Childress, TX - Albuquerque, NM Motorcycling

Welcome to New Mexico gate at the I-40 westbound as we crossed from Texas.

60. We felt a great relief leaving Texas scorching 39 degree C weather when we entered New Mexico on I-40 westbound on Saturday, July 2. The temperature drops to around 28 degree C. But it wasn't without a trade off. The route along Route 287 and then I-40, between Claude, TX and Santa Rosa, NM, which is about 320 km, is the windiest corridor I've ever experienced. It feels at times windier than the Crowsnest Pass on Highway 3 at the Alberta - BC border. North of the I-40 corridor between Amarillo and Texas - New Mexico border, there are literally hundreds - if not thousands - of wind turbines. We covered about 640 km from Childress, TX to Albuquerque, NM.

61. While the crosswind direction is consistently one-directional between Claude and the Texas - New Mexico border, the crosswind direction is random between the border and Albuquerque. We stopped for lunch in Tucumcari, at the Love's Travel Shop to get our favorite fried chicken and baked beans, and for refueling after a straight 182 km ride from Amarillo. I thought the stop would energize me to ride all the way to Albuquerque, but it turned out not to be the case. We stopped again in Santa Rosa, a mere 96 km from Tucumcari, because I was tired from the random crosswind. I used this second stop to refuel and relax, since there was still 185 km from Santa Rosa to Albuquerque.

62. I learned so much from our motorcycling trip. It teaches me fortitude and humility. Every night we get to plan our next day ride (about 600 km). I check weather report, route plan, and more importantly prepare mentally for the ride ahead. If the motorcycle is in good condition, then the next critical thing is to have a mental fortitude to handle all conditions and uncertainties on the road. The need to adjust the ride distance according to these conditions erases any cockiness that may come from the safe mileage we have accumulated. Bravado on the road can lead to unsafe riding, which quite possibly leads to fatality. I submit that a quiet, determined mind is the only attitude that can save me. Most experienced travellers in fact develop this attitude regardless of transportation means; they're quite often never the loud and giggly type on the road.

63. It was in New Mexico when I first saw a person casually carrying a gun in a holster, having his meal in a restaurant. He's not a police nor a security guard, so this was my first concealed weapons example. I think there is a correlation between politeness and concealed weapons law. People we meet on the road are very polite to each other and give a clear impression not wanting to meddle with someone else's business. This behavior is uniform across the western states we've visited so far: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. I would add that Alberta is no difference. I like the western sense and sensibility; we are polite, reserved, and down-to-earth.

64. We're not the only "crazy" motorcyclists that go long distance. I met two guys in our motel in Childress, who rode from Florida to Glacier National Park, and back. I met a quiet guy with clear tanned lines of riding without a full-face helmet from Albuquerque to Chicago, and back.

65. Albuquerque is a beautiful city. It is dotted with many hills at its eastern end. The hills are filled with small trees that form almost a lattice. The city and surrounding area must receive enough rain to sustain these trees. The I-40 westbound turns into a long descent into the city. We saw houses perched above many hills.

Though rain poses a greater riding challenge, severe crosswind comes close second. One easy way to tell a severe crosswind area is to see wind turbines along the way. Get ready to adjust riding stance to ensure the bike is moving smoothly under severe crosswind.

Longview, TX - Childress, TX Motorcycling

Motorcycle convoy can be joyful and stressful.

55. As soon as we rode back along I-20 westbound toward Dallas from our overnight stay in Longview, we were accompanied by 5 riders who rode together as a convoy. Group riding makes one feel better and safer. Up to a point, I find. Six of us formed a staggered riding position, and their ride leader decided most of the time to stay in the left lane. There were always trailer trucks on the right lane, and our average speed was above the 75 miles/hour limit. Occupying the left lane for a 10-minute stretch at a time for a 6-motorcycle convoy wasn't a good idea in the end for me; there were several cars and SUVs that moved faster than ours and weren't patient with us occupying the left lane. So I decided to break off from the convoy and slowed down.

56. Entering Dallas, I decided to take Highway 635 northbound and then 35E northbound to skirt the traffic congestion around the 35W and 287 connection near Fort Worth. We rode all the way to Denton on 35E, which was about 80 km along the route, and had to contend with continuous construction for that distance. It was quite stressful since I had to watch for road bumps and cracks, in addition to heavy Fourth of July weekend traffic. The opposite directions, all toward Dallas downtown, had much worse traffic congestions though.

57. One thing we learned in our long-haul riding is to not overeat during lunch. We stopped for gasoline and lunch in Denton. We ordered one plate of chinese food and shared it together. We bring a thermos filled with steamed rice. After lunch, we continued on Route 380 westbound and joined Route 287 northbound in Decatur. I stopped to have a half-hour nap in a rest area south of Bowie; I think the drowsiness came from a combination of the 39 degree C temperature and the lunch. It was a scorching hot riding day! We also stopped for rest room in a Walmart near Bowie. It gave us a chance to drink a lot of water before continuing riding.

58. I felt better after the nap in the rest area and replenishing the sweat that filled my jacket. We passed through Wichita Falls, Vernon, and finally stopped for rest in Childress. Wichita Falls has rather confusing highway exit connections since they curve several times inside the city. This can be challenging in a busy traffic. We stopped in Vernon for rest room again and refueling. We toyed with the idea of riding all the way to Amarillo, which was another 190 km from Childress. But our better judgment decided that it would be safe to stop in Childress. It was a good decision. We covered about 610 km between Longview and Childress on Friday, July 1.

59. Motorcycling brings conversation with strangers on the road. In Vernon, we had a great conversation with a Texan wrangler who showed us photos of Monument Valley and Mesa Verde. In Childress, one guy approached to tell me he brings a Ducati Monster on a trailer to Colorado to ride in the mountain. Especially, when they see our Alberta license plate and then think that we're crazy to ride all the way from Calgary to New Orleans.

Dallas traffic - or any big city traffic - is stressful for a guy who just wants to pass through.

New Orleans, LA - Longview, TX Motorcycling

The New Orleans thunderstorm caused us to stop for 90 minutes in Metairie, just west of New Orleans.

51. After spending 4 days in New Orleans attending and presenting my 2 papers at the American Society of Engineering Education's 2016 Conference, we're ready to get back on the road on Thursday, June 30 at 07:45. Weather forecast said there was a higher than 50% precipitation around New Orleans, but we didn't expect to get a monsoon rain (thunderstorm) for more than an hour, as we started to leave the city.

