Two UK bikers USA Tour 2010

[SnowAviation]

Does anyone have any advice, both about the route and general things which two aged limeys should know about the practical details of US touring.

Good advice all around on the routes and dealing with the hot temps, but so far not one had mentioned.

Remember to drive on the RIGHT hand side of the road. :dribble:

 

[dustyrains]

What an awesome sounding trip! I'm envious. Doesn't our warm weather sound appealing after what you guys have just had? My family all lives in Hull and have described how cold it has been.
Sorry your schedule doesn't bring you to the Southwest, where we could have shown you some sights and a REAL cup of tea or two, but you've got some amazing places to go and will surely meet some forum friends.

When you arrive, think about purchasing a hydration system such as a CamelBak. Don't know if they have them in UK or not but it's basically a small back pack with a bladder and a tube that goes over your shoulder. When riding in the heat, it is essential to drink often. Especially if you're not used to such temperatures, you will get dehydrated very quickly. Read up on the symptoms and effects of dehydration (and heat exhaustion) then take steps to prevent those nasty things from spoiling your trip.

Think about airmailing packages out here, to a willing forum member along your route. You could mail some basic camping gear, use it then mail it back home. Or you could buy stuff then have a trusted forum member resell it for you when you leave.

Looking forward to the ride report and photos.

Bump on the hydration gear. It can hit you before you are really aware of what's happening.

 

[dustyrains]

When you're in the Yellowstone area DON'T MISS the Beartooth pass and Chief Joseph scenic byways!They are two of the most scenic roads in America.

We did both the Beartooth and Chief Joseph this year doing a ride to Montana. Great Great roads, highly recommended !

And you can ride pretty fast in Montana without LEOs bothering you to much. They all drive like madmen out there.

 

[dustyrains]

Try building your route on Google maps, then allow local riders in the various areas you will be in to collaborate on the map. No one knows the best riding in any particular area like a local.

 

[Chris_Johnson]

Try building your route on Google maps, then allow local riders in the various areas you will be in to collaborate on the map. No one knows the best riding in any particular area like a local.

Thanks. That is actually a very good idea. I have made a start by setting up the bare bones of the trip on:

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&amp...9b3f55265c81397

I think just for now Geoff and I alone should be able to edit it, because if everyone puts in a bunch of necessary detours we are going to run out of time.

Regards

Chris

 

[drc32-0]

WOW,what an incredible trip.Prepare to be amazed!

Some of the places that you are going to ride through are truely awe inspiring.

Be safe,take your time and cherish every minute!

 

[tcfjr]

In southern California, your route from Lake Isabella to Paso Robles through Delano won't be all that much fun, and according to Google Maps actually takes more time than this alternative, which seriously upgrades the fun-factor:

• Caliente-Bodfish Road from Lake Isabella to Caliente on CA-58
• CA-58 west - a great motorcycling road once you get west of CA-33 - to CA-229, about 6 miles east of US-101
• CA-229 up to CA-41 in Creston (see this post by dcarver for a great video)
• CA-41 west to US-101 north into Paso Robles

Here's a link to this route on Google Maps.

 

[tcfjr]

One more idea: on the way from Broadus, Montana to Belle Fourche, South Dakatoa, you could make a little detour to see Devil's Tower, made famous in Close Encounters of the Third Kind...

This was mentioned in this earlier post by MartyA.

 

[Chris_Johnson]

In southern California, your route from Lake Isabella to Paso Robles through Delano won't be all that much fun, and according to Google Maps actually takes more time than this alternative, which seriously upgrades the fun-factor:

• Caliente-Bodfish Road from Lake Isabella to Caliente on CA-58
• CA-58 west - a great motorcycling road once you get west of CA-33 - to CA-229, about 6 miles east of US-101
• CA-229 up to CA-41 in Creston (see this post by dcarver for a great video)
• CA-41 west to US-101 north into Paso Robles

Here's a link to this route on Google Maps.

