The news of Rob’s death was shocking and I’m still reeling from it, but it has caused me to recollect a time in my life when, everyday, regardless of whether Rob and I were riding or not, was an adventure.
Richard Seck: Rob and I teamed up at the turn of century to do an adventure tour on the back roads of Quebec on BMW GSs. The trip was hugely successful in a CMG-sort-of way and the article that resulted ended up in four print publications – in Canada, the US, and Australia. It was clear that we made a good team and shortly thereafter I became the principal photographer, sometimes writer, and marketing guy for CMG Online. As cliché as it sounds, I was living a dream from my youth, of working in the world of motorcycles.
In those early days, our unique selling proposition was F•U•N! This was nothing new to the TMG/OMG/CMG brand, but we ramped it up and increased the production values on the site. This helped CMG to become a viable competitor to the staid, established print magazines of the time.
Competing as a web magazine in those days was challenging to say the least, and every small step forward for CMG was a huge achievement. The sense of excitement we shared when our crazy ideas were green-lighted is hard to describe – kind of a cocktail of disbelief, and uncontained mania.
The motorcycle tours that Rob and I did throughout Canada and parts of the US, on expensive bikes while staying at lavish hotels and resorts (that we could never dream of affording with the poverty-level income were making from the magazine), cooking up the original Mad Bastard Rally and doing it, learning how to road race (and in my case having things go all CMG in the end), and doing all this with someone who was a genuinely fun guy, is indelibly stamped in my brain. If I make it to old age, these tales will be part of the collection that I continue to replay when my brain is more addled than it is already, to anyone who passes by in the personal-care home.
I am truly grateful for the fun-filled times Rob and I shared together and I wish that he is now enjoying the ride once again.
My thoughts go out to Rob’s family on this most difficult day. RIP Rob.
I’ve been thinking about the arrival of this anniversary for a while now. Rob’s death was a real wake up call for me to make sure I value what’s important. It’s a busy life – make time for family and friends. Rob was not only a big guy! He had a big impact on the lives of so many. Miss you Rob!
Great stories, having lost my best friend a few years ago I can attest that the pain dulls after a while but that gap in your life always remains.
I met Rob once at a pub night and instantly liked him, That rarely happens.
He wrote such engaging articles. Technically sharp, funny as hell and self effacing. I always looked forward reading anything he wrote. All you guys that knew him personally were lucky.
I will confess that I did love the bastard and miss him lots.
Always loved hosting Rob on his trips to the West Coast. Everyone in my family got a big hug whenever he arrived. Our riding adventures around Princeton and the Sunshine Coast were some of the best riding memories I have.
Miss him a lot.
Something’s in my eyes – again.
I will never forget how he’d always remember my name even if we hadn’t seen each other in years, or his huge smile when I presented him with the Marvin the Martian helmet at MBSR.
He gave me the tag name TK4 when we were contemplating a tech column that, alas, never came to fruition.
Rob was blessed with the right mix of ability, enthusiasm and self-deprecating humour that is missed – terribly.
Keep the faith CMG’ers, and never lose sight of his vision….