52. My helmet has a sun (dark) visor behind the outside protective glass. The heavy downpour filled the glass surface with water beads that severely reduced my visibility. On top of that, water started accumulating on the right lane of I-10 westbound, which signals the possibility of hydroplaning. So, I decided to exit the highway in Metairie. We initially were marooned at a gas station and then moved to a coffee shop nearby. The rain didn't stop until 90 minutes later. Our jackets and pants were completely wet. I ran into one guy who said humorously: Are you having a regret motorcycling today? I answered with a smile that I couldn't afford to have a regret since I still have 4000 km to go. He's planning to visit Niagara Falls (the more picturesque side in Canada) and Atlantic Canada.

53. After the rain cleared, another cloud formation was moving from the Gulf of Mexico. So I decided to outrun it westward – if I could. We're lucky that we arrived in Baton Rouge, about 100 km west of New Orleans without any more rain. We had to stop at the BMW Motorcycles of Baton Rouge to have my motorcycle's tires replaced. I thought this would be a good decision since the rear tire already had 2 plugs and could last a maximum 3000 km. I don't want to get stranded with worn out, punctured tires in a desert.

54. The 90 minute rain stop and another 2 hour stop in Baton Rouge made today the longest ride day. Total time was 12 hours from 7:45 am to 7:45 pm when we stop for the night in Longview, covering 640 km. We took Route 190 (Airline Highway) to get us to Opelousas, LA to get us back into I-49 northbound. The I-10 route between Baton Rouge and Lafayette was more picturesque, by the way. But the landscape between Baton Rouge and Opelousas, LA on Route 190 reminded us of Solo - Yogya route in Java, Indonesia. We stopped at our favorite gas stop in Natchitoches, LA, that sells delish, just-spicy-enough-for-motorcycling meat pies.  The ride between Alexandria and Shreveport was good, if not slightly boring after awhile.

Baton Rouge, LA - New Orleans, LA Motorcycling

The view along the bridge on Lake Pontchartrain shore on I-10 eastbound.

47. I decided to stay overnight in Baton Rouge, which is only about 100 km east of New Orleans. We had to wait until 13:00 the day before in Shreveport to have my motorcycle serviced. The 100-km remaining distance seems close and far since we want to savor the moment when we arrive in New Orleans on Sunday, June 26.

48. More importantly though my wife and I are frugal traveller. We take pride in traveling cheaply and adventurously. I thought that staying one more night outside our booked accommodation in New Orleans would be more expensive than what we're willing to pay in lest-touristy Baton Rouge. We've been staying in motels in small cities and towns from Calgary to Baton Rouge. They're cheaper than hotels in big cities, like Denver and Dallas, that we passed through. I have more to say about the tips surrounding finding a cheap, clean, and good quality motel in another blog.

49. We had to go to Mall of Lousiana in Baton Rouge to get a cable adapter for my conference presentation in New Orleans. The temperature was 37 degree C, so waiting for 30 minutes in an air-conditioned mall is a real luxury for us. After getting the cable adapter, we left for New Orleans along I-10 eastbound. The ride was good and steady at 110 km/h (with the posted limit of 60 to 70 miles per hour). We were greeted by a beautiful ride along the shore of Lake Pontchartrain about 15 miles before entering New Orleans.

50. The exit direction off I-10 was very clear. I have studied each important highway exit I took in our trip by viewing Google Maps, and this has prevented me from getting lost by taking a wrong exit. We're quickly led to Poydras St from the I-10 and found the street where we're going to stay not far from French Quarter. We're so relieved that the 4000 km journey from Calgary remains safe and celebrated by having a Po'boy and a Cajun catfish lunch not far from Jackson Square.

The precise and logical highway exit sign system in the US. The exit number corresponds to the miles number from the state border. In this case, this exit is 209 miles away along I-10 eastbound from the Texas-Louisiana border and is heading north.

Shreveport, LA - Baton Rouge, LA Motorcycling

BMW Motorcycles of Shreveport.

40. During the long-haul Calgary - New Orleans road trip I'm constantly checking the cleanliness of power transmission chain of my motorcycle. Ideally, the chain needs to be cleaned and lubricated every 500 km, but doing this is practically impossible because we've been riding for 8-10 hours everyday for the past 7 days. We feel tired at the end of each day, and on the road it's not easy to spot a car wash for its water pressure washer. To solve this problem I carry a small WD-40 can and use it every second day.

41. After 3400 km from Calgary, the engine oil needs to be replaced as well. I bring with me an air filter wrench for this, so I went to BMW Motorcycles of Shreveport to purchase chain cleaner and lubrication sprays and engine oil. It's probably our lucky day since they can accommodate my motorcycle for a service with their mechanics, so I decided to have the motorcycle checked and serviced. They give a super-friendly service, and I was able to talk directly with the mechanics. I even got a free T-shirt. My tires are more than 50% worn, but they don't have Michelin Anakee 3 tires in stock. He told me that the chain links have some kinks and may have to be replaced in Calgary.

42. We met the sales and service manager and received good tips on Lousiana from him. Now we know the geographical locations of Cajun and Creole people of Lousiana. We learned to pronounce Natchitoches – an old city between Shreveport and Lafayette – and that Cajun people are descendents of francophone Nova Scotians who sailed and were rejected to land along the Atlantic coast until they reached New Orleans. He gave me places to check out for the Delta blues music in New Orleans.

43. We waited for 3 hours at the motorcycle dealership and started riding at 13:00. Luckily the distance between Shreveport and Baton Rouge is 400 km, so we reached Baton Rouge at 18:00 after stops in Natchitoches and Lafayette for lunch and gasoline. We took I-49 to go southbound from Shreveport to Lafayette, and then we changed to I-10 eastbound to reach Baton Rouge.

44. We enjoyed riding on about 20-km long (or maybe longer, I didn't check exactly) bridge network above Lousiana swamp (Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge). We crossed a Mississippi River bridge to arrive in Baton Rouge. It's a special place and is as distinct as riding in Jasper National Park. Now we know and experience ourselves places around Lousiana that we've seen in movies.

45. We had our first rain on the road just off Lafayette, as we entered the Lousiana bayou. Luckily it didn't last very long. Rain makes me more nervous than strong wind.

46. I am impressed by the exit numbering system of the US interstate highway system. It corresponds to the distance in miles from a state boundary and therefore helps me tremendously in locating an exit. I've never gotten lost from Montana to Lousiana – we'll see if the record continues until New Orleans – because I can use the total distance travelled information in my simple GPS unit to anticipate an exit a few miles ahead. The mile marker posts along the highway also help.

The bridge network above Lousiana bayou.

Vernon, TX - Shreveport, LA Motorcycling

Heading to I-20 eastbound from 35W freeway in Dallas.

33. The 640 km ride between Vernon and Shreveport was highlighted by strong wind for the entire trip, hot (35 degree C) and humid weather, and the beginning of great Lousiana BBQ food.

