jeffmiller
07-09-2006, 05:02 PM
Well, it is done. 1050.5 miles (according to my odometer AND STreets and Trips. My butt is properly conditioned to begin planning for my BBG (or would we call that tenderized?)
While my ride report will NOT have the flair and added value of people posing with me as Curt's did, it should give newbies some tips that I learned that might help. (Thanks Curt for the paperwork advice as well!!)
I had equipped my bike with a Camelbak UNbottle 100 some time ago. I filled it with ice and water (more ice than water) and strapped it to the pillion. I used one of those retractable keychain/ID fobs, secured it to a strap, then used the key holding side to grip the area just behind the on/off valve at the mouthpiece. This way I could grab, open, drink, close and release. The drinking tube snaps back where I want it. I always know where to reach to get a drink.
1. Began my ride at 0139 in the wee hours from Darien, IL. Gassed up at the Shell station to get my first receipt, and noted that there were lots of squids about. One or two questions about the bike and my ride.
2. Right around the 80/294/94 merge area I hit major congestion. The traffic lanes for literally three interstates merged down to only ONE lane. If anyone knows the area, it took over an hour to get from the merge, across the quarry, and past Torrance and 394.
****TIP*****
If you are planning on riding alone, invest in a comms system and a CB radio. Sitting in traffic and listening/participating was great. Some bad truckers, but mostly good guys with jokes and laughs. It also saved me several times when I was trying to make up time with advance warning of what we called "enforcement details" with one LIDAR car and about six other cars picking people off. Saved me some major $$$.
*****END TIP******
3. White knuckle moments aplenty seeing the glowing eyes on the side of the road between Merrillville and south of Indianapolis when the sun came up. I envision the deer having little meetings like and deciding who gets to run out in front of me, like the Geico squirrels from TV. A few carcasses to dodge but nothing came for me that night. I prayed a little.....I'm sure that helped. Also the Sylvania Silverstars on HIGH were the best.
****TIP******
Although Indy is on a different time zone, often times the receipts that the gas pumps give out still have Central time on them. Just be aware of that when filling out your paperwork.
****END TIP********
4. Getting down towards Nashville, more construction. What really made it interesting was a "jumper" who was having a standoff with the police. Northbound traffic on 24 towards the interchange where this guy was posing as if ready to do a swan dive was nice. Luckily he must have surrendered as when I came back through it was clear.
5. Decided to jog west on 24 rather than deal with the mess on 80/94. This took me across Kentucky Lake (north end) and very near the TVA dam that was built there. Nice view. Stopped for gas and a receipt to show the route I was on near Cedar Hill TN.
*******NOTE*********
The closer you live to Milwaukee it seems, the less waves you get from HD riders. I noted that the farther south I went, the waves were aplenty. I had my StreetWaves LED license frame programmed with a message about the ride I was on. More than a few HD people who I passed or who actually passed me (briefly!!) stopped to read it and gave me a friendly wave, thumbs up, etc. So, the farther away from Brewtown it seems we all revert to motorcyclists again.
*******END NOTE********
6. I hit a wall right around the 24/57 split. Probably as I as so excited for my ride the night before that didn't get the rest I had wanted. Got about 4.5 hours of sleep, in a different cycle than I was used to. No head nods, just the syndrome of listening to a song on XM, looking down at mileage, and seeing that only a few miles had creeped by. The wall went away after a stop in Marion, IL. I took a little extra time to stretch, grabbed a bite of fast food (I know, bad, bad, bad!), refilled my Camelbak and left
****NOTE*****
Rather than asking gas station attendants for a cup of ice, which usually gets you charged, gas up, have the receipt from the gas in hand, bring in the Camelbak, and ask if you can dump some ice in. Everyone is more than happy to let you do that, and if you get friction, explain the type of ride you are doing and they feel as if they are part of your support team. Get's you free ice every time.
****END NOTE******
7. Last gas in Rantoul, south of Kankakee. Really got my energy level back here as I was real close to home.
Made it home at 1855 hours.
GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS
UNDERWEAR/SOCKS -I bought a pear of Ex Officio underwear the week before from REI (http://tinyurl.com/93cpw). After reading about all the available specialized cycle wear, I felt I could find better. These things are amazing. Antibacterial, lightweight, moisture wicking. Everything you need to avoid monkey butt. I HIGHLY recommend this for a long distance ride as it totally prevented MB.
For socks, I bought (again from REI) their REI Coolmax Mulstisport Crew Socks (http://tinyurl.com/ofn5m). Enough padding for the boots, and kept my feet dry and cool even in the higher temps.
HYDRATION - I had equipped my bike with a Camelbak UNbottle 100 some time ago. I filled it with ice and water (more ice than water) and strapped it to the pillion. I used one of those retractable keychain/ID fobs, secured it to a strap, then used the key holding side to grip the area just behind the on/off valve at the mouthpiece. This way I could grab, open, drink, close and release. The drinking tube snaps back where I want it. I always know where to reach to get a drink.
