My 2015 Events. How 'Bout You?

At this time of the year, all we Midwesterners can do is plan our riding as the wind chill, literally, once again approaches 25 below. These are my planned STOC events for 2015. What do you have planned?

Moonshine-----------------------------MN
Bob D. Memorial Ride-----------------Yooper
Ferry-----------------------------------Wis
Loc-------------------------------------West coast with Kevin (MOTY) for 3 weeks
Rock------------------------------------Okie
Lobster________________________A few RTE's like Mansfield

WOW! I am stoked.

Greg

For me I'm thinking it will be...
Bob Donelson Memorial
Ferry STOC
LobsterSTO C
For sure if time and circumstances allow,
I will try and make time for others specially Dinkie STOC if it happens
Swim STOC, OZARKSTOC, ArkanSTOC

Gonna try for:
Ranch
Bob D
Ferry
Ozark
Lobster
Arkanstoc
Okie
Dinkie?
Hopefully, I will get to Loc, MN or Wis this year.......one of them!
Mike

I'm hittin everything I can. LOTS of time off this year and with my FY going from July 1 thru June 30...I get a reset in mid0riding season!

I was just sitting here making a few reservations to go along with the rides.

Moonshine
Mansfield RTE
Bob Donaldson
Ferry
Loc
Rock
MN
Yooper
WI
Pacific Ocean with Mondo (Dec MOTM)
Okie

If JimSTer sets up Scooters RTE, but that will be by car.

Maybe a few more impromptu events.

I'm thinking I'll start with a tech event in Indiana.

Then Ozark SToc followed up directly by Ferry SToc (via Key West). So a week and half there.

Next, a week long run to Smash an the new Rocky SToc

Then a 2 week run up through Canada and the Nova Scotia turning around at Lobster SToc and hitting the rest of the NE states.

So I get to hit two inaugural events this year.
And hopefully every state east of the Mississippi.

WeSTOC in August. And probably some pre-WeSTOC recon runs in the area starting this spring to refine the ride routes and to finalize the hotel logistics. Not sure I'll have the time to hit any other events this summer....

Lots of plans uncertain right now. But currently the camping trips I hope to make are:
LOCSTOC
MINSTOC
WISTOC

And other shorter trips planned at random for RTE, Tags, just for fun, etc. Someday I'll have enough time off to get to NATSTOC, but just not yet.

We just have one 'Stoc' event to go to here in Ireland, what do you guys actually do/organise at the Stoc events? over here it's an excuse for a booze up:capwin:
It was great last year to meet the other forum members and our first overseas guest Patty,we are planning on meeting in Westport this year,with a run then through Connemara on the Saturday if isn't pouring:rain1:so if any of you are in Ireland at the time it would be great to meet you,there'l be a thread on it in the Ireland/events forum soon.
Lots of touring planned for this year,you guys are lucky to have so many events to go to.

broc11 said:

We just have one 'Stoc' event to go to here in Ireland, what do you guys actually do/organise at the Stoc events? over here it's an excuse for a booze up:capwin:
It was great last year to meet the other forum members and our first overseas guest Patty,we are planning on meeting in Westport this year,with a run then through Connemara on the Saturday if isn't pouring:rain1:so if any of you are in Ireland at the time it would be great to meet you,there'l be a thread on it in the Ireland/events forum soon.
Lots of touring planned for this year,you guys are lucky to have so many events to go to.

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Each event is a bit different. The organizer of the events I attend has scouted out a place to camp and cabins and/or nearby motels are usually listed as well. Attendees ride during the day alone, in small groups, or sometimes there are organized group rides with a predetermined stop for lunch at which single riders also join. Sometimes evening meals are planned at the campground or a local restaurant or not. A bit of the bubbly/hooch flows freely at night, but the riders here do not imbibe until the kickstands are down for the day. No matter the plan, it is the people and riding that are the highlight of each event, and yes, we are fortunate to have so many to attend.

Greg

broc11 said:

over here it's an excuse for a booze up

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Don't let Greg fool you, plenty of that here too....a common language, eh? Around the campfire tales.......require refreshment......enjoy your rides.......coldernhell here right now...........ff

flyfisher said:

Don't let Greg fool you, plenty of that here too....a common language, eh? Around the campfire tales.......require refreshment......enjoy your rides.......coldernhell here right now...........ff

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Yeah the stories get better the more pints are consumed with a good Irish breakfast on board in the morning and a few hours chilling out we are ready to ride for the day,while we don't have many events here we are lucky having such great biking roads on our doorstep and spectacular scenery down the 'Wild Atlantic Way' as Board Failte are promoting it now,we also have road racing in Ireland,which is a great spectacle if your into it, the Northwest 200 is about 1 1/2 hours ride away from me,and there are lots of other smaller road racing events,
next event I'm looking forward to is the Motorcycle show in Dublin at the end of February.
Our 'Irishstoc' is really only a small casual get together,we don't have many St owners here, there are lots of charity runs here also,but I'm not too keen on them,they get lots of riders who don't usually ride a lot and it can be dangerous in large groups with inexperienced riders and 'marshals' speeding ahead from junction to junction to control traffic,not sure on the legality of that anyway,some of these guys get a marshal's high vis vest on and they think they are invincible, doesn't always work that way though.

I really hate planning, so here's my list of events that I am planning on not attending:

I'm going to try for RanchSTOC this year.. beyond that, depends on work.. NatSTOC is usually safe as most folks need someone to cover then for the 4th of july holiday and I get payback from them the week after. BRG is one I just must attend this year.

The best laid plans...but...
LocSToc
USC Rally Sturgis
NatSToc
MNSToc
WiSToc
ArkanSToc

See ya there...Maybe
Jim

I'm looking forward to OzarkSTOC being my first STOC event with NatSTOC being my second.

I was just wondering .... With all these events everyone is planning on attending -and time off to do such ... Does anybody other than me have a JOB?
:work2: (Tongue firmly in cheek and the little green man planted on my shoulder! )

sah48 said:

Does anybody other than me have a JOB?

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I do. My work week is 4 - 10 hour days. Fridays off, unless overtime is needed. I only have to burn one vacation day to make most of the STOC events. Vacation gets stretched out this way. I get to carry over unused time. This summer I am taking more time off than I can earn in a year. I had a head start from last years postponement of my fall trip. Yes it sucks to be me this year.

I guess it all boils down to priorities! I spend 2 weeks at the lake with the wife .... And this year taking about 3 weeks to go elk and deer hunting in Colorado ... Not a lot of extra time to squeeze out for SToc events!

Priorities is right! Please thin that deer herd in as many places as possible... make riding a tad more safe.
I've been trying to talk the Governor here to go to 4/10hr days instead of the normal 5 days but he hasn't bitten on that one yet. Work for the State and have finally been able to save up and bring forward enough vacation hours to do a couple of 6 day (plus weekends) long trips with the family plus 3 STOC events... if she'll let me. Then I'll still carry over some hours to allow maybe one more event the year after. I currently take 2 days off for each STOC. Would have to take a few days more for NATSTOC unless I make it a LONG (for me) one day ride there and back, and even then I would like one more day than usual just be able to be there that much longer.