Hey there, I'll be popping my ST cherry a week from today starting off on the coast and heading back to Austin as fast as possible. So if any of you have strong opinions about places to avoid or hit, please feel free to share. I'll be posting my novice experience when I get back!
South Carolina to Austin TX 4/29/13
- Thread starter RonMalibu
- Start date
For starters, tell us exactly where you are starting, and where you are going, then maybe we can reveal some places to be careful and some places to run.
Good idea - I'm new to this!
I start in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. My goal is to get back to Austin, Texas as quickly as possible - more of a bike collection trip than a scenic tour. It looks like I'll be stopping for scattered thunderstorms along the way as I set off on Monday.
It seems that I go via Atlanta Georgia, and then I can either take the I10 or I20 towards Texas.
From all the recommendations I've had so far - everyone here has been very helpful - it looks like I'll be shooting for 500 miles in the first day, 450 on the second and then finish up on day three.
Going I20 which would put me:
night one in Birmingham, Alabama. I figure a big city would have a cheap place to stay so I can soak in a tub, but really I'm clueless.
night two in Shreveport, Louisiana. Then back home.
Going I10 would put me:
night one in Montgomery, Alabama
night two in Crowley, Louisiana. Then back home.
I think I've driven I10 before and found it to be fairly pot-holed - that was about 8 years ago. I'm wondering if I20 is a nicer ride in terms of eating up miles?
Thanks for any insight - I'm very new to this!
I start in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. My goal is to get back to Austin, Texas as quickly as possible - more of a bike collection trip than a scenic tour. It looks like I'll be stopping for scattered thunderstorms along the way as I set off on Monday.
It seems that I go via Atlanta Georgia, and then I can either take the I10 or I20 towards Texas.
From all the recommendations I've had so far - everyone here has been very helpful - it looks like I'll be shooting for 500 miles in the first day, 450 on the second and then finish up on day three.
Going I20 which would put me:
night one in Birmingham, Alabama. I figure a big city would have a cheap place to stay so I can soak in a tub, but really I'm clueless.
night two in Shreveport, Louisiana. Then back home.
Going I10 would put me:
night one in Montgomery, Alabama
night two in Crowley, Louisiana. Then back home.
I think I've driven I10 before and found it to be fairly pot-holed - that was about 8 years ago. I'm wondering if I20 is a nicer ride in terms of eating up miles?
Thanks for any insight - I'm very new to this!
I20 from Shreveport over to Dallas isn't too bad, but the traffic on IH35 southbound may drive you crazy. You'd probably be happier grabbing 43 up by Marshall, Texas, and then take that down to Highway 79. You can run 79 all the way into Round Rock and miss the IH35 construction up north of Waco. 79 is pretty nice two and 4 lane all the way down, just mind your speed since the small towns along the way gotta make revenue somehow. 
I run 79 back and forth to Longview to visit my inlaws a couple times a year.
I run 79 back and forth to Longview to visit my inlaws a couple times a year.
Not sure how much of a novice you are but if you are true novice I would offer the following advice. Your plan looks very doable but I would suggest that you dont overdo it. If you get tired before getting to any of your stopping points that you have laid out then stop someplace earlier. Riding while you are fatigued is not a good practice. Looks like your total trip is approximately 1200 miles and change. You have allotted 3 days so even if you divided the trip up into thirds that is only 400 miles a day you would still be making good progress.
If you take the I-20 route then consider taking 459 around Birmingham. There are a lot of places to stay off of 459. There is pretty decent place to eat not too far off of 459 and 280 on Green Valley Rd. called Mudtown. It gets a thumbs up in my book. Actually, if you can make it to Tuscaloosa there is an awesome Italian food place downtown called DePalma's.
You will probably get very tired of the slab. If your time frame permits you might see if you can route yourself on some secondary roads.
Be prepared for a ton of traffic if you go through Atlanta.
Good luck on your trip and ride safe.
If you take the I-20 route then consider taking 459 around Birmingham. There are a lot of places to stay off of 459. There is pretty decent place to eat not too far off of 459 and 280 on Green Valley Rd. called Mudtown. It gets a thumbs up in my book. Actually, if you can make it to Tuscaloosa there is an awesome Italian food place downtown called DePalma's.
You will probably get very tired of the slab. If your time frame permits you might see if you can route yourself on some secondary roads.
Be prepared for a ton of traffic if you go through Atlanta.
Good luck on your trip and ride safe.
Cool - thanks! This is a bit of a novice question, but do you sometimes just drive at night to avoid the people? I hear you about I35. Might be the longest part of the whole trip
thanks- I'm not a novice biker, just a novice St1300 rider and a rusty biker. I haven't flexed my "everyone is trying to kill me" muscle on a bike in a long time.
Good point about Atlanta and traffic - I'll take your advice. And I'll stop if I'm tired.
