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2017 Around the Bend

Joined
Jan 1, 2005
Messages
4,465
Reaction score
1,221
Location
Buda, TX
First Name
Rich
Last Name
Gibbens
Riders,

Please share your stories and pictures from the 2017 Around the Bend rally in this thread.
 
Many thanks to Richard, JT, and Gina and everyone who came out to the ride. It was another great year of great friendships renewed and great riding.
 
This was my 2nd Round the Bend, and JQ1.0's 3rd.

We got in Wednesday afternoon, and put 40 miles of just wandering around the Terlingua area. Made some tentative plans for Thursday with COPB8 and retired to the Chisos Mining Company Motel.

Thursday morning we met about 45 minutes early for breakfast (Chile Pepper Cafe doesn't open until 8!)
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Decided we would head out on the adventure challenge loop which we had on GPS from prior years. COPB8 and two other riders joined for a group of 5 riders (sorry I'm terrible with names, JQ1.0 will probably remember them). KLR650, 2 DR650s, KTM 690, and KTM 450.

We took old Maverick to Santa Elena Canyon and COPB8 and I hiked up to the viewpoint. I have better pics but not on my phone.. Will try to post them later.
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Continued on to ride River Road and Black Gap, and then went on into Rio Grande Village. River road was looser in places than I recalled from my previous trips, and I can see where it would cause some frustration for a less experienced rider. We lost one of our riders at the start of Black Gap (Joe??- I think he just decided to run some other roads- he let COPB8 know he was splitting off). We made good time without pushing too hard, and it was a great ride.

One other rider (Mike?) decided he'd rather head back than mess with Old Ore and the ranch roads in 100 degree heat. JQ1.0, COPB8, and I decided to go to the Chisos Basin and hike the Window Trail (COPB8 in motorcycle boots JQ1.0 and I in regular boots).

Window Trail is a 5 mile (I'll let COPB8 validate the actual mileage) hike with about 1000ft elevation change. Unfortunately it is all downhill on the way down, so the return hike is a killer. There were lots of rest stops on the climb out.....

The paved road to/from the Basin is a really nice ride by itself- lots of elevation and turns. Not a racing road, just fun. On the way out, we killed our engines and coasted for a few miles - have never done that for any period of time before, and I thought it was really neat. There is a rumor that one of us may have ridden a lot of it with no hands as well...

Friday is a bit more story, will make separate post (hint: need to figure out how to link gory pics so they dont show automatically.)
 
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Many thanks to Richard, JT, and Gina and everyone who came out to the ride. It was another great year of great friendships renewed and great riding.
Just like he said. Always amazed at the time and effort people will pit in to make a great time for others. As a bonus I got to meet the "legend" quoted above as well... Just a great trip.
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Thanks Richard, JT and Gina for making this ride possible.
This was my first time to Big Bend on a motorcycle. I had a great time.
Thanks also to Richard (TexasAdventure.net) for the guide and tracks, I consider a must
for riders unfamiliar with the area.
I got there 8:15am Thursday and stared the Big Loop, by myself. I went around clockwise,
Old Ore Road, East River Road, West River Road, then Old Maverick Road, 167 miles, took about 6-1/2 hours.
Friday I went with 5 guys to do the Pinto Canyon route. Changed my front tube
in Ruidosa(thanks Scott and Traxx for help). Beautiful scenery to Presidio. 250 miles.
Saturday did the Hen Egg run foward and back, 65 miles. Got another front flat
about the time I got back, so I was done. The KLR did a great job.
Got some video, hopefully to post later.
 
Thank you to Gina, JT, Richard, and any others that may have been involved for a really fun event. My first time out with the group and I really enjoyed the shared passion for two-wheeled fun.

Scott
 
Had a fun ride from Terlingua to Maverick and River road all way to Rio Grande
Pavement back to Terlingua
"Sally" made 150 miles without a beat
Was fun
 

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Had a fun ride from Terlingua to Maverick and River road all way to Rio Grande
Pavement back to Terlingua
"Sally" made 150 miles without a beat
Was fun

I saw you somewhere along the way. You are awesome! :rider:
 
Thanks to everyone that help organize this ride. Great time!
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:tab Welcome out of lurk mode!

Had a fun ride from Terlingua to Maverick and River road all way to Rio Grande
Pavement back to Terlingua
"Sally" made 150 miles without a beat
Was fun

:tab Can you email me the full size copy of that shot of you posing in front of the Black Gap Road sign? If you don't mind, I'd like to include it in the forum front page rotation of images.

tourmeister@twtex.com
 
Pictures
 

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Some more
 

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Had a fun ride from Terlingua to Maverick and River road all way to Rio Grande
Pavement back to Terlingua
"Sally" made 150 miles without a beat
Was fun

Oh my gosh! I saw you several times and didn't realize you were part of the rally. I just figured you were another one of those crazy local hipsters who'd been in the heat too long! :-P

Doing that ride in that wind on Friday afternoon should get you some kind of award! :clap:
 
3 hours of hiking in MX boots in almost 100 degree heat on Thursday netted this cruddy picture of 'The Window'.

Next time I'll take MasterBlaster's advise and just google it on the *@$@ internet.

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Had a great time and was fortunate to ride with a great bunch of guys. I posted the few photos I have at Imgur so I don't clog up the board. You can download the full size image if you like. View them here http://imgur.com/a/EdtoL Will post video as soon as I get a chance to edit it.
 
Yep decided to ride alone No-one wants to go that slow with me ����
 
Had a fun ride from Terlingua to Maverick and River road all way to Rio Grande
Pavement back to Terlingua
"Sally" made 150 miles without a beat
Was fun

Awesome pictures Ben!!! Looks like you had a fantastic ride. I was camped next to you. Great meeting and talking to you.
 
Great. Meeting all of you, great riding, enjoyed visiting the real southwest again, its been too long. Gotta say that food at the Starlight was a pleasant unexpected suprise.
 
What an awesome weekend & a huge vote of thanks to all the organizers, I know how much work it takes to put on an event like this.

I saw old friends, made new friends, ate well, drank well, rode at my usual average level & found out that the new Husqvarna is a much better bike than I am a rider but we kept the uptime at 100%. It was a bit of Swedish orgy I have to say, with 3 of Stockholm's finest exports since Agnetha Fältskog flying the yellow & blue in Terlingua.

We pretty much rode every road in the park & then some.

Pictures in no particular order;

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