by Ian Rygiel | Oct 24, 2014 | Ian's Blog
Nashville. The name has weight. It’s a city with a history and for many it conjures up images of blue jeans, cowboy hats and country stars. That was the city in my head, but it wasn’t the city before my eyes. As we rolled into Nashville, Jeremy and I were nearing the limit of what we were willing to endure for the day. Once we hit the city, the humidity rose, the sun beat down, traffic brought us to a crawl, and we were sick of sitting. We had been on the road for 8 or 9 hours, and the last thing we wanted to do was sweat it out as we inched toward our destination. Covered in bugs and road dirt, it goes without saying, we weren’t exactly feeling funky fresh. But as we would learn, the tougher the ride, the more we would appreciate the destination. We were soon saved by the good graces of our interviewee, and it wouldn’t be the last time. Lacey was kind enough to put us up pre-interview, so we could shower and hydrate. It’s a good thing too since the alternative was to look (as the kids say) like a hot mess on camera. Jeremy took this interview on solo for reasons which may or may never be explained in the show due to the magic of editing. The short of it is, I was exploring the local landscapes and taking in as much as I could. I found Nashville fascinating. In many ways it reminded me of Brooklyn. It was young, it was active, it had great food and terrific...
by Ian Rygiel | Oct 17, 2014 | Ian's Blog
Riding through Virginia, I had the creeping sensation we overestimated how many miles we could put down in a day. On the ride to Tennessee, I was sure of it. By our math, we’d be on the road for 9 hours before arriving in Nashville. At best we would have an hour and a half for breaks, gas, and food. Getting to our location on time was going to be a challenge. I’ve spent 9 hours in a car before. It can get uncomfortable, but you’re generally seated in a plush chair with all the amenities nearby: aircon, snacks, banter to pass the time, maybe even an audiobook. 9 hours on a stock motorcycle (that was not designed with this kind of trip in mind) is another story altogether. Legs cramp, hands turn into claws, and backs and shoulders scream. It was at this point that Jeremy and I began to develop increasingly elaborate ways to stretch out while riding. We crouched low, hugging our tanks, or sat tall to stretch weary backs. We rode one-handed, speeding up enough to coast on the clutch and give our throttle hands a break. I slid back on my seat, and back again, and back again to shift pressure points. Somewhere along the way, I developed a stretch I dubbed the “chicken leg.” I’ll spare a description of it, but I’m told it looked equal parts ridiculous and rude, though Jesse Boom sure got a kick out of it. The longer we rode, the less effective these stretches became until we finally gave in and stopped for the occasional break. This bit...
by Ian Rygiel | Oct 10, 2014 | Ian's Blog
Part 1 has been freed from the exclusive contributor’s content page. You can check it out here: Virginia: Part 1 I leave Luray Caverns energized. My mind sparks electric as we pull out of our second shoot. Lesson are learned. Adjustments made. We roll on. Hours of road lay ahead of us before we can rest. Virginia has thrown it all our way. Heat. Humidity. Hours of road. And now, rain. Our producer Lauren gets on coms to check in, her tone is audibly nervous. Unfamiliar roads wind and twist before us as we bomb down a Virginia mountainside. We alternately lean in, accelerate out, ride the clutch, and ease the breaks through beautifully treacherous country. The chaos of the day slides away, and I find a groove. The gorgeous landscapes of Virginia flow over, under and past us. Forward momentum heals all hurts and we’ve got our eyes set on the horizon. The rain eases, the road straightens out, and we hit the interstate. As light fades, so does the exhilaration of the day. Miles of road pour underneath, while we seem to stand still. Trucks approach, their prehistoric rumble a last minute warning before sucking the bikes into their airstream, only to push them out again. The sensation is unnerving, but it helps keep weary heads alert. Night is upon us and Jeremy and I ride side by side. At times we’re separated by a mere foot as we attempt to make the most of our headlights. He could easily pull ahead, but the light thrown by my bike is weaker, and he hangs back to ensure...
by Ian Rygiel | Oct 3, 2014 | Ian's Blog
tl;dr Check in on Thursday evenings for posts about the trip and the experiences we had. I’ve always found it odd that my urge to write seems to become more insistent as I grow busier. The less time I have, the more I want to sit and let my thoughts pour out through a pen or keyboard. Naturally, the inverse is also true. Having taken some time away from the project to unwind, debrief, and reflect, I feel I’m in the right place to relate some of the experiences and insights I’ve gained from the journey west and back again – of course this also coincides with my return to work; a job that takes up the majority of my physical and mental attention during the week. Despite all that, I’m planning on writing a post once per week and posting it Thursday night. Thinking back on all of the wonderful people, sights, and experiences I had for three glorious weeks will keep me sane. The self-imposed deadline – not so much. Hopefully, the stories I share will keep your interest as Lauren furiously edits away in her editing cave (or wherever that sort of thing happens) ...
by Ian Rygiel | Jul 2, 2014 | Contributor Content, Ian's Blog
7:00 am and we’re on the road. Dew-covered bikes glisten under a hot, humid sun. Thin, gnarled trees and sandpits gradually give way to lush forests and earth. We’re on the road for 30 minutes when I realize I’ve left all my over-shirts in Manahawkin; the first casualty of travel. Asphalt speeds underneath rubber tires for two hours while the humidity disappears and the sun climbs higher above the horizon. We stop at a welcome center just over the Delaware border fresh from soaking in one hell of a view from on high. After a stretch, we make awkward banter for the camera, fill our bellies and hit the road once more. The day grows hotter, and the traffic thickens as we near Baltimore. Semi-trucks box us in on all sides and spew black smoke, which fills our eyes and mouths, while settling in a haze around our boots. I’m hot and the day is growing hotter. My legs cramp, my wrist aches and sweat pours down my back. Jeremy and I shift our weight around on our bikes. We stretch while riding. We swear loudly into our coms. Our sanity is saved by a small two-lane highway on the other side of the Virginia border. Rounding a curve, trees disappear to reveal a gorgeous mountainside, green and lush. The aching joints and tense muscles linger, but the scenery becomes a welcome distraction. Cows! I yell. Goats! I point. More fat cows! My urban upbringing betrays me. We arrive at Luray Caverns 30 minutes late, and I want to hate the place. I’m in a rotten mood and out...