November 7, 2022 - Miami International Airport

Cameraman Phil and I are leaving the media compound 

Susie and I had a long day yesterday so I didn't post last night. But I am very happy to say we had a fun and successful 2022 Bermuda Triathlon, Sooz as a spectator/photographer (see video and photos below) and me as a Moto Pilot. 

The day started with us boarding the media team shuttle to the media compound where the video team made some last minute tweaks to the communication and video feed equipment on my bike. Then Phil, the cameraman riding with me, and I headed out on the course for some practice runs. We were Moto 1. Moto 2 was driven by Scott with Daryl onboard as the cameraman. 

The men's triathlon elite class started their race by diving into the Hamilton Harbor at 11am for their swimming leg. At that time, both of the moto teams positioned ourselves on the course ready to pick up the competitors when they transitioned from their swimming leg to their biking leg. 

Yesterday we were advised to stay behind the leaders but before the race started, Moto 1 (Phil and I) was given the approval to get in front of the leaders when it was safe to do so, which we did. 

It's a real dance to ride the motorcycle while:

- Constantly switching from looking forward to keep a safe direction and not run over spectators running across the course, and checking my rear view mirrors to monitor the distance from the race leaders behind us

- Listening to Phil and race command in my helmet audio giving me helpful hints about how to adjust my speed and position to get the best video feed. 

- Smoothly steer, accelerate, shift gears and slow down so the video does not appear jerky - which was a challenge when we were in front of the runners moving at 6-7 mph with Phil moving around, standing up and leaning over to get the best shots. Phil is very experienced and did a great job communicating with me before he made big movements which helped a lot.  

My speeds ranged from 6-60 mph. At times I had to blast around the leaders to get in front of them using my very loud airhorn to warn the spectators. Those were my most anxious times, praying that no kids or adults would step out in front of us from the spectator-lined road course. 

The highlight of the day was the women's event that featured the fan favorite Flora Duffy. The women's race was the final event of the day starting at 2pm. I am happy to say that Flora won her race. 

Riding with Flora was one of the most exhilarating and exciting things I have ever done. The crowds were very large and boisterous, cheering on their hometown hero. During the biking leg Flora and a woman from the Netherlands were neck-and-neck. But after they transitioned to running Flora took off and never looked back, she had a huge lead at the finish line. 

After the race I removed the video mounting hardware and then Sooz and I rode the bike back to the City maintenance facility where I loaded and strapped down the bike in the shipping container. It was a lot of fun talking with the workers who had helped me unload the bike a week previously. The event was broadcast live and the guys had watched it and enjoyed watching me live on TV. 

We took a cab back to our hotel, cleaned up, had a nice dinner at the hotel and passed out until 5am when we took a cab to the airport for our flight home through Miami. 

It was a fantastic experience for both Sooz and me. 

Moto pilot video 1

Moto pilot video 2

Moto 1 pre-race practice run

Sooz and cameraman Phil trying to look busy

Moto 2 pilot Scott, Scott's moto, cameraman Daryl

More Moto 1 action

More Moto 1 action

Racers diving into Hamilton Harbor to start the race

Competitors exiting the swim to begin transition to biking

Transition area

Phil and me getting ready to leave media compound 

I am busy working on the bike and cameraman Phil is not

Susie and her new Bermudian friend Lorna Jean watching the race

Partial view of the second communication control trailer

A couple of the City maintenance guys are helping me load my motorcycle with extremely tight space limits into the container for shipping back to Florida 

The Finish Line

November 5, 2022 - Bermuda

We had a nice start to the day with breakfast in our room. Then it got busy. Susie and I rode the 2-wheeled  "death trap" scooter to the media compound for more adjustments to communications equipment on the bike and got reacquainted with Phil the cameraman who will ride with me. Susie and I had met him and his wife during the catamaran sailing trip. 

Susie spent the day with me at the media compound and she really enjoyed it. It reminded her of events she used to work while an employee of a major developer in southwest Florida. 

