Looking to get into long distance riding, need some pointers

Lots of great advise here.

Motorcycle trips are truly the best part of riding in my opinion. I would suggest you confirm a ultimate destination but not every road to get there. Nothing can spoil a ride more than worrying about running out of gas, trying to make up time to get someplace or getting stranded out on the road at night looking for a place to sleep.

- Gas is easy - Start looking when your tank is half empty not when you hit reserve. The gas stop lets you re-hydrate, grab a snack and talk to people. Plus if you use a credit card you will have a great record of your trip to piece together next winter.
- I take an i-pad with me and stop for a coffee mid afternoon. Someplace like MacDonald's with free internet. Using priceline.com and I can usually book a great hotel in a place I know I can reach easily before nightfall.
- I love riding at night during the summer however during a motorcycle trip you might want to avoid it. First is you will miss all the scenery. Wildlife and bad road conditions can really mess up a trip at anytime but at night you don't have as much time to react/avoid it. Also in many rural places especially down east gas stations can close up for the night.
- The decision to take camping gear is a real personal debate for me. I have always taken it but I've found that I'd actually prefer not to use it on long trips. Hotels/motels offer free breakfasts, showers, a place to wash clothing, pools/hot tubs and a friendly place to chat with other travelers. A rain drenched dark campsite sleeping in a musty tent just can't compete. This is a personal struggle for me as I love camping. Drinking a coffee around a roaring campfire laughing with friend over the days adventure sure is great too. You decide.

Keep rain gear in a easy access place. You may need is quickly and you don't want to offload all your stuff to get it. On a trip you may put it on and off 2-3 times a day or if your real lucky never...

Google map is a great tool to plan out a trip but unless you plan on travelling on express ways the entire time its can provide you with unrealistic mileage figures. Twisties, small towns are great and you will stop more often or run into summer road construction delays etc.. Remember to allow yourself lots of time and don't push to meet some schedule your planned 6months ago from your livingroom off a map.

Take a credit card with a healthy limit. If you need something buy it (your on vacation) Unless you are traveling in a 3rd world country if you need a dry pair of socks or batteries just buy them locally. Last year my camera got wet so I went to a best buy in the states and got a great camera for a great price and carried on.

Enjoy the planning part but don't sweat it if the actual trip ventures off plan. The best things usually happen when you just enjoy the moment of a trip.
 
May 24 weekend is a good time to go south for a few days and test your setup.

Rain gear including boots or boot covers, and a visa card. That's all you really need.

Keep the load light for the most fun of all, and a givi box etc. Will let you lock up the valuables and walk away from the bike with peace of mind.

Try even a two day trip down to Pennsylvania, and check for hotels before 6 as in my experience, one sporting event and you may have to ride for a couple more hours to find a vacancy.

Brings layers for the coldest temps you might experience, more for the mountains. ;)
 
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Cat13 said:
Make sure its has sturdy mounts... Lunatics went for a trip off his bike when we were in Cape Breton.
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Defiantly want to make sure of that. I wouldn't want to lose that. Will be mounted on the rear seat and to the rear pegs. With quick releases.
 
Ron is good for ideas for good twisty routes. We got his help to get back from the East coast when we decided to travel via the states... He sent us road by road details. Ron, have I mentioned you rock yet?
 
Every time I revisit this thread there's more and more info.. awesome.

Wadadli said:
The best things usually happen when you just enjoy the moment of a trip.
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Part of the reason I really want to get into this was because of some of my experiences last summer. Once, I left the house with a rough plan of riding for 1 or 2 hours along one of my usual routes around the city.. ended up spending the whole day touring Haliburton for the first time. I just sort of ended up there, the only real decision I had to make was at every stop: left, right or forward. It's a great feeling.

I'll pick up a GPS which will help alleviate some of the planning, that way I can just focus on having fun and going where I want to go. I was in Switzerland a few years back, but couldn't really enjoy the trip because the itinerary forced on me was so demanding. I definitely don't want that to happen on my bike

Ron, in my research, I found one guy's account of a ride north of Superior. He was there in July, and said the standing air temp was less than 20 and the moving air temp was so low he got hypothermia. Is the lake effect and/or mountain weather really that severe? Cause in the middle of July, I'm usually dying of heat in and around Toronto
 
We were riding up the east coast of NS and stopped at a rest stop... we hurried up and got rolling again after we noticed it was cold enough to see our breath... This was the first week of July.
 
