5th_Gear: 2010

Day 6 - Radium to Banff. 89 miles

Breakfast at Radium Hot Springs was great! The free breakfast came with the room cost and we got a choice of crepes or omelets. Unfortunately I checked my bike out before breakfast and found the brakes were acting up again. I made a quick call to my home shop, BMW motorcycles of North Dallas for advice. Merrin had some great advice. You can't image how nice it is to get in touch with your own shop and get immediate assistance. He assured me I could ride and still have brakes but to be careful until I could get to Calgary for service. So off to Banff we go! Karen rode with Jim on this leg while I dealt with the brake issue.

Looking over my bike... what's with the brakes?

Bo and Joy lead the way out of Radium Hot Springs.

Cool tunnel...

Karen and Jim's shadow.

Interesting overpass.

Rob with an incredible view of the moutanins in the backround.

Arriving in Banff...

I am not sure what this is about... I didn't take the picture.

Checked in at Rim Rock Resort... WOW. This is a four star hotel, very nice.

Karen and the rest of the group checked in and went out to see Banff. I headed off to Blackfoot Motorsports in Calgary. More on that later.

Apparently there was some construction being done up on the top of the moutain. Helicopter is the only way to get supplies up to the top.

View of the Rim Rock from the ski lift.

Lunch on top of the moutain.

Herman and Bo ... something is funny...

I don't know how Karen found a flag from Houston, but she did...

Bo seems a little off balance at St. James gate.

Blackfoot Motorsports is huge! Many thanks to Mike Trpkosh for doing my research while I was on the road and Tom Oliver for additional brake diagnostic advice. I walked to lunch at Tim Hortons where their combo meal is a sandwich, donut, and coffe... check it out. http://www.timhortons.com/us/en/menu/2463.html

Anyway, during lunch no longer than 40 minutes from first arriving at Blackfoot, Laura called and said Li her BMW technician had found the problem.. a little pebble lodged between my rear brake lever and the brake switch. Apparently I picked up a souviner on my Pikes Peak or Glacier National Park adventures!

A quick pebble extract and full brake system diagnostic and I am on my way back to Banff. As I said throughout my story, many people helped me out, I have great friends! Thank you all.

By the way... brakes are over rated.

Laura, Li and Me after the pebble removal.

I returned to Banff by 7pm just in time to greet the rest of the group returning from a day in Banff. No matter, I had my own adventure today. I had a nice dinner with Karen and get ready to head out tomorrow. I did 325 miles for the day.

On the way back to Banff.

Day 5 - Shelby to Radium Hot Springs, BC.

Today we head to Glacier National Park. We got up and rode into to the park for breakfast. It was kind of a cold morning with both sunshine and wet weather but it was a great ride. Once we got to the park and started having breakfast a bear walked by the window of the resturant about 10 yards away!