Busy few days...

It's been a crazy week this week! I've been working on improving my website, www.coolbikerides.com, and have added a boatload of new stuff.

First, we've added a new post from Sasha Mullins, noted biker and author. This has been added under the Ladies Only section of the site. We hope to be adding additional content to this area over the coming weeks including an interview with Kathy, the founder of ROAR Motorcycles, a custom biker builder specifically for women. On that note, Christine is considering starting a Cool Bike Rides Woman's Riding Club for the coming season. If you're interested, please contact ccreswell@coolbikerides.com and let her know. This would be based out the the Westfield, MA area. If you're interested in forming a Cool Bike Rides Women's Riding Club in your area, contact me at icreswell@coolbikerides.com and I'll give you a hand getting started. If there's enough interest, I'll help her get this organized and an announcement will follow. This has been the one big area that's been asked for. I'm finding that there are more and more of you ladies giving up your position on the back seat for your own on the front one. Welcome to my addiction! The most frequently asked question I get from you ladies is "where can I find other women to ride with?" We're going to try to help!

I've also done some re-organizing on the site so you may find a couple of things in different places. I think you'll like it. The biggest move is I've combined an old menu selection under one new one that includes some new, really cool tools. I've created a Communication section on the site. Under this you you'll find the link to our Cool Bike Rides forum. Additionally, there are links a new Cool Bike Rides chat room. We've created this for your chatting pleasure. Use it to meet new folks in your area, to find a riding partner for a weekend, or just to catch up with some friends. The nice thing is there's no signup, nothing to install on your local machine, just a simple chatting tool for you to use. Additionally, I've resurrected my Blog. If you're interested in reading it, or subscribing to it, there's a link on the main commincation page.

We've just created a new group on Facebook. It's called Cool Bike Rides. Original huh? We welcome anyone who's on Facebook to join. Just another great communication tool. If you're interested, look for me, Ian Creswell, and send me a friend request. I'll be happy to accept. I'm alson on Myspace at www.myspace.com/coolbikerides.

I've added some links to some great rides on the Maps and Directions page. Be sure to take a look at those and don't hesitate to send me your own suggestions.

Are you a reader? I sure am, nothing beats a good book when you're stuck at home. As of last evening, we've added a bookstore to www.coolbikerides.com. We've added several books, some of which we've already read and enjoyed, so you can find interesting reading. Christine has written up reviews on a few books and has just done another I'll be posting shortly. This will give you some idea what kind of read they may be. Keep checking back as we'll be expanding the bookstore over the coming months.

On to the big one, I'm in the process of setting up an internet radio show. It's likely to be a weekly, perhaps bi-weekly program. On this show, we will cover all sorts of topics related to the motorcycle industry and riding in general. We're formulating our plans for this show and hope to broadcast our first one shortly. Watch the website for an official link and schedule. If you have any ideas for topics, guests, or anything else you'd like to hear, please e-mail me and let me know. We want to ensure we're providing you with the topics you're interested in!

Let me close with a call for your help. Send us in your favorite rides, riding roads, books you've read and enjoyed (just the title and author, no need to send the book ;-), pictures and stories so we can share them with everyone. We'd be happy to review and add these to the website.

I guess that's it for now. Now that I read through this I wonder how I found the time to get this all done?! We hope you enjoy the site and continue to share it with your friends!

Ride safe!

Snowing again...

As I sit, the snow continues to fall. We're expecting another 3-7" of snow only to be topped off with some rain and potential ice. I guess the bike will be sitting in the garage for a few more days.

On an up-note, this means we're one day closer to the "sane person's" riding season. I know most of you lock your bikes away in early to mid-November and there they sit until Spring. I'm not one of those but I'm also not completely crazy (just a little). Though I've heard of bikers in the area out riding in blizzard conditions. Now that's just plain crazy!

Oh well, back to the snow...

Ian

Nice, but not biker related...

I had a great surprise tonight. My wife and I were on our way home from the grocery store when my cell phone began to ring. To my great surprise, it was my 17 year old son. He told me he was on his was on his way home from band practice and was wondering if I'd like to go out for a coffee.

I'm sure you can imagine what was going through my mind at that point. Something's happened, car accident, girl troubles, who knows what. I simply asked "Everything OK?" His answer was a relief. He indicated that he just wanted to hang out with the old man as we haven't had much time alone lately.

I'm pleased to say, that's exactly what we did. We hit Starbucks and grabbed a coffee and just talked. What a great surprise!

Enjoy your evening!!!

Ian

Biking Problem...

I was accused of having a biking problem this weekend. This was a direct comment to a post from a friend of mine. Now I know he was joking but I guess he's right. If truth be told, I suppose I'm addicted.

Riding is one of the most relaxing things I do. After a long day of work, I can think of no better way to unwind than by putting a few miles on the bike. Why does it relax me, clear my head? Well, the steady drone of the engine just has a soothing effect on me. Objects flying by at a high rate of speed is equally relaxing. The need for total focus on everything I do, everything going on around me, results in removing all other thoughts from my mind. In the end, I'm at peace with myself.

Do you have a riding problem? If you're in a cold weather climate, do you spend the Winter wishing you could just jump on your bike and go out for a few hours? I do, and have been craving the time on the road.

I try not to miss a warm day in the Winter. Now warm is a relative term, and a moving target depending on the time of the year. December through March, 42 degrees is enough for me. I'm often asked "What about the salt and sand? Aren't you worried about them ruining the bike?" Well, no, I'm not too worried about it. As I recently told a friend, that's why God made water, so I could wash my bike off after a Winter ride. I bought the bike to ride it, not to look pretty. That it looks pretty is just a bonus.

All right, enough rambling, I'm just missing my riding time...

Ian

Winter Ride, again!

Well, the temp hit 43 degrees on Friday and I hadn't ridden since late December so off I went. It was a short ride, but it was a ride! I fired up the bike, put on about a dozen layers, jumped on and hit the road. I had brought the camera with me, hung it around my neck, set it to video and started recording. I figured I'd include it on my Youtube channel. Well, I'd like to say I got a great video to share but alas, either by belly is a little rounder than it used to be or I was leaning back while I was riding. I'd like to say it was the former but I'm not sure I can... I got some great shots of the trees! Nothing useful though. There are pictures on my Facebook and Myspace accounts.

Well, I guess I'll have to work on the belly this winter and perhaps pick up a camera mount for the bike.

I've done a ton of updating on the site over the last week and will be doing more over the next couple of weeks so make sure you stop by and check it out. We even added a chat room!

Ian
www.coolbikerides.com