Went out for a quick 150 mile ride yesterday

Went for a quick 150 mile ride to Northern PA the other day for ice cream!

We used this ride route that I put together, but only did half of it since we didn't leave early enough. So we made it to just below Bangor, PA and then headed East towards the Delaware River heading south on 32.

On the way we stopped for ice cream at Homestead Coffee Roasters. Yum! They also have a small lunch menu, ice cream and misc snacks. There's also a nice patio out back to sit and enjoy your scoops. Oh yes, we're also both testing out new helmets! He got this special edition Bell Star Carbon and I picked up a Shoei RF-1200 'Graffiti' (LOVE this helmet).

I don't know why the man looks unhappy posing in front (it's also called the General Store), but he puts up a good front because we had a great time that afternoon.

And along the way down 32, we found this cute bridge to take a couple pics on.

The weather was perfect, high 70s for the most part. Not hot, not cold, just right. I'm testing the Scorpion Zion jacket for WRN and it worked well that day. A full review will be coming soon, so stay tuned.

Sena SMH10R Review

 

Yay! It's review time. I finally upgraded my bluetooth head set to the Sena SMH10R. Oooooooo. Aaaaaaaaah. Ohhhhhh. Read my review here. Did I also mention that I upgraded my helmet to a Shoei RF-1200? :D

Since my Qwest fit me so well, why not go for a lighter, quieter version of it? I'm an XS, and this helmet only weighs 3lbs 5oz! So light. The shell is also really compact, so when I turn my head I don't hit my backpack or my shoulder. It's quieter, less resistant in the wind at high speed, stable and ridiculously comfortable. It comes with a Pinlock faceshield and insert, bonus!

I just picked up this helmet yesterday and have only ridden 10 miles in it so far. I will report back in a month or so. In the meantime, a couple pics of the Graffiti graphic. 

I found calculus equations underneath the graffiti:

I guess it's fitting since I was an Econ major in college, I did take 2 quarters of Calculus....... :D

Shoei Hornet Dual Sport Helmet for Small Heads

 

If you have a small head, and I mean a *really*small head, now's the time to invest in one of the best dual sport helmets on the market.

For the low low price of $349.99, the Shoei Hornet DS helmet is on sale! Snell rated, Fiberglas shell, lightweight, Pinlock-able, well vented, removable liners and more.

If I needed a dual sport helmet, this would be at the top of my list. One because it weighs practically nothing (~3.5lbs) and also because Shoeis fit my head really well.  I've never met a man that fit a XS let alone a XXS helmet. There are only a handful of people who need XXS helmets, and it's extremely difficult to find really good ones.

If you fit any Shoei, you should easily fit into this one. Similar to their intermediate oval headshape (so your head from front to back is a bit longer than ear to ear).

As of right now, Revzilla has XS and XXS (DOUBLE Xtra Small!) for the same price in solid colors.

Hurrrrryyyyyyy before they run out!

What Not To Wear While Riding Motorcycles

3/14/16 UPDATE It seems that writing about "motorcycle gear" is a common theme for Vogue as I've found another article about going on a date on motorcycles... *sigh*

Yes, going out on a date on your motorcycle is really really fun. But *not* when you're only wearing a tank top and high heels. It's no wonder the public's perception of riding motorcycles is what it is. And why you see so many women wearing nothing while they jump on the back of their friend's bike, or in the front.

My Original Post on 10/25/2014: 

Recently Vogue Magazine interviewed a few "Biker Babes" who shared their tips for wearing the most fashionable denim, because you know, that's what all bikers wear.

"I usually wear head-to-toe denim on the bike. In the summer months, it’s always denim shorts with stockings for protection. You have to have something between you and the asphalt—“dress for the slide not for the ride." -Interviewee #1 pictured above

I get it. Denim is casual and it doesn't make you look like you ride a motorcycle, and many people ride with it instead of riding pants. There are also actual riding jeans with more protection than your average Levis 501s. But, let's be honest here. Unless you spend $500 on a premium jean like Rokker Denim Jeans (which aren't available for women here yet) you're probably risking a lot by trading leather for casual denim.

To be fair, 4 out of 5 of the people interviewed didn't mention wearing denim on the bike so much as their favorite denims to wear in general.  But after reading the first interview, I cringed as I read through the rest. Although none of the other gals remark that they wear denim on the bike, it sort of implies that it's all they wear while riding.... a la the way of the biker babe.

It doesn't bother me so much that this particular person is wearing only old, worn denims while riding. Ok, it bothers me a lot but everyone gets to pick whatever they want to wear when they ride, period. You or I may not agree with their decision but too bad so sad. What really kills me is the fact that she obviously did ZERO research when it came to "What should I wear while riding my motorcycle?" I understand the people that know what can happen to them and take the risks anyway, they're nuts in my opinion but I think they have real guts to do that. I'm always astounded at the ones that don't bother to google for a minute and figure out what's really out there? What's the true story?

Although I think it's lame that Vogue published these stories, it's what they were after, fashion and something that's cool and sexy, blah blah blah. Nothing hotter than half naked women riding motorcycles, right? The bigger issue I see is the lack of education and information that's available to non motorcyclists who are trying to get into riding motorcycles. I strongly urge you to watch this video, of my friend Brittany Morrow. She's the famous girl you see on all the forums with a full length photo of all her road rash injuries because at the time she wasn't really geared up:

http://vimeo.com/22897515

Mainstream media shows you pictures and articles like this of people riding with only the most fashionable looking apparel while riding. If we could just get tv, movies, etc. to portray is in a more realistic way, that would be great. How is that actually going to happen? I have no idea. All I can do is voice my opinion and hope that a couple people read it and pass the word to their friends.

But I do know that women like these featured in Vogue have no idea what they're getting into and what the consequences of these actions are. As an adult, if you are going to jump into something risky like motorcycles, you might want to try and prepare for what could happen to you.

PS, many of us don't subscribe to the whole "RIDE OR DIE" bullshit, either.