Views, Reviews, and Contemplations from a Dual Sport Minimalist
As I plummet into middle age, I can make a few astute observations. One is that hair seems to grow at a miraculous rate everywhere on my body except on the top of my head. Another is the fact that parts of the musculoskeletal system I’ve alternately abused and neglected for decades is now starting to protest daily functions - like bending over or getting up in the [...]
Staci Colas is an X-Ray Technician with a world wide adventure streak. From motorcycle camping in the Pacific Northwest to surfing in Canada (!) to back packing in Italy, she takes her fun seriously and is constantly searching for new challenges. A testament to this is her bike’s odometer, which has racked up over 10,000 miles since [...]
Out of the several car accidents I’ve been involved in during my life, my favorite was in 1989. I was sitting at a red light in my new Ford Ranger when a Nissan Sentra plowed into the back of me hard enough to have my head dent the roof. After making certain the Nissan’s driver [...]
Some people can’t leave well enough alone. I happen to be one of those people. In the year and a half since I first posted my trusty DRZ up on the site, I’ve made some significant improvements – almost all of them well worth it. Instead of rehashing my original answers to all the standard questions for this section [...]
When it comes to off-road motorsports, one piece of conventional wisdom rings true across the board: you can travel further in 30 minutes than you can walk in a day. It is, after all, one of the main reasons many of us prefer to hit the trails as opposed to a track - to find solace in [...]
It’s been sixteen years since I migrated from the East Coast to the Left Coast leaving behind family, friends, and familiarity. Since then I’ve made numerous trips back to the Eastern Seaboard on a variety of airlines, most with at least one layover. Of all the different flights I’ve been on there’s always one common denominator – I’m [...]
Got a stubborn nut or bolt that was cranked down by Hercules during the golden age of the Roman Empire? If you don’t have an impact wrench, cheater bar, or 26″ biceps you might have a hard time breaking it loose. Before you attempt to karate kick your ratchet or bludgeon the offending piece of hardware [...]
When I was learning to ride off road, the few pointers I got came from the old guard – guys who were in their prime during the 1960s and 70s and did everything they could to emulate European racing legends like Joel Roberts and Heikki Mikkola. The two tips I heard repeatedly were stand up and keep your feet on [...]
During my brief tenure as a Boy Scout my troop leader tried to teach me the art of self reliance and above all, to Be Prepared. What I learned instead was that bug spray is extremely flammable and throwing a bunch of poison ivy on a bonfire can send a large number of kids to the emergency [...]
Years ago I regarded cell phones as nothing more than convenience easily justified as necessity. Eventually I ditched the land line and became dependent on my cell phone for much more than just ordering pizza while driving home. Then my cell phone became a smart phone and gradually began usurping other electronic devices I use in my daily life. By upgrading [...]
