Riding in the US

[kevinw]

Thanks all for the helpful advice. I've had a few recommendations for the Escort RD over the V1 so I'll have a look at those.

<snip> The solution to all your ride issues about filtering and lane splitting is to either avoid metropolitan areas, or ride in California. Be aware, that outside California, drivers very aggressively defend their position in traffic. While it may be possible (albeit illegal) to move around stopped traffic backed up at accidents or construction, be extremely careful about any filtering due to the aggressive behavior of other drivers unfamiliar with this. Indeed, the best riding and variety is right here, why not give us a try? Hope to see you riding in our area Kevin.

We'll definitely be riding in California as we have friends in Carlsbad we'll be popping in to see. We had a couple of weeks or so there in 2008 in a 4x4 and it snowed where it was supposed to snow - Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks - and we had warmth and beautiful sunshine as we drove down Highway 1.

<snip> Although, I'm surprised no one else has come up with an even simpler solution - don't speed.

You want me to remember not to filter AND not speed? :dribble: Blimey, riding in the US is going to be harder than I thought!

I think one of your biggest issues, as referenced above, is adjusting to the distances here. When we lived in the U.K. we did a couple of 350 mile days and every one of the locals we told about it were stunned. 350 miles here will barely get you between major cities, let alone out of most Western states. The northeast is closer to riding in Europe, maybe some of the NERD's that have ridden in Europe will chime in.

You mentioned "we". Are you two up or on two bikes? We try to limit our rides to 350-450 miles/day which leaves some time for sight seeing (not too much) plus a lesurely send off in the morning and arrival just about cocktail hour.

Two up on one bike ([whispers] which will almost certainly be our GSA rather than our FJR as I'd like to ride some (easy) trails while we're there but don't tell anyone here we won't be on an FJR[\w]). We're reasonably accustomed to long distances so I think we'll be OK. We're planning to stay there for about 3 months if the money holds up which will enable us to cover some ground.

Next question: EZ-Pass and similar. Is there a web site somewhere that will tell me about the various options and where they cover? I tried Googling but the only search term I could come up with was 'EZ-Pass' which, unsurprisingly, gave me lots of web sites for Ez-Pass information but nothing else.

Thanks.

Kevin

 

[airboss]

Try this link. May have some of the info you seek.

Illinois I-Pass

I've used it on many out of state tollways in the East. The only place I know of where EZ-Pass, I-Pass does not work are the Oklahoma toll roads.

edit to add link

I-Pass in Other States

 

[gixxerjasen]

Yea, those passes are usually local but some areas have combined them or allow others from different areas. They also all have different names as well. EZPass is one, here in North Texas we have the "Toll Tag" which is good through most of the Texas cities, "Pike Pass" in Oklahoma, in Tampa Florida they have the "Sun Pass" system as well.

Here in Dallas they've gotten rid of the actual toll booths and will photo your license plate and mail you a bill if you don't have a tolltag.

For the most part, in the US that I've seen, you can get where you need to go without having to worry too much about hitting a toll road, and you can avoid them if you like. Most GPS's will allow you to choose an option to avoid toll roads too.

Many of the longer, bigger toll roads, like the Florida turnpike, they'll hand you a card when you get on that has your entrance stamped on it. When you get off you hand the card to the attendant and they'll charge you for what you covered. This keeps you from having to stop every 10 miles and pay a toll and you just get hit all at once for the fee. Definitely much nicer when traveling on a motorcycle as stopping for toll booths for change sucks.

 

[jcyuhn]

I'll note that if you are from Europe, all tickets in the U.S. are no points...

On the weather/information front, free WiFi is hugely more widely available in the U.S. than in Europe. A smartphone, even without a SIM and/or service can be quite useful. WiFi is widely available in restaurants, coffee shops, motels/hotels, etc. in the U.S. Live weather on the bike is likely Too Much Information.

 

[ShawnKing]

WiFi is widely available in restaurants, coffee shops, motels/hotels, etc.

That's a good point. Every Starbucks coffee shop and MacDonalds restaurants in the US has wifi. It's also readily available in most hotels/motels and many other places.

 

[gixxerjasen]

free WiFi is hugely more widely available in the U.S. than in Europe.

Interesting to know. Europe is usually ahead of us on these kinds of things. I'm actually surprised.

 

[ShawnKing]

free WiFi is hugely more widely available in the U.S. than in Europe.

Interesting to know. Europe is usually ahead of us on these kinds of things. I'm actually surprised.

Agreed - I've travelled through out both and was surprised to. For example, free wifi was almost impossible to find in Italy but is easily available at almost every pub and coffee shop I go to here in the US.

