Vegetarian bikers - all topics
 

I've done some searching, and although vegetarianism is brought up in a couple of threads, I can't see that its been the main topic anywhere [apologies if I'm wrong].

What I'm trying to do here is get a look-up table [type of thing] started as a resource for veggie bikers, but not just for food - for equipment, clothing, etc. I guess therefore it seems strange to open this in the 'Healthy' thread, but of all places it seemed the most appropriate.

I've been veggie for 15 years [although biking for much less], and its often been difficult to find non-leather gear, especially boots and gloves - that are suitable for adventure or off-road riding, so I intend to start listing the gear that I have, and where possible the places I bought it from. Please bear in mind that this info can, and probably will, go out of date. Don't blame me! Also, it'll be helpful if people can list things about food like: local veggie speciality dishes, or vegetarian resturants / diners, how to translate "I'm vegetarian" or "I don't eat meat or fish" into a local language. Or any other tips. Also, don't think you need to remember the name of that place in Bolivia you went to 2 years ago. Maybe someone is travelling to where you live, and your local may be of interest to them. I guess I'm saying anything is good.

So, here goes, and lets see if this takes off.

Rich

Food:
- NW London, Archway. There was a small but fantastic all veggie / vegan chinese resturant just downhill from the tube station. Everything was meat and fish free, but [and don't know how they did it] they perfectly reproduced [almost] your standard chinese menu. The 'mock duck' was unreal.
- MacDonalds, all UK. I know this may sound weird, but this is for the non-uk'ers in case they don't know. MacDonalds in the UK do have some veggie stuff, which is useful to know if you can't find f'all else.

Boots:
- Sidi Crossfire SRS. This was a couple of years ago, so not sure about there current stuff, and it has to be the SRS model [the standard crossfire's are leather]. They're made out of Lorica [a synthetic leather alternative] and I wear them loads. Not cheap, but good boots. The SRS bit means that you can replace the soles [Sidi Repalcement Sole] just by taking a few screws out. You can fit either off-road or supermoto soles - I have both.

Gloves:
- Bikers*>> Tallinn, and Sinisalo Enduro. Gloves have always been a pain in the arse, as they are either entirely or partly leather, or have no protection. This means that both of my gloves have no armour, so I guess I'll just have to be careful.

Helmet:
- Shark S650. Some helmets have leather in the linings, including some shark helmets. So check carefully.

Language:
- Greek. I'm sure someone will pick me up on this, but I've been taught that the Greek word for vegetarian [spelt out phonetically] is Hortofargos. Literally this means 'grass eater', so don't be surprised if you get some funny looks. To say "I'm vegetarian" say "Eemay hortofargos".

[This list doesn't cover all of my gear yet, so I'll add to it as I get chance. And I'll add food info when I can]

It seems you are talking about being Vegan more than just Vegetarian?

Veggie Gear
 

Frank Thomas Aquaboots: basically, they're wellies dressed up as moto boots. There's a fleece lined version as well.

Hein Gericke Voyager riding suit, although I normally wear my Tuareg unless the weather's really dire. It has leather elbow, shoulder, knee and butt patches, unlike the Voyager, which is leather-free.

FM lid, mainly because it's the only make that fits my head.

Regards, Mick

The thing I've learned from talking to lots of veggies is that there is no hard and fast rule as to what a veggie is. For example, I'll eat dairy [so I'm not vegan], but I won't wear leather. My gf will wear leather, but won't eat meat or fish [for ethical reasons]. There are even 'veggies' that eat chicken and fish [not veggie in my opinion - but then thats only my opinion, so what does that matter?]. This is why I wanted to include all topics [i.e. food, but also clothing]. I reckon its probably better to have a 'one-stop-shop' for all info, than have to trail around for it like I have had to in the past. I guess just take from it what applies to you.

dont know if this is any help at all.
 

ALT-BERG
"For in stock vegan boots visit our sister company GreenVee's website, HERE »
The majority of Alt-berg Boots can be made using a leather substitute (Lorica).
Lorica is a high quality material - it is more expensive than leather - but it still breathes and can be treated with Leder Gris - just like leather.
Where Lorica is not suitable in the boot we use heavy duty Cordura fabric - eg:- tongue & collars.
Where appropriate the Cordura is treated on the back to make it waterproof.
Normally Vegan boots are 25% more expensive - check before ordering."



There is also UK boot maker called Pennangalan dreams, they mainly make fetish, goth, rock and roll stuff. but they also make combat boots.
Where this is relevant is that most of the stuff they make can come in leather or fake leather. For example they made the lara croft tombraider boots: available in both. The quality is good (i dont know if it is alt-berg good but..) ... Anyway it may be worth searching though their site and see if a combat type thing is good enough for what you want..

http://www.pennangalan.co.uk/boots/catimg/FW111.jpg
http://www.pennangalan.co.uk/boots/catimg/FW111.jpg

Some of the boots on the Pennangalan website are AMAZING!
tells us again how you found it Xander?:eek3:

Food:

