Why did Google not find this page although it found RideLikeRon on my main page? Curious.
Ride Like Ron was last updated 3 Feb 2007 and my motorcycling buddies are expected to give me s_it if this isn't updated frequently. Jim Sweet and Pam and my motorcycling buddies who envy my chosen lifestyle have been lobbying for this site. The 1800 mile ride with these 9 exceptional guys to Big Bend and back was worth the 1500 wintertime miles to get here from South Carolina.
This ride with my buddies convinced me that it is hard to invite anyone who "values" time into my "house" on the open road. In order to Ride Like Ron you must be willing to relax and let the miles flow under and scenery wash over you. It is supremely relaxing although a motorcyclist must be always vigilant for deadly threats and alert for road hazards & critters.
If you have a schedule or dinner/motel reservations you are not riding like Ron. (Obviously, ironically, even Ron cannot always RideLikeRon.)
This composition started in my favorite office, the great out-of-doors. Fresh air, natural noises, and the outdoors are so enjoyable that I refuse to sleep indoors any more. Usually people have either time or money. Most people who have time don't have much money. Most people who have money spend most of their time earning more. I was a hippy in the 60s and haven't been forced to confront so much reality as most of my peers, so the pursuit of free time to enjoy life is paramount. One friend contends that "he who dies with the most toys wins." Isn't he who has the most time to play a bigger winner?
I have "retired to a comfortable level of poverty" and am very happy with my chosen lifestyle.
The vistas and scenery are the primary motivators for me. The faster you ride, the less scenery you see. 4000 rpm in top gear is efficient and quiet. On my previous bike (a 1979 BMW R100 RT) that was 75 mph and was "good" for one or two speeding tickets a year. Since downsizing to a 1973 BMW R75/5 4000 rpm in top gear is 60 mph and I get no tickets. Yes, this move to an older, smaller bike was intentional and it was smart.
Meanwhile, I recommend that you NOT RideLikeRon because in early December I rode 100 miles from Charlotte, NC to Columbia, SC at 2am in 26 degree weather. That is almost two hours of unimaginable wind chill. (Betcha cannot find wind chill figures for 26 degrees at 60 mph.) Then on the trip to Texas I rode across nearly all of Arkansas in very light, very chilly rain ... ugh. Wintertime scenery is devoid of greenery, so that day was just dreary. My riding gear is inadequate, so my socks and gloves were soaked through after the first hours. On the other hand, the warmth and sunshine across all of Alabama was indeed glorious. I thank God for every minute of pleasure I am given. I thank God for the inclement weather also, because we'd all be up the creek without it. (Yes, I do enjoy puns, but promise not to overdo it.)
Several travelogs are languishing while work continues on the massive Rambo family genealogy, but I'll get ARoundTuit one day "soon". The motorcycle trip in 2005 from Florida to British Columbia was delightful and the travelogue is partway done. First priority is the travelogue about the after-Christmas trip with my buddies to Big Bend 2006/2007.
Hopefully other drafts and outlines of travelogues will be expanded soon - and I cannot neglect the dangers of Cuervo Gold discovered during the 2001 motorcycling trip with this group in West Virginia.
Walter says I have valuable and unique knowledge about picking "roadside" sleeping locations as dusk heads into night, eating cheaply from grocery stores, and "winging it." Personally I'd rather rewrite Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to be more about zen and more about motorcycle maintenance. Actually the first life lesson to learn is that mistakes are cheap if they only cost money. Expensive is something that costs a piece of your body or a friendship.
Jim says we should aim to make me money to support my lifestyle (HA) and to upgrade my equipment. I guess I'll have to endorse products and kiss up to sponsors.
RideLikeRon is proud to support the following products which have been extensively tested. These products are "worth it" by any measure.
SmartWool socks thanks to sponsor and friend DL McWilliams of Houston, heat treating equipment.
Thermarest air mattress given me by Greg and Donna
MSR tent given me by John and Linda is wonderfully light and simple to set up. It has kept me dry many nights but doesn't breathe well, so rain usually gets the floor wet and everything gets damp when the rain fly is zipped. These are not complaints - most tents behave similarly.
My Skeeter Defeater tent is wonderfully light protection. Mine doesn't have a rain fly and you must be organized or you WILL lose pieces of the poles, but I still love mine after four years of constant use. Sadly it is no longer sold, but SkeeterDefeater offers a nimbus net that is cheaper and hangs from a single point above the sleeper.
GossamerGear.com sells ultra lightweight camping gear including a tough groundcloth film that Phil showed me. (Another RoundToIt situation.)
BMWMOA's Anonymous Book is a treasure for motorcyclists. (Thanks Walt.) However, the organization (BMW Motorcycle Owners Of America) just couldn't believe that I REALLY, REALLY did NOT want to receive any mail whatsoever, so when the first re-up notice arrived five months early and was followed by another notice every few weeks, I decided not to re-up.