 

[Bounce]

free WiFi is hugely more widely available in the U.S. than in Europe.

Interesting to know. Europe is usually ahead of us on these kinds of things. I'm actually surprised.

Each usually comes with a complimentary packet sniffer nearby.

 

[ShawnKing]

Each usually comes with a complimentary packet sniffer nearby.

LOL Not true but still, always better to be careful when surfing via free wifi or wifi you don't control. NEVER do any kind of "personal" surfing - don't do any banking, buying or enter passwords to sensitive web sites. If you need to, set up and use a Virtual Private Network.

 

[wfooshee]

Florida information, if Florida is a destination:

Florida's Turnpike has still uses the ticket system in the central section, from a little south of Kissimee to south of West Palm Beach. At the ends it's back to a toll booth system, although there's only a single "all-traffic" booth, and then smaller tolls at each exit just for traffic leaving the highway. The ticket system means uninterrupted driving through that length of the toll road, and you pay the toll for the start and end points you use.

Florida's transponder system is called Sunpass, and doesn't play nice with EZ-Pass. Sunpass is easy to get, and is the cheapest way to pay tolls, but if you're making one trip through the turnpike system, don't bother with it. The transponder costs 25 dollars, plus whatever toll amount you want to load it with. (They have a cheaper 5-dollar transponder, a sticker for the windshield, but it MUST be stuck to glass, doesn't work on bikes.)

Finally, the very southern end of the toll system, in Miami proper, is cashless and no-stop. Sunpass equipment and cameras are spaced along the road, and trips your Sunpass balance or mails a bill to the registered owner of the tag. They've got ways of handling car rentals, visitors, etc.

 

[Bounce]

Each usually comes with a complimentary packet sniffer nearby.

LOL Not true

really?

the ability for anyone on a local, open wifi to sniff your account info is nothing more than downloading some free software, running it and waiting for you to get to work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firesheep

no skill involved.

 

[ShawnKing]

Each usually comes with a complimentary packet sniffer nearby.

LOL Not true

really?

LOL Really.

the ability for anyone on a local, open wifi to sniff your account info is nothing more than downloading some free software, running it and waiting for you to get to work.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firesheep

no skill involved.

The original comment said nothing about how easy it was. If you think there are *usually* people sitting in your local cafe packet sniffing, you may have your tinfoil hat on too tight.

 

[kevinw]

Thanks again everyone.

<snip> ...if you're making one trip through the turnpike system, don't bother with it.<snip>

There seems to be such a variety of systems that I'm coming to the conclusion this is good advice for any of them.

Kevin

 

[ShawnKing]

There seems to be such a variety of systems that I'm coming to the conclusion this is good advice for any of them.

Kevin

As annoying/boring as turnpikes/Interstates are, they are an efficient method for going long distances. But try to leave yourself enough time so that you *don't* have to take them.

 

[gixxerjasen]

There seems to be such a variety of systems that I'm coming to the conclusion this is good advice for any of them.

Kevin

As annoying/boring as turnpikes/Interstates are, they are an efficient method for going long distances. But try to leave yourself enough time so that you *don't* have to take them.

Depending on the area of the country...they are fantastic. I grew up in Tampa Florida, then moved to Gainesville and then to Melbourne before moving to Texas. Visiting my family in Tampa from Melbourne I'd head up, take the bee line over and then I4 to finish it. ONE time I took the back roads on my motorcycle across the state. I sat at more stop lights, got ate up by more mosquitoes, and rode behind more bluehairs, that I swore it off forever. Plus, there wasn't much to see anyways. Florida can be pretty boring really.

 

[kevinw]

I agree. On a much smaller scale the only sensible way to get from where we live to anywhere in the West is via the M20, M26 and M25 - all boring motorways. One day I decided I'd go the 'pretty' way...after miles and miles of housing estates, industrial estates, wall to wall traffic moving very slowly down narrow roads, 30mph villages and large towns full of people and vehicles I swore that in future I'd take the motorways.

Non-motorways are great if you're not in a hurry, there is nice scenery to look at and there is some chance of decent roads with light traffic but to get anywhere at a reasonable speed the motorways have it every time IMO, however boring they may be. That may not be so valid in less congested parts of the UK of course but to travel distance in the US we'll be on the interstates.

Kevin

 

[gixxerjasen]

Non-motorways are great if you're not in a hurry, there is nice scenery to look at and there is some chance of decent roads with light traffic but to get anywhere at a reasonable speed the motorways have it every time IMO, however boring they may be.

General rule...if the non Interstate roads are just as boring as the Interstate....take the faster road. Otherwise, slow down and enjoy the scenery.