Phil and I got situated on the bike with the equipment and then rode 3-4 laps around the course to get familiar with it. I asked one of the technicians to adjust the hardwired system in my helmet. We were able to get on the course after the amateur competitors were finished. Phil is a very experienced cameraman and knows what he's doing. He tested standing up, turning around and moving the camera into different positions. It was fun and I think we did well. 

When we returned there were some more equipment tweaks, Sooz and I grabbed a sandwich provided by caterers and then sat in on a video team meeting. Each camera operator reviewed their planned shots and angles for tomorrow's main events. We had a separate meeting for just the moto crew during which the media manager identified the specific portions of the course where he expects to cut to the moto feed and where he recommends we position ourselves and where to get out of the way of the static cameras. It was interesting and fun. 

We then did a little shopping and picked up a few things for dinner at our new favorite French bakery, The Hamilton Pastry Shop. Sooz and the baker/owner talked a lot about using good ingredients and where they were sourced from. 

Sooz and I rode the scooter back to hotel, changed clothes and returned the scooter for good and walked back to the hotel. 

The course for the main events

The smaller of 2 communications trailers where all of the remote feeds are first received 

More equipment tweaks 

A good Bermudian school traffic zone warning sign

November 4, 2022 - Bermuda 🇧🇲

Susie and I had a PB&J and coffee in the room and then I took the scooter to the triathlon communication compound and event center for a 10 am moto riders and cameraman meeting. The crew we work with call motorcycles "motos" and motorcycle riders "pilots".  So I am called a moto pilot. They also call meetings "calls". 

During the moto pilot call we reviewed general safety protocol and where the motos will be positioned during the races. They emphasized safety of the competitors above all else, cameramen were second in safety and moto pilots were somewhere down the priority list - just kidding.  

This race will be a little different in that they will have "static" video cameras positioned all around the race track plus 2 drone cameras. That was not the case for other triathlons my brother Ted and I have worked in Florida. In those events the moto cameramen provided the majority of video during the competition so we were expected to ride pretty close to the competitors so the cameramen could get good action footage. In this Bermuda event I will be primarily riding between packs of competitors and probably never in front of the cyclists. This is expected to be a highly competitive event so the bicyclists will be speeding more than normal. We may get closer during the running events. 

Susie stayed around the hotel today going to the beach and pool which she was not unhappy about. But she is going to join me tomorrow (Saturday) during more prep work at the compound and course. Myself and Ted's replacement (Moto 2) will do a few dry runs and test the communication systems. 

Today the tech guys installed battery powered audio and video transmission systems on my bike and in my helmet. During the race I will be able to communicate with my cameraman and both of us will be able to communicate with the race managers. The race managers will tell us if we need to reposition ourselves and warn us of any crashes or critical things to know. 

The moto 2 pilot is a Bermudian who has a 650 Honda, picture below. He has riden marshalls around during previous triathlons but this will be his first experience as a moto pilot for cameramen. 

The men's and women's elite main events take place Sunday the 6th. Rumor has it that the previous women's Olympics gold medallist Flora Duffy will compete Sunday. Everyone is very excited because she is a Bermudian. 

Communication side case installed on my bike

Communication case on the other side

Installing the rf receiver/transmitter

Moto 2

Some of the communication equipment 

List of cameramen and camerawomen in including 2 drone operators

November 3, 2022 - Bermuda

I have to admit we are doing much better on the scooter. We feel more stable and comfortable. That's a good thing because it is a pretty good way to get around. 

Today we headed out after a homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a couple of cups of coffee. We also arranged to change rooms due to what sounded like someone bowling in the room above us last night. 

Our first stop was the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. It was built in 1846 and I climbed all 185 steps to the top,  and back down. It was really windy and the walkway around the top was pretty narrow so I was feeling a little spooked. In fact, the woman that sold me my ticket said I should take my hat and glasses off when I go outside at the top because people have had them blown off. 

On the way to the lighthouse Susie actually had to get off the scooter so I could ride it to the top of a hill - it stopped moving forward and was just making a lot of noise and belching smoke from its 50cc 2-cycle engine. And you know Susie is not a big person! Luckily we were on a small rural road with no traffic. 

