First "long distance" ride.

I would agree with the mesh jacket. Keep a very thin Gore tex liner in your bags for rain or cold conditions and you have a winner. Bar backs and a Russell Day Long seat is also on my bike which has made a world of difference. I will never, ever, have a motorcycle without a Russell Day Long.

To avoid butt burn, try wearing silk underwear or bicycle pants as a base. I avoid wearing jeans and just wear cargo shorts over my silks then put on riding pants which has worked very well.

Hydration (Camel Backs are essential in any weather condition) with breaks & stretching is good.

This past trip I tried something new on my long trip. 60 miles from my destination I stopped and took a 20 minute break. I always seem to push that last 100 miles and end up getting tunnel vision & goofy. So this time I stopped and reflected on the days ride and while the last 60 miles took longer, I pulled in feeling great.
 
In my experience a mesh jacket is only useful in a very narrow temp range. I wear mine from about 68F to maybe 80 or 85F tops. Too cold below and too much airflow above to be able to stay properly hydrated. I put my Kilimanjaro jacket back on with minimal venting open when it hits 85F. I feel far better after a long day riding in the heat as opposed to doing it in mesh. The first time I did a 1000+ ride I rode from Seattle to Sacramento then back up to WeSTOC in Ashland, OR. It was 104F on the way south through Redding and about 110F on the way north. I wore mesh and was sick as a dog when I got to the hotel. Learned my lesson that day.
 
adamk said:
... I feel far better after a long day riding in the heat as opposed to doing it in mesh. The first time I did a 1000+ ride I rode from Seattle to Sacramento then back up to WeSTOC in Ashland, OR. It was 104F on the way south through Redding and about 110F on the way north. I wore mesh and was sick as a dog when I got to the hotel.
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Mesh alone above 100F will indeed cook you rather nicely. Mesh with a cooling vest, however, is about the only thing that works for me above say 105. Coming back from Monument Valley last month I got stuck in construction traffic on 89 north of Flagstaff. It was 100 or so before I stopped. 10-20 minutes of stop and go on fresh asphalt had the ST's gauge pushing well north of 110. With mesh, cooling vest & camel back I was just fine, 'quite confusing to the overheating black SUV's next to me. The vest dries out a lot faster at those temps & exposure than say 90 in a vented Darien (what I wear at lower temps) but it sort of works like one of those "saturate before using" canvas canteens, rapid evap= significant cooling. I'm from a cold weather climate and I was just fine. YMMV.
 
I don't believe anyone mentioned ear plugs? You won't believe the difference they make whether you use a full-face or a 3/4 helmet!
 
Well, I'm not one to offer much advice as I don't get out often enough myself. But hydration helps, and when I've been able to ride frequently, I've proven to myself that conditioning does matter, and a cooling jacket helps on hot days. I find myself with target fixation as the ride goes on (my drive to get to the destination increases as the ride progresses), and my intensity of paying attention leads to headaches. I have found that i must force myself to stop, drink, and stretch. When I do that, the ride goes better, I'm less drained when done.

I also find the lack of a modular helmet discourages me from drinking because of the time it takes to undo and redo my earbuds to my satisfaction. Do you have a modular helmet?

perhaps you can force yourself to pull over every hour for a 2 minute stretch and drink...see if that helps. :)
 
I bought my ST1300 in Lakeville, and rode it down to Arkansas where I keep it at my vacation home. Intending to go tank to tank for stops (as that's how I ride my Gold Wing) it never occurred to me that the bike would be uncomfortable. After all I had added foam grips and handlebar risers. Well, after 75 miles, my butt was hurting bad. This was going to be a long ride. Long story short, I invested many $$$$ into a Russell Day Long seat, and have not regretted one penny's worth of it. I now CAN ride all day long and not hurt. If you are not comfortable, other areas of your body will tense up too, thus feeling the way you did down to Mason City. Look into a new seat, it may very well be the item that saves the day.

Scott
 
MinnFallST said:
was really sore when I finally got there. My right arm was kind of sore the whole way; I don't think I'm relaxed enough while riding.
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Take a look at your exercise program. Does it include weights, stretching, and cardio? I exercise for about one hour five days a week alternating cardio with light weights. It works to keep limber and muscles and joints ready. My rides are typically 11 hours each and sometimes days and months apart. I feel fresh when I get there and the next day too. I also use a Breakaway throttle lock to give the right arm and hand a rest every once in a while.
 
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  1. +1,000 to riding more. Your body needs time to adapt. In the spring, when I roll the ST out, I can't comfortably do a third of the distance I can by October.
  2. Mind your posture. The ST has a lot of room to move around for a motorcycle, and I find myself slouching. I have to force myself to bring my chest out and straighten my back - this gives me more comfort.
  3. Stretch. Wiggle your toes in your boots. Helps keep the blood flowing. Clench your cheeks (seriously) and unclench them.
  4. For planning purposes, I assume an average of 50mph when on interstates, and 40mph on backroads and highways. This is typical for me with plenty of stops to check things out, and relaxed meals. Over time, you'll come to know your cross-country averages as they correspond to your riding style and habits. Best thing here is to track your miles for the day and correlate to how long it took you.
 
First Long Distance Ride Part Deux: I rode back to St. Paul on 7/25/14. I took some of the advice given here and the ride went a little better. I set my goal to stop every hour to rest and drink some water, that helped except I went a little too long between stops towards the end. I think my problem with my right arm is that I am back too far (trying to sit upright) and not relaxing. I tried to concentrate on a good riding position and relaxing my arm, and that helped a little; maybe the risers are in my future. I think one thing that made the ride better is that I wasn't in a hurry like I was on the way down. By the time I got home I was a little sore and pretty tired. The most surprising thing is that my trip odometer showed 180 miles and the ride took 4 1/2 hours! I did run into construction delays but it still seems like it took way too long.

I agree with those that mentioned working out/getting in shape. I am out of shape and improving would be a good all around fix for the problems I had. I guess I'll have to listen to my doctor after all:)

Thanks for the advice and I will keep you posted on future "long distance" rides.
 
I would agree with you on the bar backs / risers. I have them, love them and couldn't imagine riding without them.
 
adamk said:
In my experience a mesh jacket is only useful in a very narrow temp range. I wear mine from about 68F to maybe 80 or 85F tops. Too cold below and too much airflow above to be able to stay properly hydrated. I put my Kilimanjaro jacket back on with minimal venting open when it hits 85F. I feel far better after a long day riding in the heat as opposed to doing it in mesh. The first time I did a 1000+ ride I rode from Seattle to Sacramento then back up to WeSTOC in Ashland, OR. It was 104F on the way south through Redding and about 110F on the way north. I wore mesh and was sick as a dog when I got to the hotel. Learned my lesson that day.
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This is huge - mesh is too often used inappropriately. Above 92-93?f, at open road speeds you lose much of the evaporative cooling effect, and dehydrate yourself at an unreplenishable rate no matter any reasonable level of intake you can practice while riding for more than a few dozen miles at a time.
 
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