Luke Foley
Doug Martland
Genevieve Martland
Tim Peck
Mickey Spades
All in Dual Sport
I bought a pair of Fist Gloves in July because I needed new gloves after an awesome trip on the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route. The Fist Gloves are all the same style, just with different graphics and after some indecision, I ended up picking the Fist Red Back Glove because I have a thing for spiders. I’ve worn them just about every time I’ve been in my dual sport since then. After 500 miles, here’s what I think.
Our final day on the MABDR started in Pembroke, Virginia. Much like the day before, the riding began on windy dirt roads. While it was great to be riding again, all the back and forth left Jim and me begging for some fun, simple straightaways. We really wanted to let it rip!
After a sleepless night in George Washington State Forest, I was so happy to get going in the morning. Unfortunately, it seemed like the toilet had jinxed us.
So there I was, lying in the darkness in my tent, my knife ready. I’d been up for hours, listening. Something was creeping around outside. I was hoping it was a deer … or a raccoon … anything but what my imagination was telling me it had to be. This Yankee Mama’s Boy just wanted to get some sleep. It sure wasn’t going to happen tonight.
I was so psyched to start riding on the third day of the trip. Our plan was to ride from Millmont, finish out the MABDR in Pennsylvania, and then follow it into Maryland. It ended up our longest day of the trip—230 miles over 11 hours.
For Day 2 of our MABDR ride, we left the campground in Jersey Shore, PA and headed out to Huntingdon, PA. From there we rode through a 180-mile section of trail through Lewis Township Forest and Millmont, PA. Along the route there were so many beautiful lookouts down into the surrounding valleys.
Jim and I had our first day on the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route today (Thursday). It was a huge success.
On June 27th, I’m heading to Pennsylvania to ride the Mid Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route on my dual sport. It will be my first long bikepacking trip. I can’t wait.
With Spring in the air, it was time to dust off the bike panniers, pack some extra layers, and head out for an adventure on the dual sport. So last weekend, my buddy Jim and I set out to ride the Puppy Dog North Trail. It’s a 95-mile route that heads north from Westerly, Rhode Island for 95 miles to Greenfield, Massachusetts, along with a mix of beautiful country roads and dirt trails. Along the way it passes through some old-school towns, reminding riders of a time when life was simpler.
There’s so much dual sport gear out there that sometimes it’s hard to know what’s best for you. Indeed, maybe you’ve bought gear on somebody’s recommendation, only to find that the conditions they’re using it in are quite different than yours. To help solve that problem, here’s a list of what I’ve found is working best for me in New England this winter. And if you’re looking to ride in conditions like these–essentially brisk days with the temps ranging from 39-55–this gear is worth checking out. Hopefully you’ll even find that it will work for you too.
When you’re flying through the backcountry on your dual sport, your helmet might be your most important safety tool. I’ve been wearing my Klim Krios ADV Helmet for months now and love it. So much so that I named it my 2018 Gear of the Year here on the TWR. Here’s why.
The Pinner Tool Roll is the second piece of gear I’ve recently purchased from Mosko Moto. It’s the slimmer little brother to the very popular Fatty Tool Roll, with many of the Fatty’s awesome features, just in a more compact set up.
In sum, if you’re looking for a bag that can hold some extra gear on your smaller Enduro style bikes, this is the one for you. I’ll update this review in the early spring when the weather warms and I’ve put some more miles on it. But until then it’s safe to say you can’t go wrong with the Reckless 10.
