Most riders have fond memories of theirfirst bikesand their first rides – but what about their younger motorcycling selves? If you could go back in time and give some advice to your younger ADV self, what would you say?
八年前开始骑马摩托车，在学术骑行之后，在南美洲的旅行之后，我已经在道路上进行了公平的课程和有点陡峭的学习曲线。虽然我仍然相信被扔进深渊，但我的一些最壮观的新秀错误可能已经避免了 - 或者至少在较少的混乱中结束了。所以，如果我可以用我的27岁的自我开始分享一些智慧，在秘鲁开始摩托车旅行，这就是我会说的：
首先，去...
规划和准备是重要的，特别是如果您之前没有骑过西方世界以外的自行车。良好的装备，一些越野训练，可靠的自行车和一般方向会产生差异 - 但从未等待完美的情况，因为完美的情况不会发生。相反，首先，去吧 - 其余的将沿途进入到位。
Important dashboard additions on my first motorcycle.
2. …But Do Some Research
That being said, a little research about what lies ahead is always a good idea – a lesson I learned the hard way after miscalculating some distances and ending up crossing the Andes in the pitch-black night through a snowstorm, all because I didn’t take into account that even when the distance is the same, mountain roads and straight roads do not amount to the same time needed to cover the miles. Terrain, topography, road surfaces – all come into play when planning a day’s route.
在黑暗中这个山口肯定看起来可行。
3.包装
This one is self-explanatory, but it took me a while to figure out motorcycle luggage after traipsing across South America with two tatty backpacks strapped on the back of the bike. If I had to do it again, I’d pack 50% less and try to find some sort of a soft pannier solution rather than a towering backpack construction.
4. Be Kind to Everyone…
No matter how moody the border officials or policemen may be, no matter how much pointless bureaucracy you may need to deal with, no matter how much of a shit day you may have had, always be kind to everyone – you never know what they’re coming from, how much of a shit day they may have had, and what set of circumstances they’re in. When in doubt, err on the side of kindness.
Priorities.
5. ......包括你自己
That’s still a tough one for me – it’s easy to kick yourself when you’ve messed up, gotten into a stupid situation you could have avoided, wrecked your bike in a race you’ve had no business being in in the first place, or didn’t listen to good advice. It happens – learn the lesson and move on, because guilt and regret are the two most unproductive feelings in the world.
6. Floss
It’s OK to have no-shower days and wash your socks inside out…it’s never OK to misplace your toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. Never.
7. Step Outside Your Bubble
即使在旅行独奏时，它也很容易留在你自己的世界观泡沫中，当世界拒绝按照你习惯的方式工作时，它很容易受到困惑;冒着泡沫，接受事物和人。当他们来到欧洲时，玻利维亚人或厄瓜多尔人不会骚扰德国或法国边境官员，他们的海关程序是麻烦的，而西方人则随时要求南美可以运作他们的祖国所做的方式 - 这不清楚。在玻利维亚的海关官员中，我仍然觉得难过，因为它是我自己的错，尽管系统有点令人令人困惑，但只有自己的进口文件就没有骑自行车的进口文件。
8. Make Your Own Bucket List
马丘比丘确实很棒，正如山路通向它，但现在，我宁愿花一周探索守护者的废墟和越野小径;乌斯怀亚，终极冒险摩托车目的地，感受到不足 新利18苹果- 但智利塔哥尼亚围绕波多黎各·斯特兰（Puerto Tranquilo）在各方面都令人敬畏。当然，一些桶列表目的地是值得的，但它总是最好制作自己的清单并探索什么youwant to explore. After all, it’s your trip.
9.Listen to the Locals
If a Colombian military officer tells you to turn around and stick to the main road because the region you’re trying to enter is a tad unstable right now, listen, thank them, and turn around. If an Argentinean police officer advises you not to cross a mountain pass in Tierra del Fuego because heavy snowfall is expected, listen and stay put until the weather clears… Both lessons learned the hard way.
10. Maintain Your Bike…
It doesn’t matter if you can fix things yourself or need to take the bike to a moto shop – for the love of all that is good in this world, maintain your bike. Out of sheer inexperience, I failed to maintain my bike more often than I dare to admit, and it never ended well.
Pro tip: always get a flat tire right in front of a tire shop.
11. ......和你的理智
The same goes for your state of mind: there are times to push and power through, but there are times where if you keep pushing, you may just end up in burnout. It’s OK to take breaks, visit home, change your route or plans completely, say farewell to your riding buddies if it’s not working out (or, equally, find other riders if traveling solo isn’t for you), adjust expectations, or do a pivot turn and reconstruct your entire ADV plan. There’s no such thing as One ADV Formula – or one bike, one route, one destination – to Rule Them All, so find your own and keep rediscovering it until you hit gold.
If you could go back in time, what would you say to your younger ADV self? Share in the comments below!
