Vision: Eye Glasses or Contact Lenses for Riding?

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I have been very nearsighted since around the third grade.  I was the kid in class who had those heavy plastic, dark-rimmed glasses with thick-edged lenses.

But, I could see those real slate blackboards clearly after getting them.  Modern versions and variations of those old frames have served me well for more than five decades now. 

Those old-style frames have come back into style, but they may not be the best way to see what's going on when riding a motorcycle.

Not me.

Lets look at the pros and cons. 

Glasses

• They are quick and easy to put on.  It just takes a second.   
• They are easy to clean.  
• Glasses do not promote eye problems like contacts might. 
• Glasses lenses can be shaped to correct for astigmatism. 
• For those suffering from presbyopia (literally "to see as old men"), the lens in the eye becomes stiff and cannot any longer focus on close objects.  Thus two different powers of lenses are required to be able to see at a distance as well as close up.  Such lenses are referred to as bifocals.  Bifocal lenses are readily available, so you can focus on the road ahead though the main part of the lens or focus on closer objects such as the instruments, your GPS, or a map by looking through the bifocal near the bottom of the lens. 
  I have used progressive bifocals that do not have a line between the main and close up sections for many years, and find the vision adequate both far and near. 
  Nevertheless, there are alternatives.  See the references to types of bifocals for motorcycle riding below.   
• Of course, the glasses must fit inside your helmet.  This is sometimes a problem for large glasses and/or a tight-fitting helmet.  When you buy a helmet, take your glasses and any liner you use to keep warm along to see how well they fit inside.  When you buy glasses, take your helmet and the liner along to see about the same thing.
• Glasses can fog up, especially in cold weather.  One way of avoiding this is to use a helmet insert like the Foggy Respro.   
• Now, a subtle, but important issue with glasses:
  Even a correctly fitted helmet moves a bit relative to the eyes.  In fact, your scalp can move around on your skull even if the helmet does not slide on the scalp.  Usually, the glasses are, at least in part, positioned by the helmet.  So, when the helmet moves, so do the glasses.
  Therein is the problem.  The shift of the glasses moves the image your eye sees.  When you go over a bump or the helmet is otherwise shifted, the image you see also shifts.
  I have found this to be a significant problem when attempting sports where head movement is rapid.  I believe that because I have worn glasses for many years that move slightly when my head moves, I have had trouble with hand-to-eye coordination.  That causes me to be very poor at these sports.
  If only I had been fitted with glasses that wrap and had a secure back strap so that they did not move around in front of my eyes, I might have been better at sports.
  I find the same problem with motorcycling.  The slight movement of the helmet/glasses on my head changes the position of the image I see.
  I have not found any glasses that do not have this problem, and of course, a strap behind the head can't work with a helmet because you put the helmet on before the glasses.  (You do wear a helmet, right?)
• Also, since the refraction in your glasses lens changes from center to edge, where you are looking through the lens changes the effective correction.  That is, by the way, another good reason to turn your entire head to look where you want to go, rather than moving only your eyes. 
  Contact lenses do not have this problem.   They move with the eye, and the resulting image shifts very little, even with violent head or eye movement. 

Experience for yourself how the image moves when your glasses are moved relative to your eyes: 

Put on a pair of glasses.  Look though the normal part of the lens (not looking over the top like the guy below). 

Move the glasses, first up, then down.  Like this:

See how the image moves?

Now, instead of moving them up and down, move one side down and the other side up at the same time.

That is what can happen when you wear glasses when riding.  Almost makes you dizzy, doesn't it? 

The same thing happens side to side. 

Not good. 


Contact Lenses
There are two major types of contact lenses, so we will lump some of the pros and cons for both together first.  

• They take some time to put in, take out
• They must be kept scrupulously clean. Cleanliness is vital to avoid eye infection and disease.  
• They may cause the eyes to be dry and irritated.  
• They don't fog up.   
• They move with the eye, so the image is always in good focus no matter whether you are looking straight ahead or out of the corner of your eyes.  
• If you need bifocals, you most commonly must use reading glasses with the contact lenses for up-close vision. 

