Welcome Surface Hippy Bikers!

[B.I.L.L.]

Hey Eric I read that article in DR, looks like fun to me.  Before I had this surgery my son and I were racing twice a month (with the oldtimers) and my whole family has been going to the desert on a regular basis for years.  One of the main reasons I went ahead with this was because there are 4 guys in the oldtimers club who race on a regular basis after hip replacements, and each one has told me it was the best thing they had ever done. I'll be the first guy in our club with a bhr though.  One guy has 2 thr's with plastic inserts, one guy has a ceramic one, and one guy has a 50mm metal on metal. He was back cruising at the back of the pack at 9 months and faster than he was before at a little past a year. Lots of new knees too, the OT. pits look like there filled with weebles, not too many people walking normal at those deals :D :D.
As far as surviving a crash I would think that once you are totally healed you wouldn't be at that much more risk of dislocation than you were before, it's the muscles and ligaments that hold it all together, not the implant right ?  It's not like it snaps into place :D :D  I am more concerned with slamming on my side and snapping the head of the femur off :o   Anyways I am going to Ocotillo Wells for my 50th in a couple weeks but will cruise in the 4x4 and take pictures. Its gonna be hard not to ride but my wife, daughter, son, sister and her family all ride and we have been going to Ocotillo on my B-day for about 30 years now, can't break tradition over one little operation right ?   
     
Hey Clydascope,   Baja solo ??  We need some stories ha ha :D 

[Clydascope]

Bill,

When I got home I typed up 25 pages on my Baja ride.  Some highlights:

Nobody at the border crossing in Tecate except an old man waiving me into Mexico a block up the street, a crazy motorcycle/quad race in Ensanada, a cold night at Mike's, running out of gas 100 yards before a military check point (don't ever pass gas in Baja - double meaning to this one), San Felipe, Christmas Eve with a whale shark and dinner with Coco at Alphonsina's, EXTREME WINDS south of Catavina, Scorpion Bay from the north (best day of riding ever!), getting grilled by the captain at another military check point, out of Scorpion to the east - way out there (found out later about the drug cartel's fortress up there!), tool kit stolen in La Paz, meeting a world traveler who had logged 55,000 mile on an old KTM 640, making it to Cabo, meeting a buddy in Totos Santos who trailered my bike home, watching whales from the roof deck at breakfast, fish tacos, Pacificos, miles and miles of wild desert.

I could go on and on but that might take a few beers and some time...

[B.I.L.L.]

Bill,

When I got home I typed up 25 pages on my Baja ride.  Some highlights:

Nobody at the border crossing in Tecate except an old man waiving me into Mexico a block up the street, a crazy motorcycle/quad race in Ensanada, a cold night at Mike's, running out of gas 100 yards before a military check point (don't ever pass gas in Baja - double meaning to this one), San Felipe, Christmas Eve with a whale shark and dinner with Coco at Alphonsina's, EXTREME WINDS south of Catavina, Scorpion Bay from the north (best day of riding ever!), getting grilled by the captain at another military check point, out of Scorpion to the east - way out there (found out later about the drug cartel's fortress up there!), tool kit stolen in La Paz, meeting a world traveler who had logged 55,000 mile on an old KTM 640, making it to Cabo, meeting a buddy in Totos Santos who trailered my bike home, watching whales from the roof deck at breakfast, fish tacos, Pacificos, miles and miles of wild desert.

I could go on and on but that might take a few beers and some time...

That is awesome you did that.  We live in so. california and have been going to Baja for years, I love it down there.  I have friend who just recently finished his house in scorpion bay. He told me when you can surf again you can "stay as long as you like", hope to take him up on that for a couple weeks come sept.-oct.  We got hooked on watching the 1000 in San Felipe in the early 90's and camped south of town every year till a couple years ago.  Did you stay mostly in towns/hotels or did you do a few nights camping ?  How long did it take ?  Mostly dirt or pavement ?    and would you do it again ? :D  I would love to spend a couple months exploring down there ...(if I won the lottery ha ha)    We have been kicking the idea around about flying to Loreto and getting a room, renting a car and driving north to rent kayaks and be lazy for a 3-4 day semi-cheap mini vacation.
Man I swear every day down there is easier and more relaxing than the day before, I love that place.  Congratulations on having the sack to pull off the trip you took, I would like to do that someday...

[Clydascope]

I’ve lived in CA for 24 years and that was my first trip to Baja.  From San Diego to Totos Santos via Cabo was just under 1,400 mile, 400 or so in the dirt.  I rode seven consecutive days.  After two nights in Totos Santos I took the bus back to Cabo and flew to San Diego.  Round trip from my home near Bishop was 10 day.

