Attention riders......In need of your used gears

I am looking for used gear as follow
Helmet size Medium
Gloves summer and winter size Medium
Pant size 32x30
Boots size 10.5
The items must be used condition and the reason for this is ...Read below.

So this happen last few day and it is driving me Crazy to see my nephew venture out alone without proper gears and planning.

Message from his mom
It is a beautiful but cold morning. It was about ten am when he finally left for the first of many adventures he has been hoping, planning, waiting to execute.


I am scared for him but I had to let him go. He just could not wait.


If my parenting and Allan's scale on being a good son were to be measured by the ruler of OBEDIENCE, then we would both have failed. I failed because I could never force Allan to do, or not to do, anything he does not believe in. Allan would fail because he would never obey just for the sake of obeying no matter how much he loves or respects me.


He verbalized his desire to travel on his own over a year ago. For the last nine months, he bought and rebuilt a motorcycle, improved it and improved on it again. He learned how to do the repair by reading the manual, asking questions from others, and viewing pictures on line. His determination spreads over to other challenges as well. Part of becoming a vegetarian, Allan tried not to waste resources. The old pair of leather shoes Jonothan gave the boys fall apart. The second time to the cobbler shop, he declined to fix them stating the wear and tear exceeded reasonable repairs. So what did Allan do? He repaired the shoes himself. He bought supply from the cobbler to make the inside sole. He bought threads and sat for 3 days sewing the upper leather part to the inner sole that he has punched holes in. Using old car tires as the outer sole, he glued together all the parts and succeeded in his first repair job. He moaned and screamed every time the needle went through his skin. He cussed at how long it took. Yet my offer to buy him a new pair to avoid all the agony, he declined. He also spent 3 days sewing buckles to his bags so that he can secure them to his motorcycle.


If you know me you would also know how sad and worry I am that he is not at all concern with education right now or the near future. This is his senior year. Every where I am, people talked about their child and asked me about mine on plans college. I will not have that story to tell. But I try to tell myself that a smart person like him would surely not let God's gift goes to waste. He did not study at all for the SAT exam because he said "you're supposed to be tested on what you already know". Yet he scored 2040 out of 2400.


His first trip: he plans to travel south about 500 miles on his motorcycle. He packed all the necessary supplies for sleeping outdoor at state parks, tools to make minor repairs, snacks & clothes for 5 to 7 days, some money and a bank card. He rigged his bike with a lighter so he can charge his phone along the way. His final destination is in Tennessee.


He will be 17 years old on Nov 14th. I wanted him to wait until he turned 18 yo to travel but there was no way possible his heart and mind would stay put waiting that long. At this point, I will pray for his safety and wait with my phone next to me for his check-in call. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.



And this is the new message as of this morning

Allan's text message came in an hour ago: "I just had a crazy adventure riding this crazy trail in New River Gorge. Thank God I didn't try to do this last night. Google map told me to go here. It stopped short probably pretty close to the end. It's getting dark. Must have been like 8 miles of large rocks, deep puddles, and other debris. Dropped the bike a couple times but I'm getting pretty good. Bent my brake peddle badly but I can still use it. My boots are thrashed but holding up. Man....."


I wanted to set up a place for him to stay in door but he insisted on sleeping outdoor again tonight. He called me this morning sounded quite miserable and tired. He said it got too cold around 6:30 am so he packed up and rode to the nearby town to get food. However, he did not know it was 30 miles away. His hands got very cold he stopped every ten minutes to warm them up before continuing on. He plans to return home tomorrow so he did not continue south to Knoxville as he has planned originally.


Apparently, there is a website called "COUCH SURFING" where you can arrange to sleep in someone's house for free. There is also a website called AIRBNB.com where people rent out a room in their home at a lower rate than hotels. He rather considers his option than having me pay for him to stay at one of these homes. It is late now and dark. The weather said it will drop slowly to from 60 to 49 by 6 am tomorrow. No rain. He thinks he should be fine sleeping outdoor again.


He seemed comfortable being alone and doing things alone. That is so unlike the "Phamily" character. Imagine him completely alone in a huge state park. OMG!

This is Allen :wink:



So if you have any of those items laying around please let me know.

 

let me look at all the extra stuff i have

 

Sounds to me like he let his youthful impetuousness get the better of him. Let him finish his adventure with as much misery as he can handle.