Gas-permeable hard lenses

• These are made of fairly rigid plastic that breathes.  
• They provide excellent vision and correct for astigmatism by spanning the irregularities of the cornea that cause astigmatism with a film of tears under the lens.  In effect, they replace the cornea as the refracting surface of the eye.  I found this type of lens to be very good except for the fact that they made my eyes very red after wearing them for several hours.  Surprisingly, they did not cause pain. 
  Because of the redness, I did not stay with rigid lenses.  
• These are more rugged and longer lasting.  

Soft lenses

• These are very comfortable for up to ten hours at a time on the bike.  
• They provide very good distance vision.  
• These lenses can correct for astigmatism by having the appropriate spherical lens contour to correct for distance and a superimposed cylindrical contour to correct for astigmatism.   There is an orientation feature so the lens rotates to the correct position on the eye and stays there. These lenses are referred to as toric. 
• I find that I can see my analog instruments clearly without having close vision correction. The GPS, positioned a bit closer to my eyes, is slightly out of focus, but using its audio directions in an earpiece helps to compensates for that. 
• My eyes do not get significantly dry when wearing them.   
• They more easily absorb pollutants than gas-permeable lenses. 

This is the soft lens I wear: 

What if you want to use contact lenses, must have bifocals to correct close vision, but don't want to use reading glasses?  There are so-called bifocal soft contact lenses.  However, I think it is better for motorcycle riding to have lenses fitted for good distance vision only.

Another method of providing close vision is to have one lens for distance vision and the other for close vision.  I think that is risky for motorcycling, since good binocular visual acuity for distance vision is vital. 

Read about these options and others with greater detail here. 



References to Types of Bifocals for Motorcycle Riding

• Progressive Bifocals While Motorcycle Riding
• Prescription Motorcycle Glasses
• Riding Glasses Suggestion

What do you find best for riding?

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Old Folks, Pianos, and Bucky

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On occasion, I like to have a little fun with my appearance as a typical motorcycle rider when I am around "normal" people. 

Now, "typical" is probably not a good way of putting it.

The usual stereotype of a bad biker is one of black chaps and a slant-zip jacket over a sleeveless shirt, with maybe a bandanna, a colors vest, a few chains, and some tattoos in conspicuous places. 

Or, it could be a kid on a too-high-powered sportbike wearing cargo shorts and a tee shirt, perhaps with a back protector over the tee (for safety). 

How about that Gold Wing rider with his drink holders and space enough to carry a complete closet full of clothes and a mechanic's tool chest just in case? 

Well, I have to admit that we bikers, especially the ones dressed for the road, look a little odd when we are not riding, but still in our getup around non-biker people.  On occasion, I have stopped at a take-out restaurant or other retail establishment and had folks give me the eye for the way I am dressed.  Not very many make a comment, surprisingly, and even if they do, the comments are often flippant: "'fraid of fallin' off that thing?" or "Ya' look like ya' just stepped off the Starship Enterprise."  

And, when I buy gas, I don't like to waste time taking off my gloves so I can unbuckle my helmet to go in and pay for my purchase.  So, I go in with the full regalia, credit card in hand, and fork it over to the clerk who no-doubt is wondering if I am about to rob him and take off at high speed with his money. 

There is one other situation where I have a little more fun.  You know that I play the piano, and that I tickle the ivories with mostly old popular tunes -- from the early twentieth century into the sixties.  They come from sheet music I have collected over the years, and from my mimicking some of the songs on my hoard of player piano rolls. 

I also play a lot of old-favorite hymns. 

There are several nursing and assisted living homes that periodically ask me to come and play for their residents.  After all, I may be one of the only people still playing tunes that their parents grew up with or that they, themselves enjoyed when they were young. 

I sometimes ride the bike on the days I play for them, a pack on my back filled with music books.  When I get there, it is easier to leave everything -- helmet, gloves, backpack, etc. -- on rather than try to carry it all in my arms separately.  I've done it both ways, and I usually drop something along the way if I take everything off first.

And that is where my fun begins. 

As I walk in the door and to the room with the piano, which is sometimes quite a ways away from the entrance, the residents look agape, wondering whether they are seeing things that don't really exist. 

And some are ready to defend themselves against the likes of me.

The staff of the home thinks an alien has invaded from outer space for sure, and place their hand on the phone in case they need to call in the Men in Black -- or more. 