Walter's latest e-mail reminds me that the RonsWear line of Gold Digger Repellant clothing and accessories will be a big seller with Ron Wannabees. That story will require another page and pictures.
Oop, there is no adequate supply of RideLikeRon GoldDiggerRepellant clothing. It cannot be mass produced and once Ron is ready to discard it, not even the homeless will take it. (Yes! That is the literal truth.) Nonetheless, there is now available one official RideLikeRon light blue coveralls. These coveralls are guaranteed fully sun-bleached and thread bare. Many yards of mending thread have been included at no extra charge although the machine patching in the rear was done by Linda instead of Ron. Thanks Linda. Rush that order for coveralls before the holes in the knees turn them into coverall cut-offs. A reprieve. Iron on patches will buy another couple of months of life for those coveralls. It is way too late to order official RideLikeRon Holey Socks from Danny. Several pair were posted in early January, but Danny says they didn't make it out of the Post Office in Houston.
Don't be fooled. Authentic RideLikeRonWear will have extensive hand stitching throughout.
John says that Bodycote.com website doesn't allow links, but this one works.
Backpacking tips will need a separate page, but this is hint number one.
..Fold your groundcloth to fit Entirely underneath the tent. If you see groundcloth peeking out from underneath the tent, so will any rain that falls and you'll awaken in a puddle. Oops.
Riding sense takes a while to develop. Let's pray that you live long enough to develop it.
..Practice a panic stop at least once a year, preferably early in the riding year. Correctly done you hit both brakes and the clutch abruptly and simultaneously. Practice as if your life depends on it.
..When one deer crosses in front of you, look for the second & third. I saw eight deer while riding throughout the night in mid-January in Alabama on Interstates 65 & 85. The closest was at the very edge of the pavement. More amusing was the coyote that skittered across the roadway 100 yards ahead of me.
RSB fix needed: This should be a separate page for better navigation.
SleepLikeRon Where to camp out for the evening?
There is no need to look for a place to sleep until evening when the light is fading. I just enjoy riding and don't see a reason to stop as long as there is scenery to be seen. On a good day you can see a dozen gorgeous sunsets. It is too dark when barbwire fences become invisible. When you get to sleep at dusk, it is easy to get up before dawn.
..National Forests are my favorite places followed by other public lands and semi-public places.
In a national forest you can sleep about anywhere. Some forests in California have baracades across all the access roads, but elsewhere you can ride back into the forest on a road until you find a good camping spot.
..Always look for signs of parties when you pick a place to sleep. If you see fresh beer cans, litter and tire tracks, go elsewhere.
..Usually there is only one animal to be afraid of: man (although Yellowstone and Glacier Parks have Grizzlies). It is NOT necessary to pick a spot where you can sleep until early morning twilight.
..Pick a spot without anyone seeing you where no headlights will make areflective flash from the motorcycle mirrors, headlight, reflectors, or chrome. After all, you want a restful night, not a worrisome one.
..Cover the motorcycle with a dull, non-reflective vehicle cover to keep the headlight, mirrors, reflectors and chrome from attracting attention. Oh, another piece of RideLikeRon gear is now available - just such a cover, incredibly sun bleached and mended throughout with standard issue quality duct tape.
..Consider whether approaching headlights on high beam will spotlight the motorcycle. Walk back to the roadway and watch as cars pass to see whether the bike is visible, especially to high beams.
..Highway rest areas are not safe as they attract too many unscrupulous people.
..Another safety tip is to pick your sleeping spot a small distance from the motorcycle. If anyone does see the motorcycle, the lights and noise of their discovery will likely awaken you before you are seen.
..Do you NEED recouperative rest? If you may sleep in late, the spot better be private. Today I looked at several churches, but it is Wednesday night, so there may be prayer meeting, especially among Baptists and Methodists. Similarly school athletic fields are usually good, but not for sleeping late. The spot of choice was a pathway into a small woods off an access road to some gas lines. The access road was visible from US 79 and the pumps were within walking distance of Tractor Supply, but the pathway was blocked by stumps and overgrown with thorny vines. It showed no signs of parties or hunting (cans, bags, shells, etc). This was a perfect place and was so good that I left my camp set up there for two more nights.
..Do you need to set up a tent, either for rain (or fog) or for insects (& snakes)? My MSR tent is very small and light, but the Skeeter Defeater is even smaller and lighter.
..Will you awaken before dawn? Your choices are much wider.
..Outdoor activity is much greater in the summertime and in Hispanic populated areas. It is best to avoid cities where there is a large Hispanic population or when looking for a sleeping spot in summer.
Click here to return to Ron Beatty's home page,
These links are on all my web pages:
Eve's Garden Organic Bed and Breakfast, a wonderful, eclectic, artistic papercrete alternative living learning mecca in Marathon, Texas
Rambo family genealogy, Bankston & Bankson family genealogy, the Camblin family genealogy, the Dorsey Overturff family, cousin Jean's Schenck and Hageman genealogy, and