Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Long Distance Riding Suggestions

I am considering going for a long distance ride this spring. I live in Phoenix and my parents live in Salt Lake City and I want to ride up to them. My dad, being as cool as he is, owns a Triumph T-bird as well as an old Velocette project in pieces in his garage. I want to go for a few rides with him around the mountains of SLC. So the question is:
What are your suggestions for long distance riding? Equipment, bike set up, things to bring..... whatever it is, gel seats, flat fix, heated gloves, chapstick.
Also, I know there are many members out there that can ride from LA to Portland, Maine with only a Do-Rag and a pack of Lucky Strikes but that's not me. The distance is just under 700 miles and I figure I would try to do about 6 hour days or so. Depending on how I feel. Any advice would be great.

Might I suggest taking that Wenger swiss army knife seen in Carl's thread! Other than that you don't need much... it's only two short days to your parents. If it were me I'd carry water, a snack, a tire repair kit (if you don't have laced wheels). I'd dress warmly in layers and have something to put stuff in like a gym bag or some reasonable facsimile strapped to the pillion. It's just not a long trip... not like you'll be on the road for weeks, so keep it simple and enjoy the ride.

This is just me but:
-Give the bike a very thorough inspection before you leave for lights, fluids, and fasteners.
-Pick a few things you want to see on the way and plan your timing around them.
-heated vest and gloves and warm layers are worth thinking about.

Good bike specific rain gear.
Layers of clothing. A good motorcycle jacket is a must, than layer from there.
Chaps are convenient, they pop right off and store easily for non-bike activities in-route. They are great down to 45-50 degrees worn over jeans. I don't have specific riding pants with armor, etc. so they offer some protection on big-city beltway type roads.
I have a GPS now and find it indespensible. Without one a good tank tank with map top would be necessary (still probably handy)
Keep us posted!
Chain lube

Yep a thorough inspection (mostly for peace of mind)
I take a small set of sockets and Allen wrenches. I lost a nut once, up in Logan, UT.
Water and some little snacks are always good too. Remember to stay hydrated. I try to drink a bottle of water at every gas stop. Of course, it does sometimes make you have to pull over to pee on the side of the road.
I like my camera and a good pair of walking shoes for when I'm not riding.

~Brent

The best thing to do is go to you tube, and check it out. There is a ton of stuff on packing for a long ride. With me its an extra pair of jeans, a couple of t-shirts couple pairs of socks and undies, sunscreen, deoderant, toothbrush and paste, a bedroll with pillow, a good book, and my riding leathers.

The hardest thing to not overpack is your wardrobe. If you can manage to wear the same pants the entire trip, you don't need an extra pair. (They take up space.) Likewise with socks, underwear, shirts, etc. Finding room for an extra pair of shoes is a premium, though. Something to allow you to kick off your boots a while and still not be grounded.

Tools? I carry a pretty good selection, and I can't recall ever needing anything. I had to adjust my mirrors last May after leaving Chy's house in Dahlonega, and was glad I had the right sized wrench for that, but with hindsite, a small adjustable wrench would have sufficed while I carry a full set of combos...

700 miles? How much Interstate? I know the terrain might be a lot different, but if you can travel highway speeds the majority of the way, that's a one-day trip easy. I like to start my long trips about mid-day, or early afternoon (when I have the time to spare), and then ride through the night. That might be a bad call though if the scenery is of any significance.

Do a good pre-trip inspection and assure proper tire inflation/condition.

Pack lite, and have fun!

The most important factor, really, is being properly attired to be comfortable on the road. You have to stay warm. It's easier to take things off than to put them on, and as long as you're moving, most things won't feel like they need to come off.

Road Trip!

Layers, dry underware and socks, rain gear, cell phone, maps or GPS....

Take Thannassis (Bedouin) with you.

Probably the coolest long distance biker I've ever met.

I'd say make sure your boots are well broken in and some comfy leathers and a decent camp bed - you are either in one or the other.

Oh and a good tent - I learned that lesson

Suggestions for long distance riding regarding bike set up? well your bike should already be set up for that. You have been riding it. Regarding what to bring. Use a piece of paper and figure out what you want to do. Write down the activities. Then write down what you need for those activities.

Activites: Hang with dad. Bring camera.
Ride with Dad. bring cold weather gear.
Take some side roads. Bring maps.