34. We stopped in Bowie, a small cowboy town about 90 km east of Fort Worth, on Route 287 for DQ blizzard to cool down. We stopped at another DQ in Tyler, about 160 km east of Shreveport, to ward off dehydration. We spotted the DQ signs on the road and simply followed the directions in both cases. To get back to the highway, we ask the locals; quite often though the way back is self-evident. I use the GPS unit not to tell me where to go; I use it to check whether the route I planned the night before is being implemented on the road.

35. The construction at the end of Route 287 concealed the beginning of 35W freeway near Dallas. The ensuing traffic jam made the riding very uncomfortable: slow, hot, and thirsty. Luckily I already planned the route to reach the I-20 so that we didn't get lost by making a wrong exit.

36. The bad part though was the crazy-busy traffic around Dallas. There were so many trailer trucks that move at the highway speed limit of 70 miles per hour. Most truck drivers are good, but they block view, and when three or four of them are forming a convoy the traffic will definitely slow down as they choke one lane. More seriously, I counted about 10 incidents of car drivers changing lanes without giving any signs. They are concerning for motorcyclists since we're the weakest vehicles on the highway: we have no steel cages to protect us.

37. We accidentally found a great Lousiana BBQ - Dave's BBQ - in Duncanville, off the Exit 463 on I-20 eastbound. We were originally going to get Subway, but it was next door and quite inviting. We didn't make a mistake. The chicken BBQ smells very good and the baked beans is exquisite. One thing we really enjoy while in the US is the excellent sweet iced tea everywhere we go. It makes me forget how good hot coffee can be, as the iced tea is simply the best thirst quencher.

38. We learned that northern and eastern part of Texas, from Dumas to Marshall, is as flat as bread. There were not many picturesque camera shots along the way. We find more greenery as we neared Lousiana.

39. One Texan greeted me when I parked my motorcycle in front of Dave's BBQ. "Is that F800GS?", he asked. Then we had a 10-minute parking lot conversation on Kawasaki KLR650 he now owns and  his plan to replace it. At a gas station near Shreveport airport, another fellow – an airplane pilot – said he'd wish his motorcycle was a GS, not an RT. The two codes – GS and RT – refer to BMW motorcycle models, and then we had a 5-minute conversation. Motorcyclists share the same passion, and we feel we belong to a tribe. We wave hands when seeing each other on the road. We nod our heads to each other when we meet in a gas station. It's a wonderful thing.

Green trees lining the I-20 near Texas-Lousiana border.

Raton, NM - Vernon, TX Motorcycling

The sweet morning ride between Raton and Clayton on Route 287.

27. Riding on Route 87 for 125 km between Raton and Clayton is the sweetest ride so far in our long-haul Calgary - New Orleans trip. The air is still and 18 degree C cool at 08:00. Sometimes light breeze from the south greeted me, but it was never uncomfortably fast. The asphalt feels awesome and butter smooth. Combined desert and greenery scenery accompanied me along the route; it's so peaceful. It's pure heaven when the engine growl is the only sound I could hear.

28. When my wife and I stopped for a quick run to the washroom (i.e., rest room as it's called in the US) in Clayton, a woman with two kids greeted me outside the gas station, after looking at our license plate. "Alberta ... We have a family in Red Deer. Are you from near there?" Yes, I'm from Calgary. "Right on." Stopping at different places in many places I've been in the US, I come to respect Americans as people who are hard workers, self-reliant, and proud of what they do. They're friendly and exude confidence; I like that.

29. We lost one hour when we crossed the New Mexico - Texas border due to the Central standard time. We reached Amarillo in about 3.5 hours, covering 350 km from Raton. The road from Dumas and Amarillo is hilly but brief 70 km. The road condition between Dumas and Amarillo is not as good as that of the 280 km between Raton and Dumas.

30. We saw several State Troopers work diligently to catch highway speeders. From Amarillo to Vernon. Outside Clarendon, a State Trooper car suddenly was on the left lane, came up behind the SUV in front of me, and stopped the SUV. I used a GPS unit to keep track of my motorcycle speed; the unit literally paid for itself by preventing me from getting speeding tickets.

31.  The big crosswinds showed up again between Washburn and Vernon along Route 287. It's no accident that I saw many wind turbines in the area. The temperature soared to 40 degree C and we had to stop for DQ milkshake and orange juice in Clarendon to cool down.

32. We covered 640 km today (Thursday, June 23) between Raton and Vernon. The shorter 450 km trip the day before as a way to have a rest worked well. I was thinking of continuing to Wichita Falls, another 80 km along Route 287 southbound, but I thought the motel rate there has got to be more expensive. We decided to stay overnight in Vernon.

I use my GPS unit to monitor speed in miles/hour. It proves useful when we entered towns and had to reduce speed.

Fort Collins, CO - Raton, NM Motorcycling

Typical scenery south of Denver on I-25 southbound. A lot greener than in Wyoming.

21. By the fourth day, Wednesday June 22, we know that the gasoline cost is about US$20 for about 600 km distance. I won't have to mention it again, I guess. I notice an rpm lowering when a 91 octane fuel is used instead of 89, so I stick with 91. On the fourth day we rode from Fort Collins, CO to Raton, New Mexico. It is about 450 km, shorter than each distance in the previous three days. It serves the purpose of a more relaxed riding; I thought I would need a break every fourth day.

22. Colorado gives a welcome change of scenery after a big prairie sky of Montana and Wyoming. The landscape south of Denver on I-25, especially near Colorado Springs and Castle Rock, was green. It was soothing for my eyes. The Colorado highway speed limit is mostly 65 miles per hour, so the slower speed also helps me relax. The road quality of Colorado highway isn't as good as that in Montana and Wyoming; a lot of crack lines and bumps litter the highway, especially within the Denver section of I-25.

23. We zipped through Denver. There was no traffic jam around 10 am when we snaked through the I-25 section in the city. A truck cut us off when it moved to my lane, but I anticipated that by glancing to my right quickly. I almost made a wrong turn also, but luckily I could still change lane to stay in the I-25 southbound.

24. The green farmland landscape changes into a semi desert once we rode past Pueblo, CO on I-25 southbound. It continued to Trinidad, CO, about 40 km north of the Colorado - New Mexico border. Big winds are hitting us again near Walsenburg, CO.

25. The Raton pass at the state border gives a green scenery again. The elevation from sea level on I-25 was consistently at about 2000 m throughout the I-25 in Colorado. It's no wonder Denver is called a mile-high city.

26. By the end of fourth day, we have covered about 2300 km from Calgary to Raton, NM. To get to New Orleans, we have to cover additional 1700 km through Texas and Louisiana.

At a rest area in Trinidad, CO, about 40 km from the Colorado - New Mexico border.

