Tag: motorcycling

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First ride of 2013

1st-ride-2013-1

Every year, the anxiety sets in. When will I be able to get the motorcycle out for that first ride of the year. Many years, I have been fortunate to actually do the first ride on the first day of the year. But, not this year.

As I sat in my office, between tasks, I looked at the weather bug on my computer. It read 51 degrees. The blue sky clearly visible from my office window beckoned, and without hesitation, I headed for the other room for my riding jacket and helmet. Boots came out of the closet.

I rolled the bike out of the garage. It fired up on the first crank of the engine after sitting for three or maybe four weeks. As it warmed, I took a quick self portrait to document the moment.

Trust me. It was all smiles for the next hour or so.

See you on the highway.

Brent

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A conversation with Sam Manicom

Sam Manicom had only been riding motorcycles for three months when he started out to ride around the world on his BMW motorcycle. His lack of riding experience and riding skills might be considered by some to be foolhardy, but it sure provided the fuel for misadventures and a really good read. He wrote and published his first installment of the adventure, Into Africa, and then the subsequent installments, Under Asian Skies, Distant Suns and Tortillas to Totems.

Into Africa begins with a story from the middle of his African adventure, an accident in Tanzania that includes loss of limb, police, jail, fear, African courts, and the incredible generosity of strangers, and fear. Did I mention fear? Sam craftily lays out the scenario and action, and the only way to describe the printed word is “it’s a page turner.” You will not be able to put the book down, or in the case of the new audio release, stop listening to Sam tell his story.

Sam says he only had two concerns, fears actually, in setting out on an around-the-world motorcycle adventure, having an accident and ending up in jail somewhere. He experienced those fears and survived to tell his stories.

Sam Manicom

Encouraged by readers and fans, Sam was pressed to produce one of his books in an audio book format, and the recently released Into Africa audio book is now available. Printed copies of the books are available directly from Sam’s web site or from Aerostich if you live in North America. Visit the web site for details, www.Sam-Manicom.com. You can listen to sample of the audio book. All of the e-books are available in Kindle format from Amazon.

With the release of the audio book, Sam and I had chatted for a couple of months about an interview. His travels to Spain and my own schedule hindered a conversation until recently.

With Sam in Great Britain, and I in the USA, we decided to “chat” using Skype, and I recorded the conversation. The audio is incredible. It sounds like we’re sitting in the same room rather than thousands of miles apart.

Here is our conversation, recorded November 8, 2012.

[powerpress url=”http://dbrentmiller.com/wp-content/uploads/Sam-Manicom_8Nov2012.mp3″%5D

Thanks for listening. See you on the highway.

Brent