Little kids visiting grandmas and grandpas often ask me if I am a Power Ranger. 

I am, I tell them -- the Silver one.


I think I see in the eyes of some of the men a glimmer of memories of days gone by, maybe when they rode a now-ancient motorcycle cross country on a shoestring.  Or they remember trying to impress the young ladies with their style and daring. They might be reliving that time in their past through me today. 

Students of Scott Sr. High School
Westwood, PA

I get a kick out of giving them something to talk about the next day over lunch or supper, too.  "...you know, Mabel, that young man with the odd clothes, who came and played the piano for us last night?  Well, I've never seen anything like it...." 

SuperStock photo

Often times, I banter with the audience.  I kid, and tease, or explain something interesting about the numbers I play.  I bring up the importance of God, country, and family, and the very real potential of our losing our freedoms of religion and speech if we don't pass down our values to young people. 

Sometimes I jokingly tell them that there will be rides on the back of my motorcycle after I am through playing. 

One summer evening, a spry lady actually followed me out to the bike, expecting to get her ride right then and there.  I had to explain that I could not give her a ride that night, but maybe the next time I came around.  Well, the next time I came around, about six weeks later, she asked first thing if I were going to give her the ride she missed last time!  I had to decline again, but she remembers to this day that I owe her one. 


There is something else. 

A few of the people in these places are in pretty bad shape.  Life has become less full for them.  Some are no longer the people they once were, and they might not realize as much about what is going on around them any more.  Their eyes have become dim, and their bodies frail. 

I sometimes wonder to myself whether they will really get anything out of some guy pounding on a piano. 

And I would be wrong if I thought they didn't. 

Getty Collection

It is amazing to me.  Some who appear to be quite unresponsive seem to be moved by the music.  The hymns, especially, are still familiar to them, learned long ago.  They may remember the words of every verse, and they sing along with my playing.  Despite their foggy memories of things that happened just yesterday, they still remember the old things. 

I was at first surprised by this.  Then I became moved.  I am encouraged by them.  I play my heart out for them.

And I know that I should never forget that my meager God-given talents are to be shared freely.

I hope someone comes to see me and play for me when I am long past my prime.  It might bring back a misty distant memory or two I have made. 

Do something for someone else today. You will get more out of it than you might think. 
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New Skid Lid

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When I started riding a motorcycle back in 2007, I was in my 5th decade of life.  I wished to prolong that as best I could, so I made sure I had the proper protective gear.  I never ride without a full leather suit, motorcycle-specific gloves and boots, and a full-face helmet.

I even wore one to the MSF beginner class I took: 

I wore this used helmet for a few weeks until I bought the new one.  It is now relegated to being a photo frame in my office.

Since my noggin a very important part of me, I looked over the reviews carefully when I bought my first helmet and found that the Scorpion EXO-700 was highly rated and reasonably priced.  I went to the local dealer and tried one on for fit.  I wore it for about 20 minutes n the store to make sure there were no pressure points.  I got some odd looks from other customers, but that is the penalty you pay to make sure you are not buying something that won't fit properly.  I decided that it was fine, so I made the purchase.

I bought light silver color because it matches well the silver on the bike, and blends with my usual riding suit colors.  

That lid now has almost 40,000 miles on it, over a little more than six years and some 536 rides.

By the way, that Fieldsheer suit was an early purchase in the quest to learn to ride a motorcycle.  I actually bought it at a pawn shop more than ten (!) years before I got a motorcycle.

What can I say?  It was a really good deal.  It was just luck that the motorcycle I bought was silver to match it. 

[How do you know all those statistics you quoted above, Bucky?]

I'm afraid I am compulsive about keeping track of when and where I ride and how far.  In fact, I can also tell you that the average ride length is 74 miles, and I have put in about 6500 miles per year, since the beginning.  That includes a lot of short jaunts to work and back, and usually just one longer ride on the weekends.  An advantage of keeping track of all this data is that I can look back and refresh my feeble memory on whether a route was a good one, what there is to see there, and whether I wrote (or might write) about it on these pages. It also helps when I am out riding to remember where any future tag game pictures were taken. 

Practical, eh? 

Now, back to the gear discussion.

