Film & Music Production Testing at Walton Film Studios!

The GoPro Hero2 arrived from California last week and been reading up ever since on the xtreme sport essential - I will not be beaten on the techie jargon - can't be that difficult for even me!   
Today took the 1st few test video footages, first on my bicycle along the river, and then using definately the wrong fitting on the Bonnie - this is definately going to take time to get sorted ...

I've taken about 5 hours trying to download some footage no luck .. sorry!

So I'll post and talk about some EXCEPTIONAL stuff ... MUSIC !

I'm priviledged to know an incredible person who has created a 3 Albumn Masterpiece for my trip choosing specific tracks fitting for the East, South and West parts of the adventure entitled -

The East Bonneville Go or Bust - Part 1

The South Bonneville Go or Bust - Part 2

The West Boneville Go or Bust - Part 3

I was astounded - the music is incredible - the journey begins with Sinatra's Come Fly with Me, from Steppenworlf's "Born to be Wild", Nilsson's "The Lord Must be in New York City", Dixie Chicken by Little Feet , "Crazy 'bout an Automobile" by Ry Cooder (who found the Cuban Buena Vista musicians), "Moving on Up", Curtis Mayfield and including of course Route 66 and the Rolling Stones version which has to be the best going on to Californian music with a bit of Beach Boys and even the last track being "The next plane to London" from The Rose Garden - I'll try and find a way of trying to post some of this music ...

 and Amazing Album covers epitomizing the ecletic crazy ideas of the trip -

p.s. I've just written the title and didn't realize that Walton actually was a famous film production site at the turn of the 20th century

They've gotta be R. Soles !

Ever since I moved back to London, I've always loved an extra cool shop on the Kings Road and some time ago bought a pair of their amazing boots.  The idea of taking a new pair with me on the trip - gorgeous, luxury, soft Mexican leather, beautifully crafted with unique designs seen on the international cat walks, has definately been on the list of "luxury" items to take but totally unrealistic.  But today I biked down there, talked about what I was going to do and said that the one pair of boots I want to take on the road trip is a pair of R.Soles.

Well unbelievably, Paul the R.Soles Manager couldn't have been more accommodating and agreed to "help" saying with a smile ...

"Great boots, great name, great fit for a great trip!" ...

and you know what ?  The exact ones I wanted, the Eagle inlay biker boots, were there for me in the right colour and size - unbelievable or made to be ?

These will be my bike boots for the trip ... wow !

And for a real trip, Gotta have a sponsor or two !

Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been lucky enough to tie up a couple of really cool and prestigious supporters to the trip which makes me feel good. They definitely needed to be British to go with me and my bike! Even posted them and hot linked them to my homepage below!
Wanted to find a really new, cool, cutting edge designer which compliments the freedom of the trip. Oily Rag Clothing is a British company that loves the feel, ride, look and smell of old motorcycles. British bikes are their first love (which fits well with my Triumph Bonneville) but if its old and has an engine with oil in it then they still love it! Love the cafe racing and 50’s and 60’s shirt designs.
“Your trip will be fantastic, we were actually thinking of riding across the states this year too.!”, says David
So there you go, I’ll be wearing some cool t-shirts ... / www.oilyragclothing.com

Then amazingly, Dave from Triumph / Dave Lilley replies -
“Great to hear your trips a goer! We can certainly help/advise on basic maintenance & may be able to arrange for a tech to show you. Let me know when you are around”. (oh that will be chain obviously ha ha!) / www.jacklilley.com
Thank you.

p.s. and obviously I'm not saying no to any cool, boho jeans, boots etc. who want to travel with me !

Don't Stop Me Now

Thanks to my Dad, the ever adventurous one, and who gave me the bug to explore, I've pasted over the past few months on my kitchen wall old, old 1970's National Geographic maps (with my Michelin up to date road map) that he and I used to look at and dream about travelling somewhere "unknown".
Thanks to these maps I've discovered places not even mentioned in modern travel books which I'm going to find along the way. Like Okmulgee’s in Oklahoma Annual Pionner – Pow Wow and Rodeo event in July – is that politically correct or even still happening ?

Also this weekend started putting together my “visual” list of things to get and organize.
Finally got the French Shark helmet which has lots of ventilation, a safe good choice but also cool in matt black! Mustn't forget the essentials but the secret has gotta be to pack light ..

Mmm, the lodger handed her notice in on Friday so got to go through all the stuff of getting a new one as I still need that for the budget – it will happen ..

So much help at hand in that big world out there !

I have to say, that since the last posting, I’ve had some incredible feedback, help and support from friends and people I don’t even (yet) know. 

