Riding

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I enjoy riding my Harley, and being a member of a group that has many organized rides — over 100 per year. I have the pleasure of leading some of those rides sometimes, as well as riding in a safety position in the back of the group (known as “sweep.”) I wish I could ride with them more often; alas, my time is tight and since my partner cannot ride with me, I am often torn between being out riding vs. spending time with the man who means the world to me (and fulfilling his never-ending “honey-do” list! LOL!)

Here are some photos of me leading a ride last Saturday. I’m the guy up front in the first three pics. Last pic is of the bikes behind my friend who took the pictures. He has a camera mounted on his handle bars.

Riding a motorcycle with an organized group is fun. Being a leader in the group is enjoyable, too. The spirit is “ride and have fun.” That’s what it’s all about. Doesn’t matter if I’m gay, or that I am not the most skilled rider, or that I easily get lost. I am part of a group who share a common interest.

Life is short: ride and have fun!

Emerging Bootman in the Midst

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On Saturday, I led an organized motorcycle ride. I enjoy doing that when I can; about once a month during riding season. I wrote about my concern about preparing for the ride in Saturday’s blog post. I mentioned in yesterday’s post that the ride went very well, despite trepidations. I’m no “map savant” as a good buddy is; he can ride on unfamiliar routes and never get lost. I am not as fortunate, and don’t know why.

Anyway, the ride went very well. I didn’t get lost and the two-dozen or so bikers who showed up truly seemed to enjoy it. We went in a direction and on roads that the group usually doesn’t travel, so it made the ride more interesting for many.

We stopped along the way to stretch, and allow some of the bikes with smaller tanks to be refueled. I forget, having a six-gallon tank that I do not need to worry about running out of fuel on a rather short ride. But I know that is important to some of the guys with bikes that have smaller tanks. I also felt that we needed a break as the group needed to stretch, get something to drink, have a smoke, use the bathroom, etc. So we did.

At that stop, a younger dude came up to me and said, “those boots you have on are awesome! What are they? Where did you get them? They’re cool!”

I have to admit, the last thing I was thinking of on the morning of that ride is what boots I selected to wear on that ride. Because the weather was moderate and actually a little cool when I started out, I selected my old, comfy, well-worn Wesco Boss engineer boots to wear. They feel great, and look good with jeans over them. Real, honest-to-goodness, tough biker boots.

This younger guy just couldn’t get enough views of the boots, and wanted to know more. I sensed, though, that he was not ready for the full explanation of all the different varieties (and cost range) of tall engineer boots, so I kept it simple. I explained that the boots I had on were over 20 years old, and were made by Wesco. I added that new Wesco boots like that now cost in the range of over $500 at the 18″ height.

He explained that his finances are on edge with the payment for his bike alone taking most of his earnings, and that he was still living with his parents because he can’t afford to rent or buy a home for himself. (Still living with parents at age 32? Hmmm… my priorities would be different … spent whatever money I had on a home, build up savings, then buy a Harley, but that’s how I am. He seemed to be fine with his choices.)

So boots that cost over $500 were out of the question. He showed me his boots, which were, as usual, cheap Chinese-made Harley-branded harness boots. He seemed to be proud of them, so I didn’t say anything about my opinion of their relatively low value.

Instead, I explained that a very good alternative to Wesco engineer boots that is more affordable and U.S.-made are Chippewa engineer boots. I have several pairs of Chip Engineers, and like them. Durable, comfortable, long-lasting and well-made, and less than half the cost of new Wesco Boss boots.

I explained that he can get a pair of steel-toe or non-steel toe Chippewa engineer boots for about $200.

Later, when I got home, I received an email thanking me for leading an “awesome” ride, and thanking me for talking to him about boots. He asked me again for the “kind of boots you recommended,” and I answered him again with the information above. He replied with a genuine and appreciative thank-you. He said that he looked forward to riding with me again, perhaps in a new “awesome” pair of “real biker boots like you wear.”

Happy to help.

Life is short: be an “awesome” biker in engineer boots!

Out Riding

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Whoo-hoo! Two weekend days in a row, I’m out riding my Harley! Pardon the dust in the bloggetory, but I’m rollin’ down the road looking for corn at a roadside stand… so many tassled corn stalks observed yesterday on my ride that went extremely well, I am now seeking a stand where I can buy some fresh corn for my partner to enjoy. (I can’t eat it, but that’s another story). Man, what a gorgeous weekend!