They say that a helmet should be replaced when it is between five and seven years old.  Certainly the soft foam comfort padding inside deteriorates, so that is one reason to chuck it.  And it can get kind of nasty from all the sweat, even though you can remove and wash it in the Scorpion.  Indeed, my helmet had a new set of foam installed under warranty when it was three years old.  The covering over the foam had become cracked and was peeling off.  The denser protective foam is also said to deteriorate.  I don't want to find out whether it has done so by putting it to a test, so I sally forth to find a replacement helmet.

The old:

 

These days, my shopping is in large part on the Internet, though I almost always look locally too. 

There are so many helmet manufacturers and models to pick from, and the prices range from bargain-basement $59.95 to hundreds of dollars.  I think my head is worth more than 60 bucks, so I look a little higher. 


So, what did I pick for the replacement?  See for yourself.  Here is a picture of the new helmet in its box: 

Scorpion EXO-700! 

They give you this pretty bag to protect it:

[OK, Bucky, don't tell me...]

And here is a side-by-side photo of my old and new helmets.

[C'mon, let's see it!]

OK.  Here it is:

Yes, I admit it.  I bought the identical helmet.  Bike Bandit had them on sale for $102, so I decided to buy another one before they phase them out.  

That eye staring out of half of the face shield is intended to demonstrate its fog-proof coating.

It doesn't really work when it is cold outside.  The only thing I have found that really works to keep the shield and your glasses from fogging is the Foggy Respro neoprene insert that covers your nose and mouth.  It attaches to the inside of the helmet with Velcro.

I put my new helmet on my head to test the fit, and immediately notice the difference between it and my old helmet.  This one is TIGHT.  Has my head swelled up in just six years?

No, my original was tight too when I first got it.  In fact, if you watch your face and scalp through the face shield opening while you move the helmet, the skin should follow the helmet.  Like this.  If it doesn't, then the helmet may be too big.  You don't want it moving around. 

I hope this one gives me another 40,000 miles of safe use, and so I can continue to look snazzy with my color-coordinated look.

 [Makes us all goose bumps, Bucky.  ...NOT.]

Ride safe and wear ATGATT.

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Big Bird

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Last Saturday I went for a ride, as is my usual habit.  It was predicted by the weather guessers that it would be in the seventy degree ballpark in the afternoon.  Can't miss a day like that! 

I ended up going just a little over 130 miles, and I'll write about the details of the ride later, but I had one encounter early in the day that was striking.

When there is an animal that has met its demise along our roadways, there are some times when the cleanup crew doesn't get there to scoop it up right away.  In fact, if there is a deer strike for example, and the carcass is still warm, there may be bunches of people who stop to pick it up for processing into tasty venison -- providing a service without taxpayer cost -- and providing some family with a feast.  . 

When the deceased is smaller, nature takes over nicely.

And that is where big bird comes in.

You see, there were several of them feeding on some carrion in a wooded area by the road on the early part of my route.  As usual, they had one eye on the prey, and one on the road scanning for approaching traffic.  These three fellows had the timing just right as I approached.  They took flight at about the same time and flew off to some safe and convenient nearby perch.

Common Raven -- photo by David Hofmann, Santa Rosa, CA

Except for one of them.  He took his flight, but right at me.  The next thing I knew, there was a disheveled mess of black feathers heading right for my face.  I ducked as best I could.  A split second after that black feather boa spread over my face shield, came a thump of significant magnitude, despite my attempt to duck down to avoid it.

Smack!

I heard my neck bones crackling as the back of my helmet hit the collar of my suit.  I estimate that the weight of this bird was somewhere between that of a flatiron and a locomotive.

Fortunately, I recovered quickly from the impact, and my state of amazement at what he did.  When I again opened my eyes, I found that I was still upright, and mostly in my own lane.  I motored on a little further, when it dawned on me that maybe I ought to go back and snap a picture of evidence for you, kind readers.  I turned around at the next intersection, and went back, scouting carefully for the unfortunate feathered creature with underdeveloped navigational skills.

Alas, he must have survived to feed on the road kill another day.  Either that or he fluttered off into the forest to die in peace.  Either way, I couldn't find him.

A little while later, after my heart rate had slowed down a bit more, I stopped to take a look at my trusty protective helmet.  There was a greasy streak on the shield, but no forfeited feathers, and no gooey excreta. Surprising, that.  I think my errant feathered friend(?) might have been no worse for wear than before our little encounter. 

