Thursday, September 29, 2011

Kevlar Lined Jeans



 I bought some Red Route Kevlar lined jeans a little while ago when I saw them online for $70. The denim is pretty thick. The stitching isn't that great. Some of the stitching in the front is already coming undone. The heat difference between wearing these or regular jeans is minimal (if there is a difference at all). Sure, they're not as thoroughly lined as Sartso Jeans (see below), but for $70 they're not that bad. I usually wear a Juniors' size 5-7, but after reading reviews on fit I ordered a women's size 8. They're kind of big which is okay since winter is approaching and I'll be able to wear some layers underneath.

Girl Squid

So I met this girl the other day while working at one of Lawton's two annual festivals. Turns out she rides, so, of course, I'm excited.

Hey! A possible riding buddy. I think.
"How long have you been riding?" I ask.
"About a month." The girl with the bright fake fingernails and a lot of make-up replies.
"So what do you ride?"
"A ninja 250."
"That's cool. I ride a cbr600."
"Well, I thought I'd start out on something small that I can learn on."
I tell her that was a smart idea.


So I'm riding down Cache road running errands the other day when I see this little 250, the bright nails, and a girl rockin' some fancy shades, and no lid. Only riding for a month...

To each their own, I guess.

I'm not completely free of squid tendencies, but if you hit your head on concrete while standing around outside, and that can do a good job to your brain-holder then I don't want to know what will happen when you fall off your bike going 25 mph and hit your head on the curb. No sirree, Bob!
I think there's a greater risk of something happening the first couple of years one rides because there are so many other things going on around you while you're still learning to ride, getting used to your bike, gaining experience, and learning just how much you have to pay attention to others that I think I'd wear a helmet just to have one less thing to worry about.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Another Ride to Hinton

So I haven't had much of a chance to ride lately. But, I'm thankful to have found an opportunity to get away from Lawton for a little bit. However, before the next ride, I need to remember to tighten my chain...
Destination: Hinton, OK...again.
Miles logged: 200ish

Stopped in at Red Rock Canyon State Park in Hinton. The road down to the State Park is fun! But, like all fun things in OK, it's short-lived. So, this was the first time I actually drove through the town of Hinton. I have no clue why I was actually expecting something...
The beginning of HWY 37 in Hinton. It's got some nice sweepers, but I like HWY 115 better.
Oklahoma History Lesson:
Hinton was founded in 1902 by a representative of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. It was a town that thrived from its agricultural nature and the railway. In 1931, the Kiwanis hosted a rodeo. It remains an annual event to this day. The newspaper, the Hinton Record, was first printed in 1904 and is still the current paper. That's kind of neat. In the 60s, they built a nursing home. Hinton is also the home of a nice 18-hole golf course and a prison...

Ah, we also passed through Binger, but I didn't get a chance to stop. On different motorcycle note, I finally bought a copy of Twist of the Wrist!

More pictures of this ride on the Facebook album

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

September!

So, it's the loveliest day in September, and I had to get away from my evil homework. I rode through the refuge to enjoy the strong smell of burnt cedar and out to Cache. The Wichita Mtn Wildlife Refuge is under construction (at least the roads are) so the speed limit is 35. And, there are like a million extra stop signs (okay,okay only 4).
My dorky self.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Procrastinating

It's the day before my business strategy paper on Dr. Pepper is due, and, of course, I found something better to do than actually sit down and write my paper. I had the opportunity to meet up with another rider who was staying in the area for a week. Paper Schmaper, I thought. I can start, write,and finish that 4-5 page paper in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. As I left the house, I'll be damned if I didn't see what appeared to be rain clouds rolling in over the Wichita Mountains. We met up at the gas station, and rode up Mt. Scott to feel the wind kick up and the rain clouds draw nearer.
It looks so cold in the pictures that you'd never believe it was 108 degrees. Yes, it was a tad bit warm and sweat began rolling down one's face just from the exertion of breathing. We rode back down Mount Scott and parked in the picnic area so we could check out the boulder field near the bottom of Mt. Scott. I finally was able to convince someone to jump through those boulders with me. Sure, a day with a temperature of 108 degrees may not have been the brightest idea, but I never claimed to be the brightest crayon in the box. My riding buddy even took some pictures of me riding. Impromptu rides sure do rock!

About 5 raindrops fell from the sky. Oklahoma is a weather tease. On a side note, I haven't seen Mt.Scott's Parking lot empty in a long time.

More picture on the Facebook album!

Monday, September 12, 2011

I feel like riding out to visit Nowhere again. It seems like it would be therapeutic at this moment in my life. What a better place to ponder life's funny jokes than Nowhere?