hughess007
Big Wheel
I had heard for years that Cape Breton, Nova Scotia's Cabot Trail is one of the great Motorcycling rides in North America. In fact, USA todays top 10 list has it at number 1. I was just waiting for sufficient push to go and experience it for myself. Last week the stars aligned and I went.
Riding from Westchester County NY to the Cabot Trail and back in 6 days (about 2000 miles all up)
I had always wanted to stretch my legs (figuratively) on a long ride, see if I was up to day after day of hours on the bike. The last 2 days I did about 900 miles total (by choice) I have read admiringly of those iron butted riders who put in monster miles and wanted to test my stamina. The bike (2014 Concours 14) was perfect, didn't miss a beat or at any time make me wish I was riding something else. The sheepskin rug I sacrificed to pad my seat turned out to be a very inexpensive and very successful modification. As were the neoprene over grips. The only thing I would add is a Canyon Cage with the fold out highway pegs to literally stretch out my legs more often. It was as fuel efficient as my right hand allowed it to be and the winding roads made me very happy to be on the sport end of sport-touring.
Thank you God for creating a motorcycling nirvana and the Canadian highways department for paving it. What a stunning masterpiece. I agree with Tony (COG name Brownant) who I got to ride with a couple of times in Nova Scotia that it has elements of New Zealand, Colorado with and I think Mid West Nice people to make the off bike times as pleasant as the riding bits. The coastal vistas on the west coast side of Cape Breton alone are worth the ride. Getting to see a big ole Black Bear grazing high above the road was an unexpected bonus. I didn't see a Moose which I was disappointed about. Locals said I should be happy as they can be quite a hazard on the road.
I also had only a loose route planned. Get to the Cabot Trail, ride round it and eventually get home. I had a couple of accommodations booked but also winged it for a few. I deviated constantly from my intended route of the day and at least half the time changed the end point as well and got some of the best moments by doing this. I would see a highway sign telling me that this town or that was awesome and that my life would be somehow enriched by deviating to go and visit it. Sometimes they were right. One word example, Lunenburg. I found that traveling this way was incredibly relaxing. No timetable to adhere to and not worried that by taking one road I might miss something on the road not traveled. I stopped and ate when ever my belly told me that it needed filling and if this meant a full turkey dinner at 4pm then so be it. I would also engage in conversation with complete strangers who were curious as to what I was doing and even why I was doing it. Being free to do that for however long that conversation took was fantastic. I spent an hour in a car park with a couple from Europe and feel that we were all the richer for it.
I know that this is not the way of planning a trip for everyone and I have read some of the map route planning posts and a lot of it is way too complicated for this kiwi. Excellent for those with the aptitude for it. But getting on the bike and going to see what is around the next corner felt as free as I have in a while and I feel nourished.
God bless all of you and see you out there on those therapeutic machines we call Connies.
Riding from Westchester County NY to the Cabot Trail and back in 6 days (about 2000 miles all up)
I had always wanted to stretch my legs (figuratively) on a long ride, see if I was up to day after day of hours on the bike. The last 2 days I did about 900 miles total (by choice) I have read admiringly of those iron butted riders who put in monster miles and wanted to test my stamina. The bike (2014 Concours 14) was perfect, didn't miss a beat or at any time make me wish I was riding something else. The sheepskin rug I sacrificed to pad my seat turned out to be a very inexpensive and very successful modification. As were the neoprene over grips. The only thing I would add is a Canyon Cage with the fold out highway pegs to literally stretch out my legs more often. It was as fuel efficient as my right hand allowed it to be and the winding roads made me very happy to be on the sport end of sport-touring.
Thank you God for creating a motorcycling nirvana and the Canadian highways department for paving it. What a stunning masterpiece. I agree with Tony (COG name Brownant) who I got to ride with a couple of times in Nova Scotia that it has elements of New Zealand, Colorado with and I think Mid West Nice people to make the off bike times as pleasant as the riding bits. The coastal vistas on the west coast side of Cape Breton alone are worth the ride. Getting to see a big ole Black Bear grazing high above the road was an unexpected bonus. I didn't see a Moose which I was disappointed about. Locals said I should be happy as they can be quite a hazard on the road.
I also had only a loose route planned. Get to the Cabot Trail, ride round it and eventually get home. I had a couple of accommodations booked but also winged it for a few. I deviated constantly from my intended route of the day and at least half the time changed the end point as well and got some of the best moments by doing this. I would see a highway sign telling me that this town or that was awesome and that my life would be somehow enriched by deviating to go and visit it. Sometimes they were right. One word example, Lunenburg. I found that traveling this way was incredibly relaxing. No timetable to adhere to and not worried that by taking one road I might miss something on the road not traveled. I stopped and ate when ever my belly told me that it needed filling and if this meant a full turkey dinner at 4pm then so be it. I would also engage in conversation with complete strangers who were curious as to what I was doing and even why I was doing it. Being free to do that for however long that conversation took was fantastic. I spent an hour in a car park with a couple from Europe and feel that we were all the richer for it.
I know that this is not the way of planning a trip for everyone and I have read some of the map route planning posts and a lot of it is way too complicated for this kiwi. Excellent for those with the aptitude for it. But getting on the bike and going to see what is around the next corner felt as free as I have in a while and I feel nourished.
God bless all of you and see you out there on those therapeutic machines we call Connies.
