Ride for MS Getting Closer

A little over a week ago I registered for the Bike MS: SAM'S CLUB Ride 2009 * May 2-3, 2009 * Frisco to Fort Worth. Fully understanding that this two-day, 160 mile bicycle ride will be a testing experience for both my body and spirit, I started training on my training and practice on the bicycle and at the gym. Like any new enterprise this too sailed smoothly for almost a week, I would either hit the trail on the MTB or the Gym to work out my thigh muscles.

But all this came to a halt two days ago... the MTB had a flat and I started feeling over confident. Now I look at the calendar and see that there is only a months time left for preparing myself as well as raising the modest $300 donations for the National MS Society, a commitment I made when I signed up for the ride. I am certainly going to hit the gym tomorrow and the trail from day after... otherwise I will cut a sorry figure in front of 4,000 cyclists who are going to be participating in the 160-mile ride.

The latest book I finished reading

With nothing much to do, all that I have been doing is reading and writing. Reading books from the fantastic public library nearby, the Dallas Morning News newspaper which gets delivered every day, books which are at home. And we definitely have a real good collection. Well being a roadie it is hardly surprising that my first choice would be books related to two wheels or to the road. And this is one book which I had read earlier when I was in India and now I thought I'd read it again and hence downloaded a softcopy from the internet and devoured it within a few days.

Here is an abridged version or rather should I say version written with better understanding of the wide and long roads of America. The original review was published in EducationWorld way back in August 2007.

One thing I have noticed in America, unlike India where motorcycle is the major mode of transport, here it is a tool of indulgence and entertainment. It is easier to get a license to drive a car than ride a motorcycle. Perils of motorcycle riding are much more on American highways than on Indian roads. Then the extreme weather conditions of this large country make it almost impossible to ride motorcycles throughout the year. Hence motorcycles are largely a mode of entertainment, fun and enjoyment. People ride motorcycles because they LOVE TO RIDE and not because they can't afford a car.

In such a scenario a book like the AMA's Ride Guide to America (RGA) is very vital for motorcycle afficionados of this country. Americans are very much accustomed to travelling with high-tech gadgetry, including maps, GPS receivers, two-way radios, etc. And this book rightly features over 200 pages of information about best motorcycling trails in the the world's largest motorcycling nation. From California to New England, Rocky Mountain High to Texas, RGA informs readers about the most rider-friendly roads and highways in a country whose population has worked hard and put in place what is perhaps the world's best road networks.

One of the best features of this compilation is its detailed maps and point-to-point outlines for each of the 36 excursions recommended. These proposed rides across the US offer bikers challenging trails along scenic shorelines, mountainous terrain and into deep valleys and deserts. All excursions are illustrated with high-quality, full-colour photographs. RGA's 40 detailed, topographic road maps are a great boon to riders as their steeds run across the recommended routes. The riders can plan and anticipate the terrain they'll encounter in the Pacific Northwest, California, Rocky Mountains and the Southwest, Texas, the Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic, and New England.

Admittedly RGA is of limited utility considering its geographical coverage limitation. But perhaps the most exotic roads and rides of America are hidden in these states featured in the RGA. This book is definitely one that entices wannabe road warriors to saddle up and experience America's amazing highways. The chapters titled 'Loaded for the Road: How to carry stuff on your motorcycle' and 'Ride smart: Tips for street survival' are particularly recommended for bikers who should look into safety measures before embarking on a road trip especially on the highways of America. These chapters discuss and differentiate various types of backpacks, tank bags, rear-seat bags, saddle bags and other motorcycle paraphernalia useful for long distance, cross country bikers everywhere. Neatly sub-divided into six sections based on the regions of the US, RGA also contains a compilation of travel articles published in the American Motorcyclist, written by experienced bikers for bikers.

My favourite in the book is the section on a biking excursion on the Big Sur Highway through the rugged Rocky Mountains and down into Texas hill country. The route like all others in the book, is brought to life with attractive colour photographs and evocative descriptions. Currently in Texas I hope to make it to this highway in summer, if not on a bike, at least in our trusty Saturn 4-wheeled elephant.

But for now, I have finished reading the book and also sharing my views on this, hopefully, if any bikers are reading this they will leave some comments about the review.

One more biker rides into oblivion

I recently read about the death of 69-year-old Robert Craig aka Evel Knievel, a daredevil Motorcyclist in New York Times. It is sad to hear of the death of a dare devil biker as Knievel. According to the newsreport his last days were marked by suffering as he ailed from pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable lung condition.


It is said that bikers don't die, they just ride into oblivion. This is exactly what happened to Knievel.

Knievel's first brush with fame was on December 31, 1971 when he vaulted his bike 151 ft over the fountains of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Though the vault was glorious, his landing was not so glamourous, he crashed and broke several bones in his body. But the accident didn't deter him, he vroomed on performing one death-defying stunt after another and garnered fame and fortune.

Every performance of his would attract thousands of bike enthusiasts who would virtually worship him as their hero. His popular stunts included flying over 10, 15 or 20 cars parked side by side. Another disastrous jump undertaken by Knievel was an attempt to jump across an Idaho canyon on a rocket-powered motorcyle in 1974.


Performing stunts hundreds of times, Knievel's actions were self destructive. He broke his bones several times and crashed his bikes. He retired in 1980 on advise by medical specialists. As he retired his famous quote about himself was that he was “nothing but scar tissue and surgical steel.”

Knievel was born in a small town and started his career as a petty thief stealing motorcycles and hub caps of cars. But transformed himself after a few jail terms and following his idol Joie Chitwood, an acclaimed stunt-car driver, he began performing dangerous motorcycle stunts.

Knievel has undergone over 15 major operations to relieve severe trauma and repair broken bones. Bone all over his body were broken from the skull to pelvis to ribs, collarbone, shoulders and hips. He had a titanium hip and aluminum plates in his arms and a great many pins holding other bones and joints together. He was in so many accidents that he occasionally broke some of his metal parts, too.

Bikers, especially those who find thrill in racing and performing dare devil stunts need to read more about Knievel and learn a lesson or two so that they will not repeat his mistakes and end up with a skeleton held together by nuts and bolts.


Pictures from NYT, The Age and EvelKnievel.com