Hey all! I just wanted to stop in and say hello. My name is Jeremy. About a month ago I was returning from a weekend camping trip on Laguna Mountain and decided to check out some trails south of Julian and I came along EddieEarl and another forum member here. They were just coming off the trail that goes from Saddleback to Three Sisters Falls Trailhead (if I remember correctly). What a couple of friendly dudes! We talked for a few minutes and they mentioned this forum (which I'd come across a few times) and encouraged me to join and say hello. So, that's what I'm doin'.
About me:
I'm a 35 year old guy living close to the beach up in Carlsbad. About once a week you'll find me at Pizza Port Carlsbad getting rowdy (okay-not-really) with friends. I'm an avid beer brewer, a coffee roaster, photographer, bread baker, and amateur woodworker. For money, I work in the tech industry up in Bressi Ranch as a product manager. I look a little like Dom DeLuise. Sometimes I try to look tough in pictures.
About my riding experience and bike:
Didn't grow up around motorcycles, didn't know people who had them, and had never ridden one until about 4 years ago. I was instantly hooked. Like any good city hipster I picked up a Triumph Bonneville. No one forgets their first. It's been, and continues to be, a great bike. Power full enough, fuel injected, fairly simple, and looks great. I've even met new friends because of it.
Eventually, I fit it with some home made panniers, strapped some bags on it, and took it on some pretty long trips. There was a moment, in the dirt above Big Sur, I thought to myself "I love this motorcycle, but it wasn't meant for this."
And I started looking into getting something more suited for longer travel over varied terrain. I wrote about the decision process a bit on this blog post, but I ended up getting a Triumph Tiger 800 XCX. I can't bring myself to sell the Bonny, and I've even come to appreciate how good it is on pavement and how much I enjoy the sounds and feel of it. Having said that... I am loving this new bike. Having a windscreen is amazing on the highway, sitting upright is nice on the back, and having some semi-knobby tires brings some confidence when the pavement ends. So, I guess now I have two motorcycles.
Looking to get off the pavement.
So, at this point in my young motorcycle career, I'm looking to get off the beaten path a bit more. I know that this bike looks like a monster to you thumper-wranglers and I-was-born-on-a-dirt-bike riders and, well, I guess it is. I think the wet weight is 480lbs or something close. Hopefully I can find some riders on this forum willing to have a jolly, bearded, slightly slower rider on a few local rides. I'm certainly not afraid to take some spills, get stuck in the sand, and put some battle scars on this new machine. Really, I'm here to learn from y'all. If you have any rides or trails to recommend for someone like me, do let me know!
I look forward to meeting some more of you all and spinning some tires.
