Tandem Wheels

Tandem Wheels, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

I have let this blog go unattended for too long, though I have lots of pics to show and stories to tell from my riding season in 2008.

Back in March, I took a ride from Baltimore to Daytona and back to go to Bike Week. This is one of the first shots it took when arriving in Daytona Beach. This unique custom was in the parking lot across from the Iron Horse Saloon.

That trip was a lot of fun. I traveled alone, riding my Nomad 2096.1 miles in 5 days. It rained on a me quite a bit in Florida. I stayed in Orlando to save money, as hotel rooms are outrageously expensive in Daytona during Bike week.

A Day Riding in Arizona

Rented Goldwing, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

So much land, so little time. We had only a day to do some riding when we were in Arizona for Spring Break. We rented this Goldwing from MCTOURS LLC in Scottsdale. Gabor and Monica have a great business there renting Glodwings, BMW's and the new Kawasaki Concours 14 (my favorite). You can visit their website at www.azride.com.

My only regret is that we only had a day. We started in Scottsdale, and headed up North of Phoenix on I-17, made our way to Prescott on Route 60, then on Route 89. We had so little time, we did not stop much or take many pictures. Too busy riding. We wanted to make it to Sedona before dark, and then cruise on I-17 back to Scottsdale before the desert night got cool.

The temperature varied from 88 in Scottsdale to 53 near Sedona after the sun went down. As we decended in the darkness back to Scottsdale, the night time temperature climbed back to 71. Being the scatterbrain that I am, I had forfotten to pack any motorcycle jacket on this trip. So I ended up riding in a fleece jacket. I had to purchase another sweatshirt in Sedona to add a layer of warmth.

The scenery is so beautiful, the roads are so awesome, it is a fantastic place to ride. I want to go back and take more time to get off the bike and soak it all in, take more pictures, and relax. Maybe in the Fall, I have a frequent flyer pass I need to use ;-)

Off in the distance, in this view from Jerome, AZ you can see the San Francisco Peaks. They are just north of Flagstaff, towering 12,633 feet.

And in Sedona, just before the sun went down, I snapped this picture. There are so many scenic views in Sedona. I really need to go back there and take more time for serious photography. This time I was too busy riding.

Nomad by the Ocean

Nomad by the Ocean, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

I rode the Nomad from Baltimore to Daytona Beach for Bike Week. 2096.1 miles in all. During this trip I took lots of pictures that will be the first content posted on bikerphoto.net. The site will be a resource where people who love to attend major motorcycle rallies can pla their travel, reserve hotel rooms, and find links to riding gear and accessories for their bikes.

I will be attending Myrtle Beach Bike Week and also Ocean City Maryland Bike Week later this year. Bikerphoto.net will have many high quality photos, both posed and candid of people at these events. The target for getting the site online with the pictures from Daytona is March 15.

I will continue to post to this blog all along the journey, telling readers what I am learning about web design, my successes and my failures, as I build bikerphoto.net.

Shepherdstown WV

Shepherdstown WV, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

This is a nice little town in the Eastern Panhandle of WV. The permanent population here is less than 1,000, but it is the home of Shepherd University, which has about 5,000 students. The university population makes it possible for business owners to thrive with coffee shops, and trendy restaurants. Shepherdstown is about 2 hours from Washington, DC and about 2.5 hours from Baltimore.

O'Hurley's General Store is a place that hosts live tradtional acoustic music on Thursday nights. Musicians play for fun and enjoyment, and anyone can come in and enjoy.

Mandalay Bay

mandalay bay, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

This is the view from our room on a recent trip we took to Las Vegas. We were in the Luxor hotel, which is the one shaped as an egyptian pyramid. Vegas is always fun, but hard on the wallet. even if you don't gamble, the restaurants are fantastic, the shows are entertaining, and the shopping is endless. I always enjoy trips there.

Chrome

Chrome, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

There was lots of chrome at the Mid-atlantic Motorcycle Show in Timonium, MD. I try to make it to this show every year. It features all the new bikes from the local dealers, and custom bikes from all the custom bike shops in the area. There are all sorts of vendors selling riding apparel, luggage, and accessories. Take a look at more photos at www.bikerphoto.net. I still have bikerphoto.net pointing to my flickr photos, but it will be a real site soon.

My mission was 1) take some photos that I will be able to put on bikerphoto.net, and 2) to find a nice small duffle bag that would work on top of my hard side bags. But I really did not find what i was looking for at the show. I really like using the soft luggage from Revpack - www.revpack.com -- So I will be buying a pair of small "stuff packs" from them.

This is the wheel of the same bike. These photos are a little on the dark side. I was determined to not use flash. Flash would have ruined the reflections in the chrome, so I cranked up the ISO on my Canon 30D as far as it would go to 1600. The custom Harleys at the show were fantastic! So were the custom metric bikes, like this Suzuki Volousia.

Thoughts on hybrids, global warming and the global economy

No pictures with this post -- just a few observations. I saw an ad on television last night, right after arriving home from Friday happy hour, touting the new Chevy Suburban Hybrid. Give me a break! A hybrid suburban? Hybrids seem to be all the rage, but from what I have heard, that are ecologically unsound. The amount of energy used to manufacture and recycle the battery negates any savings of driving the vehicle. Further, there is very little savings in energy over the operational life of the vehicle.

