Talk to 10 different touring riders and you will get 10 different
interpretations of touring. When to leave, how to pack, route to take, and bike
to ride. Whether to ride in a group or ride alone. Each one different, each
one right, but none wrong. Each unique, but somehow all alike. I have friends
who must travel in groups, I refer to it as crowd riding, and stop every 50
miles. To me that is not riding. and a 200 mile day takes 8 hours, for which
they start at 6 in the morning, arrive in mid afternoon, and hang around all
day, when you can and should be riding. Recently I heard of a couple leaving at
midnight to avoid LA traffic, rookies and not thinking that the freeways are
shut down at night for construction, and they just added confusion to their
trip. And if all goes well, will arrive at their city of destination at rush
hour. Not seeing anything, arriving early, and still too early to check into
their motel. Maybe there is something to effective planning after all. I have
found myself over the years preferring to ride alone, just Theresa and I, be up
and out by 9, after any rush hour traffic, ride 100 miles then eat breakfast.
Ride all day in sunlight, and arrive before dark sets in. And always having an
alternate route just in case, with the just in case often times leading to great
roads not planned for. Works for us....
Years ago I led a group of friends from New Mexico to San Diego for lunch,
their first long ride over 4 days. When they tried to duplicate it the next
year, they had it down to even 15 minute breaks, time to start, time to stop,
time to eat, and time to ride in between. I declined, don’t we ride to get away
from that type of schedule? Yet too many don’t enjoy the freedom in riding or
of it. At the other end was our first Torches Across America ride, with people
we had never ridden with before. We met each night, planned a route to that
night’s destination, and figured gas stops based on the smallest tank. We
figured speeds for freeways differently than for back roads, and would split up
as needed for each riders type of riding. We all got along, had a great time,
lost no one, and this is the only group of men I would ever ride with again.
Sadly many are gone, but this group of 5 that swelled to 10 left a great
impression on me. They knew how to ride, made no excuses, and dealt with
problems as they occurred. Although we were all skilled long distance riders,
on bikes from 500cc to 1800cc, V-twin to inline 3, we all had one common
thread-courtesy. We discussed where to eat, speed, and left communication open,
including flexibility of routes. We enjoyed the ride and each others company
for over 3000 miles, with no hassles. All rides should be so good....
Time zones can present another problem, as riding east to west you change
time. I have trouble losing the hour, only 60 minutes, but still get messed
up. But I like gaining the extra hour coming back, many times using it to sleep
in, or ride longer into the setting sun. Arriving early sometimes and taking in
the local sights, or detours along the way. But my riding has changed over the
years, as I take the attitude to stop when I see something I want to, because I
may never get back. I used to take notes for a return trip, 12 trips coast to
coast allowed for that, but as I travel less, and fewer miles, I make every mile
count. Still out by 9, still riding to breakfast, still arriving by dark, just
seeing more along the way. Or less as the roads I ride are as far from freeways
as I can get. A 100 mile distance can turn into a 400 mile day like one day in
Florida. Arriving where we planned, just riding more. Riding is not meant to
be a straight line to your destination, it is about the roads travelled to get
there, and we all ride different, some by exit number, some by county road
number, some by local road name like River Road, or Golden Trail. For it is the
ride that is life, and life is for the living like my friend Ken tells me.
Every ride is different, and should be. So I ride while others sleep, and sleep
while others are out trying to beat the traffic. In all cases picking the right
roads will say a lot about how you ride, and why. I rather arrive with a tired
wrist from riding all day on back roads than bragging about setting my cruise
and making good time with great gas mileage. You tell me, who had a better
ride? More stories to tell? who would you rather ride with? Those stuck in LA
traffic at midnight? While I sleep and dream of the next day....
Now there are many roads to heaven, but only one way to get there-Jesus
Christ. God gives us the perfect destination, the way to get there, and we
choose the roads to travel. Some stay within boundaries of churches or
denominations, safe and secure that will make it, but have no testimonies. Some
just live life, figuring what ever God is going to do he will, a fatalist
approach. So why do they pray? I like to plan my rides with God involved, and
leave room for options. Over the years many rides have gotten better because we
were flexible and changed plans. Some took us places we had never heard of,
meals we hadn’t eaten, and met people we would have missed otherwise. Leaving
Willie’s home outside of Nashville, we took 2 hours of back roads to get 35
miles from him. Great riding. When getting gas, a man saw our bike, asked
where we were going, and told us about some great detours in Georgia. And also
about a great place for BBQ in Birmingham. When we found the place closed due
to fire, the local Triumph store turned us on to The Golden Rule, my favorite
BBQ place in the US of A, and we have BBQed it across it. God had all this
planned, freeway exits would have left us without meeting people, seeing things,
and missing a great meal. Bring on the Brunswick stew! Yet so many live inside
the box with God, never seeing all he has. I may be selfish, but I want all God
ahs to offer, and for you too! And God loves to give and bless-so let him!
Include him on all your rides, from planning to arriving, and see as things take
on a different flavor. Some offer schedules, God has testimonies planned for
you to share.
Paul tells us how God offers us truth in 2 Corinthians. Truth to set us
free to guide us, and to allow us to be flexible in the spirit. To change
course without getting upset, and to find blessings where we thought no
blessings could be. The truth of Jesus is exciting and alive, and when we just
don’t study it, but get out and live it, we see sides of God many only read
about, dream about, or dream of, but thought they could never experience. While
some bear fruit, others read all about it. It is like Doug sharing about
Israel, that was nice. Even showed a map. Then showed pictures, and the
relationship grew, and when I saw him in the pictures, it was real. Not read
about, but done. His story to share. So as yourself, you may be going to
heaven, that’s great, but are you getting all you can from the ride? Is your
life full of chain restaurants, freeway exits, and LA in the dark? Didn’t Jesus
take us from darkness into light?
When you come into the truth of Jesus Christ life becomes exciting. And
the closer you ride with him the more exciting. The more memories, the more
testimonies. I like it when I see a show on TV and I can say “I’ve been
there.” It makes me want to ride more. Same with testimonies, when I hear them
and can relate, I want to hear more. I want to be in them, I don’t want to hear
only, I want to be in the pictures. We still have many travel times ahead of
us, many roads to return to, many we haven’t ridden yet. Same with God, so much
of him to explore and to get to know better. Now is the best time, so plan on
him right now. Knowing God means knowing truth, and truth sets us free. Ditch
the GPS, tune into the spirit, and ride like you never have before. Been there,
done that, have the t-shirt only makes me want more. The road of Jesus is
calling, will you answer the call? We will get to heaven only in Jesus, we can
ride with him now and enjoy the ride. Destination heaven-how you get there is
up to you. Your best rides and testimonies are yet to come. Get out and make
them. We are not all the same except in Christ where we can be the individual
we want to be. Unique yet the same in Christ. Where sport bikes ride with
cruisers, and displacement doesn’t matter. In the spirit, the best way to live
and ride. Let God’s truth set you free today.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com