Toronto - Grand Canyon - LA - Toronto

Roli001

Roli001

Member
OK. So I'm on the road. My trip started Thursday July 14th and it is now day 3.

I got my bike ready a few days earlier in North Tonawanda, USA. I changed my tires and my oil and it cost me 30% of what I was quoted back in Ontario.... small digression but it's so frustrating that with dollar being at parity we still have to pay twice or in this case even more for the same service.

Anyway, this was Monday. Today is Saturday, July 16th 9:20 PM EST and based on my faithful GPS I am now 1942.9 km from home...

First day was good. I started out around 2 pm and with some time on the US border I ended doing just over 600km before I bunked in. Good ride. I felt relaxed. Overall good experience. 620 km

Day two started out at 10 am partially going down the highway to later go onto Route 66. I set myself a goal to get as close as possible to Kansas and my learning for the day is that GPS shows the arrival time based on the destination time zone not the source time zone...I learned that when I was about 400 km down the road and the GPS was telling me that I would get to my destination by 9.30 pm, which was only 3 hours away based on my not adjusted watch.... Earlier, I had a really good time going through endless fields of corn when I was forced to detour. Overall good ride. 900 km

Anyway that was my learning for yesterday. Today's learning is one that I will not forget.

I started off around 10.00 am. A small shower went through the night so the air in the morning was nice, fresh and warm. The temperature was around 28 C when I started. A few hours later I was going through Topeka and as expected I stumbled upon roadwork with no way off the highway. Not sure what the temperature was at this time but I was standing for over an hour until I could get to an off ramp literally melting the entire time. I got back on the highway a few km later and stayed on it until Salina. By this time the sun was already in front of me and I felt kind of like riding through a giant endless hand dryer with the heat setting at maximum.

I stopped several times during the day to drink water but about 50 km down the road I was just simply unable to ride any further. A few km earlier I even changed my jeans to shorts in an effort to cool down. My breathing was getting shallow and I could tell that I wasn't fully in control of my body. I stopped at a gas station at a crossroad (Ellsworth, KA) and drank over a liter of water sitting in the shade trying to get my strength back. I couldn't.

I ended staying at the motel next to the gas station. I learned that the temperature was 43 C. and all of middle US is in an extreme hot weather watch. I wasn't prepared for it.

I am in the motel room now writing this. I have a headache and I feel that I have a small temperature. I probably drank about 3 liters of water since I stopped and I can now feel my heart beating normal and my pulse easing at a smooth pace.

I did today only 400 km. About half of what I planned.

I learned a lot today. The hard way.

Riding around home for several hours in a t-shirt is fun when the temperature is below 30 C but can be deadly when the ambient temperature is above body temperature. I won't bore you with why or how to ride in hot weather. There are great sites out there that I read today. Unfortunately, I didn't read them yesterday....but better late than never.

So for tomorrow I plan on starting at 6 am. No more riding in T-shirts or shorts. Tomorrow it is full gear with frequent stops for rehydrating and cooling down and keeping my body cool during the ride.

I still have 4 days to LA and then the fun part of slowly coming back over the course of 2 weeks...
 
Sounds like the start of an amazing adventures. Be sure to take pictures and keep the shiney side up!

Heat is one thing I underestimated during my trip as well. Riding all day in 40 degree Arizona heat dehydrated me big time and I didnt realize it until it was almost too late. By the time I got to the gas station, I wasnt even sweating anymore, super thirsty, slightly dizzy and nauseas, and tired. Drank 2 litres of water in that rest stop alone. But I was able to regain my energy and composure.

Are you doing motel/camping/couchsurfing for your trip? I found out that out of the 3, couchsurfing was my favourite. Great way to meet new people and its nice to have someone to talk to after riding alone for days at a time.

Stopping by Colorado by any chance? One of my favourite states for scenery and twisty fun!

And remember to take a lot of pictures!
 
