Gear Test

Yeah I know..I look like a desert army star wars power ranger, but I think it looks sweet. I know this gear will protect me when I fall. Tobby already said that most of us will fall at least once so we must be prepared. Never worn so much armor in my life but I guess this is good, I would hate to get hurt the first day and have to ride in the support vehicle the rest of the time. We will begin our travels in the Tarapoto which is in the hot jungle and then work our way to Cuszo which is in the cooler andes mountains. Now the waiting begins... is it July yet?

The Prep.

Well the trip doesn't begin till July 18th and here it is the early part of Feb so I have some time to prep for this trip. I have been riding motorcycles for about 10 years now, but only cruiser type of motos and not very long distances. Last time were were in Peru we when to Mancora on the northern coast of Peru. While we were there we rented dirt bikes for 2 days, it was a blast driving around and exploring the coast. It was truly the highlight of our trip. That is the only time I have driven a moto on dirt/sand/rock, so my exprience in driving on such terain is very minimal. I needed some more information on what I would need for this trip. Toby Shannon, a friend of my dads, is leading this adventure. He has been planning this trip for a better part of a year and is very organized. Toby has done a similar trip in 2007 with his son and has been wanting to do it again with MK (missionary kids) from his childhood days. Toby was into motorcross when he was younger and since he has done this trip before, he has a wealth of knowledge of what will work for this type of trip.

My biker gear was very limited since I was more of a traditionalist with attire. Leather jacket, leather gloves, jeans, half helmet and combat boots. What else do you knee if your just doing day trips or just bar hopping right? This may have been ok for the states but it was not going to fly with the climate, elevation and dirt roads of Peru. I would have to gear up.

I am a very savy online shopper and will not pay full price for anything. Plus I had a budget that I was trying to keep. The first item that I purchase was a good jacket, I picked up a Firstgear Kilamanjaro textile jacket, it was the right price and had everything I was looking for in a jacket. Next I picked up some textile pants also made from Firstgear. My father lent be a street helmet, but I was looking for something lighter and opted for a hybrid helmet from Joe Rocket, it is a cross between a street and motocross helmet. Finished off with some shorty Thor boots and a hydro pack and I am set. Just a couple odd and ends left but there is time...

Around The Block 2010- The Beginning

Welcome to the beginning of my Moto adventure. The idea came about when my dad (Robert Croese) said that he was thinking of going on another trip (he has gone on several ones and has a cross continental one coming up). He peaked my interest, but it was more of an afterthought. The next time I saw him he was visiting us in Florida for the new years, he mentioned it again and gave me some more details. I thought to myself that I would like to go but the cost of such a trip and time commitment would be to great, plus the idea of this trip would not sit well with my wife, Bethany. A couple months later I got a call from my dad asking me about it again since he needed to know very soon to reserve a spot for both of us. He mentioned that it was father/son trip and that he would help me out with the financials, he really wanted for me to go and have and adventure with him before he goes on his cross continental trip. I told him that I would have to run it by the wife and let him know soon. At this point, I knew that my wife would be concerned about my safety and the length of time away from her and the kids, but would give me the green light.

Peru here I Come!



On a side note, my wife is my best friend and the truly a wonderful mother to my kids, she is everything to me, so this was not a easy decision for me to leave her for 18+ days.