No Wet Cops After All

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Thankfully, the threat of rain was only a threat. When I awoke yesterday morning, the radar indicated the skies were clear, and the roads looked damp, but not wet. So I donned my leather BDUs (because I like the cargo pockets), pulled on my Wesco Boss boots, a t-shirt, and my lightweight leather jacket. Got my Harley out of the garage and met five others from my club, then hauled our butts at oh-dark-30 to the location of the police motorcycle rodeo held some 40 miles away.

Fortunately, the rain never materialized. In fact, the clouds broke up and the sun came out — and I got a bit of a sunburn!

I enjoyed serving as a judge in the competition again this year. Lots of cops who participate in it are very skilled riders. However, despite their level of skill, this year 15 riders dropped their bikes during the competition. Each time I saw a bike go down, I yelled “ouch!” Fortunately, no one was hurt (other than their pride.)

I will post more about the event in the next few days. It sure was fun!

Photo left is one of the skilled competitors — notice that he’s looking where he wants his bike to go, not down. The photo below is my friend from my local PD riding in the competition.

Life is short: learn from what you observe.

Wet Cops

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As you read this, I am serving as a judge at a multistate regional police motorcycle riding competition. I served as a judge last year and was asked back to serve as a judge again this year. I enjoy it — I can be right in the midst of the activity watching the skilled riders weave through the course.

Unlike most years when this event is held and we have stunningly beautiful early autumn weather, this year the entire DC Metro area is under the threat of another day of rain. All day yesterday (Friday) … rain, rain, rain. Bleccchhhh. I’m tired of it.

The police motorcycle competition goes on, rain or shine. A cop who I work with told me, “we have ridden in a hurricane before!” Hmmmmm….

Let’s hope the rain holds off, but if not, there will be more than wet cops at this event — I’ll be out there in it, too. 🙂

Life is short: keep dry!

Copnapped

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A buddy who is a motor officer just called… he is having dinner with some friends who are in town for a motorcycle police riding competition. He invited me to go with him. He wants company for a long, sloggy, rainy drive to Outer Slobbovia across the river in another state.

Sure… sounds fun. I have had dinner with this group for three years now as they gather for this annual event. My usual Friday night dinner with my large and extended family will be missed this week.

Life is short — go with a cop when “requested.” LOL!

Distant

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Lately, I have had a few people contact me by various methods of electronic communication to say that they were coming to Washington, DC, and thought perhaps we could “meet up.” Actually, I have never met up or down or sideways, but that’s a different issue. (I tend to be picky about the proper use of English.)

Depending on the medium used to reach me, I respond differently.

If contact is made through a fetish site (where I have a BHD identity to maintain it as me and not allow someone else to use the screen name and cause confusion or misrepresentation)… I generally reply with a gentle but firm, “no thanks.” That’s especially true if the person’s screen name has these words in it: “bottom”, “boy”, “boi”, or “4you”. These names imply they want to be on the receiving end for sex. I am not interested in meeting “up” (or down, or sideways) with people who are looking for sex. I reply that I am in a monogamous relationship and I do not meet other men who have interests like that.

If someone writes to me through my website, which generates an email, or sends me an email message directly, then that’s different. I read the message for what it says. Something normal like, “I am coming to DC for a meeting, and I would like to meet you for dinner” is better than, “Hey, sexy, let’s meet up at The Eagle at midnight and see what happens.” Seriously, I have received messages like that on rare occasions. I am not a night owl, and I do not go out for such clandestine rendezvous.

However, the lunch or dinner option is a possibility, though probably not likely. I do not work or live in the city, and I avoid going into the city if I can. I am long over giving tours to visitors, thank you, and I do not enjoy social venues in the city. Getting into the city is a hassle, plus I really do not have the time. I work in the downtown of my Maryland suburban hometown and by the time I got on the subway to ride into the city to meet someone for lunch, it would be time to return again.

Further, my partner and I never go out to eat, so I prepare all of our evening meals at home. We prefer it that way for a number of reasons (I’m cheap and on a very restricted diet; he’s reclusive.)

I have also had some guys ask to come visit my home and have a tour of my boot collection. Sorry, I don’t do that, either. My partner and I do not have visitors in our home. It’s really all I can do to accommodate occasional visits from out-of-town family and my mother-in-law. My partner can’t stand having his routine thrown out of whack. We do not entertain other people. Not being drinkers of alcohol, we don’t have friends over for wine or cocktails. I know that not being interested in entertaining is quite the opposite from what most people expect of gay men, but so be it. My partner does not have any friends (at all, anywhere). While I have a lot of friends, I visit them elsewhere — usually on the saddle of my Harley.