Actually, today marks the eighth day in a row I have ridden my bike, starting with last Sunday, and every weekday this past week to commute to work, then yesterday, and now today! I plan to continue the commuting pattern all of this coming week, too. I love summer… despite the heat, and provided storms happen at night when they occur, then I ride every.single.day. Who can beat that! Yippie!

See you tomorrow! I’m out ridin’!

Life is short: RIDE! (In long pants and boots! Leave the sneakers for the gym!)

Relaxing to Enjoy the Ride

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I often include comments on this blog with suggestions to stop obsessing (such as whether you should wear boots or leather garments in public), to chill out (relax, stop worrying about stupid stuff), and enjoy the ride (smile, be happy, etc.)

I realized that I had not been following my own advice. Today (Saturday), I am leading a motorcycle ride. It’s supposed to be a short, fun, just “get out and ride” kinda ride. No specific destination to go to. Just put your boots up on the highway pegs, lean back, set the throttle on cruise at a moderate speed, and enjoy the scenery of the Maryland byways through farmlands and small towns that have historical connections to the U.S. Civil War.

But I take things too seriously sometimes. (Some good friends call it “conscientious”). To prepare for this ride, I got out on my Harley last Sunday and began to ride, thinking that I would ride along and use the trip log on the GPS to track my ride, then save it, and use it for the “official” ride.

Well, no such luck. As I was riding along, I took a turn that led to another turn and before I knew it, I had doubled back almost to my origin. That is, I got lost on familiar roads. Heck, if I get lost on roads that I ride often, how in the heck am I going to lead a ride for a large group to places that are interesting, and have the ride take more than a half-hour and not go through rivers, fords, or involve mountain-climbing?

I had hoped that a buddy would be riding with me last week, but he couldn’t make it. If I had a passenger, I might have pressed on. But it was exceptionally hot and I was tired and frustrated, so I gave up and rode back home. (Well, I took some pictures of my new All American 401 Firefighter Boots that I was breaking in that day for posting to my website, so the ride wasn’t a complete loss.)

But that was all the time I had to attempt to pre-ride the ride. With our usual weekday routine — we both work, I cook dinner, then my partner and I eat — we usually have only a couple hours after dinner before we go to bed before 9pm (and I usually go to a meeting or two in the evenings during the week, to boot). No way I can find three hours after my work day ends to get out and ride.

So the anxiety was building. I was obsessing, worrying, and wondering just how I was going to lead a ride if I didn’t know where I was going to go?

I got onto the computer and began trying to plan a ride. I found the motor company’s on-line ride planner. It worked well, and I thought I figured out a really nice ride. But then I couldn’t save it, or print it out. All the effort I put into it was for naught — all due to some computer problem. This situation was making me even more stressed. (Turns out, the ride planning tool is not compatible with Win7. Who knew?)

The internal fret-meter continued. Self-pressure was mounting. Then a thoughtful, caring, special sister just happened to call me on Thursday afternoon for a routine catch-up chat. She noticed some tension in my voice, and thought my concern was about my partner’s health condition. I explained that as of now, he’s okay and we’re in a waiting pattern, so that wasn’t the reason I was stressed. Then I told her about my concern about the ride planning.

After she lectured me about getting my priorities straight (i.e., it is correct to be worried about my partner’s health; it is not right to be worried about a simple 3-hour motorcycle ride), she helped me to refocus myself. She was absolutely right.

Friday morning, I approached the matter anew, with a more up-beat attitude. I found an old computer with Windows XP, and found that the ride planning tool worked fine on that one. I plotted the ride, printed it out, shared it with my sweep road captain, and followed it with Google Earth and Google Maps (satellite and street view.) It looks good… theoretically.

The attitude adjustment was critical. So what if we get out, ride, and make some wrong turns? As long as we don’t end up in a river or on a roof of a building, we’ll be okay. I have been on all the roads that I want to ride at one time or another, but not in this particular route. But that’s okay… we’ll try it, and if it works, that’s great. If it doesn’t, as long as we remain upright with the rubber side down and smiles on our faces, we’ll be fine.

Life is short: don’t sweat the small stuff.

How Much Can a Cobbler Stretch a Pair of Boots?

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Another question entered into Google and landed here: “How much can a cobbler stretch a pair of boots?”

Good question. The answer to this question depends on what the boots are made of.

If boots are made of regular leather, then you need to know if the boots are lined with leather.

If boots are leather lined, a cobbler can usually stretch the shafts up to 3/8 inch (1cm) in additional overall circumference (which for those who are not math-inclined, is not the same as the diameter. Boot circumference is the distance around the inside of the boot shaft).