So, I don't have the evidence, but it was sure a real encounter for me.  My neck doesn't hurt, and the crackling I heard was probably just some breaking loose of a few calcium deposits that accumulate with old age. Saves me a trip to the quack chiropractor. Great, huh? 

No harm, no foul.

Or is that no fowl? 

Good lesson here.  No matter what type of close encounter with a road hazard you have, ATGATT is an important watchword.  It was for me that day. 

How about you?  What close encounters have you had?  
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Hot Head

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From the title of this posting, you might think this is a tome about road rage. 

It isn't.

Instead, it is about a way to get a good warm start on a cold day.

Recall that I ride year around here in South Carolina, so I need to keep warm as I sally forth on my cool-season adventures. 

It dawned on me the other day when the outside temperature was hovering at the freezing mark, and I had not brought my helmet in from the garage to warm it up the evening before, to heat it up some before donning. 

My solution:

High tech, huh?

I found that the heat from the furnace warmed it up nicely, and it felt quite cozy when I put it on.  The feeling lasted for a surprisingly long time after I got out into the cold and wind of the ride. 

Now, it doesn't substitute for bundling up to preserve your body heat, but it helps get a good start on staying warm.  I have written several times before about Dressing for Cold Weather Riding: Here, here, and here.  I still use those techniques to keep comfortable, even on long rides in the winter.

In fact, I just reinstalled my pair of Hippo Hands over the heated grips last week, and rode in toasty comfort for several hours on Saturday, in temperatures under 45 degrees. 

The helmet on the register trick also works in the summer, when a sweaty helmet needs to be dried out -- and aired out.  The cool, dry air from the air conditioner does the trick nicely. 

How do you keep warm when its cool? 
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Ride to Mt. Mitchell -- Highest Point East of the Mississippi

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Our church riding group planned a trip to the highest point east of the Mississippi, Mt. Mitchell, in North Carolina. Though I had never been there, the roads on the way there were somewhat familiar, including the previously-reported-on US-178 and a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is to be our longest ride thus far, so we start out an hour earlier than usual, at 8:30.

We are gratified that four new guys show up to join us for the ride. They are all from Easley, and have been interested in riding with us but never had the chance to get away on the days we scheduled previously. Even so, today they have not allocated enough time to do the entire ride, so they decide that they would break off part way through and return home.

The weather report has predicted rain chances for several days, but the latest report gives only a 30% chance, so we prepare to get started.

An aside:

I continue to be surprised at how little protective gear most riders wear. Nearly all of the riders I see in town have very little protective equipment in evidence. In the mountains, a higher percentage wear it, but even there it is, many times, not complete. A few are well protected. So I am in the minority as far as dressing for the ride is concerned.

As you recall, I never throw a leg over the bike unless I am fully geared up. For me, this is a leather suit, hard armor, motorcycle boots, gloves, and full face helmet. For most others, the protective gear consists only of a helmet and gloves. Sometimes the helmet is not included if they are not riding outside of South Carolina. Tee shirts, jeans, and light jackets in the summer time are the rule. We strongly urge our riders to dress for the fall rather than for the ride, but few actually do.

I recently purchased some new CE-rated hard armor for my white Fieldsheer one-piece leather suit. The modern armor is sold by Fieldsheer, and fit this old suit very well: The suit is about 17 years old. I bought it from a guy about thirty years my junior (Whew, I'm getting old!) who raced an '86 Honda VFR 750. Amazingly, the suit is very good condition for its age. I always wear my VelocityGear back protector under the suit as well.

I have become even more of a gear preacher since last weekend when a fellow rider went down while we were riding together. He ended up with his bike wedged under a guardrail, and sustained a broken wrist and other injuries. If he had not been wearing a leather jacket, leather pants, motorcycle boots, gloves, and a full-face helmet, his injuries could have been much worse. He will be hurting for some weeks, but he is alive to tell about it.

Anyway, back to the day's ride.

There is a bit of mist at the start, but it soon gives way to partly cloudy skies and comfortable temperatures.