I drink about a coffee a day - is it best practice to avoid caffeine on long trips (aside from the bladder effects)?
Not really, dodging deer is more nerve wracking. Hitting a deer isn't on my "do again" listCool - thanks! This is a bit of a novice question, but do you sometimes just drive at night to avoid the people? I hear you about I35. Might be the longest part of the whole trip
Your fastest route would be to get on I-20 at Florence. If you can give me your start location in MB, I can recommend the best route from MB to I-20 in Florence. Go straight thru Atlanta on I-20. A 7AM MB departure will put you in mid-Atlanta about 12:30PM
If you are planning to stop around Birmingham. make it Exit 140, and visit the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. They are open 'til 6PM, seven days a week in April. There is an America's Best Value Motel at that exit, and you should get there before 3PM, 490 miles for the day. Or, you could go further on I-459 after your Barber break to get on the far side of B'ham for the night so as to avoid the morning rush hour. Barber is worth the time and admission fee of $15.
I yield to others for the rest of the trip.
If you are planning to stop around Birmingham. make it Exit 140, and visit the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. They are open 'til 6PM, seven days a week in April. There is an America's Best Value Motel at that exit, and you should get there before 3PM, 490 miles for the day. Or, you could go further on I-459 after your Barber break to get on the far side of B'ham for the night so as to avoid the morning rush hour. Barber is worth the time and admission fee of $15.
I yield to others for the rest of the trip.
Hi Ron,
i bought my ST in Nashville and rode it home to Portland, averaging about 500 miles a day. You might find some useful info on my blog for the trip at http://st1100oregon.blogspot.com/.
Some general tips:
* plan for a shorter ride on day one. There are all kinds of things that can slow you down and you don't want to have to push yourself on a new ride.
* use the google "near" search feature to find hotels. "hotels near Dallas" find some ahead of time and get them in your GPS so you don't spend valuable road time looking for a place to stay. You'll be safer if you have options. Don't make a hotel reservation until you're a couple of hours away.
* you'll be able to ride farther and be more alert if you stop and stretch your legs and get the blood flowing in your butt every 100 miles or so. It just takes a few minutes.
* don't ride late at night. That's when the drunks are out and you'll be tired. Instead, leave early in the morning and get in a hundred miles before breakfast.
* don't forget basics like ear plugs, waterproof boots and rain gear. I ride with three pairs of gloves, mesh for warm weather, leather for mild and heated for cold weather. Get a tank bag if you don't have one.
* it's common for riders to say avoid Interstates but in many ways they are safer than back roads. You can make better time too.
i have some more tips from a recent 6000 mile ride at http://oregonmoto.blogspot.com/
Hope this helps.
;-) Paul
i bought my ST in Nashville and rode it home to Portland, averaging about 500 miles a day. You might find some useful info on my blog for the trip at http://st1100oregon.blogspot.com/.
Some general tips:
* plan for a shorter ride on day one. There are all kinds of things that can slow you down and you don't want to have to push yourself on a new ride.
* use the google "near" search feature to find hotels. "hotels near Dallas" find some ahead of time and get them in your GPS so you don't spend valuable road time looking for a place to stay. You'll be safer if you have options. Don't make a hotel reservation until you're a couple of hours away.
* you'll be able to ride farther and be more alert if you stop and stretch your legs and get the blood flowing in your butt every 100 miles or so. It just takes a few minutes.
* don't ride late at night. That's when the drunks are out and you'll be tired. Instead, leave early in the morning and get in a hundred miles before breakfast.
* don't forget basics like ear plugs, waterproof boots and rain gear. I ride with three pairs of gloves, mesh for warm weather, leather for mild and heated for cold weather. Get a tank bag if you don't have one.
* it's common for riders to say avoid Interstates but in many ways they are safer than back roads. You can make better time too.
i have some more tips from a recent 6000 mile ride at http://oregonmoto.blogspot.com/
Hope this helps.
;-) Paul
+1 on the Barber VMM. It is easy to spend several hours in there because there is so much to see.
Sorry about the crappy weather, Ron
Lol. The thunderstorms are character building an made me really appreciate the rest of the weather.
all the advice has been so helpful - I'm so grateful for everything from remember ibuprofen to get a padded seat to all the posts about jump starting.
419 miles and one new battery later, I'm feeling good. So many thoughts about my first ride, but my ability to write is strangled by typing on my phone. Maybe I can make it to Shreveport today. It's 5am and I'm wide awake!
all the advice has been so helpful - I'm so grateful for everything from remember ibuprofen to get a padded seat to all the posts about jump starting.
419 miles and one new battery later, I'm feeling good. So many thoughts about my first ride, but my ability to write is strangled by typing on my phone. Maybe I can make it to Shreveport today. It's 5am and I'm wide awake!