Buffalo, WY - Fort Collins, CO Motorcycling

Typical view along 460 km on I-25 Highway between Buffalo, WY and Cheyenne, WY.

15. After our Helena-Buffalo trip yesterday, we rode from Buffalo, WY to Fort Collins, CO on Tuesday, June 21. Total distance is 540 km and the gasoline cost is under $20. It was quite tiring because of the hot weather, but I learned to adjust to the hot weather by having my jacket's ventillation zippers wide open and drinking enough water throughout the ride.

16. The first stage was from Buffalo to Casper, WY. The 180-km stage felt the most lonely stretch so far. There were very few vehicles. There was no service whatsoever along the road until we arrived in Casper, a bustling city that felt like coming out of nowhere after the nothingness I felt to get there. We had juices and salad to fight the hot weather.

17. The 280-km second stage between Casper and Cheyenne, WY turned out to be the same. There was one service stop in Wheatland, about 180 km from Casper. I ended up riding the 280-km stage without stopping. The fuel indicator showed a reserve status for the last 50 km before arriving in Cheyenne. We stopped at the Exxon gas station just off I-25. The restaurant at the gas station has a very good taco salad. We enjoyed our stop after a long ride.

18. I learned to drink water from the Camelbak my wife carried using the Camelbak tube while riding. It requires coordinated steps to have the tube inserted through my helmet safely. The procedure reminds me of the aerial refueling of a fighter plane by a KC-135, except for our riding the KC-135 would be behind the fighter plane. It would've been very tiring, and I would possibly be dehydrated if I didn't drink water at all. The temperature rose to 41 degree C.

19. The third stage between Cheyenne and Fort Collins, CO (Colorado) was a brief 70 km. The wind subsided once we reached Colorado. In retrospect, the I-25 within Wyoming helps train a riding nerve: the 460-km stretch between Buffalo and Cheyenne was the most desolate highway stretch between Calgary and Fort Collins.

20. We were fortunate to meet a fellow traveller in the gas station who has ridden across the US and gave us a tip to ride through Beartooth Pass in Wyoming when we return to Calgary. I'd keep that route in mind since we seemed to have enough of the big prairie landscape in Montana and Wyoming.

Delicious taco salad at the truck stop in Cheyenne.

Helena, MT - Buffalo, WY Motorcycling

On I-90 Highway, between Bozeman, MT and Big Timber, MT.

7. Continuing our Calgary-Helena trip, on Monday June 20 we rode from Helena, MT (Montana) to Buffalo, WY (Wyoming). Total distance this time is 650 km and the gasoline cost is US$20. We left Helena at 10:30 and arrived in Buffalo at 18:30.

8. The relatively low gasoline cost has to do with the F700GS's 800 cc engine and also a cheaper gasoline cost in the US than Canada. It's a fuel-efficient engine although on the road I had wished that the engine were larger for a higher torque at lower rpm. The F700GS has a precise handling on the road to handle twisty sections. Its narrower tires afford a lower steering torque for countersteering.

9. I took Route 287 connecting Helena to the I-90 junction. The 100 km stretch is picturesque along Hauser Lake. Closer to the junction I saw the distant snow-capped mountain range, signaling the Yellowstone National Park area. The route follows Missouri River, which in fact starts at Three Forks, not far from the junction. This is the Missouri River that winds its way through the Midwest to St. Louis, Missouri, where the river merges with Mississippi River.

10. The I-90 highway is pleasant between Three Forks, MT and Bozeman, MT. It has alternating small town and front-range mountain landscapes. It's much less windy as the wind is predominantly eastbound, the same direction as ours. The divided highway gives a welcome change for me.

11. We stopped quickly at a turnout area between Bozeman and Livingston, MT. I had been carrying a Camelbak on my back for 2 days. I asked my wife to carry it since it became a pressure point on my back for our two-up seating and reduced blood flow to my legs. What a big change after I didn't have the Camelbak: I felt much more comfortable and was able to concentrate more on riding.

12. Services between Bozeman and Billings, MT are sparse. A good stop for gasoline and lunch is in Big Timber, about 100 km from Bozeman. I don't remember if there was another stop after Big Timber, until we reached Billings, MT, about 120 km from Big Timber. Billings is an oil city right on the Bakken formation.

13. The landscape changes quickly to a desolate big prairie (steppe) landscape after Billings. The 80-km stretch between Billings and Hardin, MT reminded me of a Nevada landscape, although the latter is mostly desert. The temperature rose to 34 degree C, and we had to soon remove some of our layers to prevent overheating. We stopped for DQ smoothie and ice cream to cool our bodies and remove the layers. My Alberta-riding gloves proved too warm for the 30+ degree C and I had to wear my wife's lighter pair. The glove change improved my riding handling so much.

14. A high plain big prairie landscape between Hardin and Buffalo is magnificent to look at from a motorcycle seat. It is filled with rolling hills that end far away with soaring mountains after a huge flat prairie. I was so relieved to have finally reached Wyoming, after spending 900 km in Montana.

High plain big prairie landscape at the Montana-Wyoming border on the I-90 eastbound.

Calgary - Helena, MT Motorcycling

I-15 Highway, entering Helena, MT, southbound

1. After waiting for the sky to clear, I decided that we go at 10:10 on Sunday, June 19. It was drizzling when we left, and sometimes clouds chased us along Highway 2 southbound. This time we didn't stop in Nanton for refueling. The wind was relatively calm for Highway 2, even after Claresholm toward Fort Macleod.

2. As we rode near Fort Macleod, the crosswind picked up. We refueled there after a 200 km nonstop stretch. Carrying a Camelbak behind my back helps quench my thirst. I didn't have the need to buy a drink at the gas station. The wind gust from the mountain became fierce when we headed southbound along Route 2 from Fort Macleod to Cardston, and then to the Carway US border crossing. My F700GS leaned clockwise about 10 degree to compensate for the crosswind blowing eastbound.

3. The border crossing staff asked where we'd go. I said New Orleans. "Are you going to ride to New Orleans with a motorcycle?" Yes, I reply. He smiled, and pretty soon we passed St. Mary – the gate to the US Glacier National Park – on Route 89. We kept going along twisty mountain curves to reach the fork to Route 287 at Browning. It was chilly along the curves; at times the temperature reached 10 degree C.

4. Route 287 was a good alternative to I-15 Highway between Canada-US border and Great Falls, MT, for motorcycles. It was quiet, not too twisty. We met a couple each riding a Harley from South Carolina when we stopped at Buffalo Joe's in Dupuyer, MT, for lunch. The fried 1/2 chicken at the restaurant was fantastic, highly recommended. We saw the couple dance along the route until Choteau, MT, where we refueled after the 280 km stretch from Fort Macleod.

