Beginning stages of a LONG road trip

[pr_capone]

For the longest time now I've been talking to the wife about taking a really long ride on the motorcycle, riding the Dragon's Tail at Deal's Gap, and perhaps even completing the Saddle Sore 1000 mile challenge where you ride 1k miles in fewer than 24 hours. Got laid off so I have some time. Got waterproof gear. Got a GoPro camera attached to my helmet. Gonna do it.

This trip begins at 10pm on July the 5th. I need to get to Illinois within 24 hours of wall time to complete the Saddle Sore challenge. From there... it is a tour around the middle and eastern US.

1st stop - Chicago (catching a Cubs v Braves game... first Braves game ever, the Sears Tower, and some local fare)
2nd stop - Cleveland (Pro Football HoF, Cuyahoga Train ride, Lake Erie, DT Cleveland, and local fare)
3rd stop - North New Jersey (Visiting family, Atlantic City, local fare)
4th stop - Virginia Beach (Visiting friend in Navy, touring an old war ship, hanging out)
5th stop - Atlanta (catching my first Braves home game!)
6th stop - Tail of the Dragon (318 turns in an 11 mile stretch of highway)
7th stop - Sikeston, MO (meeting family there... eating at the original Lambert's!)
8th stop - Wichita (staying with family)
9th stop - Denver (back home)

Total miles traveled - 4,458

As for the Saddle Sore Challenge... this is my itinerary

Denver to Chicago – Iron Butt Challenge
Stage 1: Depart Home at 10PM – Arrive in Ft. Collins at 11:20 PM
Stage 2: Depart Ft. Collins, CO at 11:30 PM – Arrive in Sterling, CO at 1:20 AM
Stage 3: Depart Sterling, CO at 1:40 AM – Arrive in North Platte, NE at 4:50
Stage 4: North Platte at 5:10 AM – Arrive in Grand Island, NE at 7:30 AM
Stage 5: Depart Grand Island, NE at 7:50 AM – Arrive in Council Bluffs, IA at 10:30 AM
Stage 6: Depart Council Bluffs, IA at 10:50 AM – Arrive in Altoona, IA at 1:10 PM
Stage 7: Depart Altoona, IA at 1:30 PM – Arrive in Davenport, IA at 4:10 PM
Stage 8: Depart Davenport, IA at 4:40 PM – Arrive in Aurora, IL at 7PM

Total miles traveled to complete challenge - 1,038

___

I will have a link available the day I leave with a link to track my progress. Below is what I will be doing this all on.

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

This is an incredibly bad idea.

Get all your bucket list stuff done before your trip and make sure you take out a life insurance policy because that schedule will literally kill you.

When you are on a bike you need your wits about you at all times, and that ain't gonna happen with your timelines. The fatigue becomes cumulative and you are doing things in between your rides rather than resting up.

I am all for long distance rides, but make sure you know your limits. Be willing to adjust your schedule. Maybe you are young and dumb and can pull it off; I'm just an old man who knows that even 25 years ago that ride would be a struggle. Part of the ride is taking it all in--slow down and enjoy it.

Wisdom !!

[pr_capone]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Yeah, I don't understand a goal of driving until you're exhausted. I thought the goal of a road trip was to explore different places. But I guess some people just like driving. I'll take the train any day.

I'm doing that first stretch strictly to complete the Saddle Sore 1000 challenge where a person rides 1000 miles in 24 hours.

I also would not be able to see everything, and everyone, I'm going to see had I flown or taken a train as the cost wouldn't even compare. As it stands... I will travel 4,300 miles for about $1,300 including gas, food, lodging, and spending money by making this trip on the motorcycle.

I'm also staying in town long enough to catch the highlights of each city so I get to go touristing on my own single seater cycle. I guess I'm doing this more for the experience than anything else.

Shit... it isn't like I have a child at home to take care of. I may as well take advantage of the fact that life has decided I have expendable time and income.

[pr_capone]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

This is an incredibly bad idea.

Get all your bucket list stuff done before your trip and make sure you take out a life insurance policy because that schedule will literally kill you.

When you are on a bike you need your wits about you at all times, and that ain't gonna happen with your timelines. The fatigue becomes cumulative and you are doing things in between your rides rather than resting up.

I am all for long distance rides, but make sure you know your limits. Be willing to adjust your schedule. Maybe you are young and dumb and can pull it off; I'm just an old man who knows that even 25 years ago that ride would be a struggle. Part of the ride is taking it all in--slow down and enjoy it.