We have our usual pre-ride briefing. I think this is important, so everyone knows where we are going, the pace we will be riding, where we will stop and gas up, what the road conditions are likely to be, etc. One of the most important instructions is to ride your own ride -- don't try to keep up if your fear level is rising or you are making mistakes. Easy advice to give, but sometimes hard to follow, since there is a marked tendency to be more confident than your level of experience should dictate.

Oh, and we say a prayer before leaving for protection, enjoyment, fellowship, and a chance to talk with someone about our faith.

Today, we are following this route:


View Larger Map

We make our way to Pickens and US-178. This road is moderately curvy south of SC-11. As usual, we stop at the Holly Springs Country Store for a quick break. As I have previously posted, this is a meeting spot for motorcyclists of all types. Today is no exception, and I see two of the students from the Collision Avoidance Class held at the church a couple of weeks ago. They cannot ride with us today, lacking the time to go as far as we plan. They happen to be heading the same way we are to start, and they leap frog us on their way, having left after we did from the store.

US-178 becomes quite technical in places north of SC-11 until you reach Rosman, NC. All of the riders today make it through in about the same time.

Interestingly, our ages range from mid-forties to late sixties for this ride. I am about the least experienced in riding, and the only one on a sporty bike. I am the leader today, since I worked out the route.

I note that I am less tense on this road the more times I ride it. Perhaps I am becoming more adept at negotiating the curves and trusting the bike. I have certainly not memorized it like many of the more experienced riders here. I have to read each curve as it comes, though I have begun to recognize two or three especially tight turns ahead of time. Lest you think that I am burning up the road, I'll tell you that I am slower than many who tackle this route.

We stop in Rosman to hydrate, since there is only one more place to do so until we reach Asheville, NC. The four guys who joined us at the start must turn off here, as they have not planned to be out for the entire day. They will go east on US-64 and return to Easley via. US-276, SC-8, and SC-135. Bon voyage, gentlemen!

Next for us is a very short stretch of US-64, then on to NC-215. The latter is not as twisty, and is not in as good a condition as 178, but holds no major hazards, just some bumps and patches in the pavement.

The entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway is quite unobtrusive, in keeping with the non-commercial nature of the road. Only a couple of small signs mark the turn. The rock overpass that you pass through before this entrance is another clue. Back in the thirties, the Parkway was a make-work project, and many construction techniques requiring hours of manual labor were specified to make the project provide more jobs. As a result, things like this overpass are quite attractive and of a type of craftsmanship not often seen today because of its cost.

We enter the Parkway at milepost 430 and go to the north. I have gone this way several times before, so am familiar with it. There are many overlooks along the way (about twenty-two between here and Mt. Mitchell), with vistas popping up on both sides of the road. This is possible because the highway traverses the highest points in many areas, so either way you look is downhill.

There are twenty-five tunnels all together on the Parkway, with several in this stretch at the mileposts listed.

• 422.1 Devils Courthouse Tunnel 650 ft long.
• 410.1 Frying Pan Tunnel 275 ft long.
• 407.4 Buck Springs Tunnel 380 ft long.
• 406.9 Little Pisgah Tunnel 500 ft long.
• 403.9 Fort Mountain Tunnel 350 ft long.
• 401.5 Ferrin Knob Tunnel No. 3 230 ft long.
• 401.3 Ferrin Knob Tunnel No. 2 310 ft long.
• 400.9 Ferrin Knob Tunnel No. 1, Trace Ridge 60 ft. long.
• 365.5 Craggy Flats Tunnel 335 ft long.
• 364.4 Craggy Pinnacle Tunnel 176 ft long.

It is wise to slow down through these tunnels, as many of them are long and some are curved so the sight distance is limited. It is easy to miss seeing a stopped or slow vehicle. In the cooler part of the year, ice can form in the tunnels, so extra care is needed then. Bicycles use this road extensively as well, and they are not easy to see.

We go along at the speed limit of 45 MPH, occasionally stopping to look or take a picture. We pass the US-276 entrance, milepost 411.8, where we exited the last time the group rode here. We next pass the Mt. Pisgah Inn where we had lunch that time through.

We gas up at a station near the NC-191 entrance. The North Carolina Arboretum is located here as well -- another good place for us to visit in future.