RIDE FOOD - I kept it light. I brought some energy bars and granola bars, stuffed them in the tank bag. Easy to reach, munch/nibble. You don't want high sugar stuff or heavy food. Lots of water and healthy fare to keep you going.
SEAT/CUSHIONING - I have a Sargent seat. Wonderful seat, but I feel that I would have been in more pain had I not used my homemade sheepskin pad (IKEA sheepskin and a bottle of black RIT dye, and a little trimming). The added cushioning was great. I don't think any seat, stock OR custom, is great for distance riding. I would have been in much more pain had I not had the sheepskin. (Guess I am a cheapskate or I would have had the Alaskan Butt Pad).
CRUISE/THROTTLE LOCKS - I have Throttlemeisters (picked them up from the boys themselves in Milwaukee). For those who don't have that, I feel your pain. Being able to free my throttle hand frequently was a godsend. They were worth every penny I spent on them. Cruise control? Maybe I will do that someday. Probably ten times better than any throttle locks. Again, I'm a cheapskate!!
XM/Sirius - For those of you that LIKE to hear the hum of your engine, I invite you to ride the BBG with me. At hour 8 of listening to the engine, I had listened to The Weather Channel, Fox News, CNN, Highway 16 (country), The 80's on 8, etc. It made the miles melt away. No rap on you purists out there, but it was so nice to have some "theme" music come across the XM that made the ride more fun. Nothing like Eddie Rabbit's "Driving My Life Away" or the remake of "Convoy" as I listened to truckers on the CB break in to make the ride a great memory.
PROPER PROTECTIVE GEAR - Started my ride with my FirstGear Kilamanjaro with the liner out and the HT overpants. Believe it or not, when the temp gets down to 60 and you are doing 80, the chill can get to you. Popped my vents when the sun started to come up, switched to mesh gear when we hit the 80's. Bring clothing as if you expect three seasons. Cool/Hot/Rain. That applies to gloves too.
CONCLUSIONS
This was a great entry ride. I really really want to get the planning for my BBG going, but will do this as a straight through to an actual destination. I highly recommend doing one of these rides sometime during your lifetime. The ST is the perfect machine to do distance riding.
My friends and family used words like "crazy, dangerous, insane, stupid". I try and relate the rationale behind doing a ride like this by comparing it to a marathoner, or extreme climber. It's one thing to run a few laps around the track, another to do 26.2 miles. It's one thing to hike a canyon, another to scale a cliff face. Why do it? Because you can. Life is short, and experiences like these make you appreciate life, to feel alive. Nothing like seeing the sun coming up as you've already put several hundred miles behind you, to know you've done something many people will gladly pass dismiss.
While my ride report will NOT have the flair and added value of people posing with me as Curt's did, it should give newbies some tips that I learned that might help. (Thanks Curt for the paperwork advice as well!!)
I had equipped my bike with a Camelbak UNbottle 100 some time ago. I filled it with ice and water (more ice than water) and strapped it to the pillion. I used one of those retractable keychain/ID fobs, secured it to a strap, then used the key holding side to grip the area just behind the on/off valve at the mouthpiece. This way I could grab, open, drink, close and release. The drinking tube snaps back where I want it. I always know where to reach to get a drink.
1. Began my ride at 0139 in the wee hours from Darien, IL. Gassed up at the Shell station to get my first receipt, and noted that there were lots of squids about. One or two questions about the bike and my ride.
2. Right around the 80/294/94 merge area I hit major congestion. The traffic lanes for literally three interstates merged down to only ONE lane. If anyone knows the area, it took over an hour to get from the merge, across the quarry, and past Torrance and 394.
****TIP*****
If you are planning on riding alone, invest in a comms system and a CB radio. Sitting in traffic and listening/participating was great. Some bad truckers, but mostly good guys with jokes and laughs. It also saved me several times when I was trying to make up time with advance warning of what we called "enforcement details" with one LIDAR car and about six other cars picking people off. Saved me some major $$$.
*****END TIP******
3. White knuckle moments aplenty seeing the glowing eyes on the side of the road between Merrillville and south of Indianapolis when the sun came up. I envision the deer having little meetings like and deciding who gets to run out in front of me, like the Geico squirrels from TV. A few carcasses to dodge but nothing came for me that night. I prayed a little.....I'm sure that helped. Also the Sylvania Silverstars on HIGH were the best.
****TIP******
Although Indy is on a different time zone, often times the receipts that the gas pumps give out still have Central time on them. Just be aware of that when filling out your paperwork.
****END TIP********
4. Getting down towards Nashville, more construction. What really made it interesting was a "jumper" who was having a standoff with the police. Northbound traffic on 24 towards the interchange where this guy was posing as if ready to do a swan dive was nice. Luckily he must have surrendered as when I came back through it was clear.
5. Decided to jog west on 24 rather than deal with the mess on 80/94. This took me across Kentucky Lake (north end) and very near the TVA dam that was built there. Nice view. Stopped for gas and a receipt to show the route I was on near Cedar Hill TN.
