Any women riders?

one of the guys on the Pachaug Camp n Ride mentioned this this weekend but i wasn't sure i was going to be able to find it - thanks for making it easy on me!

great hear...only 10 days to go!:huh

I find that if I hold the bike on the hill with my rear brake, I have a little better gas/clutch control to get started. Forgive me if I'm tellling you something you're already doing!

no - i never thought of that, actually, but it makes sense since your right hand is now more free to work the throttle. i shall give it a shot next time i'm out on a hill. thanks!

Wow. Great idea!! I am going to try it too

I'll put up some pics soon, hopefully! I may write a little ride report, even though it kind of seems like "cheating" since I hired a guide. It was crazy and fun, though -- we had a guide I knew in Vietnam (I lived there a couple months before the road trip) and he rode first, then me, then my (male) friend. My friend said once we got out of Hanoi people's necks were about to snap off double-taking when they would see a woman riding around on a 225cc motorcycle (huge for Vietnam, they ride 110cc scooters mostly). Women would come up and clap me on the arm to congratulate me when I managed to navigate the "huge" bike into hotel lobbies.

Being 5'6" made me taller than all of the women and most all of the men, especially once we left the city. This led to some pretty funny situations. I knew enough Vietnamese by then to catch some of the things people would say to me, like: "You ride such a big bike because you have big arms, like a man!" Ha! And... hey!

I really recommend it. Well, the accommodations were... basic at times. Very, very basic. But I learned so much during that week because I had no option -- there was no going back or chickening out! But then again, I got to see awesome stuff like this:



And everyone wanted to wave hi to us!

Wow..beautiful countryside. I am 5'9", I would be a shock..lol.

I don't know if I am qualified to post here or not. I don't have a bike yet, nor have I driven one. I am signed up for a motorcycle safety class this weekend. My boyfriend introduced me into TAT idea. I use to MTN Bike all the time on rough terrain, so it appealed to me. Plus I like the idea of avoiding cars and trucks while seeing nature.

I really like the KTM 990 or f 800 gs. I was originally planning on getting sherpa to learn how to ride. But I was involved in a bad accident this past weekend that totaled my car. I won't be able to purchase a decent car and a sherpa thanx to my current financial situation... however I could potentially purchase f 650 gs with the insurance money. I don't know if that would be the smart thing to do, considering I don't know how to ride yet and it would become my main mode of transportation.

side note: I have been dreaming of riding through Viet Nam on my own. I spent 6 weeks there in the summer of 2004 (mainly in the Jungle). Would love to go back!

I think you're more than qualified to post here just by wanting to ride!!! We'll all talk you into it if you need the motivation :) Go get the MSF course and get a small bike to learn to ride off road. Since you already mountain bike you'll catch on really quick (I mountain bike and it helped me), but don't get too much power or the bike will get away from you for sure! I rode on the road for years then when I went off road I got a small Suzuki DR200 and it's plenty of bike to learn on.

Hope you figure out the transportation thing so you can ride too! Good luck!!

I too just started learning to ride and I am here. I have a KTM duke 620. It is way too fast for me so, yeah, be careful if you get something fast. I have yet to take it past 3rd gear and I can do that going 55 mph. The throttle is real touchy and the bike wants to go go go. My BF and I are looking for a 400 for me instead. I have no reason to go 90 miles an hour, do wheelies or lay it flat on the curves. All of which my bike is designed to do. Good luck on the hunt for wheels. I am taking the safety class next month to get my license. Woot woot! Looking forward to being legal on the road. Oh yeah...!

the f 800 gs is a great bike - my boyfriend rides one - it just seems big to me. i can't touch the floor when sitting on it! i own a 2006 f 650 gs and i really like it. granted i don't have a lot of comparisons but it's a solid bike and though the weight of it compared to the little 250s they use at the MSF course seemed impossible, it didn't take too long to get used to it and now i don't even notice it.

Sorry about your accident - hope the worst damage was to the car and not you!!!

I had forgotten about this thread, glad to have stumbled on it again.
I love my xt225 as a first bike! I'm sure I get funny looks for riding such a small bike, but I feel like a transformer on the bike with all the gear I wear!


Bought it last September and have put most of my miles on it in the last 4
months. I too am learning to ride the hills around here and not stall ...it's
been so much fun, and have been able to take it off road

Hey Sweetfeed!
I met you this year at the PB 300! I was in awe that you took your bike in there. I went back into the sand last weekend and got whooped in the deep sand again even on the little bike.

Look forward to hearing about everyone's various adventures here...
My next adventure is taking the bike on my first camping trip :huh

We had so much fun taking the bike's camping. We put my ktm in the truck with all the camping gear,which I drove, and my bf drove his vstroom. We camped and then rode the bikes around the gravel road! It was great fun! Enjoy camping.

The only time I minded the camping was at the Berkshires but there was a lot of rain and black flies. boooo! Otherwise, I have enjoyed it. My bf and I camped at the Neversink campgrounds - wow that was gorgeous! and the Taconic campgrounds as well. Also, lovely. We were right on the water.

Neversink Campgrounds

Very nice

just found the thread, so popping in to say HI!!

I just read your dirt virgin thread .... Awesome! I started riding dirt last year and definitely love it too! Beautiful pics! I grew up in B.C. and Alberta .... I miss those mountains!

There are three taconic campgrounds, two spelled as the parkway and one the indian way. Which one did you stay at?

hi! we stayed at the one in Copake Falls - http://www.nysparks.com/parks/83/details.aspx

I ride :)