[ev]

thanks for joining us and thanks for your patience, Rich
on the way back the Bear commented: given all the crap on his bike, his tires and the gear he wore,
he was pretty quick and courageous, beware, once he is in gear and on his X he will be fast.
a huge compliment of someone who normally does not talk much
I fully agree, you have a lot of potential
here comes the but
get in decent gear, please :!:
jean jacket and dice-boxes (army style boots) are a no-go in the dirt, and glasses without googles to protect them are in danger and dangerous
saw enough people hurt themselves, please protect yourself as best you can,
told you I broke the plastic cap of my shinguard last week without dropping the bike?
noticed the zip-ties on my boots? hit a rock and broke the lash last weekend, think that would have hurt with your boots?
saw the duct tape on my bark buster (the new ones still are in the ups truck :evil: ) broke that without dropping the bike, but hitting the same tree with flag style guards or even my bare knuckles ... no thank you!
your 'roost deflector' should have made you think about some more gear, to prevent more pain,
yes, am riding my hobby horse, but still, I'll rather upset you by repeatetly telling you about protection
than hear you tell me about your (preventable) injuries - fair?

southside ride if you really like mud as much as you said

[r_seith]

ev,

Thanks for inviting me riding. I had a good time. You and your husband are considerably more aggresive riders than I am. There was a time when I used to ride that way, but I've lost some of my competitive spirit. I mostly ride at an easier pace these days. I will say that at the start of the day I was working to keep up with you guys. I soon decided that I'm just too out of shape and was inviting an injury. (I was sore all over the next day!)

About my equipment: I always wear a quality full face helmet with goggles. I do have glasses under them, but I never ride without goggles. (I liked the ones your husband had. I'll have to look into them.) The denim jacket and jeans have always afforded me reasonable protection from abrasions. I don't think that mx jerseys/pants would offer any more protection. You had a lot of holes in yours. As for a chest protector, I'm not normally riding with other people. I do agree it would protect me from roost if I join you more often. I always wear riding gloves (learned that the hard way). The boots I wear are steel toed construction boots that cover my ankles. They'll protect from a toe into a rock or a tree as well as any riding boots. You have a point that motorcycle boots will protect me better from a twist.

All that said, I don't think I ride as "unprotected" as you made it out to be. However, I will consider your advice and look into some gear. The only significant injury I've had is a broken bone in my back. This would not have been prevented with any level of protective gear. I'm apparently "osteopenic" (at greater risk of fracture) and my doctors are not yet sure why. You saw the back brace I wear under my jacket for support.

You also had a lot to say about the "junk" on my bike. I'm a dual sport rider, not an mx'er. Most of the junk is necessary to keep the bike street legal. The rest are niceties. I kept the bag on my rear fender because I didn't know where we were going. My lunch, a few tools, etc... were in it.

Anyway, thanks again for the invitation. I wasn't expecting such a "critique", but I did have a good time.

And yeah, I do like mud. What's a dirt bike without getting it dirty?

-Rich

[ev]

oooh, Rich, please, I did not mean to offend you
am I overly cautious? but riding without shinguards, ellbow protection, ... feels like riding naked
maybe I should learn to go around trees? you saw my broken bark buster
xmas day my jersey was absolutely un-holy, then I followed a friend thu the briars
as for my pants, they have made it thru many miles or hours and I keep mending them
the Bear always need new gear, I love my worn-torn-trashy crap
as for the 'junk' on your bike ... think about your potato chips and grin, please
read the Bears comment again and take it as the compliment it is

if I ever get the XR registered, will you take me for a ds ride?

[r_seith]

You got it! Just let me know when you get a plate on the bike. No hard feelings. The "ev critique" just took me by surprise.

I got my CRF back, and yes, I'm going to put a lot of junk on it. I know you think it's a sin to ride it on the road, but you'll understand when you see Peidmont park. The park is all dirt roads, but not legally accessible without a plate.

Safe riding!

-Rich