Still in the planning stages and things will certainly be shifted as needed. My first stop is aware I may need an extra day to get myself back together before plowing into Cleveland. I hope not... but it is possible. I may even take off a day earlier to ensure I have enough time to pull it off.

[Dayze]

I drove from Fresno to fort Collins CO in one shot. I was so jacked up to be out o the military and finally being able to come home that I just kept going. Finally was too tired to drive by the time I hit fort Collins.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[Lzen]

My BIL was going to take that 24 hour, 1000 mile challenge last year. I advised strongly against it. That is a lot of miles for one day on a bike. Good luck and God bless.

[Halfcan]

Looks like some fun trips. I am leaving friday for a nearly one month trip. Going to travel up the Outer banks of the Carolina's and spend some time with my son in Virgina on the Navel base were he is a Electrical Engineer for the Navy. Hitting 5 National parks and at least 10 states. Probably about 50 beaches up the coast-camping right out on the beach.

[Fat Elvis]

One other thing to remember is that America's infrastructure today isn't what it used to be; some major highways are comparable to riding in a back alley and if you are familiar with that particular stretch of road, it can make for a pretty unpleasant experience.

I remember one time riding through Oregon after about 13 hours on a bike going through a pass at night with lots of road construction. I couldn't tell where the cones were veering (and they were going all over the place on a winding road), there was no passing and I had a semi bearing down on my ass. The kicker: The roadsign warnings were a picture of a wavy road with a motorcycle flying through the air.

Rather not do that again.

[Dave Lane]

1000 miles in a day is a thing? I do it twice a month. It only takes 18 hours if you glue yourself to the wheel.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

1000 miles in a day is a thing? I do it twice a month. It only takes 18 hours if you glue yourself to the wheel.

I think it's only a thing if you do it on a motorcycle. What's your 1000 mile, twice a month trip about?

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

1000 miles in a day is a thing? I do it twice a month. It only takes 18 hours if you glue yourself to the wheel.

Sounds like you're a mule for a Mexican drug ring.


NTTIAWWT

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

One other thing to remember is that America's infrastructure today isn't what it used to be; some major highways are comparable to riding in a back alley and if you are familiar with that particular stretch of road, it can make for a pretty unpleasant experience.

I remember one time riding through Oregon after about 13 hours on a bike going through a pass at night with lots of road construction. I couldn't tell where the cones were veering (and they were going all over the place on a winding road), there was no passing and I had a semi bearing down on my ass. The kicker: The roadsign warnings were a picture of a wavy road with a motorcycle flying through the air.

Rather not do that again.

I was in Michigan last year, driving at night through some small town and they had construction cones and jersey barriers all over the place at a big and confusing intersection with a state highway. I couldn't tell where I was going as I made my left turn and had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, I was on the wrong side of a jersey barrier. I couldn't see the eastbound lanes and pulled into the westbound lanes instead, thinking it wasn't a divided road. When I saw headlights coming toward me I figured it out immediately and zipped onto the shoulder and sat until I could make a u-turn. I'd never done that before and it was not a good feeling.

I don't enjoy driving at night in strange places. Plus, things are just different in a weird way. I was in some city a while back and the left turn lane suddenly gave me a flashing red arrow. What does that even mean? It wasn't a red light. It was flashing, so I decided that it was basically equivalent to a stop sign. But I'd never seen such a thing before.

[Fat Elvis]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

1000 miles in a day is a thing? I do it twice a month. It only takes 18 hours if you glue yourself to the wheel.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

1000 miles in a day is a thing? I do it twice a month. It only takes 18 hours if you glue yourself to the wheel.

I've done the 1,600 mile, 23 hour KC to LA drive too many times to count, most recently in 2011.

That said, I'm getting to old for that shit. 12 hours a day is enough.

[pr_capone]

Atlanta is a go.

Updated the schedule. Now I get to start planning a detailed itinerary of when I leave and how much time I have to do things.

[kcfanXIII]

PR, don't let these naysayers deter you. The Iron Butt is going to be the hardest part of your trip. I came close once, I did 750 miles in about 17 hours. It wasn't planned, we just got sidetracked on the way home. We weren't keeping track officially, if we were, I would have done the last 250 miles. Stay rested, and watch for jagoffs in cages on the highway. I am jealous of this long trip, I need to plan one out and do it.