Gentlemen, it has been a great pleasure. (zbillster's farewell post)

[zbillster_imp]

And don’t ride on the road!

On the trails ... there are NO mail carriers!

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Bill: Pleez be careful. There are trees, boulders, trenches, gullies, and maybe the worse: Squirrels who can never seem to make up their mind.

 

[zbillster_imp]

I'm sticking to baby trails. Like this one near me. Long straight wide repurposed railway road.

Chaparral Rail Trail | Texas Trails | TrailLink

I'm also hoping to return to Moab, Utah. There's a wide, safe jeep trail that goes around some gorgeous scenery.

 

[pdedse]

I'm sticking to baby trails. Like this one near me. Long straight wide repurposed railway road.

Chaparral Rail Trail | Texas Trails | TrailLink

I'm also hoping to return to Moab, Utah. There's a wide, safe jeep trail that goes around some gorgeous scenery.

In in younger days I think I wouldn't have hesitated to cross at the 6:45 point in the video...now--I probably look for another way around!

But gorgeous country!!

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Great image captures for sure throughout the flick.

Love the desert. I would stop all the time to absorb the wonders, but 100 miles is much to do that comfortably.

If allowed, I'd consider something like the Monkey that wouldn't overwhelm the path (say vs. a dirt bike). Alternatively, a Zero.

 

[Frulk_imp]

If your planning to do the WHOLE trail then be aware the White Rim Trail now requires a permit because its so crowded. Moab is now officially a tourist destination and all the trappings that come with that are present. Stop and go traffic in town, crowding, competition for camp sites. Long lines to get into the national parks and so forth. Drive through town and Utah plates are the minority. I avoid the place now except for the shoulder seasons, and then it's only to have an outfitter come to retrieve me and my kayak/gear from the rivers.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

*Bleck*. Too bad. Somebody " ... called it paradise". "... kiss it goodbye".

- - -

When are the shoulder seasons?

 

[zbillster_imp]

If your planning to do the WHOLE trail then be aware the White Rim Trail now requires a permit because its so crowded. Moab is now officially a tourist destination and all the trappings that come with that are present. Stop and go traffic in town, crowding, competition for camp sites. Long lines to get into the national parks and so forth. Drive through town and Utah plates are the minority. I avoid the place now except for the shoulder seasons, and then it's only to have an outfitter come to retrieve me and my kayak/gear from the rivers.

1. Not doing the WHOLE 100 miles on a bike. That guy was crazy.

2. I've been in October 2013 ... it wasn't that crowded ... I only do shoulder seasons ... but let me tell you THAT story ...

I was doing one last road trip in my Honda S2000 before selling it (owned in for 5 years and 50,000 fun miles) and thought, "Hey, let's go out to Utah ... hit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon ... Arches National Park, Zion National Park ..."

And then they had the federal government shutdown just as I left ... ALL the national parks were CLOSED!

So couldn't go to Grand Canyon, Arches, etc. ... you could drive THRU Zion but you weren't allowed to stop ... so my low crowd density in Moab may be an anomaly. The tourist businesses were suffering, the state parks (still open) were overflowing ... I felt really sorry for some German tourists who rented a Winnebago for their big USA adventure but couldn't get in anywhere. But the Utah driving roads made for some beautiful scenery.

But there was a series of easy trials just north of Moab that were outside Arches and open. Very empty. Also did a nearby Jeep trail. The MTB I rented in Moab is the same model I just bought, only I bought the carbon fiber version instead of aluminum.

So what's a boy to do in this situation?

Hmmm ... what's always open, 24 hours a day no matter what?

VEGAS! :clap:

Anyway, as I headed back home, each federal site reopened ... the day after I left. :-/

Here's a Google Photo Album with highlights ... some of the Vegas highlights ... well, I can't show you those ... :blush:

The Last S2000 Road Trip

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Bill: Some really nice snaps for sure.

(*sigh*) 2013 seems so long ago now.

What was this?



... taken from Last S2000 Road Trip 2013 · Aug 30, 2013 – Sep 9, 2016

 

[zbillster_imp]

Bill: Some really nice snaps for sure.

(*sigh*) 2013 seems so long ago now.

What was this?