Out of the blue I was contacted by Chris at Jupiters Motorcycles in New York, who I’d contacted previously about sourcing a Bonnie but who also just happens to be one of the co-founders of the Ted Simon Foundation (Jupiters Travels) -  
http://jupiterstravellers.org  - “We believe that individuals of good will, moving among foreign cultures and making themselves vulnerable to the beliefs and customs of strangers, have great importance in promoting world understanding, and even more so when they can distill the essence of their experiences into a form that can be absorbed by many.
The books written by Ted Simon following his solo motorcycle journeys continue to serve as an inspiration to other travellers who seek to know the world, and their place in it, through personal adventure.
The purpose of the Foundation is to encourage and assist travellers in making an extra effort to develop their observations and insights into something of value for the rest of the world to share, whatever their medium of expression might be. Our tendency will be to favour those who travel alone, since this removes barriers to communication …”     

This makes me feel I should continue the blog with this thought in mind.  I can definitely confirm that my travels and extraordinary experiences alone to places like Brazil, China. Kenya and Morocco were incredibly enriching to my soul and those I met.
I'm still seriously looking to take a GOPRO to film the trip.  And hey, my good friends, Seb and Cat, in Cornwall cooly said they'd love to offer it to me to be "part of the trip".  I was most flattered.  Thanks guys.                                                                                                 

Even better news (if I take the plunge) is that the new GOPRO Hero 2 Motorsports edition (although sold out in Europe) is getting a remote control combo kit which means it can be managed more easily as well as a new WI-FI which means the pictures can potentially be sent to the i-phone for immediate downloading.  Hey, who said I wasn’t a techie (not!).

And Margo from The Doctors Inn in Galax, the centre of bluegrass country music and famous for the Rex Theatre’ live radio shows emailed me saying -
  "How very exciting of your adventure here in the States!!  We have a garage that you can keep your bike in overnight if you like.  Yes, there will be music at the Rex that Friday night unless something changes and your bike will be the highlight of the "Cruisin & Groovin" event ... what fun!"
Yes, there's a special Car and Bike event that day in the little town of Galax in the Blue Ridge Mountains - better make sure I (and the bike) look presentable! :)  

Also, I was having real problems knowing how to figure out leaving Asheville from the Blue Ridge Parkway  and get to do the Tail of the Dragon route and Cherohola Skyway – I’ve looked at maps  to figure out but due to the stories I've heard of the dangers of driving Tail of the Dragon, I don’t mind not doing it all (the experience of doing just a bit of it will suffice me !) – I also need to get to Nashville that same day ... so I contacted Ron and Nancy from the Tail of the Dragon Store and hey this is what they said ...

“The Dragon is not that dangerous. Thousands ride it each week in the summer and have no problem. It would be a shame to come as far as you are and not do most of the 11 miles. You can cut it short by turning around at the Overlook (mile marker 8.8). The Overlook is a wide paved pull-off where many riders gather. This will expose you to the best of the Dragon.

Experienced, smart riders will have no problem on this road.
Coming from London you need to make the most of each mile!

Be sure to stop and say hello at our Tail of the Dragon Store at the Dragon. Look for the big tail.” Ron and Nancy www.tailofthedragon.com

Thank you everyone – it gives me even more courage even though I’m already having palpatations!

I’ve also started sourcing some of the special travel items I’ll be taking for the trip.

I’ve been thinking long and hard about what I’m going to take and how it will be packed and carried on the bike.  I need durability, water resistance and something easily fittable on the back of the bike.  Now that I know I’m definitely going to have panniers fitted on the side the issue is the bag.  The original idea was to get a Ortlieb roll closing packsack but they seemed either too small or too big for the bike so finally got a 72 litre The North Face Base Camp bag.  In the sales so got it cheaper and of course black to match the bike!

Went over to the MCN Motorcycle Show yesterday and finally sourced the right straps for the bag – decided on the American Rokstraps “Strap It” adjustable which will be tough enough and can adjust to if the bag gets bigger with all those things I may be tempted to buy but probably will be dirty clothes!   Also Swiss brand Exped do Fold Dry Bags to keep gear waterproof or maybe I’ll just pack the dirty gear to contain the pong!                                                                                                                     And for practicality and bit of fun couldn’t resist buying some sexy microfibre underwear no seams more comfortable to ride www.microfibreboxers.com.

Also met up with Tim at the show from the Lost Adventure who’s helping me with the trip – paranoia set in again when he said the only real thing I should know to do is adjusting the chain! 

Oh my god, I don’t know why, but ever since I got the Bonneville that has been my paranoia!  Don’t know why – got all the spanners but the bike’s heavy to get on the middle stand – well got a few more months to practice!                                                                                                                                 As he cooly said, “don’t trust the Harley dealers over there to know about tightening a chain – they may find it difficult”  mmm – yes communication will be essential even if it’s just showing them the Bonneville’s handbook !  .....  

Winter blues (planning everything I still need to do for the trip!) have just disappeared !

Maps all over the floor this weekend, calculating the crazy distances of all the places along the route and still needing to budget for essentials like getting a new phone (mine went down the loo!) to take pictures and blog along the way and of course while I'm at it why not the new GoPro Hero 2 to film the trip .... keep on dreaming !

Steve McQueen, the true King of Cool and James Dean, Rebel without a Cause ...
Iconic heros of mine on their Triumphs ...  Winter blues have just disappeared ! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HZw-wsCK5w

And yes, why the link? Well love the music, the cool dudes and I also took part in the 50th Triumph Bonneville Anniversary spectacle up at the Heritage Motor Museum in Warwickshire with friends - lots of fun ...