Travellunch make some good freeze dried food packs for camping. Touratech sell them [Touratech UK Webshop] but so do other places, so shop around. Watch some of the deserts though, as they may have geletine. Most of these meals you add boiling water to the bag and leave it to stand for a few mins. Saves on the washing up, but you don't get the hot water afterwards for a cuppa, unlike other meals.
Flavours I'm aware of:
Vanilla Desert with Raspberries - has geletine so not tried
Apple pancakes - need to fry the pancakes, and haven't been that hungry
Bella Italia pasta with cheese sauce - very good
Napoli pasta with tomato sauce - very good
Cous Cous - not tried
Vegatable risotto - OK
Pasta in a herb cream sause - very good
Potato and vegetable casserole with tofu - not tried

Decathlon have their own brand of freeze dried food, again some of which is veggie. However, this stuff tastes like shit, and is probably about as good for you [think all the dried bits from a packet of minestrone, only without the soup]. But, if you're hungry... [actually no, even then I wouldn't]

Wayfayrer is another meal in the bag type, but this time you put the bag into boiling water to heat it [you can eat it cold]. The food is not dehydrated. This means you can use the water afterwards for a cuppa. The water should be clean after use as the outer bag is thrown away and you heat up the clean inner bag. These are good if you are starting to run low on water, but have the disadvantage that they are heavier as the water is already in them.
Flavours I'm aware of:
Vegetable curry - OK
Chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce - OK [no geletine]
Spicy vegetable rigatoni - good
they do a couple of other deserts as well, but can't verify whats in them

No problem in India
 

Veg food is PLENTIFUL in India. Pretty decent tasting stuff at that. In many places such as Rajasthan and Gujarat you'll actually have to hunt around for non veg food.

Not just veg, there is a community called Jains that go one step further - No onions, potatos or garlic for them either. Many restaurants actually serve Jain food.

An aside: AFAIK, His Holiness, the Dalai lama eats whatever is offered to him when travelling, though, as you can guess, he is a strict buddhist. Something to do with whatever is on his plate having made the ultimate sacrifice for him, whether plant or animal, it is simply very bad karma to let such a sacrifice go in waste.

I fully sympathise. I'm definately allergic to leather.
Every time I wake up in the morning with my shoes on I have a headache :rofl:


I propose a thread for :
Liver haters
Steak-in-the-morgen-eaters
Peanut-butter-three-times-a-day-persons
Woolen-underwear-lovers
I-can-only-eat-food-with-heinz-ketchup-persons
Bavarian-motorcycle-products-abstainers
harley-davidson-allergics

I never knew that. Genuinely, that an interesting take n veggie for me.

:lol2::rofl:

This is from another thread I've been getting info from.
I hope Jabez doesn't mind me quoting him.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Jabez Clegg has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled - Vegetarian Food? - in the sub-Saharan Africa forum of The HUBB.

This thread is located at:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/sub-saharan-africa/vegetarian-food-39866-new-post

Here is the message that has just been posted:
***************
We are currently in Mozambique having come down east Africa and I dont think you will have a problem, but she will eat lots of fruit and roasted corn, cassava is plentiful the problem is its all a bit bland.
Can she cook? there is a plentiful supply of good spices and herbs in the local markets.
If you cook for yourselves you will eat well, this from 2 commited but observant carnivores, Pete n Brucella

I wasn't always the nice wholesome person people now know me as!! (snicker) this included the ever-changing colour Mohawk!
I am an omnivore (I will try anything 3 times..well except fugu!), I eat everything. I just have to say how much I love that guy (the Dalai lama).

Obviously there as many ways to be vegetarian as there are vegetarians, so what works for some will not work for all. I've been a strict vegetarian for 11 years and riding for 6, yet do wear leather when riding. As a veggie for ethical reasons, I still realize that leather is far better protection than synthetics/kevlar, and that I need to take my own safety as a first priority. Some might consider that hypocritical, but there you have it. I've found that high quality leather products, if well cared for can last a great many years. So for me, conditioning my Hein Gericke jacket once per season is a good act. For me, leathers are an ethically justifiable choice -- and definitely better than thoughtless consumption.

At any rate, I find this thread interesting and it's definitely a good idea to get dialogue going about veggie survival on the road.

I think you are talking about American Vegetarians there:innocent: - Actually known as Pescetarians

My wife is a vegi, (not me though), and her rule of thumb is: "It it shits, I don't eat it"
The polite version is, "if it has a mother, I don't eat it" - excluding eggs:clap:


Oh, and if in Pakistan, always eat vegetarian... saves so much on toilet paper!

John

I am an omnivore (I will try anything 3 times..well except fugu!), I eat everything. I just have to say how much I love that guy (the Dalai lama).[/quote]

I am much the same although I have tried Olives loads of times and still can't eat them. I will eat anything that is put in front of me. It goes back to when I didn't eat my dinner once when I was a littleun and was given it cold the next day and the next day and the next. I ended up eating my congealed Sunday Roast on Wednesday. Ever since then I chuck in whatever is offered.