... taken from Last S2000 Road Trip 2013 · Aug 30, 2013 – Sep 9, 2016

By the time I got home after the 5000-mile trip, the rear tires were worn down to the nub. Tires were a recurring, annoying expense in this car. Trying to make them last till I got home.

I was selling the car with the original 16" wheels (which still had tread) and selling these 17" separately, so didn't want to have to spend another $400 on rear tires.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Bill: Some really nice snaps for sure.

(*sigh*) 2013 seems so long ago now.

What was this?



... taken from Last S2000 Road Trip 2013 · Aug 30, 2013 – Sep 9, 2016

By the time I got home after the 5000-mile trip, the rear tires were worn down to the nub. Tires were a recurring, annoying expense in this car. Trying to make them last till I got home.

I was selling the car with the original 16" wheels (which still had tread) and selling these 17" separately, so didn't want to have to spend another $400 on rear tires.

Ah, okay. I noticed the tread, but thought it was about that beige thingy in the pic.

 

[zbillster_imp]

Bill: Pleez be careful. There are trees, boulders, trenches, gullies, and maybe the worse: Squirrels who can never seem to make up their mind.

You left out dogs. Had about five chasing after me today, but I think the 29" knobby tires kept them at bay.

This is about as technical as it gets for me ...

Nice day for a new bike shakedown ...

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Bill: Pleez be careful. There are trees, boulders, trenches, gullies, and maybe the worse: Squirrels who can never seem to make up their mind.

You left out dogs. Had about five chasing after me today, but I think the 29" knobby tires kept them at bay.

This is about as technical as it gets for me ...

Nice day for a new bike shakedown ...

You left out dogs. Had about five chasing after me today, but I think the 29" knobby tires kept them at bay.
...
Were you wearin' meat or sumthin'?

 

[zbillster_imp]

Bill: Pleez be careful. There are trees, boulders, trenches, gullies, and maybe the worse: Squirrels who can never seem to make up their mind.

You left out dogs. Had about five chasing after me today, but I think the 29" knobby tires kept them at bay.

This is about as technical as it gets for me ...

Nice day for a new bike shakedown ...

You left out dogs. Had about five chasing after me today, but I think the 29" knobby tires kept them at bay.
...
Were you wearin' meat or sumthin'?

You left out dogs. Had about five chasing after me today, but I think the 29" knobby tires kept them at bay.
...
Were you wearin' meat or sumthin'?
read this link: why dogs chase bicycles

 

[zbillster_imp]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand look who's finally home. Two months to the day.

So the new owner in California called ... he wrecked it already.

Low speed fallover ... he's ok but all the new shiny parts ... not so much. :dodgy:

So the new owner in California called ... he wrecked it already.

Low speed fallover ... he's ok but all the new shiny parts ... not so much. :dodgy:
Late November Update:

1. New California owner called (again). Due to 69-year-old leg issues, he's going to fix up the bike and sell it (again). So be on the lookout on the West Coast for this CB.

2. The relationship with Progressive Insurance over my medical coverage reimbursement is getting heated. They are holding up reimbursement on the remaining $5100 of eligible medical bills (in my $25K total coverage) on "waiting for ER medical records" ... which I have filled out the authorization paperwork for at the hospital TWICE (once in person in late October) ... the hospital says they faxed the records access information to my adjuster in October the day I showed up in person, and again this week ... the adjuster seems to be avoiding my calls, responding via email days later. Next step: File a complaint to the Texas Department of Insurance to "motivate" them to close this July claim out. :dodgy:

3. The battle over medical bill negotiations will hopefully wind up soon. Got the $265 arm sling reduced to $50 (normal retail is $25 shipped) ... but it took about 2-1/2 weeks to seal the deal, as this crooked company (Dura Medic out of Austin, Texas) never answers their customer service line, never returns voicemail messages ... so I had to resort to badgering them with comments via social media and other sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Better Business Bureau, Google Maps, Yelp) to get a callback from the person authorized to take my reduced payment. That was a long, annoying trip around the barn.

4. Healing continues slowly but surely ... left hand less and less painful, right shoulder less bothersome.

Cheers, y'all! :hello:

 

[pdedse]

zbillster, wow, never new insurance could be so difficult to deal with--the few times I've had to deal with progressive it was over vehicles only (car, mc, boat even), no body injury, and they were pretty much upfront and timely.