Cat13 said:
We were riding up the east coast of NS and stopped at a rest stop... we hurried up and got rolling again after we noticed it was cold enough to see our breath... This was the first week of July.
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Ahhhh.. I guess that means I'll be adding cold weather gear to my list :D
 
tricky said:
Ahhhh.. I guess that means I'll be adding cold weather gear to my list :D
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Nah just plan effectively and layers. My favourite article of clothing was this sport hoodie my friend loned me. It wicked away sweat fast and was light. I could pack it in a ball and it didnt wrinkle. I wore it practically everyday. I only brought my leather jacket not my mesh which I worried I would regret. But the leather at least I could open the zipper and get air where the mesh wouldnt ever really be any warmer. I brought leggings which worked for dinners out (brought cute flats for a dress shoe and small to pack) and also as a layer under my jeans. That sort of thing. Plan it out.

One thing I have learned though is sometimes money spent on clothing is a good investment. A good set of sports undergear is good for layers. Aliki I hear makes good stuff though I never tried it and Lululemon is my fav (I had to return my friends hoodie so bought my own) and Ive been spending some money getting good stuff for the next trip.
 
tricky said:
Every time I revisit this thread there's more and more info.. awesome.



Part of the reason I really want to get into this was because of some of my experiences last summer. Once, I left the house with a rough plan of riding for 1 or 2 hours along one of my usual routes around the city.. ended up spending the whole day touring Haliburton for the first time. I just sort of ended up there, the only real decision I had to make was at every stop: left, right or forward. It's a great feeling.

I'll pick up a GPS which will help alleviate some of the planning, that way I can just focus on having fun and going where I want to go. I was in Switzerland a few years back, but couldn't really enjoy the trip because the itinerary forced on me was so demanding. I definitely don't want that to happen on my bike

Ron, in my research, I found one guy's account of a ride north of Superior. He was there in July, and said the standing air temp was less than 20 and the moving air temp was so low he got hypothermia. Is the lake effect and/or mountain weather really that severe? Cause in the middle of July, I'm usually dying of heat in and around Toronto
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It can be. Ask Wheelie boy about the snow he was riding through this summer while in the States heading back from California. Guys were posting the route the storm was taking so he could plot a route around it. Consider that an extreme. It's usually several degrees cooler, and you lose your light and heat faster when the sun gets lower in the sky. I was riding the Cabot Trail in 2010 wearing a mesh jacket by day, and at night I had my heated jacket and grip heaters on in mid-August in Nova Scotia.

A ride in May down to Virginia that I thought would be fine in riding pants, jeans and rain gear had me soooo cold I'll never forget that weekend, as the ride home I'd every layer on that I'd brought with me, and could have used another.

At a minimum I'd wear my textile gear, a long sleeved thermal shirt and a sweater packed up ready to go on. Now I've a heated jacket, so I skip packing the sweater these days.

Labrador on the 18th of July was 10 degrees celsius with snow seams still in the hillsides, ice bergs floating down strait.

New Brunswick in late August of 2009? had me so cold I'd every layer I'd brought with me, and I was still shivering as I made my way across the Confed Bridge. (Late at night)

If you remember only one thing, Pack your visa and layers for the coolest average temps for the area you'll be riding through, otherwise pack your visa and stop when you are too cold/fatigued to continue. (that'll get expensive!) ;)

Yo Cat! I was soooo envious of those pics from that trip!

I've never been west on a bike, but if you're heading East Coast I can help. :P

A couple of two day destinations that you might enjoy:

Lake Placid New York (mountains)
Wellsboro PA (mountains)
Rewnovo PA (mountains)

Longer:
Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia
West Virginia

The common recurring theme is mountains. Google maps set to terrain is your friend, look for rivers, valleys and roads that connect them. :D

Here's a great resource for planning routes, I've got it set to the Pennsylvania area...

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/regions/pa_susquehanna.html
 
Cat13 said:
One thing I have learned though is sometimes money spent on clothing is a good investment. A good set of sports undergear is good for layers. Aliki I hear makes good stuff though I never tried it and Lululemon is my fav (I had to return my friends hoodie so bought my own) and Ive been spending some money getting good stuff for the next trip.
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I have Underarmour base layers for riding in the summer, to stay cool.. they work very well. I'll look into getting some of their cold weather base layers. They'd be perfect, very light and they pack small. You are very right, money spend on proper clothing is definitely a good investment.

With regards to the shoes, I was actually thinking of this yesterday.. right now, I ride with hi-tops from motorcyce-superstore.. not exactly the safest. I was thinking I'd buy proper riding boots with my textile gear in the spring. But that'd mean I'd have to pack away regular shoes.