5. We reached Helena, MT at 18:30 after a 160 km leg from Choteau by continuing on Route 287 and changing to I-15 Highway north of Wolf Creek, MT. 

6. Total gasoline spent for the 640 km trip was US$13 and CD$13. The highlight was the high crosswind section between Fort Macleod and Carway, and also the twisty curves between St. Mary and Browning.

Calgary-Waterton Lake Motorcycling

Waterton Lake beach at the south end of our campground.

A couple of weeks ago during the August long weekend, my friend and I rode to Waterton Lakes National Park from Calgary. It's 270 km one-way via Highway 2 south and then heading west on Highway 3, before finally heading south again to Waterton Lakes NP by passing through Pincher Creek. We brought our families with us so there was a chase car carrying our sons. My wife and I were two-up on my bike, and my friend rode his Harley.

Ours hail from two continents and we get along.

The ride along Highway 2 was going at a 120 km/h speed. Occasionally we had to go at 140 km/h when overtaking some cars and trucks, but the traffic wasn't busy. Several times I saw traffic signs alerting severe crosswinds, and sure enough the wind picked up significantly between Claresholm and Fort MacLeod. In high crosswind area, physics teaches me to increase motorcycle speed to reduce the crosswind's momentum, so I picked up my speed a bit.

The ride on Highway 3 was more exhilarating. It's not a divided highway and the rolling hill landscape helped my eyes relax. There are hundreds of wind turbines around this area, but their blades weren't turning despite the strong wind. We stopped for gas in Pincher Creek and about 50 km along Route 6 later we arrived at Waterton. It took us 2.5 hours to arrive at the Waterton Lakes NP gates. My friend used his Park Pass and I entered the park for free.

There was one campsite left when we got to the townsite campground. We were lucky since I couldn't make online reservation 2 days before. The day was sunny and hot (30 C). The campground was luxurious by my standard: shower, flat ground, cookhouse, and tap water by our site. It is also by the lake and is quite windy. We stayed in the campgrounds for 2 nights, which gave us time to explore Waterton village.

Who's your daddy now?

Waterton village or townsite is situated inside the NP. It has coffeeshops, fancy restaurants, grocery stores, and even laundromat. It's similar to Banff in Banff National Park but smaller. Waterton though has a charming lakeshore to stroll for hours without feeling bored or tired. I even took a nap to soak up the sun. I saw several kayakers and one windsurfer on the lake. Unlike the places in Canadian Rockies I usually go to, Waterton is decidedly more tropical by Canadian standard. We thoroughly enjoyed our time.

Cameron Lake.

We also visited Cameron Lake located 16 km off the main road through a winding road. A highly recommended side trip when you visit Waterton. Cameron Lake is tranquil and great to visit in the morning, especially if you like canoeing or kayaking. We met mountain goats ambling merrily on the road when we rode back to Waterton.

Mountain goats sharing our road. A group of Kansas riders  accompanied us.

We took Highway 22 to return to Calgary. It's the western parallel of Highway 2 and takes us to the foothills of Canadian Rockies. We stopped at Chain Lakes Provincial Park to rest before riding our final stretch to Calgary.

Tips: When riding to Waterton from Calgary, gas stop is recommended in Pincher Creek which is 200 km south of Calgary. It has fast food restaurants: Tim Hortons, A&W, and others for your little passengers to keep them happy. From Waterton, I recommend to refuel in Pincher Creek especially if you take Highway 22 north which has no service until Longview.

15000 Kilometer Perspective

I got my BMW F700GS last year and have accumulated 15,000 km so far. If I still like my bike after these kilometres, I suppose I can say that the motorcycle I got is the one I need. Of course, it goes for any motorcycle owner who still loves his bike after riding such distance.

There are many different motorcycle types: cruiser, bagger, street, naked, touring, adventure touring, dirt, scooter, chopper, and probably more. Unlike cars, motorcycles are very personal since both rider and motorcycle are visible to anyone. A big motorcycle will not suit a short-stature person, and vice versa. A street bike doesn't work for someone who wants to ride mainly on gravel roads, and so on. What I want to do therefore is to outline advantages I feel when owning my motorcycle. It's therefore not a comparison to other motorcycle types and brand names.

1. Versatility. I can ride at 140 km/h two-up on a highway with little difficulty since it has a maximum of 75 hp with a rated top speed of 192 km/h. I haven't come across a situation in which I needed to ride above 150 km/h. I ride everyday to work and it's agile enough in city traffic. I can ride two-up confidently in gravel roads with its not-so-aggresive tire treads and comfortably in highways covering 700+ km per day in rainy or windy days. Suspension travel and ground clearance are at their optimum level between the extremes of dirt bike and bagger.

2. Ride Tech Features. I find three tech features extremely useful: tire pressure monitor, gear indicator, and electronic fuel gauge. I had one flat tire experience on a highway and the tire pressure monitor quickly alerted me that the rear tire was losing pressure. The alert helped me decide a quick u-turn and reach a nearby town before a complete pressure collapse in the middle of nowhere. Gear indicator is absolutely necessary to reduce worry level during riding. Gear indicator is great for city commuting with all those traffic light stops. Electronic fuel gauge helps plan a long touring day and often gives assurance when I have to eat up more kilometres to find a place to sleep.

3. Fuel Economy. I am very happy with its 60 mpg fuel economy. Motorcycling is more risky and less comfortable than driving a car, so it doesn't make sense to me if I pay the same gasoline price for either. Instead of paying $80 to cover 1000 km distance when driving, F700GS allows me to pay $40 even with a passenger.

I used to wanting to get other motorcycles for their looks, sounds, or horsepowers. But I have learned that I am quite happy with what I got. Although I admit the one motorcycle I really want to test ride is Honda Africa Twin.

Calgary-Elko Motorcycling

One great overnight riding trip from Calgary is to ride to any point between Fernie and Cranbrook and to stay overnight there. Fernie, BC is 300 km from Calgary, and Cranbrook is another 100 km to the west.

I usually ride to the Rockies via Banff and Lake Louise, but after I rode on Highway 3 in June I felt I haven't spent enough time exploring Alberta and BC along the Crowsnest Pass and Highway. One advantage of camping along the Highway 3 corridor is the warmer weather compared to Banff and surrounding areas. There is about 10 C difference, so the evening becomes perfect and warm to gaze at sunset in a lake.

My wife and I left Calgary at 4:30 pm right after work two weeks ago and we arrived in Fernie at 8:30 PM after stopping for break in Chain Lakes Provincial Park. I stopped at Mount Fernie Provincial Park to find a campsite with no luck. We then continued west until Elko, where Highway 93 South junction is located, to check Kikomun Creek Provincial Park which has 110+ campsites. To our disappointment all were occupied.