I don't say this to be mean or cold hearted. Honest. This is the kind of thing that gives him a story to tell the rest of his life! Also, IF he survives this, he may just learn the importance of preparation being more important than spontaneity.

As for obeying his parents, sounds like he needs to move out if he doesn't respect them and want to live by their rules.

 

Sbube - I'll take a look and see if I have anything laying around still. Its all yours if I got it, but afraid most of it has been sold off or given away already. You know I'll help you out if I can, but your nephew needs a good swift kick in the ass.

 

Marriedman
Allen is a good kid, he is very smart he just have the itch to explore the world. He is home study so he does have free time when he is done with all his homework. I am agree most of your comment as his age he should be staying home and follow the rules :thumb:

Hey Mike
I am appreciate your support, no worry if you don't have any.
The Phamily did offer to get him new gears but he refused as you can see he is a tree hugger :treehugger:and do not waist any resource.

 

Well you know I have the jacket and gloves to offer, no boots or pants though.

 

Haha that is why I did not listed on the threat. I will pick them up tomorrow :thumbsup:

 

Long,

I am curious....his parents/family offered him gear and he refused? How is he going to accept gear given to him by a stranger then? I just like to be sure that when you donate to a cause, the person really has no way of getting it, and deserves it. If the kid was as smart as you say, he would not be doing as he is scaring the bejesus out of his poor mother. We all do stupid things when we are young, but this kid is gonna get his ass in a bind where he is injured if he does not shape up.

Thinking about it, giving him free gear (since he already refused it) would be enabling him. I just don't agree with it really. How does he know that the gear you are giving him is used? His family could simply buy it off of craigslist used and say it was donated. Then you don't have to get it from strangers.

Good luck with getting him straightened out.

 

Scube - Sitting here in my office thinking, but I believe I have a pair of TCX XCube boots. They are a size 11, but are kind of tight from what I recall. PM or text me your address. Will try to get them out on Monday.

 

I think its great this kid is doing what most of us did when we were 16 or 17. Riding with limited resourses (adidas running shoes, crap-ass gloves, maybe a leather jacket). 99% of the kids his age wouldn't leave the house unless they were in a BMW. Let him figure it out, he's young and strong and finding his way, what a character builder. I think you should be proud, the kids a Champ. His bike sucks really bad though, my Dad had one new in 1982 and it blew then. Thats how you can help, get him something that actually can pass Gramma Moses on a straight! I keed, the Boy will have stories to tell...

 

Just want to make it clear
I am not asking for donations
I am looking for used gears and willing to pay for those items.
As I mention above . What he did is wrong and I am not support him at all.
I am gathering gears for him because I care and he is not knowing.
Now if any member out there that need help I would do the same which I have many time.
If you read the letter above...Allen is a conservative and does not put things to waist.
That is why I am looking for used gears so he can be safe.....!

 

I'd love to donate, but as you already know, nothing I could spare would fit him.

 

Scuba,

I have a set of new mesh summer gloves, short gauntlet and a minimally used 3 season non-perf leather long gauntlet gloves. One problem, they are larges. If you think it will work, they're yours. Donated. wait, pay for shipping. or send back some beer.

 

Double check for closeouts and Craigslist if you haven't already.

Also slap him upside the head when you can. Wish I had spare gear but unfortunately don't.

 

Thanks Reek
Large will not work
Thanks for your thoughts :thumb:

 

Would that more kids were as "bad" as Long's nephew. I am sure glad I didn't do any crazy shit when I was a kid..EEEK!

 

BB are you sure you didn't do any stupid stunt while you were a kid?
ound:

 

I guess I am confused still. Why doesn't his parents/family buy him used gear off craigslist/ebay? They can say it was donated.

Also, if all of these people are shipping stuff to you in Cali, yet your nephew lives in the northeast. That just confuses me more. All of the cost they pay for shipping to you, then you will ship it again? Wasted money. Have his mom buy from ebay/craigslist and ship to the house.

I already said this, but giving the kid gear is only encouraging more of the same of your nephew. Now he will think "gee, I got free used gear, now I can go down to Texas, or Mexico." I think his family is missing the problem at hand. Donations should be for people who are really in need, not ones who refuse gear in the first place.

Godspeed to him.

 

Ghost_Rider
Thanks for your input, I see your point.
I am just trying to help a young rider to have a better gears to be safe while riding and hope he would learn and become a responsible kid and a better rider.
Maybe I should just Nuke this threat