Road Trips
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 79
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From: Spokane WA area
RE: Road Trips
Well if the trip is truly one "where you are trying to put miles behind youto get somewhere" I do 650-700 miles a day but that would mean it's on an Interstate, not a highway like US Route 50. I find that when I'm traveling on US & SR highways I can only average 350-400 miles a day due to increased traffic and usually passing through many small towns/cities. Staying off the Interstates is certainly more enjoyable but you can't make high mileage.
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 49
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RE: Road Trips
It doesn't matter about miles, but it takes a long trip or two to get comfortable in that.....We go with 1 other couple, and there is a destination to start, but we let weather, comfort, beer!!!, dictate what direction and how far......If there is rain a head, take a left or right, and whatever happens is part of the awesome journey!!! Don't like to bar hop as much anymore, but sure love to take off for 2 weeks and think about nothing but riding.......Getting me fired up for our ride in July from Houston to San Francisco!!!!!
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 483
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From:
RE: Road Trips
The usual folks I ride with like to break aboout every 45 mins unless we are in a hurry, then we break every 120 miles as at least one of us will need fuel. But, only once were we in a hurry enough to put over 600 miles in a day, and that was on back roads, left at 4 a.m. and quit around 5 p.m.. I do not enjoy that type of riding, I ride for pleasure, not to have to work hard at it and anything above 55-65 mph is work to me, can't enjoy looking around and just stopping when and where you want. But that's just me.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,600
Likes: 2
From: Windsor, CO
RE: Road Trips
I've noticed that I tend to ride in 3 categories of distance. When siteseeing or in new territory I'll cover 200 to 300 in a day. When covering places I've seen before (usually on the way to somewhere new) I'll cover 500 to 700 in a day. And on a few occasions, when I'm ready to just get home, I've been known to cover 900 to 1100 in a day.
For me the more important question is how many miles do I stay in the saddle at once. The most has been 165, when I stopped for gas while cutting across the Texas Panhandle from New Mexico on the way to Oklahoma City. I've been across the panhandle many times so just getting the miles done was the goal. On the other hand, when I'm going into new territory -- or someplace I want to enjoy the ride more -- then I'll only do 40 to 80 before I get off the bike. I try to plan stops around interesting sites or good food stops.
For me the more important question is how many miles do I stay in the saddle at once. The most has been 165, when I stopped for gas while cutting across the Texas Panhandle from New Mexico on the way to Oklahoma City. I've been across the panhandle many times so just getting the miles done was the goal. On the other hand, when I'm going into new territory -- or someplace I want to enjoy the ride more -- then I'll only do 40 to 80 before I get off the bike. I try to plan stops around interesting sites or good food stops.
Novice
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 17
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From: Raleigh, NC
RE: Road Trips
Just you, or many other bikes? Another factor is the group. Slower gas stops, eateries, bathrooms, etc.
That aside, 225 to 400 miles. 225 is like an all day twistie type of riding. 400 is like blasting up and down the highway for most of the day. I can do 350 miles by my self in 8 hours without getting on the slab, but there's got to be some really wide open roads or even some country 4-laners, like 15 between Frederick and Gettysburg or 340 from Frederick to Front Royal. Without that, I'm good for about 275 in a similar amount of time given a reasonable misture of roads.
Hope it helps. I know that 50 west thing is going to be SLOW GOING until after Winchester, VA. Good Luck!
That aside, 225 to 400 miles. 225 is like an all day twistie type of riding. 400 is like blasting up and down the highway for most of the day. I can do 350 miles by my self in 8 hours without getting on the slab, but there's got to be some really wide open roads or even some country 4-laners, like 15 between Frederick and Gettysburg or 340 from Frederick to Front Royal. Without that, I'm good for about 275 in a similar amount of time given a reasonable misture of roads.
Hope it helps. I know that 50 west thing is going to be SLOW GOING until after Winchester, VA. Good Luck!
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vermonter16
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Dec 22, 2007 05:13 AM