If the boots are not lined with leather, then the boot shaft can possibly be stretched even a little more, up to about 1/2 inch (1.3cm) if the cobbler takes his time and uses specialized equipment.

If the boot shaft is made from materials other than leather, like “Dehcord” (which is the synthetic product from which the shafts of stock Dehner boots are made), then it cannot be stretched. Attempting to stretch synthetic materials causes breaks in chemical bonds that form the product — what results is cracking and visible breaks in the surface of the boot. It ruins it.

Boots that are made of leather but coated with a plastic top coat, like Chippewa Hi-Shine boots, Chippewa Trooper Boots, Intapol Patrol Boots, or All American Patrol Boots, also will develop surface cracks if they are stretched, so it is not recommended to try to have those boots stretched.

If you need the foot of the boot stretched, that is possible, too, with the right equipment. A cobbler has a device that can apply pressure from inside the boot’s foot to stretch it. The amount of stretching that a cobbler can do for a pair of all-leather boots is about one width size wider (such as from a “D” to an “E”.) However, no boot can be stretched longer, such as from a size 10 to a size 10.5.

How does one find a cobbler with the correct equipment to stretch boots? While the Yellow Pages (business telephone directory) is quickly dying, if you have one, you probably can find a listing for a cobbler in it. You can also use an internet search engine to find a cobbler on-line. Consider additional search terms of “shoe repair” or “luggage repair” as well. Most shoe and luggage repair shops have the equipment to stretch boots.

And for the do-it-yourselfers, there are various methods described on the internet about how to stretch boots. Some of the ideas work (more-or-less) and some do not. For more details on how to do it yourself, See this article on the Boots Wiki.

A word of advice to the DIY types: do NOT be fooled into buying “boot stretching liquid.” This stuff is isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. No need to buy a product that has a label that proclaims magical results, when it actually is exactly the same stuff that you can find in any drug store for one-sixth the price. Just go to a drug store and buy a bottle of regular rubbing alcohol — then be sure to follow the instructions referenced on the Boots Wiki on how to use it.

Life is short: get your boots to fit!

Are Cowboy Boots for Gay Men?

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Here we go again:

AOL search results that landed a visitor to my website, “Are Cowboy Boots for Gay Men?”

Answer: no. Only people who are insecure about what they wear think that there is a relationship between boot-wearing and being gay.

See more posts:

Can Straight Men Wear Cowboy Boots?

Who Gets to Wear Tall Boots

What Do Gay Men’s Boots Look Like?

Is It Gay to Wear Boots?

Why Do Gay Guys Like to Wear Boots?

Gay Boots

Life is short: stop applying social stereotypes to boots, or for that matter, to any form of clothing. ‘nuf said.

All American Firefighter Boots

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I had a chance to lace up and break in a new pair of All American Firefighter Boots, model 401.

What makes Firefighter boots rather different and well-suited for use as tactical boots for motorcycle riding are these features:

  • Laced-in zipper up the middle. Once the zipper is laced in, you don’t have to fool with laces again, so the boots are easy and quick to put on and take off.
  • The laces lock in and the ends remain inside the boot, so the wind won’t work them loose while riding.
  • Comfortable built-in insole and padded ankle collar. Makes the boots easy on the feet when out on an all-day ride.
  • Rugged Vibram lug sole which provides excellent traction — particularly useful when maneuvering (i.e., “walking”) the bike into a parking slot or holding the bike steady at a stoplight.
  • The boots don’t get hot, even on a hot day. They provide superb support of the foot and ankle without roasting the foot.
  • Sturdy, attractive and rugged appearance. The “cool biker’s” boot.

I have been enthusiastically recommending Firefighter boots since I bought a pair of Chippewa Firefighter Boots in 2009. I quickly learned how comfortable these boots were for motorcycle use. And, according to some of my riding buddies, they look more like the motorcycle boots that most other guys wear. Not that I have abandoned my tall Wesco and Chippewa boots; not in the long shot. But on a hot summer day, a station-boot style type of footwear is a frequent choice. And now, I have more choices 🙂

See more pics of my All American Firefighter Boots here.

Life is short: get booted! (And repeat after me: “boots are for motorcycles and sneakers are for the gym.” Period. Real bikers wear boots.)

Who Is Booted Harleydude?

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Hi, folks. Booted Harleydude, or “BHD”, here. This is an alter-ego for a guy who lives with his partner spouse in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC.