I glanced quickly at my watch. It's 9 PM, and we had nowhere to camp. The Kikomun Creek PP staff suggested me to check private campgrounds along Jaffray Baynes Lake Road that runs along the northern shore of Koocanusa Lake. She also suggested Norbury Lake Provincial Park – some 40 km toward Cranbrook – but I wasn't keen on reaching another Provincial Park at sunset time without camp site guarantee.

So, I decided to try the private campgrounds option. It's always safer to book campsite in advance, but I often feel it is more adventurous to eat and sleep wherever the motorcycle takes me. Part of continuous adventure riding training is train my brain to dealing with uncertainties. We always bring two sleeping bags and a two-person tent in our side bags whenever we ride for this situation. We bring food and stove as well so we can purchase food at local grocery stores. We ask people we meet in towns we stop. I review campgrounds and motels around estimated stop locations using Google Maps before we go since I don't have a GPS unit in my motorcycle.

The adventure option gave us a new experience. And that's what we got in a good way. I saw a campground sign when we rode along the Jaffray Baynes Lake Road. There is about 1 km of gravel road to ride before we arrived at Ayes Ranch Campground. Its staff were generous to us –free pops for us when they saw how little we carried – and we were happy to stay there, as it faces Koocanusa Lake so we enjoyed fantastic sunset views. There is no running water near our campsite nor lake water is recommended for drinking, so I got ample chances to ride my motorcycle on bumpy gravel road to fill up my water bottles.

We stayed overnight and the next morning we headed back to Calgary on Saturday July 11. We were greeted by a severe thunderstorm that blew my motorcycle sideways and drenched our jackets. We had to wait at Braeside Tim Hortons for an hour until the rainstorm disappeared.

Homogeneous & Particular Solutions of Second Order Equation

The easiest way to remember that homogeneous equation is one of two solutions to a second order ordinary differential equation is that even if the right hand side is zero:

y'' + b(x) y' + c(x) = 0,

this equation will still yield a solution y(x). The second solution appears, in addition to the homogeneous, if the right hand side is not zero:

y'' + b(x) y' + c(x) = r(x).

Physically, the homogeneous solution represents the internal response of a mechanical system, while r(x) represents an external force that drives the system. The driving force r(x) will produce a particular solution of the system in response to the external driving force. This is - in my opinion - a more practical way to think about homogeneous and particular solutions.

It is also important to point out that the initial conditions only influence the homogeneous solution. This feature helps to tell apart the homogeneous and the particular in a first order equation when we use an integration factor to solve it. The homogeneous solution is simply one that has the integration constant. This aspect is important to remember since we often think that homogeneous and particular solutions appear only in second and higher order equations.

There is a theorem in differential equation that describes the above more succinctly. I could not recall it today in lectures, and it motivated me to find an alternative way to describe homogeneous and particular solutions of second order equation.

Why Motorcycling

This blog is a reflection of evolution of outdoor activities I have done over the past 15 years. I started it all with motorcycling when I was in grade 5. I grew up in Indonesia, where almost everyone learned to ride motorcycle at around that age. One group in Indonesia, who does not have this early learning privilege, is girls since their parents often forbid them out of fear of accidents. Some parents, however, allow their daughters to learn riding.  I did running and swimming also when I was in high school but I was never an athletic type, so they were not competitive.

I had several motorcycle accidents when I was in high school. Two accidents in particular I remember. One involved a family of four who all rode one motorcycle – this is still a common sight in Indonesia – that I hit at an intersection. Another involved my brand-new Honda motorcycle on the way to check my high school entrance result. Both were at about 40 km/h speed so they were not serious. These didn't dampen my motorcycling enthusiasm mainly due to a combination of high speed thrill and free-wheeling motorcycling nature.

When I went to university in Canada, I stopped riding because I couldn't afford buying a motorcycle. I then forgot about it and literally buried my riding passion for 25 years. That's what family responsibility and work-study life gave me. 

But I continued running and I got better at it. I always dream of going long and far. And I did run half-marathon length many times even in winter although I never participated in a running competition (it's too expensive for me to pay for running.) I carried a Camelbak and had granola bars in my pocket, and off I went. I have developed a layered clothing system to handle temperature change from 10 C to -40 C. I admire long-distance runners who can run hundreds of kilometers and always wish to have time to train for that ability. But I never did.

Although running is a great activity and meditative as well, I picked up cycling after running seriously for about 5 years. The main reason is that running limits me to about 40 km a day distance. I wanted to extend the distance per day target. Cycling is great and is as effective as running in keeping me fit. I often cycled to Bragg Creek from Calgary and back, which is about 100 km total distance, in the weekend. I cycled to Highwood Pass from Calgary and back, which is about 350 km in 3 days. And I have done Bandung-Jakarta cycling trip (200 km) in 2 days. The point I'm trying to make here is that cycling allows me to reach about 120 km a day distance. One student told me he did Calgary-Lake Louise (175 km one-way) in a day, so with consistent training I might hope to cover 150 km distance a day by cycling.

I outfitted my touring bike with panniers, pocket-size sleeping bag, small stove, bivy sack to go the distance. And a good distance challenge for someone living in Calgary is to cycle all the way to Vancouver. That's 1000 km distance, and I reckon I could do it in 9-10 days one way. That was precisely what I planned to do last year. It would take me 2 weeks to do a Calgary-Vancouver loop by not cycling back to Calgary. My wife would pick me up in Vancouver and we would drive back to Calgary. Or I would take a bus back to Calgary. The 2-week window to cover 1000 km distance in the end proved too long for me. There was really no other way to shorten the time while maintaining the adventure nature of a trip. This was when I decided to pick up motorcycling again.

So after 25-year hiatus I picked up motorcycling last year. It allows me to cover 800 km a day distance, a 6-fold increase over cycling, and effectively infinity-fold over running when the target is distance per day. Instead of 2 weeks or more to get to Vancouver and back, I only need 4 days.

The setup cost for motorcycling is about four-times higher than cycling, as a good touring bicycle now costs about $3000 when you outfit it with panniers etc. This cost difference, however, is paid back by the cheaper operating cost of motorcycling when you want to cover 1000 km. Motorcycling costs about five times cheaper due to the shorter time to cover that distance. The setup cost difference is recovered when I make about 15 trips of 1000 km distance.

In my estimation, the accident risk of motorcycling is higher than touring cycling, but not ten times higher. So roughly their risks are similar. I have done both, so let me explain my basic reasoning. Most motorcycling risk comes from its speed and fragility when colliding with cars and trucks, but these two factors can be mostly controlled by a motorcyclist when he exercises a defensive riding strategy. Bicycling accident risk, however, is often beyond the control of its rider. A bicycle occupies a narrow shoulder of a highway and is completely at the mercy of passing trucks and cars. What these facts imply is that I can reduce my motorcycling accident risk but I cannot reduce my bicycling accident risk.