I know this sounds strange, distant, and unsociable. It’s what I do to accommodate my ever-reclusive partner who can’t stand social-anything. That’s okay, he makes up for it in many other ways. I consider myself to be sociable and outgoing, but my partner is quite the opposite. I respect him and his wishes for privacy, and the sanctity of our home.

Thanks for your interest. A meet “up” (or down or sideways) probably won’t happen. Thanks, but please understand why I say “no.” It’s not you — it’s me and my respect for my antisocial but otherwise adorable and loving partner.

Life is short: make your limits clear.

Chippewa Boots Expensive?

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Someone searched the internet with a question, “why are Chippewa boots so expensive?” which directed the visitor to this blog. But the post to which the question was directed did not answer the question.

The answer is simple: Chippewa motorcycle boots are still made in the USA, and are made with quality materials and craftsmanship. While the boots are not hand-made, the steps in their assembly and construction are supervised by humans. U.S. humans.

Then compare that process with boots made in China, for example: X-Element, Joe Rocket, River Road, and even some of the best-known U.S. labels: Red Wing, Frye, Harley-Davidson. Boots made in China are made with inferior materials and are assembled almost exclusively by machine. The quality is poor, and there is no “craftsmanship.” You are paying more for the label (license) than for the product.

Boots made in China are inexpensive. The manufacturers use very cheap labor and low-end materials to offer their U.S. retailers a lower price. But believe me, they’re still making a lot of money on the deal.

Compare these differences:

Chippewa Motorcycle Boots — most are fully leather-lined; Vibram soles; soles stitched on; some have steel toes; hardware is resistant to oxidation (rusting); leather is top grain, smooth, and unblemished.

Chinese Motorcycle Boots — mostly unlined; neoprene or other cheap rubber soles; soles are glued on, not stitched; steel toes are rare; hardware is not treated so it rusts easily; leather may often be a bottom of a cowhide split (see explanation here) so it is blemished, uneven, and lacks lustre.

So why are Chippewa boots more expensive than these Chinese-made knock-offs? Now that you know more about how the boots are made and what they are made of, as well as where they are made, you understand that it costs more for better materials and craftsmanship, and to support U.S. workers who are paid a decent wage and benefits. I support U.S. labor. I would far rather pay a little more to keep a fellow American employed than export the labor to China. (And I know that no one in China will read this blog post, because China still blocks Blogspot through internet censorship.)

I really did not mean for this post to go on the tangent to promote American labor and sound like I am bashing China. But facts are facts. Quality is quality. Workers need good jobs, and I support my fellow countrymen.

Life is short: know quality when you see it, and invest in that quality while supporting U.S. labor.

Leather Care

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As the weather where I live has been cooling, I have been enjoying my leathers again. I wear my gear when I ride my Harley, but I also wear my gear “just around.” While I go about errands in the neighborhood, grocery shopping, and caring for my man.

Yeah, I have quite a bit of gear that I have acquired over many years. Biker wear includes leather breeches, jeans, chaps, vests, and jackets. Every-day wear includes leather shirts, and jeans.

Most of my gear is hung carefully in a rather large closet in my home office. I also keep some jackets and chaps hung in the garage near my bike. I have a few jackets in the hall closet as well.

As I prepare to renew leather-wearing again for Fall, Winter, and Spring, it’s important to check it over and condition the leathers. I look for any threads that may be loose. Usually there are not any, but for example I found a loose thread on a hem of a pair of favorite lightweight leather pants. My partner is a whiz in the sewing department — he fixed the hem nicely.

I do not go to great lengths with conditioning leathers, but I am careful to ensure the leather is clean and in good shape.

The most important thing I do to care for leather is after each wear (such as jeans while riding my Harley), after I get home, I wipe them down with a clean moist cloth to remove the dirt that inevitably collects from exposure when outdoors.

From time to time, I apply Lexol Leather Conditioner on my leathers, using a light lintless cloth and rubbing it on the leather lightly. I don’t apply pressure or rub hard — that could damage the skin. I “buff it up” so-to-speak.

When leather is kept in good repair, clean and conditioned, it will last forever. It will continue to look good, repel water if I get caught in the rain, and keep me warm.

I may bring a couple pairs of pants or breeches and a few shirts to our basement while my partner is watching whatever blather he recorded on his Tivo. I’ll work on my leathers and watch TV with him. In no time, the gear is looking good and ready for another three seasons of regular use.