Of course, regular readers of this blog know that. The reason for this posting is that lately, several people from various places have entered, “Who is Booted Harleydude?” into search engines, and have landed on various places — my website and this blog. I’m not sure why the sudden interest in who I am from people in Minot, North Dakota USA; Barcelona, Spain; and Jakarta, Indonesia. Nonetheless, I thought a blog post asking the very question being looked up might consolidate the links to that question in future search engine results.

So, who am I? Sometimes, I’m not sure. Seriously. I am a complex man. I have a variety of interests and disinterests. For example, I like to wear boots but can’t stand shoes or sneakers — especially on a motorcycle. I enjoy wearing leather garments (pants, shirts, vests, jackets, and boots) often (though not in the heat of summer!) I don’t give a rat’s ass about the court of public opinion. If I wear leather, so be it. Honestly, once you grow up, you realize that nobody cares and you can be your own man by dressing yourself in what you like, what feels good, and what ‘works’ for your personality and style.

I love to ride my Harley, but not for long distances. I get too tired due to a chronic health condition that saps energy much more quickly than the average bear. I have been riding a motorcycle for over 35 years on a regular basis. In the past, I have ridden across the USA several times, and I also have rented bikes in exotic places and have ridden in some beautiful country (in several countries!) But for the most part, my “adventure biker travels” are history.

Bear? I really don’t like classifications like that in the gay community. I do not identify with any particular gay subculture — bear, biker, cowboy, leatherman, etc. I am all of those to one degree or another. But I guess I can say that I’m not a twink, fashion queen, or guppie. I like leather, but am rather vanilla about it (that is, I don’t engage in BDSM.) I’m a masculine man — not “straight-acting” but just a guy who likes (most) guy-things and remains in love with one special guy.

Yeah, I’m gay. So what? Lots of other people are, too. I do not identify myself in particular as gay. It’s just how my DNA worked out. I was very fortunate to meet and fall in love with one special man. I keep my pants zipped up when in the presence of others. Period. Honestly, I don’t fool around with other men. (Frankly, at my age, the amount of “fooling around” I do is limited, anyway, since I don’t use any form of drug to “enhance performance” [LOL!])

I work for a living, full-time in a respectable profession. While I like to wear cop boots, breeches, and cop-style leather jackets, I am not a cop. Though some fetish-wear that I have makes me appear like a cop sometimes, I don’t pretend to be one, especially in public.

I am considered an international leader in a small niche of my profession, and speak at conferences and teach courses about what I do. My work currently occupies a great deal of my time, but only for the work day. At the end of the day, I turn it all off and concentrate on other things.

This introduces another quirk of my complex personality. I do not have a smartphone; I don’t text, nor receive text messages. I do not live, eat, and breathe for the latest news or email or messages on an iPhone, Blackberry, Android, or whatever. I don’t need it. I am very fortunate to have achieved a level in my profession where I don’t have to run when the bell rings, so I do not need to have some gadget to keep me tethered to the office on a 24/7 schedule. (I used to be in that position, but younger guys, eager to pay their dues as I did, are doing that kind of work. More power to ’em!)

I have various hobbies besides motorcycling and keeping my website up-to-date. I also serve as a webmaster for four others (individuals and organizations.) I enjoy doing carpentry, electrical, and (some) landscaping work. I hate painting and plumbing isn’t my forte. I love to walk, but can’t stand gyms. Generally, I don’t follow or care for sports of any sort, and don’t play. I love to cook, and designed the kitchen in the house where we live now to accommodate my every desire. Often you’ll find me cooking away, singing, and puttering around my kitchen. (That explains why my spouse partner and I don’t eat out at all — no need to pay for restaurant meals when I can prepare what we like at home!)

Another hobby is genealogy. I keep my father’s family tree. It’s huge. What with 21 aunts and uncles who each had numerous offspring, keeping that thing up-to-date is a frequent challenge. I have to admit, thanks to Facebook, I become more aware of when the latest addition to the family comes along — much sooner than traditional methods such as email and phone (what’s that???)

A little-known fact: I have developed some hybrids of roses that I grow at home. I learned this from my Mom who was quite the rosarian.

I have lived, worked, and traveled in 64 countries of the world. I attended college for a year in Italy. I spent significant time in Romania after the fall of its former dictator in 1989. I also spent significant time in Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland. I speak four languages fluently, and bits and pieces of about a dozen others. But again, my days of world travel are pretty much history (at least for now.)

I have lived part of my life in rural Oklahoma, USA, and most of my life in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. While I love my family in Oklahoma and enjoyed the time I spent on the family horse ranch, I can’t say that I would choose to live in a small town where everybody knows everyone else’s business and it’s 50 miles to any major grocery store (other than Wal-sucks, which I won’t go to). While I identify DC as my “hometown,” I really don’t like going into the city and avoid it. I am not an urban guy; rather, I am truly a cul-de-sac-living suburbanite. That also explains why I avoid going to New York City, too. Haven’t been there since 2002 and have no plans to return.

