DON’T OVERTHINK IT
In the previous post we discussed “Your First Long Distance Adventure”. As expected the reactions to that feature didn’t only come from novice riders who are contemplating their first big journey. Seasoned, veteran riders chimed in with praise for the advice given and their own great suggestions.
A lot of the feedback revolved around the planning and preparation stages for long distance rides. In the next couple of posts we’re going at address some of the specifics of planning a road trip. Read on.
Cabin Fever
As I write this piece it’s still February and we’re staring down a winter storm watch in New York this evening. There won’t be any riding over the next couple of days, but it’s a perfect time to sit back with a hot cup of coffee to do some dreaming and planning for the miles ahead.
I have no doubts that a number of folks are going to say that they don’t do any planning for road trips. They just hop on their bikes and go “where the wind takes them”. It sounds very romantic and a bit on the edgy/outlaw side, but I’d be willing to bet that 99% of those “free spirits” are all talk and no action. Every long journey requires a certain level of preparation
The Tools We Have
I started my “career” as a long distance motorcycle rider more than three decades ago. Way back in those “prehistoric” times we didn’t have the luxury of GPS units, smartphone navigation, weather forecasting apps, online booking sites for lodging and all those other conveniences we take for granted these days.
I’ll be the first to admit that I spend my fair share of time looking through these online resources before I hit the road. I’ll also state that once I’m out on the ride I pay very little attention to the electronic wizardry. Call it “old school” or give it what ever name you want. The fact of the matter is you’ll find your adventure to be much more exciting and rewarding when there’s a high level of spontaneity built in to it.
It’s Your Road Trip…Not Google’s
Too many riders hit the road with their GPS units and smartphones pre-programmed with routes, timetables and destination arrival deadlines displayed on those little LCD screens that they’ve allowed to control every other facet of their lives. For the love of God, let it go! At least for the duration of your two-wheeled adventure.
I don’t know about you, but when I’m out on the road, I’m out to enjoy myself…to escape the pressures and deadlines of every day life. To explore. To see new places, meet new people and have new experiences. Before planning a road trip I highly recommend that you read the previous feature on this site entitled “Getting Lost On Purpose”.
I’m not suggesting that you blow up your smartphone or that you leave it at home. It could serve an invaluable purpose in an emergency. Just don’t let it (or Google) control your ride. Check out the post entitled “Roads Less Traveled” for the top reasons for not using a smartphone when on a motorcycle.
You Have Just One Goal
We live in a goal-oriented society. Every facet of of our existence from our home lives to our professional endeavors are governed and judged by meeting some pre-determined expectations set up for us by someone else. When planning a road trip let your long distance motorcycle adventures be an escape from those pressures. Ride your own ride. Be your own person.
Your one and only goal should be to have a wonderful experience and arrive safely back home ready to take on even greater challenges in the future. It doesn’t matter how many miles some big-mouthed stranger in a Facebook group thinks YOU should be able to travel in a day. Is he funding your trip? Is he your boss? Is he riding alongside you? For all you know he’s just some “keyboard warrior” who likes to talk the talk but doesn’t walk the walk.
Choose Quality Over Quantity
When planning a road trip very little emphasis should be put on how many miles you’re going to cover. Much more important is what you’ll encounter along the way. The sights you’ll see. The roads you ride upon. The people you’ll meet. The experiences you’ll have. Simply pounding out big mileage on the interstate doesn’t allow much opportunity for any of these wonderful experiences.
Sure, it might sound impressive to your friends back home when you tell them that you averaged over 600 miles per day on your big adventure. But they’ll lose all interest in your journey if you try to tell them about the the “wonderful” experience of slogging out mile after mile on boring interstate highways.
Use The Tools Properly
Take advantage of the amazing tools we have at our disposal nowadays when planning a road trip. Just use the tools wisely. Remember; it’s not Google’s objective to insure that you have the greatest two-wheeled adventure of your life. Google Maps are designed to get you from “Point A” to “Point B” as quickly and efficiently as possible, while passing (and hopefully patronizing) as many of their paid advertising clients as possible along the way. Not exactly the recipe for a wonderful motorcycling adventure.
I’ll use Google Maps to get a baseline idea of the mileage between two points. Then I’ll start dragging that blue route line all over the map onto the twistiest, curviest roads I see. I’ll switch from the map view to the satellite view to get a real feel for the areas I might ride through. This is invaluable when planning a road trip to avoid major cities (and traffic congestion) and stay on scenic, rural, remote roads.
