Um, so this is awkward. I did travel 360 miles today as I had intended but unfortunately I netted exactly 0 miles progress on my trip. I'm right where I started this morning. Bugger.
When I leave on a trip I almost always get the nagging feeling that I forgot something. Usually I pacify my nagging subconscious by responding that anything I forgot I can buy along the way. This does not hold true for important legal documents like vehicle registrations that will undoubtedly be asked for at any border crossings.
Anyway, I can take this time to comment on a couple pieces of gear I've found useful. First, I've been very impressed with some earplugs I recently bought. They are marketed as "Worlds Finest Ear Plugs" and can be found here: http://www.earplugsonline.com/. They are made from beeswax, cotton and lanolin. The sample pack is a great price so I figured I'd give them a try. They have roughly the consistency of playdough but smoother and doesn't dry out and crumble. They are kind of heat-activated, they get softer by rubbing between your fingers and a little firmer when they cool. What really impresses me is that I can leave them in all day long. For me, normal foam earplugs they feel fine at first and block out the sound well (if I can get my helmet on without dislodging one) but after an hour or so the pressure of the foam in my ear really irritates me. These guys kind of just mash in and stay without putting pressure on the ear canal. And when I yawn or adjust my jaw they don't dislodge. The way I'm using them is a half a plug in each ear, I roll them into a sphere and kind of mush it into my ear canal, not really deep in like a foam plug would, just enough that I get some material in the hole to hold it. Done. They block out the wind noise in my helmet really well but I can still mostly hear my GPS directions from speakers in my helmet. I've started using them at work too, it's amazing all the background noise I mentally block out during the day. Throw the plugs in and things seem much more peaceful. Anyway, so if you have any interest in ear plugs it's worth giving these a try. I did probably 300 out of 360 miles today with them in and no ear ringing now.
What else. Lets talk about my BMW Streetguard3 suit. I take protection on the bike very seriously. It's something I think about and try to improve whenever I get the chance. When I took the basic riders course I had a decent helmet but just wore jeans, a sturdy jacket, some leather gloves and leather work boots. At 15 miles an hour those are OK but even then you're still exposed to injury if something goes wrong. When I started driving in traffic I moved up to Draggin jeans with a Kevlar lining around the knees and butt and a somewhat cheap armored mesh jacket. Kevlar is great for abrasion resistance but you're still exposed to impact injuries. The mesh jacket was probably good for impact, the armor feels decent anyway (elbows, shoulders, back), but I didn't have much expectation it would hold together sliding across pavement- especially with it's age and use. I've also found I do more riding and my longer trips in the Fall and usually to cooler climates. So for ultimate protection and better cool weather performance I decided BMW Streetguard was the way to go. Overall I'm pretty happy, the stuff seems to do what it's supposed to and I'm confident in the safety aspects. A few things I don't like. The cut is very generous. I'm 5'10"-5'11" and I knew I wanted to be able to fit some extra layers underneath so I went with size 54. The lengths are spot on for what I need for coverage, especially in riding position but I feel like I could fit two of me in the pants and jacket. Great on the bike and I'm not worried about fitting a fleece jacket underneath but walking around I look like I'm ready for sledding and my pants swoosh when I walk. Oh well, I can deal with it, easy enough to take them off and room for normal clothes under, which I do like. Oh, except for the time the zipper started binding and I couldn't take the jacket off anymore! The zipper wasn't like any I'd seen before, even accepting the zipper pull is on the "wrong" side. It had a sort of gasket in between to seal out any water. Seemed like a good idea until things went bad and I wouldn't get out of my jacket. And that was a little over a week ago so I really need to give props to Max BMW for facilitating an exchange in time for my trip. I notice the zipper on the exchange jacket is different, more standard like I'm used to, though still with the pull on the "wrong" side. Overall, still a great piece of gear, just not quite everything I had hoped considering the cost.
Well that's all for now. Wish I had more to share on the actual journey but so goes the nature of adventure, hopefully tomorrow I'll be making better forward progress!
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