This leads to another facet of my personality — I am quite the early-bird, rising at 4am every day, seven days a week. I collapse to sleep no later than 9pm, often earlier. Been that way almost my whole life. As a result, I don’t like to go out for “nightlife” as I simply can’t remain awake for it — especially in gay venues that don’t get going until after 11pm or later. I can’t handle that.

I truly identify with my Maryland home as “my life.” My spouse partner and I built a house here. I also own several other properties that I rent to make available as affordable housing for employees of our county who need to live where they work, but can’t afford it.

I have a large band of “senior pals” who live near me and who I care for in various ways. I serve the roles of handyman, transportation-provider, listener, and card-sender on a frequent basis.

I have and believe in the values of honesty, integrity, and personal financial stability. I don’t carry balances on credit cards, or take out loans. My spouse partner is the same way. We pay for what we want, and if we don’t have the money, we don’t buy it. We talk about our joint finances often, and we establish and keep to a budget. We do not subscribe to services that result in ongoing monthly charges for frivolity (that is, movie channels on cable, Netflix, or data packages for wireless devices.) I know being financially stable and living on a budget is not easy for some people, but I live among many who buy to excess and mortgage themselves into upside down situations and often end up paying the consequences. Call us “cheap” but also call us “frugal.” We don’t spend what we don’t have, and don’t get ourselves into situations where the income is less than the outgo. Ever.

I dunno… there’s always more. Suffice it to say that I’m just a guy who works for a living, loves his spouse partner, cares for his friends, contributes to society, and is financially stable. Oh yeah, I wear boots as my regular footwear and leather garments regularly… and ride a Harley. Thus, “Booted Harleydude.” Simple, eh?

So what’s my name? As I said, “BHD” will do fine. Yeah, that’s not the same name as found on my birth certificate, but the birth name is so widespread in my profession, that I don’t want this alter ego and that name to be co-mingled as the internet is wont to do.

Thanks for your interest!

PS: this page was updated to reflect that I married the love of my life in April, 2013. I call him my spouse.

Life is short: know yourself.

The Ballgame

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Well, I finally went to see a professional baseball game at the new stadium that was built a few years ago in Washington, DC. The owner of the company I work for invited the staff (and one guest each) and hosted us at a suite at the ballpark, complete with food, drink, very comfy seats, and an excellent view.

My partner and I took the Metro to get there. I had forgotten how awful that subway system of ours had become (slow, herky-jerky, expensive, infrequent trains, and very crowded). Nonetheless, we made it.

I was impressed with the stadium. You could see the game very well. There were LCD TVs all over the place showing the scoring, who was up at bat, what they did, and repeats of certain plays that were interesting to see up close.

Of course, I didn’t know much about what was going on, so I appreciated that my partner was able to explain it all to me so I didn’t come across to my colleagues as a complete idiot.

It was a nice outing, but I have to say, “been there, done that.” I really don’t want to go back. I’m just not interested in baseball and dealing with the hassles of getting into and out of the city.

Life is short: enjoy a ballgame (about once a decade)

Going Mobile?

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I have noticed that over 20% of the visitors to my website are coming from mobile phones, or smartphones. Wow, that’s a dramatic increase in recent months, but not surprising.

While I personally don’t want one of those expensive gadgets, I realize that if I am going to run a functioning website that works on all platforms, including mobile browsers, then I should try to make modifications that make the website more “mobile-friendly.”

Therefore, I have been playing around and have created a mobile-friendly home page, which is available at bootedman.net — note, that is “.net”, not “.com.” The “.net” version is, or should be, mobile friendly. The .com version remains the website as you’ve always known it.

If you have a smart phone, try this for me:

1. Visit the regular website, bootedman.com and tell me if you are automatically redirected to the mobile-friendly version of the website (as shown on this post) or if you get some error message about “too many redirects.”

2. Visit the mobile version directly at bootedman.net and let me know if it works for you (or not). (Note, regular laptops and desktops can view this site and see what it looks like.)

Please correspond with me directly if you know my email address, or use this form to send me a message.

Either way, I want to hear from you, because I want to know if it is working (or not), and have no way to test it myself since neither my partner nor I have a smartphone and do not plan to get one.

Thanks!

Life is short: embrace technology, even if you don’t have the technology to embrace (giggle).