A vegetarian cannot be understood until you know his/her motivation. Even then it is difficult to get it right. I have met 'vegetarians' who eat chicken and fish??
Some say they do not want animals killed on their behalf, then consume eggs and dairy products. But to get eggs you have to have chicks, and half the chicks born are males which do not produce eggs, so at one day old they are gassed, macerated and turned into organic fertiliser. Most of tehhens end up in confined quarters. To get milk a cow has to have a calf every year. If the calf is pedigree then normally the male calves are used for veal (they usually dont make good beef) or pet food. The females are retained for milk production. Sometimes the milk cows are crossed with a beef bull, in that case all the calves male and female go for beef. So to get your pint, a calf has to die.
The Jains try not to kill, more than most. Because of this they wont eat root vegetables because pulling them kills small creatures. Yet I think they eat yogurt (it helps to digest beans).
Some religions forbid certain meats, usually the religion is based in a hot countryand refers to a meat that goes off quickly in hot wether. Sometimes this folk knowledge is passed on as such.. eg in Cornwall it is said you should only eat pork when there is an 'R' in the month. This skips the hottest weather.

I think this is one of the points that non-veggies have the hardest time getting their head around [usually - I'm pointing at anyone]. That veggies are not all the same. Its all about personal choice, and everyone has their own limits as to how far they want to take it. Good words.

And I'm really pleased that this thread is working. It's good to have useful resource like this that is actually being used.

Any more veggie recomendations? Clothing, road side recipies, eating-places, even veggie/vegan friendly places to stay?

Absolutely right. I think this is one of those areas that, even if people know about it, they choose to ignore it or consider it acceptable. Although I still take milk, it is now only very occasionally, and I'll choose dairy free where I can [although I'm not strict]. If I was outside the UK I would still take dairy, but then I guess where they don't have the same approach to farming as we in the 'civilised west' do then the issue of ethics is different anyway. I've even gone as far as no longer drinking beer or wine, as products derived from fish are normally used in the purification process [and not declared on the label]. Nearly all spirits I'm told are OK, except for some obscure Vodkas apparantly.

For interest of those outside of the UK - it is pretty easy to be vegan in the UK, as long as you are cooking for yourself. Vegan food in resturants is more difficult to come across - I guess due to economies of scales.

Well I had to build my vegetarian a chicken palace in 1500sq mtrs of land to house 4 chickens she buys at "point-of-lay". We do not have a cockerel, so the eggs are infertile. The chickens die of old age... These are the most expensive eggs you can get.
They do taste better though:thumbup1:

John

Yup, although running free they really do find most of their food themselves. (more than 2/3) I was shocked to find how much corn our hen and bantam ate when they had to be confined in the barn when we had the bird flu scare. I always left food out for them, but they only ate a little when roosting in the hen house. Sadly they are no longer with us, as the hen died (she was about 10 years old) so I put down the bantam ( similar age) knowing how lonely it would have been. Even so, to get your hens, an equal number of cockerals were killed. We originally had four, but that was along time ago and they were 'rescue ones'. they mostly stuck to the farmyard and orchard, although my wifes flower bed had some attraction for them. Oddly, they never went intomy sunflower or cosmos crops which I thought they would. Finches & tits love cosmos seeds. :)

We have found another use for the hens. We "acquired" a cat last spring. He is a skilled catcher of birds and anything else that moves!
We let the chickens roam into the garden proper and of course they like to scratch under the bird tables for dropped seeds etc.
The cat will no no where near the hens! Which is good.

John

The hens are very good for keeping down the snake population also. they eat little ones.

I'm going on a 2 week trip around the Southern Baltics in August / September this year (2009). Anyone got any advice for a veggie going through these countries:
Holland - Germany - Poland - Russia (Kaliningrad) - Lithuania - Latvia - Estonia - Sweden - Denmark

Things like: good veggie food, good resturants, how to say "I'm vegetarian" or "I don't eat meat or fish" in the local language. Anything like that.

Thanks

Veggie Resources in Latin America
 

I hope to leave around May 1 from California through Central America, followed by South America. Let's start with Central America, particularly Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica where I'll stop for a while to explore living and working.

I would appreciate any recommendations for the same things Riti asked for:
:helpsmilie: Good veggie food,

:helpsmilie: Good restaurants,

:helpsmilie: How to say "I'm vegetarian" or "I don't eat meat or fish" in the local language. Anything like that.

If I wanted to complicate things even further, I'd admit to being raw and live food oriented, but I won't do that here. I was vegetarian for only a short time - 30+ years with 6 years vegan.

One last addition to the definitions reported. My favorite is from a movie, "I don't eat anything with a face," which doesn't cover everything.

The other thread refers to hosts offering meat to honored guests...you. It is awkward and not easily understood. Living in Saudi Arabia and being invited to "Goat Grabs," I gave up trying to explain in both English and Arabic and just said, "I have stomach problems." I don't think they saw why that would prevent me from eating meat, but they could relate to having stomach problems. The idea raised to just say that it's part of your religion is probably best, although in Saudi, you technically aren't to supposed to talk about any religion other than Islam. I strongly disagree with the suggestion in the thread of turning down all invitations because of the inherent potential for awkwardness. Seems cowardly, rude, and loses the opportunity for interaction.

Chris