Achieving Comfort on Long Motorcycle Rides

Ron 0:04

Today we're tackling a topic that's near and dear to every rider's heart , or maybe I should say near and dear to every rider's butt A long and comfortable ride . That's right . You can have a long and comfortable ride . You can have that combination .

Ron 0:20

So what does staying comfortable have to do with peace and love that we often talk about on this podcast ? Well , if you're feeling miserable out there on the ride , it's very unlikely that you'll find your zen moment or your peace of mind that we're always seeking right , nor will you be in the mood to spread love to your fellow humans . You're just going to be unhappy . Now , that may be a stretch , but yeah , I think it fits in today's topic . So why do you want to ride all day in the first place ? Well , that's a relatively easy question to answer . For many of us , it's because we love to ride . Riding makes us really happy , and it's in the saddle that some of us do find that elusive peace of mind , at least for a little while , which is the primary topic of this podcast to begin with . So let's move on from the fact that we ride all day because we love it and it makes us happy . So , whether you're planning a cross-country adventure or you just want to extend your weekend trips . Staying comfortable in the saddle is key to enjoying your ride . So buckle up , metaphorically speaking , because we're about to dive into some pro tips and tricks to help you achieve iron butt bliss . Or put another way , how to ride all day and keep smiling . Stay tuned . Recorded in beautiful Loveland , colorado .

Ron 1:41

Welcome to Peace , love Moto the podcast for motorcyclists seeking that peaceful , easy feeling as we cruise through this life together . Are you ready ? Let's go ? Okay , let's face it , after many hours out on the road , even the most comfortable motorcycle can feel like a torture device . Have you ever heard the expression monkey butt ? Well , it comes from a certain breed of monkey that has a really large rear end and it's red all the time . And maybe that's how some of us feel when we reach midday during our ride and we're struggling to find any remaining part of that saddle that's comfortable . Staying comfortable in the seat is just one factor . Right ? How about your arms , your shoulders , your neck , your hands , even your feet , after four or eight or ten hours or more in the saddle in the same position , no matter how fabulous the weather and the scenery is , you've got a pain in the butt , most likely . Well enough , talk about butts , let's get right to it . How do you fix all of these problems ? How do you keep them from coming up in the first place ? Let's talk about that . Okay , first of all , let's talk about the motorcycle that you choose to ride .

Ron 3:23

I've had many conversations with people who see a poster , for example , of Easy Rider Out there with two guys riding these choppers with their hands way up in the air to reach the grips , and those inexperienced riders say to themselves oh , I want to ride that , I want to ride just like that , day after day after day . Well , you and I know that the reality of that scenario , that's just not good . Did you happen to notice the tiny seats on those little bikes too , that they're riding an easy rider ? Did you happen to notice the tiny suspension that doesn't give much at all ? Even the scenes of them riding together side by side ? You know , it's just never a good idea to do that in the first place . But oh , my goodness , to try to do that hour after hour , my friends , that is not comfortable . I've never done it , specifically that , but I can just guarantee you that is not going to be comfortable . That's in no way going to be an enjoyable ride .

Ron 4:21

I guess it gets back to the old adage that people ride for show or people ride to go . And well , today we won't get into the specifics of motorcycle styles , necessarily , or brands , but let's talk about riding to go . The next three things on our comfort list are gear , gear and gear . And I'm not just talking about safety gear , although that's paramount , I'm talking about comfort-specific gear too . So it all starts speaking of safety . It all starts with a helmet .

Ron 5:01

Now , my personal choice has been for many years to use a full-face helmet and I really recommend that to everyone . Yeah , I know what you're saying . Some people feel that , oh , it's too enclosed in the full-face helmet To ride a lot of miles all day long . You don't want to feel closed in , but I've spent a lot of days and a lot of miles out on the highway , many , many hours out in the wind and all kinds of weather . I have always found that my full face helmet is the most comfortable option . I've done both full face and half face helmets , so don't make the mistake also of getting a helmet that doesn't fit your head . Keep in mind that different brands of helmet fit differently . A large helmet from one brand will fit differently almost guaranteed than the large size in a different brand . And don't let your helmet dealer try to convince you that one helmet will fit your head better than another , because you know how it feels . I had a friend who was convinced by a salesperson that they needed to buy a helmet that in hindsight turned out to be way too small . He was absolutely miserable wearing that $400 purchase that he couldn't return .

Ron 6:10

The helmet should be to me like a pair of shoes . As soon as you put it on , it should be comfortable and don't try to think of a break-in period . Yeah , I mean the insides will loosen up just a little bit over time . But again , in my opinion , your helmet should feel very comfortable from the minute that you put it on and you should not have any burning desire through the day to take it off because it's uncomfortable in any way . You should feel comfortable all the time . One other important note is that a good quality helmet should be relatively lightweight . In general , cheaper helmets are typically heavier because they are made of less expensive materials , so a heavy helmet will not be as comfortable guaranteed as a better quality helmet . Again , speaking of comfort , a good quality jacket and pants from breathable materials can make a world of difference .