Next was a stop at Wadson's Home Farm Market a couple of miles south of the lighthouse. The market was pretty small but had a good collection of local vegetables and imported groceries. 

The clerk at the market recommended the fish tacos at the Lost In The Triangle (get it?) restaurant for lunch. So off we went at a screaming 15 mph on our scooter. Susie and I had the fish tacos and they were excellent. 

Then it was off to a 2:30pm appointment back at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art for a personal tour of their art archives in the basement. It was outstanding. We were able to see up close and personal original drawings and paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe and Winslow Homer whose name I vaguely remembered. A lot of artists would vacation in Bermuda for rest and relaxation and produce work while on the Island. The Museum collects these pieces created while on the Island. Unfortunately,  they would not let us take pictures of the famous pieces. 

We came back to our new (to us) hotel room on the 2nd floor facing the ocean. We returned to the Parquet restaurant for dinner and then watched game 5 of the World Series. 

Taken on the side of the road on our way to the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse 

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse 

Entering the lighthouse 

Going up

Looking down from the top of the lighthouse 

Taken from the top

I put my camera inside the main light at the top and if you look closely you can see the bulb surrounded by the reflection dome

Wadson's Home Farm Market 

This picture is for Fred in Ft. White

Local grown veggies 

In the basement archives of the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art 

This old Sachs scooter was inside the Museum elevator 

The grounds of the Museum 

Art deco inspired Bermuda tourism posters

The infamous Parquet restaurant lemon meringue pie which reminded us of a big sail. I had my own piece. It lived up to its reputation. 

November 2, 2022 - Bermuda

We had a busy day today. We had breakfast at a place within walking distance although we took the scooter and went the wrong direction thanks to me and finally arrived at The Paraquet Restaurant for lunch. It was very good. We have not had a bad cup of coffee yet in Bermuda. 

We then rode the scooter to The Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art only to find them in-between displays and had nothing to show. However,  Susie somehow arranged for us to have a personal guided tour of their archives tomorrow afternoon. That should be interesting. 

We came back to the room and got a call from the media team saying I needed to get down to the event to help unload my bike. Sooz and I took the scooter and the bike was not there so we went to another location to find the bike in good shape. I hooked up the battery and the bike started right up. 

Susie found a nice French bakery called The Hamilton Pastry Shop where we ate pastry, drank coffee and picked up a couple of sandwiches for dinner later at the hotel. 

Susie took this amazing photo yesterday of the sails on the sailboat. 

Entry to the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art 

Poster of shipwrecks around Bermuda 

A happy BMW R1200 GS in Bermuda 

My scooter Mama after visiting the French bakery 

The Hamilton Pastry Shop

Our pool and view

View from the pool deck

November 1, 2022 - Bermuda

We had a nice day today. We slept in a little and had coffee in our room before getting going. I headed out and picked up our scooter, rode it back to our room and picked up Sooz. We then got on the scooter 2-up and bought sunscreen and dramamine pills for me.

Sooz found a place for an early lunch called the Cottage Cafe in downtown Hamilton. It was nice and casual and we had our first introduction to Bermudaian prices - $61 for a fish sandwich and burger. The nice thing is they include gratuity in the bill which makes it simpler but not cheaper. 

The food was good. The media production team leaders chartered a large catamaran sailboat for our team including significant others. So we spent the afternoon sailing around the large inner harbor and doing some snorkeling. It was fun and a good way to meet folks. We then crashed and are about to go out to dinner. 

I have to discuss the scooter. It is the upgrade premium model from a well know rental company here but it's only 50 cc's, which is very small and very slow, especially with 2 people on board. It is so slow going uphill that I was paddling my feet on the ground like Fred Flintstone. We have it reserved for a couple of days so we will probably keep it but we will stay off the main roads to be safe. I'm very surprised how much traffic there is and how fast they drive. 

Our speed demon is the white one in the front of the picture

Our lunch bill. No taxes and they include gratuity 

The catamaran pulling into dock to pick us up for an afternoon of sailing 

Our intrepid crew

Dinner tonight at the hotel

Looking east just outside our room