Keep on the mend!

 

[zbillster_imp]

zbillster, wow, never new insurance could be so difficult to deal with--the few times I've had to deal with progressive it was over vehicles only (car, mc, boat even), no body injury, and they were pretty much upfront and timely.

Keep on the mend!

I'm getting a lot of adjuster = good cop, back office = bad cop shenanigans.

The moto damage: They were slow getting it transported from the impound yard to the dealer, and slow finalizing the estimate. Then the back office quibbled about "we're not covering damage to the left side" even though the impact with the pole damaged the left turn signal ... I challenged it with the adjuster and they sent me a check for the part and a measly $22 for labor.

The rider damage: Everything started out rosy with quick reimbursements for Rx and other bills ... then they got bogged down into "need medical records" ... the adjuster would say one thing on the phone, then I'd get a Progressive letter with her name on the bottom saying something else. They are not following up on this issue with much proactive diligence. The adjuster said, "I am handling 400 other cases also" but this is their problem, not mine.

 

[Cormanus]

The good news, zbillster, is that your healing continues.

 

[peterbaron]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand look who's finally home. Two months to the day.

So the new owner in California called ... he wrecked it already.

Low speed fallover ... he's ok but all the new shiny parts ... not so much. :dodgy:

So the new owner in California called ... he wrecked it already.

Low speed fallover ... he's ok but all the new shiny parts ... not so much. :dodgy:
Late November Update:

1. New California owner called (again). Due to 69-year-old leg issues, he's going to fix up the bike and sell it (again). So be on the lookout on the West Coast for this CB.

2. The relationship with Progressive Insurance over my medical coverage reimbursement is getting heated. They are holding up reimbursement on the remaining $5100 of eligible medical bills (in my $25K total coverage) on "waiting for ER medical records" ... which I have filled out the authorization paperwork for at the hospital TWICE (once in person in late October) ... the hospital says they faxed the records access information to my adjuster in October the day I showed up in person, and again this week ... the adjuster seems to be avoiding my calls, responding via email days later. Next step: File a complaint to the Texas Department of Insurance to "motivate" them to close this July claim out. :dodgy:

3. The battle over medical bill negotiations will hopefully wind up soon. Got the $265 arm sling reduced to $50 (normal retail is $25 shipped) ... but it took about 2-1/2 weeks to seal the deal, as this crooked company (Dura Medic out of Austin, Texas) never answers their customer service line, never returns voicemail messages ... so I had to resort to badgering them with comments via social media and other sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Better Business Bureau, Google Maps, Yelp) to get a callback from the person authorized to take my reduced payment. That was a long, annoying trip around the barn.

4. Healing continues slowly but surely ... left hand less and less painful, right shoulder less bothersome.

Cheers, y'all! :hello:

Late November Update:

2. The relationship with Progressive Insurance over my medical coverage reimbursement is getting heated. They are holding up reimbursement on the remaining $5100 of eligible medical bills (in my $25K total coverage) on "waiting for ER medical records" ... which I have filled out the authorization paperwork for at the hospital TWICE (once in person in late October) ... the hospital says they faxed the records access information to my adjuster in October the day I showed up in person, and again this week ... the adjuster seems to be avoiding my calls, responding via email days later. Next step: File a complaint to the Texas Department of Insurance to "motivate" them to close this July claim out. :dodgy:

3. The battle over medical bill negotiations will hopefully wind up soon. Got the $265 arm sling reduced to $50 (normal retail is $25 shipped) ... but it took about 2-1/2 weeks to seal the deal, as this crooked company (Dura Medic out of Austin, Texas) never answers their customer service line, never returns voicemail messages ... so I had to resort to badgering them with comments via social media and other sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Better Business Bureau, Google Maps, Yelp) to get a callback from the person authorized to take my reduced payment. That was a long, annoying trip around the barn.

4. Healing continues slowly but surely ... left hand less and less painful, right shoulder less bothersome.

Cheers, y'all! :hello:
After reading all this insurance crap = :huh:, I wonder if a client could issue a postdated cheque without any date, collect all benefits in case of accident and THEN pay for his premium!!!

Glad to hear, you're progressing.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Bill:

Sounds like the age-old tactic of making things difficult in the hope you'd give up.

I am glad you are active and engaged with all things life.