12,000 Miles Since 2005

As we ride around the roads, we are seeing "tough times" seeming to be more and more visible, every time I go on a familiar route, I notice another small business has closed it's doors.

More big vehicles "For Sale" in the front yards (my neighbors '03 Tahoe dropped in loan value from $14,500 to less than $9,000 in 3 mos.), and more yard sales in general.

One of the ideas I had in 2005, when I started promoting the MB solution, was how the gas savings enjoyed could be churned back into the economy, by trying to seek out local businesses whenever possible. Twenty miles away from the bigger grocery stores, Fridays are when bread and milk are freshest, is usually the only day the car moves, (unless I have to go pick up new bikes). In other words, saving gas means when buying small items, I don't mind spending a little more at a proprietorship, knowing a chainstore would be cheaper.

Part of that inspiration was getting really irritated with the local Wal Mart, (back before I knew much about bikes), and the second one I bought had a front wheel come off because the axle nut was stripped...I realized that if I was going to hit 35 mph, better have a reliable bike assembler.

I've been able to keep up my boycott of national food franchises, especially on the long distance travels, learning the best hour to beat the rush was after 1 o'clock, how one daily "all you can eat" buffet in a small town not only saved money, but saved time in the long run.

The conversations with locals is always better at a Mom and Pop diner, here's some examples.

The first time "breakfast was on the house" was in Nashville, GA, early on a Saturday morning. After filling up with gas I asked where the best breakfast buffet could be found, and they pointed me to the county square, where antique tractors and booths were being set up, it was Agricultural Celebration Day in Berrien County, the Number One Agriculture County in Georgia.

When I got into the "Dinner Bell", the place was packed, it was an Awards Breakfast, and the only available seat was right in the middle, with a local teacher who was video taping the speeches. (thats him in the plaid shirt, against the back wall with the his camera)...

He taught Ag at the high school, and we got to talking about my bike adventures as I was eating my first plateful.

Then the ceremonies began.

I tried to be quiet and discreet as I went back to the buffet line for seconds, but then the teacher stood and said something about "having a guest from Alabama, claiming to get 250 miles per gallon"....caught me by surprise, holding a heaping plate, so I said "I'm from Cullman County, the Number One Agricultural County in Alabama, was sent here by Gov. Riley as an ambassador to celebrate the liberal use of bovine fertilizers".

Fifteen minutes later, I was still hungry, snuck back for thirds when a State Senator rose to give his spiel. When I got to the register after 90 minutes of "liberal use of bovine byproducts", hearing all the speeches and awards dispensed, the waitress told me my breakfast ticket had been paid by the same Senator. I went up to him to thank him, and he said "funny thing is, you can't even vote for me....now show me that bike of yours". About 15 farmers circled round on the sidewalk as I answered questions, an all around fulfilling morning.

Midway between Tuscumbia and Eufaula, Alabama, the grandparents of the little girl in picture #2 owned a Soul Food resturaunt, in the middle of nowhere. WITH ONE OF THE BEST OLD SCHOOL JUKEBOXES, that I loaded down with quarters for 12 picks. Nothing like a loud "Mustang Sally" to get a mealtime moving in the right direction. Collard greens and sweet potato pie on the menu...but I ordered the small catfish plate.

I let the owner's husband and his friend jump on the bike and ride it around while I sipped iced tea, and when the order arrived, it had 3 huge fillets and something called "spicy french fries". When I protested, saying I ordered the small plate, the lady said "you look like you ain't had a good meal in days," the little girl helped me eat the fries, and toward the end of the meal, came out of the kitchen carrying me a bowl of peach cobbler, another thing I hadn't ordered.

Same thing happened on the southern part of the Okefeenokee Swamp, there was one cross roads called St. George. I was freshly on day one of the return trip after spending a week in Fernandina Beach with a friend, and when I pulled up under the canopy of the diner, a bicyclist pulling a trailer passed, turned northwesterly on the same Highway 2 I would use headed up to Homerville...but that would be nearly an hour later, because again, the timing was right, no lunch rush, and the owner really packed the plate. I got all the local lore about the swamplands, and the next year, when fires broke out with smoke drifting up our way, I heard St. George was surrounded by flames, worried about my diner friends.

By doing business at Mom and Pop establishments, you can gain ten times the information and heritage, sights and special locations, as having some teenager toss a Big Mac in a bag and ring it up.

Food tastes so much better on the road anyway, but then you get to sample other things, like apricot pastries in Kansas. Even better, I ordered bar-b-que beef in Kansas, and was talking to the cook about the differences in sauces. Next thing I know, a second plate with pork and chicken samples came to the table.

I had ate at plenty of Chinese resturaunts, but in Bolivar, Missouri found a Korean buffet, and the cook made me a small dish of a shrimp broil after complimenting him on the spices. It wasn't something he offered on the buffet, but it only took him three minutes to serve it up.

At one place on the Georgia/Alabama line, I was talking to a guy about my mapped route north, he said, "you can shave off eighteen miles with this shortcut, it's not on the map, just a country road that goes over the hill rather than around it". A nice little rolling road that saved me an hour of ride time.

In a later episode, I'll give you the Deer Creek Camping Nightmare, and how I used future lunchtime conversations to avoid that ever happening again.

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I live for your posts!

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Kings 70cc 3200+ miles. Now on a Schwinn Point Beach.

your writing makes me feel i am there

excellent thread !!!