Once we get back on the Parkway, we continue north and start through the Biltmore Forest. This is land that was owned by Mr. George Washington Vanderbilt, who erected the largest private residence in the United States not far from the road. Vanderbilt was keenly interested in forestry, and had a good portion of the trees and other vegetation planted on his land, much of which had been logged out. The mansion is privately owned and is open for tours. It takes no government funds, so the price is higher than some other attractions, but it is well worth visiting.

There is also an interesting place to visit back on US-276 south of the Parkway called the Cradle of Forestry. It has both indoor and outdoor displays about forestry development. Early foresters got their start in this area of North Carolina. I went there last October for the annual Forest Festival Day and Intercollegiate Woodsmen's Meet. Teams of college students compete in log rolling, cross cutting, pole climbing, and such. It was interesting to watch.

From the Cradle of Forestry website:

"The 6,500-acre Cradle of Forestry Historic Site...contains the first official school for forestry in America – the Biltmore Forest School. After purchasing land in the Asheville, NC area in the mid to late 1800's, George Vanderbilt was prompted by Frederick Law Olmsted to hire a forester to maintain his property. Vanderbilt selected Gifford Pinchot to restore and manage his massive expanse of lands. It was during this time that Forestry in America began....

"These events paved the way for Dr. Carl Schenck to open the Biltmore Forest School in 1898. For 15 years, the students practiced the science and business of forestry and eventually produced over 300 foresters who began the profession of forestry in the United States."

This Biltmore Forest section of the Parkway has only a few overlooks and the curves are generally more sweeping than the section we have just left. It is noticeably cooler through here, too. The road is almost canopied in many places by the tall trees. The road is smooth and I enjoy the ride. There is a busy section south of Asheville, NC, where I suppose local traffic uses the Parkway for commuting. After that, it is again lightly traveled.

The Blue Ridge Parkway Destination Center is next up, at milepost 384. This visitor center, opened in April of 2008, covers the entire length of the Parkway. Displays inside show the history and features of the Parkway and surrounding territory.



Two of our bikes enjoying a rest while we look around.












The design of the Parkway was carefully engineered, down to the types of plantings to be installed.










You can get this key fob at the Destination Center. It is a reminder that the road is beautiful, but can be dangerous because of drivers taking in the views instead of watching the traffic, and because of the curving nature of the road.


I bought the zipper pull shown below. It depicts an actual sign on the Parkway, though not in the section we are riding today. I am not sure that a descending radius curve is the correct term, but decreasing radius certainly is, and there are some of those.

Here is a picture of a guy I know posing next to the real thing.

[photo courtesy of Ryan]

Precious children playing with bubbles outside the Destination Center.


After this, we head out again toward Mt. Mitchell.

Near Craggy Gardens, around milepost 364, the road is under construction. There had been a rockslide here in March of 2008, and they have been repairing it ever since. The road has only just reopened in the last few months. The pavement here is pocked where the top layer has come away. There is even one section where it is one lane with a traffic signal to regulate traffic coming from opposite directions. This is the only traffic light on the Parkway, and fortunately, it is only temporary until they get the pavement down again.

We arrive at the road to Mt. Mitchell, NC-128. This is an interesting road because it does not touch any other state highway. Rather it is a spur off the Blue Ridge Parkway. There is a twisty road advisory sign, but I am surprised how easy the turns are on the way to the highest point in this half of the country. Except for one moderate hairpin, the road is quite manageable.


[photo from http://www.state-ends.com/]

We pass the restaurant -- we will come back there in a little while for lunch -- and arrive at the large parking area near the peak. We find a place amongst the many open slots. There are lots of motorcycles and cars as well as bicycles here waiting for us. Some of the bicyclists are no spring chickens, either. There are a few who look to be in their fifties. Rugged, fit individuals, these.

It is noticeably cooler here at the top of Mt. Mitchell -- about 60 degrees, just a bit cooler than comfortable on the bike. Once we start our walk to the observation tower -- all uphill of course -- my leathers provide about the right amount of insulation for comfort with the exertion. The elevation at the top is 6684 feet above sea level. Easley is at 1079 feet, so we have climbed over a mile so far today, not counting the hundreds of other ups and downs between here and home.

