T minus ten

I made the decision to really do this around Christmas, and 4 months seemed like quite a while away. A third of a year after all. People have been asking me for quite a while if I was counting the days, and really, I wasn't. I was comfortably aware that the departure date was getting closer, but not really wishing that it would hurry up and get here.

Well, it's here, and I'm counting, and I have pre-trip jitters.

Time to put the final touches on. I reserved the first bike today. I may have mentioned that I bought the Triumph Tiger here, so that I could get used to it before riding it in Europe. Weeeellll, I'm renting a BMW R1200GS for the first leg.








Rode one one Saturday and it felt pretty good, though I do like my Tiger better. I'll have 4 days in Germany before setting off to Italy to get used to it. The BMW simply was the significantly better deal for the first 3 weeks. More included mileage and cheaper to boot. Seems to be a small outfit that rents bikes that aren't brand new, but are well maintained. I'll get a Tiger for the second run into Italy. Really, I had to get a BMW at some point, there was just no other option!

I'm starting to focus on the first stage of the trip. Fixing some dates of when I want to be where, reading up on riding through the Dolomites.

Stage 1 itinerary -

May 9-11 Valdobiadenne
May 11-13 Pula, Croatia
May 14-18 Ride Alpine and Dolomite passes
May 18 Brescia - that's where the Mille Miglia starts and finishes - http://www.1000miglia.it/2014-Edition/Route-2014/  - May wind up trading the bike for an old Alfa.
May 20 Modena - check out the Giro stage Modena to Salsomaggiore. This would made Tom insanely jealous and is thus is worth almost any detour :)
May 21 or 22 arrive back in Grafenau

I really should go do a packing dry run. Not tonight though, too tired. Managed to not fall asleep until 3:30 last night. Too many trip details buzzing around my brain...

The plan

The plan/itinerary has been in flux from the word go - well actually before then - and continues to be. That's as it should be, this was never supposed to be some regimented trip, but more of a free flowing adventure.

Went for a little jaunt up to the Berkshires last Saturday. 4 1/2 hours, 200 miles. One the way back everything hurts - butt, shoulders, back, knee. I'm tired, I want to get off the bike. I'm thinking, do I really want to do this every day for 2 weeks? Perhaps not. What WAS I thinking when I thought that a marathon run would be a good idea. One of the things that people tell you about MC touring is to not ride on some schedule. Make sure you have time to stop, slow down, see things. So, tweak the plan - fly to Norway, get a bike there, go check out the Fjords - or maybe walk the Camino de Compostella for a week.

So this is the way I have it right now - subject to change!

May 1  - Leave for Germany
May 9-11 - Valdobiadenne, Treviso
May 11-13 - Pula, Croatia
May 13-20 - Ride around northern Italy, hit some passes, check out the Giro d'Italia and the Mille Miglia.
June 1-6 - Norway. See the fjords, visit my cousin in Bergen
June 14-21- Helsinki/Porvoo. Celebrate summer solstice
June 28-July4 - Lago di Garda. Chill, eat, ride.
July 12 - Schuetzenfest in Lichtenfels
July 20 - F1 race at Hockenheim
July 22 - Return to US

I'm planning on renting bikes for the two Italy trips and in Norway. 

During the gaps I'll be in Germany. I've never been to what used to be eastern Germany, so I'd like to see maybe Dresden & Leipzig. Go back to Berlin for a couple of days. See some friends I haven't seen in a long time.  Drive the Nuerbugring. Spend time with my family. Celebrate birthdays.

The beginning

I've been meaning to start writing this quite a while ago...

How did this all come about? Unhappy at work, hitting 50, not knowing where I'm going, so why not take some time off to "find myself" - or just have some fun and chill.

I don't remember how the plan came about, but a few things just came together. I wanted to take time off - 3 months seemed like a good compromise. I've been wanting to meet up with my parents and Hans Otto & Renate in Valdobiadenne for years for the annual Prosecco bunkering trip. I had talked to Monna and Chris about meeting them in Helsinki for mid summer night. Tom and Pauline will spend a week at the Garda lake. Fit my birthday in the middle and the frame work is there. Connect everything by traveling on a motorcycle and it becomes kinda epic.

So then there was the minor point of taking 3 months off - or quitting. The idea of just walking away was very tempting, but had obvious downsides. I gave it about a 50/50 chance that my job would say yes to a 3 month leave. So I must say I was very happy that they did say yes. I felt the love, esp since my VP had to go to bat for me to convince the CIO of the wisdom of keeping me.

Ok then, time to make real plans. I had first thought that I should be doing this on a BMW natch, specifically one of the big adventure bikes - R1200GS - epic. I let some sanity (not too much) creep in and decided it was a bit pricey and heavy. The alternative, a bike I'd looked at a few years ago. Triumph Tiger 800.

So of course, I started by buying one. Chalk it up as a midlife crisis purchase ;-) I  hadn't ridden in inclement weather and conditions in a long time. Decided I needed to practice. Picked it up March 8th and have been riding every weekend and now every day to work. Freezing temps - check (time for a new electric vest). Torrential, cold downpour - check (damn boots leaked). Riding in commuting traffic - check (perhaps a good idea to pick up a high viz vest). 800 miles so far.

I've been reading adventure riding sites for pointers, trying to prep. Bough a lot of gear. Upgraded some of my safety gear, new helmet, new gloves. Set up iPhone for nav - case, mount, bluetooth helmet speakers. Travel gear - high tech underwear, quick dry, wicking. Merino wool socks. Packable chair - 1.2 lbs - very cool. Helmet cam, still gotta figure that one out!

Then, last week some setbacks. The knee acts up. Finally been riding enough to make it hurt. Not good. Serious doubts about the wisdom/feasibility of riding for 2 weeks straight from Stuttgart to Helsinki - ~4000 km / 2500 miles. Also have found that the windshield on the Tiger is very loud. Thought that a bigger one would fix that, but no. Apparently known problem for tall guys. DOH!