Thanks for the suggestion. The convoluted route from Lake Isabella to Paso Robles was to enable us to ride through some of the Sequoia and Kings Canyon Parks. Additionally it does NOT take us through Bakersfield, which I can remember being less than overwhelmed by when I drove through it in 1997.

Regards

Chris

 

[MartyA]

One more idea: on the way from Broadus, Montana to Belle Fourche, South Dakatoa, you could make a little detour to see Devil's Tower, made famous in Close Encounters of the Third Kind...

This was mentioned in this earlier post by MartyA.

Yeah, easy drive-by, you don't have to get too close. We just pulled up and took a photo and went on our merry way. Didn't take any time at all.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Wow...that Devil's Tower looks alot bigger in the movies.

It's only a couple inches taller than you Marty!

 

[wfooshee]

I've just got to reiterate on the gear. Even textile gear with vents is going to be nasty hot.

YOU WANT MESH!!!!

There's been discussion of desert heat, and you've experienced Egypt so you know about that. But summers on the eastern seaboard are a different kind of hot, with humidity sometimes as low as 80 percent. The southwest desert and central plains will dehydrate you with the heat, but the east and southeast will destroy you with the clinging sweat, which won't evaporate because of the humidity, and you'll feel like the moisture in the air has displaced all the oxygen. And you'll still dehydrate just as fast as the desert, even with all that water in the air.

Also, don't underestimate the SIZE of this damn place! I posted the following pic some months ago for some Germans planning a ride across the U.S. It's western Europe overlayed to scale on the central U.S. And this just covers the Great Plains, from the Mississippi River to the Rockies. Think of this: With London in South Dakota, Malmo, Sweden is only one state away, in Minnesota! Warsaw, freaking Poland is one more state, in Wisconsin. Going the distance from London to Monte Carlo doesn't even get you to Texas. Going the distance from London to the boot of Italy gets you to New Orleans, and you're still just in the central U.S. and still west of the Mississippi River.

Wish I could do some of that, though!!!!

 

[dustyrains]

Here is a ride to consider. It is out of your way, though. I realize you cannot see everything on your trip. Talimena Scenic Drive.

 

[Slow Ride]

Try building your route on Google maps, then allow local riders in the various areas you will be in to collaborate on the map. No one knows the best riding in any particular area like a local.

Thanks. That is actually a very good idea. I have made a start by setting up the bare bones of the trip on:

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&amp...9b3f55265c81397

I think just for now Geoff and I alone should be able to edit it, because if everyone puts in a bunch of necessary detours we are going to run out of time.

Regards

Chris

Chris, I hope your ride lets you see some places and sights that you remember for years to come.

As someone who has ridden the BRP lots of times let me chime in on your starting point.

Listed on your google map is a start/end point of Front Royal, Va. This is not the BRP but the

Skyline Drive. The Skyline Drive is about 125mi.(200km) long and has a speed limit of 25 mph(40km/h).

As others can a test too speeding is highly frowned on.

The BRP starts at the intersection of routes I64 and US250 East of Waynesboro, Va. and has a faster

speed limit of around 45 mph(72km/h).

As a helpful example Route to 2009 EOM My wife and I did this route in about 7 hrs with fuel stops and

5 to 5.5 hrs. were at interstate speeds of 70-75 mph(110-120km/h).

Hopefully this will let you do more detailed planning and make your trip the best it can be.

Enjoy yourself

Chuck

 

[Chris_Johnson]

As someone who has ridden the BRP lots of times let me chime in on your starting point.Listed on your google map is a start/end point of Front Royal, Va. This is not the BRP but the

Skyline Drive. The Skyline Drive is about 125mi.(200km) long and has a speed limit of 25 mph(40km/h).

As others can a test too speeding is highly frowned on.

The BRP starts at the intersection of routes I64 and US250 East of Waynesboro, Va. and has a faster

speed limit of around 45 mph(72km/h).

Chuck

That was a very good point. I have modified the Google map so that we avoid the Skyline Drive and start at the real northern end of the BRP.