Wow - 43 - that's risk territory. Only been in that once in South Africa at 44 and in a car. Can't imagine riding in it for hours.
Glad you are okay.

anyone heading across the midwest should be wary this next while - all sorts of records are falling even in the north




[TD="class: smallfont, width: 100%, colspan: 3"] Texas Drought Now Far, Far Worse Than When Gov. Rick Perry Issued Proclamation Calling on All Texans to Pray for Rain

By Joe Romm on Jul 15, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Minnesota temperatures next week will be “extreme out-of-the-ordinary” — just like Bachmann and Pawlenty

National Weather Service: “The stage is being set for a massive heat wave to develop into next week as a large area of high pressure is anticipated to circulate hot and humid air over much of the central and eastern U.S. Maximum heat index values of at least 100°F are likely across much of this area by the middle of next week, with heat index values in excess of 110°F possible over portions of these areas.”
​
Extremist climate science deniers like Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty are campaigning tirelessly to give their state the climate of Texas. That is what would happen if the nation and the world continues to follow in their preferred path of doing absolutely nothing to reduce emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases.
I know it is just a coincidence, but Minnesota is going to get a taste over the next several days of a Tea Party future (as will much of the rest of the country). CNN reports today :
Extreme heat indices — how the air feels, with heat and humidity — are expected to reach up to 116 degrees in Minneapolis next week.
“These are extreme out-of-the-ordinary temperatures for Minnesota,” CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said.
Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington and other areas in Texas experienced afternoon heat indices of 105 degrees or more through Thursday.
The month of June was the hottest recorded for Texas since 1895, according to the National Weather Service.​
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Yeah I was lucky coming back that a heat wave in New Mexico broke just before I headed back east, but still hot in NM and Texas. Sorry the heat is putting a bit of a damper on your trip - but glad you've regrouped.

I found gear absolutely helped keep me cool - the sun, wind, heat radiating engine, pipes and pavement are not cooling on bare skin. And as you get further west you will be heading into sandstorm country and the wind will not just be hot and bouncing you around, but pelting you. Even though I didn't hit a sandstorm (thank you motorcycle gods) the wind in southern Utah into northern Arizona was brutal and the sand stinging on my legs even through my jeans was enough to make me grateful for my jacket and full face.

Early morning starts help - I like the tried and true wet tee shirt method with a vented jacket acts like air conditioning. As you say lots of hydration, probably more frequent stop than you had planned - siesta in the shade during the hottest part of the day if possible.

Sounds like you have a pretty realistic schedule for riding in this kind of weather - hope the rest of your trip goes smoothly - enjoy!
 
I did a very similar trip, going through the same area abou 8-9 years ago during the hottest heatwave there in 75 years. While I didn't get as bad off as you I did get dehydrated and completely remember it as a hot blast furnace. I stopped every 2 hours and drank two large bottles of gatorade each time and was still dehydrated at the end of the day. If you pass a walmart, stop and buy some cheap potassium and calcium/magnesium supplements. They will help keep you from getting dizzy and out of sorts. Rehydrating with water is great, but you also need to replace electrolytes.

the other thing I did was buy a thin, cheap, long sleave, white t-shirt. While I'm usually an ATGATT kind of guy, when the conditions are that hot, it's dangerous to wear a dark, heavy jacket for full day riding in those conditions.

on the up side, it should be cooler once you hit higher elevations in Colorado.

have fun
 
suggested alternative garb

Q_046094_20100114140705.jpg
 
stop into a motorcycle shop and buy a cooling vest. at every gas stop, drench the damn thing in cold water. It'll help ya out.
 
Phelan said:
stop into a motorcycle shop and buy a cooling vest. at every gas stop, drench the damn thing in cold water. It'll help ya out.
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LOL..while on our west coast trip, some of the guys put their jacket and cooling vest in the ice freezer at every gas stop.

Buy a hydration pack as well. A hydration pack is a must. Drink frequently and often. On our west coast trip we would fill 1/4 of the bladder with ice.
 
When I was coming back from Vegas a couple of years ago, it was a similar temp - 44 degrees or so. We jumped in the pool with our gear on at the motel as we left and were completely dry by the time we crossed the hoover dam. If you don't have the vest (which I didn't) I grabbed my bandana and soaked it in water and wrapped it around my neck. It kept me a bit cooler.
Safe riding!! Enjoy the sights.
 
Hey All

I'm back. give me a day or two and I'll post some pictures.

Right now all I can say is that it was a great trip.

Roli
 
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