Though prepared for camping, I never used the gear and stayed in hotels, and a small “sleeping room” in Scorpion Bay.  The last two nights were at a friend of a friend’s house right on the beach.  In the north it was cold and very wind.  In the south I lost my tools and didn’t want to risk riding in the dirt. 

I would go back tomorrow if I could. 

Like I said, it was one of the best things I have ever done for myself.

[hawaiieric]

Wow,

Thanks for the pictures Clydascope!  Next year if you don't mind, Bill and I might have to join you and we can enter the taitanium division. 

Just have to brag about my island again, check out Dirt Rider again,(Feb 2009) Jimmy Lewis has another article on the ride in Hawaii, its the Hare and Hound, all Kauai style, its my backyard and I ride A division.(once you do Omao as your home turf, you gotta be A rider...but thats where I got hurt too)  The article tell how a 35 mile race will take you 3+++ hours, its a roller coaster ride with hills climbs and downhills offcamber and tight.  My last race took me 6 hours to survive it, wanted to quit at 3 hours but couldn't, that is when the cramps were getting to me, need I say that for the last 2 hours I would ride up a hill cramping, you pick a muscle, and I just had to make a hill climb clean or I wouldn't make it for falling would not be an option for there would be no way to pick up your bike at that stage.  The last hour was really a mindblower for me, I knew I was almost done, knew the area, but was exhausted and just wanted to quit, but pride got me to finish, standing up on my pegs as I passed all the others who finished or quit....that was my last race for now, I found a new sport..lol..and the girls wear less on the beach.

I am so glad I got this resurface and have the option to ride again, feeling really good and now my biggest fear is that I might try something too soon, but I know I can wait a few more months, heck its my leg/hip/life.

Eric
if you guys get out here, we can rent hogs or dirt bikes and I can give you all the tour.

[B.I.L.L.]

Hey Eric, I read that article too.  That sounds like fun, I like technical, steep, single tracks. I know it must be tough as it looked like a few guys rode trials bikes  :D  Not too sure about the guy with no shirt and a bicycle helmet though ha ha !  Think I'd go with a little more gear personally.  The toughest technical stuff I've done was 2 years ago, we rode the soboba invitational trail ride, aka the Malcom Smith "no whimps" trail ride. I made the 1st loop pretty easy but had to quit about 1/2 way through the 2nd loop because I couldn't lift my leg off the peg anymore even after 3 vikes so I had to puss out. I was pissed at my hip that day. That's one of my future goals with my new ball joint 8)    On a side note, I guess Malcom Smith is one of the guys that lays out the course and I'll tell you what that cat is straight up legend, I cannot believe the shit he can ride over at his age, it's mind boggling.    That year he fell and broke his hip, got helicoptered out of there, and was back again the next year, and he's old old old,  no words :o   I'd love to take you up on the dirt bike rental tour of the island.  About 20 years ago my wife and I went on a carribean cruise and swam with a couple sea turtles, and she has been bugging me to do it again every year since ha ha.  Probably gonna have to do that before I do any dirt bike nonsense just to keep the peace, know what I mean ??  She nursed my gimpy ass through all this hip surgery fun and now looks like she is going to have to do it again, so....I owe ha ha.  Have a good day, Bill

[B.I.L.L.]

Went to Ocotillo Wells this weekend and while I didn't ride my YZ250 I was able to hookup the toybox and load everything and hangout around camp pain free !  It felt nice to feel "Normal" again. So no 2 wheel rides but I was able to sneak in a couple wheelies on one of the girls quads though.... :D :D  Felt great to just put around camp !

[hawaiieric]

Excellent! Now that looks fun...

Glad to you that your enjoying yourself there.

Don't pull an Eric and loop em', lol.

[cwmoto]

Hello Hippy bikers, just got a  hip resurfaced 8 days ago. I have been a dirt biker for 35 years. Now I'm going to  get a street bike to ride for while and wait a few months    before going off road.

[Clydascope]

It's been a while since I visited the site but thought I'd check in again.

Since having my second BHR I've ridden over 20,000 miles, dual sport, lots of dirt, long days, a couple crashes and no issues at all  :)

Rode across Oregon on the Trans America Trail last summer, back to Baja, Death Valley, Inyo County, CA and more.

Planning a bigger trip now, much bigger.  I'll stop by with details later as it unfolds...

[hernanu]

Just too cool. Love to hear these checkins  from hippies.