WET
Leaving Thumper Town: A Great Ride
/
Well… The time has come. Thumper is sold. A little less then a year and I loved every day of it. I couldn’t have asked for a better *first year riding. The little asterisk is because I actually rode for 6 months when I was 17 but we won’t count that.
This bike has been perfect in NYC. Perfectly light weight to learn how to properly maneuver Manhattans craziness. Perfect suspension for it. Great for Sunday rides. Loved every minute. 
Thanks so much for being so reliable and fun. So happy we documented so much of this together. Hope you enjoy your new owner. He seems like a cool dude. Tune in next week for some potentially exciting news on the city gs front. 
7 Lakes Drive - 1st Ride
/
this morning i only had a short amount of time to ride. i had to be home by 10am as my wife had to leave around then and i had to be with the baby at home. i tried to leave around 5am so i could have a good amount of time out there by myself.
i wasnt sure where to go by my self as it would be my first day ride by myself (not including my daily commute). i decided the night before to head up north to Bear Mountain, have breakfast, then follow 7 Lakes Drive on the way back home…..
i got a late start in the morning, about 6am. it was fairly windy and still dark. there was also a nice chill in the air. i was mildly putting my cold gear to the test. everything worked out well but i could tell that as the season gets colder, ill need more gear. specifically a heated vest, hand covers (or bark busters?), a more advanced base layer, proper socks, a better windshield, a full head balaclava (i currently have a half face), and ear plugs. it was a really noisy ride with only 15mph winds.
i stopped at the palisades state line look out point around 7am which was just when the sun started to come up. it was a clear day compared to my last visit so i took a few photos, texted my wife that i was ok since i didnt see her before i left, ate my granola bar, threw on an extra layer thermal top under my coat, and continued off to the bear mountain area.
i stopped by a little diner right before the park to grab a quick breakfast around 745am. it was the perfect stop and id go again. i snuck in a “selfie” while passing a mirror in the diner. rare i get photos of myself so why not.
i came up 202 and hopped in the park. followed 7 Lakes Drive all the way through it. for some reason my navigation tracking app stopped working at the bottom of the park but you can get an idea of my overall route for the day. the missing part was my taking 87 home back to the city.
the drive through the park was incredible. i need way more time there. such a perfect day for it too as the trees were all turning.
i had to be home by 10am so as soon as i got out of the park i took 87 down to the palisades, stopped for a quick gas stop and then home by 10:06 AM. 140 miles total. great day. i really wanted to be home by the time i told my wife so that i could fit in more of these early morning sunday rides in the future without her protest. im hoping to get more time in that park, it was so nice.
Windshield Brackets and Side Cases
/i dont think the touratech windsheild bracket i bought recently helped at all. they are being kind enough to let me return it even though i scratched it up slightly. 15% restocking fee. it is what it is. ill have to revisit the wind issue another time… or maybe get some real world advice from other riders in the future with similar setups
im putting that money towards these:
new side cases that i ordered today! im really excited for these. i really did not think i could get side cases for less then $700 but the cases were $180 for the pair, and the bracket to mount them was $160. i cant believe the bracket costs just as much as the cases…
they should be here thursday. excited to install them, its going to make a huge difference in my daily riding experience.
they arent too wide which is key for city riding, but ill be able to put extra gear in there wihch is great.
the cases are by givi, the E21 in matte black. the mounting kit by givi is the PL188.
a few images i found on google. the bike in the photos is the same model as my bike but in red. ill put photos up of my installation when i get it.
Reading a good book on cross country riding. Great quote:
“When I planned the trip, I had a vague notion of ‘being on the open road’, but I didn’t realise the degree to which, in our normal lives, we are prisoners of the routine of work and the captivity of the clock. I don’t think we realise, generally speaking, how the structure of modern life is a form of very gentle, benign slavery that tricks us into believing we are free. The two-day weekend and the odd two weeks in some concrete jungle near a beach, with hours spent in an airport either end, isn’t enough to escape the pressures of work-time, but nearly a month into the trip, I think I’m starting to slip the shackles.”
Excerpt From: Earnshaw, Andrew. “Far Horizons.” Matador. iBooks.