What does a suburban weigh? 6,000 lbs? Laws of physics are still in effect. Hybrids have not created some kind of wierd new science, as the automakers, government, and ecology dorks would have you believe. It takes EXACTLY the same amount of energy to propel for its life of say 150,000 miles no mater whether it is a hybrid, a diesel, or gasoline. The battery can produce only so much energy without being charged. Guess what! The engine has to burn gasoline to recharge the battery. All you really get with a hybrid is a short span of fuel efficiency when moving slow, all to be wiped out when doing highway driving. The the mininal fuel savings over the life of the vehicle are wiped out by the added cost of manufacturing and recycling the battery.

Some ecological do-gooders want to trade in their gas guzzler NOW for a hybrid. They mean well. This creates demand for new hybrids. Manufacturing ANY new vehicle takes an enormous amount of energy. The better route is to continue to drive your gas guzzler until it is worn out. The energy used, and money spent by creating demand for ONE hybrid, are more than continuing to operate the low mpg vehicle you already have. When the old vehicle is worn out, the feel free to buy any new vehicle you want. Of course, I would advise everyone to buy a motorcycle. They are much more environmentally friendly than hybrids. But that is just my opinion. :-)

The federal government can't say this, but to REALLY cut down on carbon emissions the way we need to would throw the global economy into severe depression. They advocate use of hybrids, low wattage light bulbs, etc. These are miniscule savings in carbon emissions. Cars, trucks, buses and airplanes account for less than 50% of oil usage. Manufacturing and electric power generation are the huge emitters of carbons. To encourage people to buy fewer manufactured items would not be a good thing for the economy.

I don't know the answer to global warming, but I think converting our entier vehicle fleet to hybrids would have little to no effect. Maybe it would help to encourage people to drive less. Maybe gas needs to be $7 per gallon, so people will make adjustments and drive only when the must. Maybe encouraging people to buy less manufactured "stuff" that they don't need would help. But we know that will never happen.

A free Lexus! Find out how to get one! Email me.

Not a good day for motorcycles

Race Road before the snowplow, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

On Jan 17, we had a light snowfall here in central Maryland. I took this shot just at the storm was winding down. I had been at a business luncheon and came out to find the roads very slippery. I was in my AWD Pacifica, but with very worn tires. After stopping by a tire shop to get some new tires, I headed home to grab my camera while the snow was fresh. Shortly after this it warmed up, the snow turned into rain, and the beauty of the fresh snow was gone.

This is pretty, but I would much prefer a sunny day in the 70's, so I could be riding my bike on this road.

Through the bridge

Through the bridge, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

Here is another shot of that same bridge. I found out more about this bridge. Originally build in 1894, it was burned by vandals on Halloween in 1976. It is on route 720 just off US Route 11 in Mount Jackson, VA. Walking through to shoot photos makes one hope a car does not come. Shenandoah Valley in VA is an awesome place to sightsee and take photos. I can't wait for the weather to warm a little so I can go there on my bike. As a child I spent summers in this area, and it always holds a special place in my heart.

covered bridge in shenandoah valley

covered bridge in shenandoah valley, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

On a trip on New Year's weekend, we happened upon this covered bridge. We took a detour due to a traffic backup in I-81, and discovered this by accident. This is right of US Route 11 near New Market, VA. I did not note the name of the side road.

Take me home country roads

WV country road, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

Over New Years weekend my wife and I went home to WV. While there I got a chance to do some hiking in the woods, and took a few good shots of an old grist mill that my wife's family owns. Sorry I can't show shots of the grist mill, because they are copyrighted for future sale at fundraising events. The family is raising money to rebuild the grist mill. It was originally built and operated by my wife's great grandfather.

This picture is on Ellison Ridge Road in Summers County WV. I always loved backroads in the mountains.

First Railway in the US

Nomad with the Train, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

This picture is by the first railway that was built in the US. The train is crossing a pre-civil war era bridge made of stone over the Patapsco River near Baltimore. I haven't researched it myself, but I have been told that this railway between Baltimore and Washington was built by B&O railroad. This railway was used to transport Union troops during the civil war. Today it is a main line for CSX, with dozens of trains passing by each day.

Now about the picture. It was taken with an old Minolta 35mm film camera that belonged to my father-in-law. In 1987, this was one of the most advanced 35mm cameras that brough the ability to do photography to everyday people. However, I am not satisfied with the color. The rear portion of the motorcycle is too light red, and the red on the gas tank is too dark, looking almost crimson. I'm not sure if the fault is with the camera, the film, or the photographer (me). If any photographers with more experience that I know what the problem might be, please leave me a comment.

Baltimore Skyline at Dawn

Baltimore Skyline at Dawn, originally uploaded by bikerphoto.

I have taken a few good photos lately, but haven't had a chance to post them on this blog. I took this picture on a cold Saturday morning at dawn. The vantage point is Federal Hill Park, overlooking the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. On this day, the Army-Navy game was going to occur at M&T Bank Stadium. Midshipmen and Cadets were already out walking around in uniform before the sun came up. On any other morning at this time, there would be just a few early morning joggers and dog walkers.

I love getting out this early. The air is crisp. Most everyone is still asleep. It gives me a different perspective on things. I like the relative peace and quiet at this time of morning, knowing that in a few hours it will be hustle and bustle. It is the beauty of the calm before the storm, I suppose.

Since photography is one of my main topics on this blog, I'll give my own critique of this photo. I had hoped to get the city skyline with the rising sun shining a golden light on the buildings and a clear blue sky overhead. Conditions were not what I expected when I headed out. The sky was mostly clear, but there were some thin coulds on the eastern horizon. That made the light from teh sunrise too dim. I plan to go back on a clear morning to try for a better shot. For now, this one will have to do. I always welcome critique of my photos, so please comment.