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Bill (aka azbill, aka azkronic)

yesterday is history,
tomorrow is a mystery,
but today is a gift...
that's why it's called "the PRESENT"

Awesome

That is part of the fun, I don't have to describe how good it feels to have a brisk ride in the morning, or outrunning a thunderstorm exactly one mile faster than the cloudbank, or surprising some rare animal or bird that motorists would NEVER notice.

We've all traveled by car, stayed in identically designed motels on the interstates, I'll bet a lot of MBer's were Scouts in their youthful days, have memories of camping, and how "Be Prepared" is very important to a MB.

In other words, we all know we can DO IT, time/career/family might constrain you, but still, in your mind, it is just as real, putting yourself in Rocinante's saddle. Just like watching or reading "Lonesome Dove", wondering if you could survive like those pioneers.

The major difference in traveling long distance on a Motorized Bike is the simplicity, because you built it, after a little experience, you know how to do emergency fixes and repairs, so you don't have that Tow Truck/AAA mentality. You already know after a half hour of sweating under a tree fixing a wheel, you will dry off/cool off in the breeze once you get back on the road.

When you hear a strange noise/vibration, knowing full well you hit a pothole moments ago, you stop and don't have a sense of "dread", because you brought tools and tubes and zipties and ducttape, find a shady spot and you are pretty positive you can either get it back in shape, or minimally, you can limp to the next town and get-er-dun.

There is always a "hopefulness" about the road ahead, in my case, I always know where I'm headed (generally), but forget the names of the towns I already passed through, UNLESS I take a little time to explore older parts of a town, because the main drags all look similar, auto parts and burger joints.

Motorists depend on a mechanic to tell them what is wrong, and cowboys were dependent on water for the horse and a blacksmith if "Ol Paint" threw a shoe. We can beat those limitations with a little planning.

And because fellow MBer's already understand the fun of seeing the landscape at a leisurely 25 miles per hour, they can seperate themselves mentally from the rat race going on in the traffic, where all the cars now look the streamlined cookie cutter same, and any driver who isn't staying with the 70 miles per hour pack mentality "speed/flow" is subject to road rage.

We all wish there was not so much litter on the road, but still, if something perks our curiosity, we can pull up, stop/explore, and take a few moments to "figure it out", and then think about it deeper as we resume our ride.

There have been so many times I've seen some new crop or odd structure or unique mountain range, and then you spend 10 miles thinking about it until you meet a stranger, ride right up to him and ask "what the heck was that orange thing 5 miles back?"

We are all constantly talking to strangers, which is a fun thing, proving to ourselves that good folk live all around, only the accents change.

Motorists and tourists can't do that as much, they come off as pushy/nosy or ignorant, and while we ARE ignorant about the foreign territory when on an adventure, at least the bicycle gives the stranger the chance to ask his own questions.

It makes the rider and the stranger equal in curiosity, both come away with a new knowledge, and usually the local gets the better end of the story, about the idiot passing through on a bike contraption. "You ain't gonna believe this, boys......"

I don't know how many times a car or pickup has followed me, then a few miles ahead I see him parked at a gas station, waving me in with a few others standing there, "what the heck is that???"

Likewise, another part of the fun writing for you folks is a simple "fact" doesn't have to be debated.

When I explain that carrying two pairs of denim jeans cross country is a BAD IDEA, because the morning dew makes them heavier and un-dryable rolled up and packed in the carrybag, whenever you do decide to take a trip, you'll possibly remember that advise.

(AND, when you forget reading about me having to dump 600 page paperbacks, heavy thread count sheets, half bottles of bug repellent and clunky heavy sandals, all in the quest to lighten my load, you WILL remember it when you encounter it in person !!!) Fleece hoodies being GREAT will dawn on you when you carry a backpack.

So, Bill, in fact YOU already have been there, when you read a road-trip story and have hundreds of motorized bike miles under your belt, it doesn't take very much imagery to "get the humor".

If it isn't fun, then why do it?

When I tell you guys how stupid I felt sitting in front of a laundrymat in Florida, you will understand what a GENIUS I was in Ada, Oklahoma, throwing all my old t-shirts in a Goodwill box, restocking my shirt supply for less than a $1. Getting back on the road in moments, not an wasting an hour, plus spending less money than it would take to wash them.

Again, thanks for the input and feedback !!

I hope we can keep the spirit of AMUSEMENT alive on this forum, not worry about the screwed up outside world.

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cool thread, Bama. you said "I hope we can keep the spirit of AMUSEMENT alive on this forum, not worry about the screwed up outside world." very good.

believe it or not, my mileage is similar to yours, 25miles/day 5days/week for last 2 1/2 yrs. but ALL in tucson, and that sux. this this green? its envy.

Bama,
I have just joined this forum and find your stories of On The Road Again very enticing. I was born in Tuscumbia, Al and lived in Birmingham for two years after high school. I sure do missed those scenic rides I had while back there. Remember the hill in Birmingham where one have to pedal going downhill and be ready to use the brakes going uphill. It was an optical illusion, had fun taking others over that hill. Is it still there?

Would like to get back into saddle again and with all the new toys now, was wondering where do I go from here now? What does one look for in motors for the bike, fuel tank size, gears and etc?

Welcome Bill! Thatsdax has a great motor & and service to back it up! Duane is first class people, Pablo keeps you running right with Amsoil, Andyinchvile keeps you going faster or slower with awesome sprockets, and Spookytooth has about anything you need. And I try to help when I can.

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No matter where you go, or what you do, there Ya' are!