Yeah, I have a lot of gear and I wear it. I am not one of those gay guys with a trunk full of leather gear worn to the once-a-year event, fashion show or club run. My gear is “out there” and “on me” often.

No, I do not wear leather at my office, but I do wear my protective gear when I ride my Harley to get there. I hang my leathers in a closet in my office and exchange it for a suit I keep there. (After all, I am a supervisor.)

When I get home, I take off the clothes that I wear to work (dress shirt, tie, and pants) and don the leather. My partner arrives home from work about an hour after I do, and I greet him as he walks in the door in full leather. He smiles, kisses me hello, and we talk about our respective days.

I may go out after dinner to check on a friend or attend a meeting. Whatever leather I have on stays on (but I admit, I do not wear a Muir Cap when I’m out and about; I wear a ballcap). Everyone who knows me has seen me in “full gear” and doesn’t say a thing. Granted, I don’t flaunt full fetishwear when I am in the community — just a pair of leather jeans, a shirt, and a jacket. No.big.deal.

Honestly, I don’t know what the hang-ups are that some guys have about wearing leather in public, but I have blogged about that a lot, so I’ll suffice it to say that leather is what I wear, and people are interested in what I have to say, not what I wear.

Life is short: keep your leather in good shape, and wear it often!

Leather on a Budget

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A few guys have written to me asking me about my leather gear along with questions such as where I bought it. Some have commented that they admired the gear and wanted to get leathers like it, but have not saved up enough money yet. Recently, someone asked me to make a video about “leather on a budget” like I did recently on “Biker Boots on a Budget.”

While it may take me longer to think about what I might put into a video on “buying leather on a budget,” let me address the question in a blog post. I’ll get around to doing a video sometime later.

First very important point: do not buy cheap leather from on-line retailers that sell gear made in Pakistan or China. You’ll be very disappointed. The leather is all shiny and smells great when you get it, but soon enough, the garment starts to fall apart at the seams. The leather discolors. Hardware rusts. Leather stretches. Blemishes become obvious. So by all means, before you buy leather (especially from on-line vendors), ask about the origin of the leather and where the product is made. If the leather is from Pakistan or China, then forget about it.

The good stuff uses leather made in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Germany, Mexico, or South America (to name most, but not all countries that produce quality leather).

You can usually tell quality leather origin in two ways: vendors of the good stuff will tell you on their website and on a label in the garment what the source of the leather was. You can also make a good guess by the price. If a price seems too good to be true, such as a pair of chaps or leather jeans for about US$100, then run! Something’s wrong — usually with the leather, but also with the construction.

Usually, leather garments sized in off-the-shelf sizes will fit “okay” but usually will hang funny on regular people who are not built like buff models used in photos on websites. The gear may sag or pucker in the wrong places — such as off-the-shelf chaps may pucker around the crotch. The gear may be cut to fit men of different heights, and close with snaps along the bottom (many off-the-shelf chaps come that way.) The trouble is, chaps that are not hemmed, but rather are cut, eventually fray at the bottom and don’t look right. Or the snap closures are bulky and they eventually oxidize, too, so they will not close correctly in a year or two.

The difference in cost between quality off-the-shelf, sized-for-the-masses leather and custom leather gear really isn’t that much. But the fit is astronomically different. A good pair of quality chaps from any of the vendors listed on my website links page can make you great stuff for market prices. Yes, some of those market prices may seem very high. Shop around. Wait for sales. Usually leather vendors offer sales in advance of the holidays.

Oh, one other thing: don’t buy a license. Huh? What I mean is, don’t buy leather that has a Harley-Davidson logo on it and think you have a high-quality product because you were charged an arm and a leg for it. Check the label in the garment — you may see a label indicating country of origin as being China, Indonesia, or Pakistan. You see, when a company that has a well-recognized brand name allows its name to be used in a line of related products (such as H-D branded leathers), the Motor Company is licensing the use of its name for that purpose. So what you’re doing is buying a license rather than getting even better quality gear for the price. That’s why you see me — a Harley-riding guy — with “non-label” gear and no H-D brand on it. I have the brand on my bike, and that’s where it should be. Not on my lapel.

Back to the subject — interested in leather gear on a budget? Save your money. Shop around. Use the vendors listed on the links page on my website. Wait for sales.

It is better to wait and buy the good stuff than go for the cheap and have it fall apart soon and look like a sack of potatoes when wearing it.