Zoom way in when in the satellite view and the map will switch to street view. Now you can virtually “ride” down the route you have chosen; looking at the road ahead and the sights to your left and right.
Google maps is also a great resource for finding needed resources when out on the road. Food, lodging, fuel, services and entertainment are easily located when you reach your day’s destination. I don’t use Google Maps to get there, but I do use it once I’ve gotten there.
Motorcyclist’s Tools
Before planning a road trip take a look at some of the motorcycle-specific trip planning apps that are out there. I don’t get paid to endorse any specific product but I’ve found the best one out there to be the online resource at Kurviger.de. I’ve tried a bunch of them…probably all of the ones you’ll rave about. Nothing comes close to Kurviger.
I think so much of this app that I devoted an entire blog post to it. Check out “Roads Less Traveled • The Absolute Best Motorcycle Trip Planning App” if you’re interested. You’ll get the entire lowdown on Kurviger…pros and cons…in that feature.
No Reservations
A prime consideration when you’re planning a road trip is where you’re going to spend your night(s) on the road. In more than three decades of long distance motorcycle traveling I think I’ve only made reservations for lodging a handful of times. I know this doesn’t seem like the most responsible way of doing things, but it’s always worked out for me.
I travel 95% of my miles by myself. It seems as if there’s always at least one room available somewhere when it comes time to call it quits for the day. Again; spontaneity is the watchword of my adventures. When I set out in the morning I’m never really quite sure how far I’ll travel on any given day. If I’m on a particularly challenging back roads jaunt, stopping often for sightseeing and photo opportunities, I might only put 200 miles of saddle time in before calling it a day. Conversely, when I’m on a mission to get away from New York and reach a certain area of the country I might lay down 500 miles or more before shutting it down. This decision is usually made on the day of the ride…not weeks or months in advance.
If you’re traveling with a group of people you’ll have to give this one a little more thought when planning a road trip. Finding a “block” of rooms available for a large group of riders can be more challenging than finding a single room. You’ll have to do what you’re comfortable with as far as this decision goes. Some folks can’t imagine heading off, hundreds of miles from home, without a guaranteed place to lay their head at night. Some, like myself, think it’s just part of the game. A good compromise might be to call ahead from the road when you have a better idea of what your final destination might be on any given day.
Shop And Dine Like A Local
My usual approach is to ride into the day’s destination town and give it a look around. I’ll stop to top off my gas tank for the next day’s ride and chat up some of the locals. Nothing makes friends on the road like a license plate from somewhere 1,000 miles away. People want to hear your story and will generally point you towards the best eateries and biker-friendly establishments.
A couple of guys in the local BMW club I ride with won’t consider staying at “Anything Less Than a Marriott”. I personally like the old school motor court style motels that are, sadly, disappearing from the American landscape. They are all being displaced and replaced by the big chain establishments. These remnants of Americana offer a number of great attributes. For starters, the prices of these gems are usually much more reasonable than any of the conglomerate properties. You can generally park your bike right in front of your door; making it extremely easy to unload your gear at the end of the day.
Best of all: you’ll find yourself spending time with like-minded travelers. The folks that frequent these establishments wind up congregating in front of their rooms, around the always-present outdoor furniture and socializing with their new traveling acquaintances. I can’t even begin to tell you how many wonderful people I’ve met over the years because of our mutual attraction to these old school accommodations. Give it a try. It’s an adventure, right?
More To Come
I hope this feature on planning a road trip has given you a little insight into the mindset of an adventurer. I truly hope it motivates some of you to blast out of your comfort zones, abandon your (unfounded) fears and improvise a bit on your two-wheeled sojourns. The rewards for doing so are immense!
In an upcoming features we’ll be discussing what I call “The Three B’s”…some of the basics you’ll need to address as far as preparation of your bike, your body and your brain. As always we welcome your comments below. Be sure to subscribe to Roadcraft USA for occasional email notifications when new features hit the blog. If you have any specific questions you would like answered, please feel free to contact us directly via email.
Click Here to view an interactive visual index page where you can quickly browse through all of the great features that are published on the Roadcraft USA blog.
Great article . I couldn’t agree more about the old school type hotels. It stinks to go to a huge hotel with your bike parked 1/4 mile away then realize you forgot something. Oh and then waking up in the middle of the night wondering if all is OK with the bike.
Yeah, Robert…there’s a whole lot to be said for old school establishments. Thanks for reading & commenting.