Ron 7:06

Think about layers too . Being able to add and remove layers when the temperature changes will keep you comfortable all day . On that note , keep in mind that you're going to need space to shed those layers on your bike , right ? You need a place to stow those . So , again , we're not going into specific bikes to use , but that's something to really keep in mind . You know types of motorcycles . Yeah , that's something that we'll talk about later on , but space is pretty critical . It's one thing to go minimal , but yeah , you don't want to go too minimal that you're just miserable . So we'll come back to that at another time .

Ron 7:49

And speaking of comfort , let's go back to our butts . Let's talk about the seat . Consider investing in a custom seat , maybe , or maybe a gel insert . You know your backside will thank you , because I'm tall enough I'm able to put two layers under my existing seat and still not be on my tiptoes at a stoplight . The first layer that I use is a relatively thin gel pad , and then the second layer is actually sheepskin that I picked up a year or so ago . Oh my goodness , that combination has just been wonderful . The sheepskin has especially kept me cool , even in hot weather and kept me relatively warm , I guess in warm weather too . It's just been wonderful . I've had that combination for a while now and I just don't have the monkey butt situation . Oh , sorry , I brought up butt again . I'll try not to do that again , but that's my recommendation anyway . That's what I use a gel layer followed by sheepskin , and that works really , really great for me . And don't forget about your hands .

Ron 8:50

Comfortable gloves are essential to prevent numbness and fatigue , and my pro tip is to say what I use are cushions . I use these grip puppy foam cushions that I put over the existing stop grips . They're very inexpensive it's like $20 for a pair of those and you just slip them over your existing grips . Now , granted , I have long fingers and bigger grips are something I don't have a problem with at all . In fact , I really prefer that . It really adds to my comfort having the foam there . Even if I were to rent a bike one of these days , if I needed to do that , I would probably bring a pair of those Grip Puppy brand cushions to put on the bike , even for a rental bike . Then I would just they're so cheap , you know , you just take them right back off if you're finished with the rental . I just think that they're that much value . It's what I'm used to and what I really really like .

Ron 9:49

Now let's move on to an often overlooked aspect of long distance comfort , and that's hydration and nutrition . Many of us forget to drink enough water when we're out riding . Here in Colorado , for example , the humidity is very , very low , which makes the air cool most all year round , including in summer , which is wonderful . But it's critical to drink enough water , and all day long . Sometimes we forget to drink enough water because we're staying cool , so you can't forget that . Staying hydrated yeah , that's absolutely vital to all of your bodily functions . Dehydration can lead to fatigue , muscle cramps , even decreased concentration and all those things you definitely want to avoid when you're out on a motorcycle . So carry plenty of water with you to sip on regularly , and don't forget to fuel your body too . You know , pack plenty of healthy snacks between restaurant breaks or wherever you're going to be getting a full meal . Just bring some snacks with you . That's always helpful for me . And , speaking of that , just don't forget to take breaks . You don't want to be a hero out there . It's not a race . We don't get any rewards for staying in the saddle without taking a break necessarily .

Ron 11:00

So I'll just talk about my bike . So my motorcycle of choice for long trips these days is a BMW GS Adventure , which has a very large tank capacity and , frankly , it's very , very comfortable . Now , depending on my speed , the range of that tank is almost 300 miles , sometimes even a little bit more than that , and I can tell you that I'm not riding 300 miles between rest stops most of the time . For me it's just too many hours . So even when I don't need gas , I'll stop to stretch , drink water , have a snack at a roadside park or wherever . That just keeps a smile on my face . Otherwise , yeah , I may be proud of how long that I've gone sitting in the saddle , how many miles or hours , but I'm not going to have a smile on my face , and that's the point right .

Ron 11:59

Finally , this point that I think relates to staying comfortable on the bike A positive spirit , stay positive , focus on the road ahead , but enjoy the journey . Think of the possibilities of meeting a stranger out on the road and maybe even making a new friend out there . As for me , one of the great joys of riding my motorcycle is I'm not working . I have a day job , as you know , and I'm not working when I'm out riding . I'm not in business meetings , I'm not digging through dozens and sometimes hundreds of emails trying to figure out what my next responsibility is Nope . Instead , I'm enjoying the scenery , taking my time , and I'm enjoying the feel and the sound of that wonderful machine underneath me .

Finding Joy in Motorcycle Riding

Ron 12:48

I'm reminded that , at least for now , all is well with the world and I'm at peace and I'm happy . And , my friends , that's why I ride . So there you have it A few tips on how to stay comfortable on those long rides , but , maybe most importantly , figuring out how to ride with a smile and realizing how very , very fortunate you are to have the bike , to have those mental and physical capabilities to ride it , and being so grateful for this community of riders that are all around us , people who care . I love that . Thank you so much for listening . Until next time , I wish you peace and I wish you love . Thank you .