I still cycle to work and run during weekend to keep me fit, but I now ride when I want to cover a big distance. One more benefit of motorcycling is that now I can go with my wife. To keep cost down, I chose a motorcycle with a good fuel economy.

Calgary-Vancouver Riding with My 12-Year Old Son

My son in action in Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver.

I rode my BMW F700GS with my 12-year old son from Calgary to Vancouver on June 24. I took a two-days off from campus to clear my head. (It happens quite often when I miss my riding days.) I had promised my son that we would ride together to Vancouver about a month before. So we did.

Our first day ended in Kamloops RV Park in Kamloops, BC. It was a 600-km ride from Calgary. Other than rain between Roger's Pass and Revelstoke, the ride was great. The RV Park has about 10 tent sites and the camping rate is $26 per night including tax. The shower room and washroom are clean. There is no time-limit for shower, and it doesn't cost coins. My son and I enjoyed our stay, with the exception of loud traffic and train noises from Highway 1 and nearby rail tracks. We would recommend Kamloops RV Park despite the noise since Kamloops doesn't have many nearby campgrounds. Kamloops RV Park's location is extremely convenient. You simply take the Lafarge Road off-ramp when heading west on Highway 1, before you arrive in Kamloops.

On the next day we hit Highway 5 (Coquihalla Highway) to reach Vancouver from Kamloops. This highway is fast as most cars go at least 120 km/hour. I maintained my speed at 120 km/h and sometime had to increase it to 140 km/h when overtaking trailer trucks and cars. 

To stay affordably in Vancouver, we rested in Surrey, which is about 15 km east of Vancouver. It's only 30-minute ride from Surrey to get to Vancouver downtown. We stayed in Canadian Inn, Surrey. I highly recommend this hotel. It charges a motel rate for a single queen bed ($80 before tax) but our room feels like a hotel. Our room was clean and very comfortable. We stayed in this hotel for 2 nights.

Ramen! Banzai!

We rode around Vancouver beaches and visited Marutama Ramen for its exquisite chicken broth. It is just off Robson St. and is about 1km from Stanley Park, where my son took a morning nap before having lunch at Marutama Ramen. You can say we rode 1000 km from Calgary just to have a great ramen!

Before entering Creston.

Our ride back to Calgary from Surrey was scorching hot due to heat wave from Pacific Ocean. This time we took Highway 3. It's longer (1300 km compared to 1000 km on Highway 1) to reach Calgary, but it was a lot of fun. There are twisty sections - and switchbacks too - between EC Manning Provincial Park and Princeton, and also around Osoyoos. It was 35 C when we arrived in Hope, but the temperature went up to 41 C around Osoyoos and Christina Lake. We covered 740 km in 12 hours – including many drink breaks every hour to avoid dehydration – from Surrey to Creston. We stayed in City Centre Motel in Creston. I highly recommend this motel when you are staying in Creston: simple, clean, and quiet for $77 a night including tax.

We reached Calgary at 4:30 pm on Sunday after about 500 km ride from Creston. As usual, Highway 22 (Cowboy Trail) was windy and to compensate for the crosswind I had to go at around 120-130 km/h along the highway. It was one helluva trip that involved one flat tire near Christina Lake; one scorching heat riding day; an RCMP car with a blaring siren wanting to catch me crossing solid yellow lines before I even crossed them yet in Princeton; a near-miss of hitting a deer crossing Highway 3 before Cranbrook; and a fast riding day on Coquihalla Highway.

Port Mann Bridge, Surrey-Burnaby border.

ROI of University Education is at least 100%

I read a CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) article today on student cheaters who use the services of custom essay writers for submitting course papers. Such writer charges $150 to $500 per paper, and one writer reported that there are 20 papers in one course. The $150 charge is for an easy paper, and it can go up to $500 per paper if it is difficult.

This piece of information is useful for estimating the value of university education because it is a real business transaction that happens between a university student and a custom essay writer. $150 to $500 is the cost a student is willing to pay to have his paper authored by someone else in order to get a good grade. Although it does not directly reflect the income the student will make after he graduates, the $150 to $500 cost reflects directly how much the student values his good grade.

The value of his university education can thus be evaluated in real dollar amount by the cost per paper as this cost reflects his salary expectation of a job he will have after graduation. After all, he won't be willing to part with his money if he believes he won't be able to graduate and makes enough money to pay back the cost.

The 20 papers per course is an extreme number for a course, I admit, but on average for an arts degree I estimate there may be 8 papers per course, while for engineering, in contrast, the number of papers goes down to 1-2. The difficulty level of paper submitted for an engineering course will be higher since it is more technical and there are not many custom essay writers who can plagiarize engineering papers easily. Thus, on average the price of a university course is

($150 × 8 + $500 × 2)/2 = $1100.

There are usually 10 courses per academic year, so the total cost is $11,000. $11,000 is the expected value of higher education yield in one year.

A Canadian student pays about $5,500 tuition fee (per year): this is the cost of university. Hence, the expected return of investment (ROI) of university education is at least 100%.

The ROI of university education is at least 100% since we do not put values into the network a student develops while studying at a university. Having a university degree is one of the best financial decisions one can make as it is quite rare to have a business with at least 100% ROI annually over four years.

Fisika 10 Menit di Youtube. Berbahasa Indonesia. Yeah!

Sejak Januari 2014 saya membuat seri video Fisika 10 Menit di Youtube. Selama ini sudah 7 video yg sudah saya upload:

1. Posisi, Kecepatan & Akselerasi: Video #1 memperkenalkan konsep posisi, kecepatan, dan akselerasi. Bagaimana arah dan besar kecepatan dan akselerasi berhubungan satu sama lain. Kecepatan adalah derivatif posisi, sementara akselerasi adalah derivatif kecepatan.

2. Gerak Percepatan Sama/Konstan: Video #2 membahas solusi posisi dan kecepatan untuk gerak yang dipengaruhi oleh akselerasi konstan. Kasus percepatan konstan ini kasus dasar yang melandasi hampir semua soal-soal ujian fisika SMA yang berhubungan dengan mekanika/dinamik. Aplikasi konsep posisi, kecepatan, dan akselerasi di Video #1 diterapkan untuk menurunkan rumus-rumus dasar di video #2.

3. Tiga Contoh Gerak Percepatan Sama: Video #3 membahas tiga contoh gerak yang berlandaskan rumus-rumus dasar untuk gerak percepatan konstan yang diperoleh di video #2. Contoh-contoh ini dipilih khusus untuk memperjelas aplikasi rumus-rumus dari video #2.

