a machine beside my bed blow air in my face all night long.

Symptoms: Snoring (though not all people who snore have SA), Hypersomnolence (also known as excessive sleepiness – Now you’ve got a term for it! Hey boss, I’m Hyper-somnolent today, I think I should head home early…), learning/memory difficulties, high blood pressure, instability/depression/mood-swings, sexual disfunction, and increased risks for: cardiovascular disease, strokes, arrhythmias, and diabetes.

A lot of people will say that I’m being overly alarmist, and that I really just need to “man up” and deal with my problems. These are likely the same people who think that mental disorders are mostly exhibited by people who don’t want to work for a living, and to whom they cannot relate or communicate. These people are the reason that I tend to hesitate before I relate my disability rating, because I know they’ll misunderstand, and that it will upset them.

However, I think sleeping disorders are under-represented, and under-appreciated by the general populace. I’m not trying to brag about how disabled I am, nor am I looking for sympathy or a hand-out. I’m just passing along information and hoping that by providing engaging content I can begin to bring in some side income which might allow me to reduce the amount of time I have to work “for the man” each week, and spend more time with my family, and with my bike :)

So here’s my rating: 50%. Why 50%? I’m guessing that the reason that SA receives a rating of 50% is because that is the minimum required to ensure that a veteran will qualify for permanent medical coverage through the VA, and not because I can only work half as much as a “normal” person. Of course, if you knew me, that would be quite droll. I attend college full-time in pursuit of a BS in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics, then I work as close to full-time as I can manage at a farm/processing plant outside of town. Oh, and I have a wife and 3 kids to take up my time when I’m at home.

Since SA affects all aspects of my health, it is important for my health (not to mention the reputation of the federal government) that I be taken care of, and have access to medical care. This is why I think that the rating for SA is “so high”.

Hopefully you all learned something you didn’t know.

Namaste!

Work less....

2009-08-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

I’ve recently been advised that I should limit the amount of time I spend working each week. For a little background, I have a sleeping disorder called Sleep Apnea, which means that I haven’t had a good night’s sleep for at least the last 3 years, and perhaps longer.

Sleep Apnea comes in a couple different forms I understand, but here’s the scoop. Your body needs a certain amount of what is called REM sleep each night, but you fall asleep in stages, and REM sleep is the deepest stage and takes the longest consecutive amount of time to reach. With Sleep Apnea, what happens is that a person stops breathing. In my case, the stopping happens because my airway collapses.

When that happens, I wake up just enough to start breathing again. The problem with this is that it prevents me from falling into the deeper stages of sleep that are necessary for repair and continued good health. When I had my “Sleep Study” done two years ago, I wore a small recording device which was attached to a hose around my face and in my nose (like those oxygen tubes you see older folks wearing sometimes), and a pulse sensor clipped on my finger. The verdict?

In seven and three quarters hours of sleep, I woke up 163 times.

For clarity’s sake I’ll repeat that:

163 Times.

That’s 21 times per hour.

And once every 3 minutes.

So if I seem cranky sometimes, please don’t be too mad at me, it’s probably the lack of sleep talking.

On that note, I'm going to start looking into potentially "passive income" streams, so that I can eventually "take this job and shove it". Along with all my other random musing that I hope you will find at least informative about me, if not about topics in general, and as I develop my writing style, I hope that I will also be entertaining.

For now, I sign off.

Namaste!

New Beginnings

2009-08-07T20:33:00.001-07:00

So here’s the plan everyone, go ahead and let me know what you’re thinking. I’m going to spout off about whatever comes to mind in a series of posts that I hope will be informative and that will also perhaps spark some debate. The idea here, like with many others I’ve read on the internet, is to make money. So please, if you read this, go ahead and click on some of those Google AdSense links you see, because it sends me just a little cash on the side, and eventually perhaps I can stop working myself to death in order to support my family

Namaste!