Ohio State Route 800 – Hills, Curves and a River Ferry

Ohio State Route 800 - EatSleepRide

One fact about the eastern Ohio landscape is that the terrain gets more varied and the roads more fun the further south you go. This is thanks to the way the glaciers of the Laurentide Ice Sheet carved the land up about 18,000 years ago.

One of the great ways to explore this geographical transition from the flatter lands of northeast Ohio to the Appalachian hills of the southeast is through Ohio State Route 800. Read More

Ohio State Route 78 – Backbone of the Ohio Dragons

Ohio State Route 78 - EatSleepRide

Southern Ohio has a lot of great roads for those looking for a challenge, several of which are referred to as “Ohio’s Tail of the Dragon”. I like to think of Ohio State Route 78 as the “Backbone of the Ohio Dragons” because it connects to several of these roads while rolling through some spectacular countryside riding. Read More

My 2nd Year as a Motorcyclist

This week marks the 2nd anniversary of my getting a motorcycle license.

It’s funny how time passes when you look back. Some days, it seems like only yesterday that I was on the learning course at the MSF, practicing this strange new counter-steering deal. Other days, it seems like a lifetime ago that I nervously got onto the highway for the first time, feeling like I was going warp speed at 55mph.

I’ve learned a number of things over those two years …

THERE ARE NO MASTERS, ONLY MORE ADVANCED STUDENTS.

I have learned that you can never really stop learning when it comes to riding. The best riders I know are not only willing to teach you what they know, but willing to admit they still have plenty of training and learning to do on their own.

Whether it’s re-learning basic skills after getting the bike out of Winter storage, or practicing emergency breaking when a safe opportunity presents itself, there’s always more room to learn and grow.

LEARN TO FIX YOUR STUFF, BUT KNOW WHEN TO GET HELP WHEN YOU CAN’T.

There’s a wide range of motorcycle riding skills, but an even wider variation in motorcycle mechanical skills. Just about any rider can, and should, learn how to do routine maintenance on their ride. Start with T-CLOCK, then move on to changing your own oil and checking your other fluids routinely. Doing basic maintenance work yourself not only saves you money, it’s a great way to get to know your bike and help watch for mechanical problems before they get serious.

Of course, you don’t have to be a mechanical genius to help your ride. Take the time to look for online sites and web forums dedicated to your class or model of motorcycle. They will make for a great starting point for questions and are often a good resource for finding hard to find parts.

RIDE YOUR OWN RIDE.

If you haven’t read The Pace by Nick Lenatsch, please do. It’s an excellent article about approaching a ride on your own terms. Many excellent riders I have learned from have explained a similar lesson as “don’t worry about others, just ride your own ride”.

Sometimes it is tempting to push yourself to keep up with hot dog riders you encounter, sometimes it is tempting to ignore the signs of exhaustion to get a few more miles in on a ride, but in nearly all cases, it’s best to ride in a way that is both safe and comfortable.

LET OTHERS RIDE THEIRS.

This is one of the lessons I sometimes still struggle with. Motorcycles and riders come in an amazing number of variations. Riding styles, types of bike, amount of gear, and when and where they like to ride. Like much of human nature, it is sometimes easy to fall into the trap of stereotyping other riders. Cruiser riders as “pirate-costume wearing fair weather riders”. Sportsbike riders as “squidly anti-gear speed demons with a death wish” and adventure bike owners as “latte-sipping rich boys with off-road bikes that never see anything other than highway”.

The truth is that these differences are what make the motorcycle community so lively and interesting. You can learn a lot when you take the time to chat with other riders you come across, especially when they ride a different ride than you. That cruiser rider may have been riding for 40 years and willing to tell you tales of some of the best hidden twisty roads you’d never find otherwise.

That old dirtbike rider can likely give you tips on how to best handle a rain-slicked road causing your rear to step out. That sportbike rider may know everything there is to know about how to keep the fiddly carbs on your bike running at top performance. There’s a story to be heard, and a lesson learned, from every rider at some point.

… BUT THERE’S ALWAYS MORE TO COME.

Two years passes before you know it, but I am hoping it is just a brief start to a much longer riding career. Looking back at all I’ve learned, I look forward to all that I will learn. It is a two-wheeled adventure, and I am going to love every minute of it, including the bits that involve some swearing and possibly a few tears (like syncing carbs).

Let’s ride!

Top 4 Things I Love About Fall Motorcycle Riding

As the temperature rose to above 50°F today, I took the opportunity for a nice Fall ride through the northeast Ohio countryside. The ride brought up 5 things I love about Fall rides:

  1. The temperatures makes suiting up in protective gear not only safer, but more comfortable. I enjoy the process of donning my armored jacket and overpants, buckling up the boots and closing up my full face helmet. As I toss a leg over the bike and watch the instrument panel light up and fuel pump prime, it’s the closest thing I’ll get to being a fighter pilot.
  2. When you meet up with another motorcyclist at an intersection, gas station, or parking lot, there’s usually some quick conversation about how thankful you both are to get another ride in while the weather is nice, as well as the commiseration of dread for the coming winter downtime.
  3. The Fall weather seems to make the entire experience “crisper”. The stark, leafless trees contrasting against the asphalt of the winding road. The cool wind washing over you that brings your senses to full attention. The quiet that seems to dominate the woods sliced by your motor revving through gears.
  4. Finally, even when the day’s ride is done, there’s the feeling of having gone out and accomplished something, even if it was just to celebrate one last ride before the snows come. Passing by cars on the way to your home, there’s always the evil thought that you might be passing some rider who decided not to take advantage of the day, with the pleasant sensation that comes with knowing you did.