I have bought Joe Rocket mesh gear for the trip. Geoff already had mesh pants and is borrowing his grandson's mesh jacket. The bike club we both belong to, the Essex Advanced Motorcycle Group, frowns on rucksacks and bum bags because they can exacerbate injuries in the event of an 'off', but I think we will just have to have hydration packs and try to avoid crashing too much!

We are still undecided about how much camping we will do. Current thinking seems to be that we take tarpaulins which can be used to convert the bikes into makeshift tents, and use motels if it is wet or windy. The sheer bulk of camping equipment is a problem. Sending it over beforehand would be very expensive, our flights have weight restrictions, and we are not allowed to have anything in panniers when the bikes are shipped. More thought needed here.

I plan on having a major service for the FJR before it is shipped, so that it should manage the trip without needing more than possible oil and filter changes. We will probably get through some tyres, however.

Regards

Chris

 

[Slow Ride]

We are still undecided about how much camping we will do. Current thinking seems to be that we take tarpaulins which can be used to convert the bikes into makeshift tents, and use motels if it is wet or windy. The sheer bulk of camping equipment is a problem. Sending it over beforehand would be very expensive, our flights have weight restrictions, and we are not allowed to have anything in panniers when the bikes are shipped. More thought needed here.
Regards

Chris

Chris, some thoughts on camping.

Wal-mart Tent ? Cheep and no shipping.

Storage ? Again cheep, this looks close to what I use.

In my setup the duffle bag is carrying the tent, a ground cloth, and extra rope. My sleeping pad

is on top and I bought something like this Dry Bag to place things in for wet riding.

At the end of the ride, ship things home the cheep way or throw them away. I you get to camp 1-2 more nights than

without them the savings over a motel room pays for everything.

Again have a great time and stay safe.

Chuck

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

We are still undecided about how much camping we will do. Current thinking seems to be that we take tarpaulins which can be used to convert the bikes into makeshift tents, and use motels if it is wet or windy. The sheer bulk of camping equipment is a problem. Sending it over beforehand would be very expensive, our flights have weight restrictions, and we are not allowed to have anything in panniers when the bikes are shipped. More thought needed here.Regards

Chris

Chris, some thoughts on camping.

Wal-mart Tent Cheep and no shipping.

Storage Again cheep, this looks close to what I use.

In my setup the duffle bag is carrying the tent, a ground cloth, and extra rope. My sleeping pad

is on top and I bought something like this Dry Bag to place things in for wet riding.

At the end of the ride, ship things home the cheep way or throw them away. I you get to camp 1-2 more nights than

without them the savings over a motel room pays for everything.

Again have a great time and stay safe.

Chuck

Chuck, 'Slow Ride', is correct about the inexpensive aspect of camping gear -- at least on the 'low-end' of the spectrum. It can be a minimal consideration and may be 'better' that way?

Due to the, current, depressed state of the economy -- some motel lodging is quite reasonable (some chains offer a free night's lodging after 2 nights stay at their chain). Not all, by any means -- some motels (bigger "Name" or better "Location") still demand high $$$ to sleep over-nite. Still, it's become more competitive lately -- with many offering a nice little brekky in the morning.

But, for me, one of the benefits of carrying minimal camping gear is (especially when considering 30+ days of continuous travel...) the ability to leave the commercial world behind, albeit briefly, and 'commune with nature'. Night after night in motel rooms is helped considerably by camping at that 'just right place' you noticed/heard about.

Too..., y'all'll be self-contained and independent...

 

[07 FJR Huston]

I don't know what your tastes are, but you could try this : https://www.roadsideamerica.com/ if you want to see some....unique things.

https://www.roadtripusa.com/index.html I will be riding routes #8 &/or #4 this year.

You two are going to have so much fun. :yahoo:

Best of luck,

Tim

 

[Philip]

Remember to drive on the RIGHT hand side of the road. :dribble:

:lol: nows that funny!!!

 

[jordylad]

You will need a hydration system and a wet vest to stay cool. Trust us who live here, the hot weather novelty wears of pretty quickly. Death Valley and the Grand Canyon will be 110 - 120.