4. Hukum Gerak Newton: Video #4 membahas tiga hukum gerak Newton: inersia, F = ma, dan aksi-reaksi. Hukum gerak Newton ini melandasi hubungan antara posisi, kecepatan, dan akselerasi yang diterangkan di video #1 sampai #3. Hukum gerak Newton baru dikenalkan di video #4 agar subscriber seri Fisika 10 Menit bisa terbiasa dulu dengan rumusan gerak berdasarkan posisi, kecepatan, dan akselerasi tanpa harus berpikir mengapa mereka terhubungkan seperti itu.

5. Gerak Dua Dimensi: Video #5 membahas gerak dua dimensi karena gaya tarik gravitasi bumi. Saya bahas konsep horizon dan asumsi bumi datar dengan memandang bumi sebagai bola. Saya juga bahas darimana gaya tarik gravitasi bumi berasal. 

6. Gaya Hambat: Video #6 menggabungkan gaya tarik gravitasi bumi dan gaya hambat udara (drag force). Solusi persamaan dari hukum gerak Newton menjadi lebih rumit, tapi saya paparkan darimana solusi ini berasal. Contoh terjun payung menggambarkan bagaimana rumus fisika yang didapat bisa diterapkan di kasus nyata.

7. Gerak Koordinat Polar Silinder: Video #7 membahas gerak partikel memakai sistem koordinat polar/silinder. Sistem koordinat polar/silinder ini dibutuhkan untuk gerak berputar yang banyak kita temui di aplikasi mesin. Kinematik (hubungan posisi, kecepatan, akselerasi) memakai sistem koordinat polar/silinder diterangkan dengan jelas. Hukum gerak Newton kemudian dijabarkan memakai sistem koordinat ini.

Harga Gas Elpiji Indonesia $0.017 per kubik kaki dan lebih mahal 2.4 kali lipat harga di Calgary

1. Saya baca di tribunnews.com bahwa harga elpiji nonsubsidi kemasan 12 kg naik sebesar Rp 3.959 per kilogram. Total kenaikan harga untuk kemasan 12 kg ini berarti sama dengan 12 × Rp 3.959 = Rp 47.508. Jika harga awal elpiji 12 kg ini Rp 80.000, maka harga baru menjadi Rp 127.508. Konsumen yang membeli eceran akan membayar sekitar Rp 150.000.

2. Berat tabung elpiji 12 kg ini hampir semua dari berat tabung baja karena kepadatan gas 0.7 kg/m³ sementara kepadatan baja 7900 kg/m³. Singkatnya, untuk volume yg sama, baja lebih berat 11.286 kali lipat. Ini bisa dikonfirmasikan oleh dimensi tabung elpiji 12 kg yang saya taksir sekitar 60 cm tinggi dan 30 cm diameter. Volume tabung ini berarti 0.0424 meter kubik = 1.497 kubik kaki.

3. Berat tangki elpiji 12 kg saya taksir sekitar 16.7 kg dengan mengasumsikan ketebalan tabung 3 mm. Harga material plat baja dengan berat 16.7 kg sangat murah dan sekitar Rp. 150 saja. Ini bisa dihitung dari harga plat baja sekitar $750/ton. Proses pengelasan, pengecatan, dan penambahan komponen lain untuk membuat tabung elpiji 12 kg tentunya menambah biaya, tapi saya tidak bisa melihat harga tabung baja seberat 16.7 kg ini lebih mahal dari Rp 15.000 per tabung termasuk transportasi.

4. Penjelasan diatas berkesimpulan bahwa harga tabung elpiji 12 kg ini 88% datang dari harga elpiji itu sendiri yg sebesar Rp 127.508 – Rp 15.000 = Rp 112.508. Harga Rp 112.508 ini sama dengan dollar Canada CD$10.23 dengan memakai kurs Rp 11.000 = CD$1. Volume tabung elpiji 12 kg sebesar 1.497 kubik kaki. Untuk tekanan 1 bar, berat gas elpiji untuk volume ini sebesar 30 gram.

5. Pada saat elpiji diisikan ke tabung elpiji 12 kg, berat gas elpiji adalah 12 kg. Dengan mengasumsikan ideal gas law, ini berarti jumlah molekul gas yang diisikan adalah 400 kali lipat. Ini berarti tekanan gas elpiji adalah 400 bar = 40 MPa. Kekuatan tarik baja sekitar 500 MPa, jadi tekanan ini masih aman. Volume total gas elpiji (ekuivalen di tekanan 1 bar) dengan tekanan 400 bar di tabung 12 kg sebesar 1.497 ft ³ × 400 = 600 ft ³.

6. Harga CD$10.23 ini untuk membeli volume gas elpiji sebesar 600 ft ³. Ini berarti harga jual gas elpiji di Indonesia sebesar CD$0.017/ft ³.   

7. Harga CD$0.017 per ft ³ ini amat sangat mahal karena di bulan Desember 2013 saya membayar total CD$145.23 di Calgary untuk total energi sebesar 20.1 gigajoules (GJ) dari gas elpiji untuk memanaskan rumah dan air. Gross heating value untuk elpiji sekitar 1000 BTU/ft ³ atau 1 mega joules (MJ) per ft³. Berarti konsumsi per bulan rumah tangga saya 20.100 ft ³ (dua puluh ribu seratus kubik kaki volume). Jadi saya cuma membayar kurang dari 1 sen per ft ³. Harga gas elpiji di Indonesia per ft ³ jadinya 2.4 kali lipat lebih mahal dari di Canada.

8. Jika saya tinggal di Indonesia dan mengkomsumsi gas elpiji sebesar 20.100 ft ³, saya akan butuh 34 tabung elpiji 12 kg. Keluarga saya akan bangkrut tidak sampai sebulan karena biaya 34 tabung elpiji 12 kg ini Rp 5 juta per bulan.

9. Komponen biaya gas elpiji yang saya bayar tiap bulan di Calgary termasuk biaya administrasi, infrastruktur pipa, dan pengiriman gas yang dilakukan memakai pompa karena langsung memakai pipa bawah tanah ke tiap rumah. Perbandingan harga Indonesia dan Canada ini jadinya proportional, alias "apple-to-apple price comparison". Biaya $145.23 yang saya bayar adalah harga pasar yang saya bayar langsung ke perusahaan gas di Calgary. Ini tidak berbeda dengan membeli gas elpiji di toko eceran di Jakarta.

10. Pertanyaan saya: (i) Siapa yang paling diuntungkan dengan harga gas selangit di Indonesia? (ii) Berapa banyak kerugian rakyat karena ketidakmampuan pemerintah mengontrol harga demi kesejahteraan rakyat?