From Wikipedia:

"The mountain was named after Elisha Mitchell, a professor at the University of North Carolina, who determined its height in 1835 and fell to his death at nearby Mitchell Falls in 1857, having returned to verify his earlier measurements. [O]n the summit is the tomb of Dr. Mitchell."

The view is fairly good, considering the cloudy conditions. Though we cannot see that far today, some of the most distant points that can be seen are eighty-some miles away.



The sky almost looks like a painting, doesn't it?












Did you notice how variable the lighting is today in the pictures above? One minute it is bright and sunny, and the next it is overcast and gloomy.

After we have gawked at the surrounding country, we head back toward the small visitor center and souvenir shop. There are displays inside describing the mountain, the weather, and the flora and fauna. An interesting fact is that the climate here is about the same as that in Canada, due to the elevation. Hikers who are ignorant of this have spent nights unprepared for the low temperatures and high winds.

When we have looked at the displays, we mount our steeds and motor back down to the restaurant. It is in a nice building, and the menu has a good selection. I order a $7.00 smoked turkey sandwich, envisioning a pile of succulent meat with some tasty garnishes. Alas, the sandwich has only two thin layers of turkey, one leaf of lettuce, and a greenish-red Styrofoam-textured tomato slice. Well, the scenery out the window is pretty anyway.


[photo from Romantic Asheville website]

We spend a little while in the restaurant, but decide to start on our way back so it would not be too late when we get home. The return is the same as the roads in here until we reach NC-191 again, south of Asheville. The Parkway is a bit clogged at the construction area. We have to wait, so I snap a picture of the lone traffic light.



At 191, we reluctantly exit the Parkway and head toward I-26. We stop for a few minutes to gas up again, and I survey the sky and comment that we have avoided rain all day long and that there is no chance of getting wet now. How fortunate we have been!

The superslab is busy and we watch traffic for an opening to merge into. I do not have a lot of experience riding on expressways, but it goes OK. The pavement is grooved through here to reduce hydroplaning, and the grooves cause the bike to weave and wander a bit. If you don't panic and stiffen up on the bars, the bike finds its way without incident.

After some miles, we veer off onto US-25 and continue toward Greenville. About two minutes later, the Heavens open up without warning. Cats and dogs are swimming for their lives in mid-air. There is no place to stop and put on our rain gear, so we press onward. We fall in behind another rider and his passenger, and hunker down. The rain is cold, and after a short time I feel it pooling in my nether regions: Not a good feeling.

Just as quickly as we entered the downpour, it stops and the sun comes out about when we get to SC-11. We turn onto it and go toward SC-8, Pumpkintown, SC-135, and then Easley. By the time we are half way home, the sun and wind have mostly dried my leathers -- including the sensitive spot -- and I am warmed up again.

We break off and scatter to our homes. When I turn off the bike, I note that I have ridden 253.3 miles -- shy by only five miles of being the longest single day ride of my career. My longest ride was with a group of sportbikers into Georgia last February.

I pull the bike into the garage, and begin to put things away. My leathers are still damp, so I ask our son to apply a dressing of Lexol before I take off the suit. A coat of the same on my boots helps them as well.

I peel off my suit with new-found ease because I have that new armor I told you about earlier in the suit's pockets instead of the full VelocityGear armored shirt on under the suit. I don't need help getting out any more! Here is a picture of that suit.


[photo taken at Wigington Byway overlook, July 27, 2009]

I hang the suit on a padded hanger in the house so the air conditioning can dry it slowly. I made the padded hanger from a wooden coat hanger covered with a section of foam pool noodle. It is much cheaper than a ready-made soft hanger.



It has been a long day -- it is about 6:15 PM -- but I have enjoyed the trip very much. I find that I am not too tired because we stopped several times and went along at a relaxed pace most of the way.


If you go:

Some excellent, tank-bag-size, printable Blue Ridge Parkway maps are available on the Blue Ridge Parkway Association website.

The Blue Ridge Parkway by Virtual Blue Ridge website has panoramic photos of many of the overlooks. Click "Parkway Tour," then "Overlooks."

The WikiTravel website has a mile-by-mile listing of overlooks and entrances to the Parkway.

A very good book with many illustrations is Building the Blue Ridge Parkway By Karen J. Hall, Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Inc.

A website with some pictures taken along the Parkway is here.

Bon voyage!
.