Clothes? Take one pr of jeans. You'll be wearing the other pair. You will never even wear the spare pair, except if you get wet riding through rain. Your parents have a washing machine. Use it. Therefore a change of clothes would be one pr of undies socks shirt. The cold weather gear will take up a lot of room.
So, take a change of clothes a cell phone some water and nutrition bars. Carry whiskey. Then ride. The challenge is being in the saddle, not making sure you pack everything you may need. Wally world can help you with what you forget. The difference between this ride to SLC and your tooling around town is 'tomorrow'. Thus you need to bring rain gear. Rx glasses. Toiletries. Don't pack a weeks worth of clothes. Don't plan on camping this trip. Although you will be riding through some spectacular areas.

The way I see it you will have two full saddle bags and a mile wide grin.

also:
a camel back type hydration system
bike shorts under your riding pants..the kind with the gel crotch.
some form of cruise control...throttle mister
and some kind of mpeg player.
that along with the check out bike..plug kit...basic repair kit...and credit card..also be a member of ama they have road side towing now.
i once did 1029mi in 22 hours on a 2002 tiger.

Yeah, throttle meister or a cramp buster is $10 well spent.

camel back type hydration system? Common guys and gulls, he is only riding 6 hours each day! Heck that is enough time to squeeze some rocks for water!

A little jaunt like his is more a matter of what he must have, not so much what one would want when riding across country. I hear y'all on the ear_ buds/mp3 player though. Even around town those little bits of silicon are miraculous!

Slabbing it tank to tank, the ride is a one day journey.

I skip the mpeg players. For me its about getting away from all the hubub and clear my mind. The camelback hydration system is abit overkill with these bikes. You can only go 150 miles tops. Its not like you are going to be on for 6 hours straight. I do like to carry a bottle of water in the bags though. A flask of whiskey for when you are camping is good though.

Wow, thanks for all of the suggestions. Moe, I will take all of your information and use it wisely, most helpful.
I don't ride with MP3 players. Maybe someday I will invest in the MP3 earplug set up that I saw online a while ago but til then I ride with just earplugs and my thoughts. At times I wish I had tunes to distract me when I have a horrible Katy Perry song in my head or what not but mostly I just enjoy clearing the cobwebs out when I ride.
Ya, the ride isn't that long, or that tough in the grand scheme of things but it should be beautiful and the end result is worth it. Thanks to everyone for the info. I'll post pics this spring after my ride.

1)Stay Dry
2)Be Comfortable
3)Pack Light
4)Have Fun!

Ryan, you are going to have a blast riding up to SLC!

These colonial cruisers are road worthy 99.99% of the time. Toss a leg over and ride! (Sure you have to have go over the expendables, i.e., tires, oil, brake pads.)

Always carry tools to get to your battery. And tools to take off the tank. Past those areas you are SOL on the side of the road anyways.

Always carry water and some energy bars.

This ride will be a shake down for long distance riding. When you get serious about long treks, get a duffel bag that is no wider than your saddle bags and toss it on the pillion. You can stuff a tent, a thermarest, a sleeping bag, radio, you name it and whatever other camping stuff you need. It also serves as a back rest. Four bungies and off you go!

There is nothing better than camping out next to your ride all by your lonesome under the stars and waking up the next morning only to unzip your tent and startle some deer! Well maybe riding with a some friends and going in on a hotel room... If you enjoy spirits, always carry a bottle with you as blue laws are prevalent and the only thing that can dampen camping is being 80 miles from a liquor store as you put the side stand down with nothing to imbibe.

Look into attending the Dwight Fest, err the SWTF this coming weekend after Memorial day. I think there will be folks from the four corners of the Grand U S of A there. Or real close to the four corners anyways!

If you're particularly paranoid about riding long distances alone and off the beaten path as I do, I highly recommend the SPOT GPS Personal Messenger (findmespot.com I think). It's not super cheap but it should insure that I get rescued even if I get knocked unconscious (as long as someone you know is monitoring the map it generates online). I have the automatic tracking feature so I don't have to remember to hit the "check in" button.

Oh, and don't neglect your health, especially if you have diabetes or something. Often when traveling you get out of your normal routine (which is the whole point of riding a bike on a long trip, isn't it?) you might forget to take a pill or a shot or something, or eat regularly. Pay extra attention to those issues. Don't, "pull a Freedom."

And if this applies to you and you're traveling with others, TELL THEM ABOUT YOUR CONDITION. Don't wait until you've pulled a humpty dumpty and all the kings men have carted your a$$ to the ER.

After you have your kit ( tools, luggage, etc.) figured out and how it all attaches to your bike, go on a test ride and make sure it all fits and stays put. A lot easier to adjust and reconfig. if your not actually committed to your trip and still close to home.

watch out for squirrels

my suggestion is to make sure you stop in reno. eff yeah, reno!