I wish I could offer some better news on how to buy leather, but the moral of the story is to buy the good stuff, and wait if you have to so you can afford to get quality gear that will last a long time.

Life is short: wear quality gear!

Twice Riding

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Woo-hoo!  Sunday (yesterday), I spent the day on my Harley having fun!

The day began early with some motor officer buddies who are practicing for a major competition next week. I watched their practice and judged their riding like I would judge it in the actual event (which I will do next week.) It was great to observe such graceful handling of heavyweight motorcycles. I will post photos of the actual competition when I participate in judging it.

Then later in the morning yesterday, I led a motorcycle ride for my club through the Maryland byways and back roads. It was perfect “leather-weather!” Nine brave souls had the courage to follow me on a ride. (I say “courage” because my reputation for getting lost is legendary.)

We swooped through curves, rode up and down gentle sloping hills, and beheld vistas of the late-summer farm fields, barns, horses, and dairy cattle. It seemed like every turn brought another view of my lovely home state that was better that the one before it. I tell ya, it was stunning.

What did I wear? With mild but coolish temperatures, I chose to wear my retro leather chaps over a pair of lightweight leather jeans. I had the leather jeans tucked into Wesco Motor Patrol boots, which are very comfy. On top, I wore my gray short-sleeve leather shirt (with black accents) and my motocross jacket, which has my club colors on the back. I was perfectly warm, but not too hot.

Did anyone say anything to me about my wearing all leather? Nope, except for one guy who admired the shirt and jacket and asked me where I got them.

I had a great late summer but Fall-feeling day on the Harley with my friends.

Life is short: get out and ride!

How Do Gay Guys Wear Their Boots?

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You can verify it for yourself — someone from Houston, Texas, used his Android to search, “how do gay guys wear their boots?

Really?

I guess his smart phone is smarter than he is, because it directed him to two entries on this blog. The searcher spent almost 20 minutes on this blog, looking at only two posts (here and here). Hmmmm…

But these were not the posts that address the question, in my opinion. This one or this one would have been better.

Anyway, back to the question: How do gay guys wear their boots?

…on their feet like anyone else.

Sheesh. There are two ways one can look at this question:

1. A guy who is gay and on the “bubble,” that is, he’s not ready to come out yet, so he is wondering if how he wears boots may give away his sexual orientation. That’s bullshit — all guys wear boots the same way. Boot-wearing has nothing to do with sexual orientation. Contrary to stereotypes, gay men who wear boots do not prance around on their tip-toes.

2. The question was entered by another homophobe who in some idiotic way thinks that gay guys wear boots differently from anyone else. I shall refrain from making remarks about the origin of the query or the intelligence (or lack thereof) of the person asking such a question if it were asked with this intent. If he thinks for a moment that gay guys wear boots differently from anyone else, he has been indoctrinated too long by the culture in which he has been exposed all his life. So sad.

Life is short: give benefit of the doubt, but do not suffer fools; if they are old enough to have an Android phone and pay for it’s monthly ransom, they are old enough to be better educated.

Cool Weather Riding

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The air temperatures around where I live in the DC ‘burbs of Maryland have dropped considerably. When I left for work yesterday morning, it was 44F (6.7C)! Whew! Time for a warmer jacket and my warm retro chaps! Gloves! And insulated motorcycle boots!

I love this time of year. Crisp, sunny, dry days with cool, snuggly-with-my-man nights. Perfect.

Anyway, the mornings of just hopping on the Harley and taking off for work in whatever-I-am-wearing (shirt, pants, boots) are over. While it’s nice not to have to take more time to put on additional layers and then take them off and secure them upon arrival at my destination, I still love autumn and enjoy what I often refer to as, “leather weather.”

Yesterday morning, I tried out my new gray leather motorcycle jacket. It felt great. Lots of room to maneuver yet tight enough to keep the wind out and keep me warm.

As any visitor to the leather jackets section of my website knows, I have a variety of jackets from which to select. The lighter-weight jackets are worn when the temperatures are in the low 70s (22C), the mid-weight jackets are worn when the temps are in the mid-50s to 60s (15C), and the heavier jackets that have zip closures on the wrists and close all the way up to the neck are worn when it’s cooler than that.

I plan to ride to work this year up until the temperatures reach freezing. I will not run the risk of hitting a patch of ice, which at the time I leave for work in the morning, I may not see because it is always dark.

But meanwhile, “leather weather” is here! Woo-hoo!