*******NOTE*********
The closer you live to Milwaukee it seems, the less waves you get from HD riders. I noted that the farther south I went, the waves were aplenty. I had my StreetWaves LED license frame programmed with a message about the ride I was on. More than a few HD people who I passed or who actually passed me (briefly!!) stopped to read it and gave me a friendly wave, thumbs up, etc. So, the farther away from Brewtown it seems we all revert to motorcyclists again.
*******END NOTE********
6. I hit a wall right around the 24/57 split. Probably as I as so excited for my ride the night before that didn't get the rest I had wanted. Got about 4.5 hours of sleep, in a different cycle than I was used to. No head nods, just the syndrome of listening to a song on XM, looking down at mileage, and seeing that only a few miles had creeped by. The wall went away after a stop in Marion, IL. I took a little extra time to stretch, grabbed a bite of fast food (I know, bad, bad, bad!), refilled my Camelbak and left
****NOTE*****
Rather than asking gas station attendants for a cup of ice, which usually gets you charged, gas up, have the receipt from the gas in hand, bring in the Camelbak, and ask if you can dump some ice in. Everyone is more than happy to let you do that, and if you get friction, explain the type of ride you are doing and they feel as if they are part of your support team. Get's you free ice every time.
****END NOTE******
7. Last gas in Rantoul, south of Kankakee. Really got my energy level back here as I was real close to home.
Made it home at 1855 hours.
GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS
UNDERWEAR/SOCKS -I bought a pear of Ex Officio underwear the week before from REI (http://tinyurl.com/93cpw). After reading about all the available specialized cycle wear, I felt I could find better. These things are amazing. Antibacterial, lightweight, moisture wicking. Everything you need to avoid monkey butt. I HIGHLY recommend this for a long distance ride as it totally prevented MB.
For socks, I bought (again from REI) their REI Coolmax Mulstisport Crew Socks (http://tinyurl.com/ofn5m). Enough padding for the boots, and kept my feet dry and cool even in the higher temps.
HYDRATION - I had equipped my bike with a Camelbak UNbottle 100 some time ago. I filled it with ice and water (more ice than water) and strapped it to the pillion. I used one of those retractable keychain/ID fobs, secured it to a strap, then used the key holding side to grip the area just behind the on/off valve at the mouthpiece. This way I could grab, open, drink, close and release. The drinking tube snaps back where I want it. I always know where to reach to get a drink.
RIDE FOOD - I kept it light. I brought some energy bars and granola bars, stuffed them in the tank bag. Easy to reach, munch/nibble. You don't want high sugar stuff or heavy food. Lots of water and healthy fare to keep you going.
SEAT/CUSHIONING - I have a Sargent seat. Wonderful seat, but I feel that I would have been in more pain had I not used my homemade sheepskin pad (IKEA sheepskin and a bottle of black RIT dye, and a little trimming). The added cushioning was great. I don't think any seat, stock OR custom, is great for distance riding. I would have been in much more pain had I not had the sheepskin. (Guess I am a cheapskate or I would have had the Alaskan Butt Pad).
CRUISE/THROTTLE LOCKS - I have Throttlemeisters (picked them up from the boys themselves in Milwaukee). For those who don't have that, I feel your pain. Being able to free my throttle hand frequently was a godsend. They were worth every penny I spent on them. Cruise control? Maybe I will do that someday. Probably ten times better than any throttle locks. Again, I'm a cheapskate!!
XM/Sirius - For those of you that LIKE to hear the hum of your engine, I invite you to ride the BBG with me. At hour 8 of listening to the engine, I had listened to The Weather Channel, Fox News, CNN, Highway 16 (country), The 80's on 8, etc. It made the miles melt away. No rap on you purists out there, but it was so nice to have some "theme" music come across the XM that made the ride more fun. Nothing like Eddie Rabbit's "Driving My Life Away" or the remake of "Convoy" as I listened to truckers on the CB break in to make the ride a great memory.
PROPER PROTECTIVE GEAR - Started my ride with my FirstGear Kilamanjaro with the liner out and the HT overpants. Believe it or not, when the temp gets down to 60 and you are doing 80, the chill can get to you. Popped my vents when the sun started to come up, switched to mesh gear when we hit the 80's. Bring clothing as if you expect three seasons. Cool/Hot/Rain. That applies to gloves too.
CONCLUSIONS
This was a great entry ride. I really really want to get the planning for my BBG going, but will do this as a straight through to an actual destination. I highly recommend doing one of these rides sometime during your lifetime. The ST is the perfect machine to do distance riding.
My friends and family used words like "crazy, dangerous, insane, stupid". I try and relate the rationale behind doing a ride like this by comparing it to a marathoner, or extreme climber. It's one thing to run a few laps around the track, another to do 26.2 miles. It's one thing to hike a canyon, another to scale a cliff face. Why do it? Because you can. Life is short, and experiences like these make you appreciate life, to feel alive. Nothing like seeing the sun coming up as you've already put several hundred miles behind you, to know you've done something many people will gladly pass dismiss.