How long in the saddle can you safely ride?
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Club Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 112,202
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From: On a hill among the hills, PA
How long in the saddle can you safely ride?
The reason I ask is that I had a friend who went from PA to Sturgis and he was riding with two others about his age and they had a terrible accident! From what I have gathered they had road about 14 hours the last leg and the hotel they were supposed to stay at gave up their rooms because they were late. Anyhow they were riding around looking for a place to stay when one rider decided to turn around and the second rider hit him broadside. I am not certain which one did what and and which rider turned around but one of the riders had not been riding long.
I am still waiting for more info because the guy I know was still in the hospital in South Dakota with serious injuries that probably have ended his riding days. He is 70 yrs old with a lot of years in the saddle.
I am 55 this year and have been riding since I was 15 and I just bought my RKC in Florida from my brothers neighbor and rode it home in April. I put 780 miles on the first day 14 hours in the saddle but I felt fine. I was riding alone so I figured I would ride until it was time to pull over for the night. I guess there are a lot of factors to deal with so how long do you hang in the saddle and do it safely???
I am still waiting for more info because the guy I know was still in the hospital in South Dakota with serious injuries that probably have ended his riding days. He is 70 yrs old with a lot of years in the saddle.
I am 55 this year and have been riding since I was 15 and I just bought my RKC in Florida from my brothers neighbor and rode it home in April. I put 780 miles on the first day 14 hours in the saddle but I felt fine. I was riding alone so I figured I would ride until it was time to pull over for the night. I guess there are a lot of factors to deal with so how long do you hang in the saddle and do it safely???
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,533
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From: Staten Island, NY
I rode out to South Dakoda with 3 friends this August. Ages 42, 52, 56 and 67. We had a great ride out from Staten Island New York. From Shanksville we too all state hiways to SD. It was a great experience to ride out with a vetteran rider. This was my first trip to Sturgis. We did about 600 to 650 miles a day. But the leader has to be focussed. Someone has to make a plan and you should ride the plan. Sometimes there are detours but if traveling far you should have an atlas. The HOG one is nice but I find the the print is too small for me I like the larger one from Rand McNally better.
On the way back from Sturgis we didn't have rooms booked and thought we could just wing it.... Bad plan this year..... The Iowa State fair was on that week and we couldn't find a room for 150 miles . The closer we got to cedar rapids teh worse it got, Did I mention that they were building an Ethanol plant, So all those construction workers needed a hotel to stay in. and those poor people who were displaced from the floods earlier in the summer . Bad move on our part not haveing a room to stay in. We did eventually get a room at 1:15 in the AM , but we were riding from 6:30 that morning.
Next time I will plan the ride home the way we planned it on the way out.
On the way back from Sturgis we didn't have rooms booked and thought we could just wing it.... Bad plan this year..... The Iowa State fair was on that week and we couldn't find a room for 150 miles . The closer we got to cedar rapids teh worse it got, Did I mention that they were building an Ethanol plant, So all those construction workers needed a hotel to stay in. and those poor people who were displaced from the floods earlier in the summer . Bad move on our part not haveing a room to stay in. We did eventually get a room at 1:15 in the AM , but we were riding from 6:30 that morning.
Next time I will plan the ride home the way we planned it on the way out.
Last edited by Chrizzby; Sep 17, 2008 at 09:25 AM.
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2007
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It depends on a lot of things, including the amount of traffic since it seems to add to the amount of stress. But for me 800 miles is a good safe day on the road. I have done 1,000 of course, but towards the end it was more stressful and challenging and it usually ends up being at night when you go past the 8-900 mile range.
With my last group of ridiing brothers I was the trip planner/navigator and I usually planned the trips so we wouldn't be going through any major cities at the last part of any leg of the day. It just isn't the way I like to end a ride. I would rather go through major cities after the traffic rush in the morning and ride through them mid-day if possible. I am used to traffic and big city riding, but most of the these guys weren't (they were from N. Dakota and lived there all of their life) so it was major stress for them regardless of the the amount of traffic/time of day, but I would mitigate that by going through in mid-morning/mid-day when we were fresh and ready to cruise for the day.
I am never in hurry to get anywhere on a trip. Especially if we are going to a Rally. The Rally is just where we are going to end up. We usually have had just about as much fun, if not MORE, just riding there. Rally's are more of an excuse to get on the road, than actualy being at it.
Sorry to hear about your buddies, that is definetely a bumber when one of your own causes the accident.
With my last group of ridiing brothers I was the trip planner/navigator and I usually planned the trips so we wouldn't be going through any major cities at the last part of any leg of the day. It just isn't the way I like to end a ride. I would rather go through major cities after the traffic rush in the morning and ride through them mid-day if possible. I am used to traffic and big city riding, but most of the these guys weren't (they were from N. Dakota and lived there all of their life) so it was major stress for them regardless of the the amount of traffic/time of day, but I would mitigate that by going through in mid-morning/mid-day when we were fresh and ready to cruise for the day.
I am never in hurry to get anywhere on a trip. Especially if we are going to a Rally. The Rally is just where we are going to end up. We usually have had just about as much fun, if not MORE, just riding there. Rally's are more of an excuse to get on the road, than actualy being at it.
Sorry to hear about your buddies, that is definetely a bumber when one of your own causes the accident.
Last edited by SikRyd; Sep 17, 2008 at 09:37 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Montana & Arkansas
Don't know what my limit is cause I'd probably die if I hit it. I think 12 something hours still works if everything is in apple pie order.
All-time limits? Years ago the Cannonball Roberts Sea-to-Shining-Sea Rally was run by a guy who decided to try it on a bike, a BMW tourer. Attached gas cans so he could do it in about 4 fuel stops. He won... one rider, ***** to the wall all the way!
All-time limits? Years ago the Cannonball Roberts Sea-to-Shining-Sea Rally was run by a guy who decided to try it on a bike, a BMW tourer. Attached gas cans so he could do it in about 4 fuel stops. He won... one rider, ***** to the wall all the way!
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 990
Likes: 3
From: lakeside ca.
I will do between 5/6 hyndred a day I don't like to ride at night so that is about all you can do I also stop a lot every 50/70 miles .
as I get older 67 yrs it seems to be the stops get closer together
as I get older 67 yrs it seems to be the stops get closer together
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Lincolnton, NC
All-time limits? Years ago the Cannonball Roberts Sea-to-Shining-Sea Rally was run by a guy who decided to try it on a bike, a BMW tourer. Attached gas cans so he could do it in about 4 fuel stops. He won... one rider, ***** to the wall all the way!
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,189
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From: la grange, il (near chicago)
seems around 12 hrs (including stops) or 500-600 is my max. but then again i can barely do that in a car.
narcolepsy hits big time around 3 in the afternoon.
i am amazed with anyone who can do more.
but i also find it hard to believe that after that amount, you are still able to drive safely. it just seems that your reactions are slower and decision making process is below par.
narcolepsy hits big time around 3 in the afternoon.
i am amazed with anyone who can do more.
but i also find it hard to believe that after that amount, you are still able to drive safely. it just seems that your reactions are slower and decision making process is below par.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Montana & Arkansas
Yeah, the diff. is that the Cannonball rally (oh, hell it was really a very illegal race coast to coast) was a no holds barred secretive event that only one thing mattered... gettin there first. The average coast to coast speeds were awesome.
4 fuel stops? How about coast to coast, non-stop.
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