Tiffany Ambling through America

[sion]

Originally Posted by Paddygfw

I have a question, I noticed that you have spoke wheels on your bike so I didn't think they could be tubeless but you wrote
However I was unsure about re-plugging a hole that had already been plugged once and so wanted to check.

Spoked wheels can support tubeless tires. You have to use a tubeless valve stem and some kind of sealant on the spoke nipples. Its kind of a pain in the ass to do, but it can be done.

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by sion

Spoked wheels can support tubeless tires. You have to use a tubeless valve stem and some kind of sealant on the spoke nipples. Its kind of a pain in the ass to do, but it can be done.

..and BMW GS spoked rims support tubeless tyres since the first R100GS.

[sion]

Originally Posted by Chris K

..and BMW GS spoked rims support tubeless tyres since the first R100GS.

good on them...I'm not a BMW rider, so I didnt know that...but I do know that you can convert a normal spoked wheel

[Paddygfw]

Originally Posted by sion

Spoked wheels can support tubeless tires. You have to use a tubeless valve stem and some kind of sealant on the spoke nipples. Its kind of a pain in the ass to do, but it can be done.

Thank you for the reply...I didn't know that

Originally Posted by Chris K

..and BMW GS spoked rims support tubeless tyres since the first R100GS.

I have never owned a BMW but have always had a respect for the brand because of the high mileage they achieved even back in the day

[SCflyer]

And you may get to go to your first Hurrican party!

Hope things continue well for the rest of your trip - which way next?

[Tiffany]

Originally Posted by SCflyer

And you may get to go to your first Hurrican party!

Hope things continue well for the rest of your trip - which way next?

Thank you for your concern and yes, I have headed to New Orleans after Lafayette, however as this RR is not being done in real time, I have moved on and I'm in a safer place, however I am watching the weather reports with some concern as my friends live in New Orleans.

[Kev95GS]

Tiffany, I didn't realize you knew Bob, John, Cindy & Jerry in Layfayette.

I go down to the Swamp Scooters rally every year since like 04. It most certainly is a small world afterall huh?

[Tiffany]

Originally Posted by Kev95GS

Tiffany, I didn't realize you knew Bob, John, Cindy & Jerry in Layfayette.

I go down to the Swamp Scooters rally every year since like 04. It most certainly is a small world afterall huh?

Hey Kevin, it really is a small world, and those Cajuns get everywhere

[Tiffany]

East from Lafayette and to the city of New Orleans, the most European looking place I've been to on this trip.



It was to be a brief visit, but we managed to pack quite a bit in. Naturally the heavens opened and I got rained on for much of my stay. There are still a lot of reminders from Hurricane Katrina



We watched tourists doing the touristy thing, from the traditional



to the more modern




In America the phrase "open containers of alcohol" has strong implications, bascially it seems like you can't drink anywhere except at home or in bars. However in parts of New Orleans, they allow drinking in the streets and there are crowds of Yanks wandering around very self-conciously clutching their drinks, even in the rain. I ventured outside the bar just for a quick photo



Before heading down to the river for a paddle in the water



The famous Mississippi, seen from a different angle

[Blader54]

Tiffster-- I think you're pretty bold to go wading in that river. Yuck. By the time it gets to NO that water has to be nasty. But then again, all those rocks in the foreground of the last shot remind me of what they call a "beach" in the UK!

[Tiffany]

Originally Posted by Blader54

Tiffster-- I think you're pretty bold to go wading in that river. Yuck. By the time it gets to NO that water has to be nasty. But then again, all those rocks in the foreground of the last shot remind me of what they call a "beach" in the UK!

That would be prime beach front in England - I felt very much at home, especially as it was accompanied by grey skies and incessant rain

[Tiffany]

The beach by my house looks like this



and on a sunny day, more like this



however, back to New Orleans and my journey with Thelma

[Tiffany]

Downtown New Orleans and it had stopped raining, these people seemed to be following us




yep, it's the tourists on the Segways, they looked relieved that it had stopped pouring

In a rare nod towards the Arts, I went in search of some and found....Banksy (look him up if you don't know this guy's art- he's incredible)



I like to think he may have used me as his inspiration



We caught up with some French friends and having sampled some cocktails, went out



we were celebrating Bastille Day and what better place than New Orleans,
We wandered back down to the Mississippi




To enjoy the fireworks



As these were going off, our group were singing the Marsellaise, but the Americans didn't seem to realise what song it is.

Then a bar, where to the french group's delight, they could smoke




and we met some of these guys


New Orleans hosts its own version of Pamplona's Running of the Bulls, except in this case the bulls are the local Roller Derby team - The Big Easy Roller Girls. On their roller skates they pursue various hapless people who are dressed as matadors in white and red through the streets of the city.

Harking back to my ride across Siberia, we ended up in a Russian themed pub, where even the loos had this sign.

[Tiffany]

Breakfast in New Orleans requires a compulsory visit to the Boulangerie for croissants, my friend Libby posing in the rain outside the shop after we bought about 10 just for us but pretended we were buying for more people!!



Back at the hosue and a suspicious character is loitering around Thelma



Turns out to be fellow Brit Biker and friend Michael Walshaw, and he was kindly donating some Kriega accessories



Thelma got a strap on dry bag, while I got the very, very cool hydration backpack



All excellent stuff and a huge thank you to Michael and the guys at Kriega

http://www.kriega.com/

leaving the city, I somehow managed to miss the massive bridge that crosses over to the north side of the bay...sorry Bob!
Crossed another brdge in conditions that were not optimal
damn, lost those pics, back later after I have found them...

[Frey Bentos]

Self confessed Kriega fetishist here...It really is lovely stuff.