I wish it was socially acceptable for men to wear leggings and flats :cool:
 
Rotten_Ronnie said:
It can be. Ask Wheelie boy about the snow he was riding through this summer while in the States heading back from California. Guys were posting the route the storm was taking so he could plot a route around it. Consider that an extreme. It's usually several degrees cooler, and you lose your light and heat faster when the sun gets lower in the sky. I was riding the Cabot Trail in 2010 wearing a mesh jacket by day, and at night I had my heated jacket and grip heaters on in mid-August in Nova Scotia.

A ride in May down to Virginia that I thought would be fine in riding pants, jeans and rain gear had me soooo cold I'll never forget that weekend, as the ride home I'd every layer on that I'd brought with me, and could have used another.

At a minimum I'd wear my textile gear, a long sleeved thermal shirt and a sweater packed up ready to go on. Now I've a heated jacket, so I skip packing the sweater these days.

Labrador on the 18th of July was 10 degrees celsius with snow seams still in the hillsides, ice bergs floating down strait.

New Brunswick in late August of 2009? had me so cold I'd every layer I'd brought with me, and I was still shivering as I made my way across the Confed Bridge. (Late at night)

If you remember only one thing, Pack your visa and layers for the coolest average temps for the area you'll be riding through, otherwise pack your visa and stop when you are too cold/fatigued to continue. (that'll get expensive!) ;)

Yo Cat! I was soooo envious of those pics from that trip!

I've never been west on a bike, but if you're heading East Coast I can help. :P

A couple of two day destinations that you might enjoy:

Lake Placid New York (mountains)
Wellsboro PA (mountains)
Rewnovo PA (mountains)

Longer:
Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia
West Virginia

The common recurring theme is mountains. Google maps set to terrain is your friend, look for rivers, valleys and roads that connect them. :D

Here's a great resource for planning routes, I've got it set to the Pennsylvania area...

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/regions/pa_susquehanna.html
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Heated grips..... FTW!!! They allowed my to pack my lighter gloves and my hands were warm. I need new heated gear... I miss my vest.

Worst comes to worst you can always stop and buy more clothing... that is always an option.


Ron I was envious of your tip to NF... I would have loved to see the island. Too many places to ride and not enough days off work haha. I am hoping to do BC next summer. Might be leaving from Virginia Beach but will keep you posted. Prob will travel stateside to make it cheaper. Depends on a few things right now.
 
I've been thinking about anything that's bugged me on trips, and these are them:

Rain - not necessarily bugged because you know it will happen. I was rainproof with a suit on - except for the "waterproof" gloves. Not. So I bought some over-gloves from Aerostitch for $3.

Sunburn - do you know what you look like with a full-face helmet sunburn? If not - good! Consider sunscreen on the part of your face that's exposed! Even with a tinted visor.

Freezing - high altitude riding - hey it's -1ºC out in July - now what? Plan ahead for this if you are going into the mountains. Actually my rain suit handled the job here too as it effectively blocks the wind.

Pre-paid gas in the USA (if you go) - At stations that allow you to swipe your credit card ahead of time there are some that ask you to enter your zip code. It has to match your card's address. For Canadians, you often can enter the 3 numbers in your postal code plus an extra 00. But, even this doesn't work sometimes. So you have to drag cash into the store, fill your bike, then go back in for change.

Undergarments - they can save your life! Forget the cotton!

Have fun on your trip and stay safe!
 
Pete5000 said:
Rain - not necessarily bugged because you know it will happen. I was rainproof with a suit on - except for the "waterproof" gloves. Not. So I bought some over-gloves from Aerostitch for $3.
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You reminded me...

We planned in two official 'no plan' days. That allowed us to change our route, stay in a town if it was particularly interesting or heck take a day to do nothing if we wanted. We used them both up... with an extra day to chill/do laundry and change of route thru the states.
 
I got a set of summer weight and medium weight thermals from Machine Racing, BRP snowmobile wear, for $86 bucks a set taxes inclu.

While on tour last Oct to the Catskills, I bought some stuff in a US Walmart that worked very well under my jeans and riding pants for an extra layer, for $30 bucks, top and bottom. Gotta love it.

Cotton blows. It gets wet, stays wet and chills you to the bone. :(

Next year is a bike tour in Germany, then a ride out to my sister's B&B on the island to save cash. ;)

Wanna do Alaska in 2013 with us?
 
Pete5000 said:
Actually my rain suit handled the job here too as it effectively blocks the wind.
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+1

Was able to ride all day in negative temperatures while wet and cold as a result of the rain suit. Freezing fingers and toes were my next weakness.
 
I've heard that merino wool's the cat's *** as a layer below textile. MEC sells long-sleeve Merino sweaters and Merino long johns for about $60 a piece.
 
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