Long trip
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 184
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From: Oklahoma
Long trip
I'm planning to ride route 66 from Oklahoma to California in early spring. I'm planning to ride 500 miles or so a day. First stop Kingman,AZ then to Santa Monica, CA. From there, up US 1 along the coast to San Francisco then stay a few days in Tahoe. Then I'll ride home on "The Lonliest Highway" US 50 through NV and UT stopping in Salina, UT. Then I'll go through to Pueblo, CO and back to OKC. Does 500 miles a day on these highways sound reasonable (during daylight mostly)? What kind of weather should I expect in early April? Any musts along any of these routes?
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 58
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From: Bonita Ca
I have an Rk that I bought new 14 months ago and it now has 24566 miles on the odo. I have done those roads before and on my Garmin I can get overall average mph, average running mph, and stopping time. I run mostly on cruise at 5 mph over the limit and usually average between 65-68 mph for running and between 55-58 overall mph. If you stop for 10-15 minutes every 1-1.5 hrs your averages will probably be similar. That means that if you plan on 500 miles per day, you will be running between 9-10 hrs a day. That does not sound like fun to me. I try not to do more than 400 a day and still wind up spending 7 hrs not including gas and food stops. Just my experience and opinion.
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 773
Likes: 24
From: Findlay, ohio
You can do (average) 500 miles a day, but as others have said, it will take some of the fun out of your trip. For me personally, I usually plan on riding 400 miles a day, less if possible and on rare occassions, a little more. If you try to average too many miles a day, it becomes a road race and hard to enjoy the "ride". 
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 92
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From: Newark DE
I'm planning to ride route 66 from Oklahoma to California in early spring. I'm planning to ride 500 miles or so a day. First stop Kingman,AZ then to Santa Monica, CA. From there, up US 1 along the coast to San Francisco then stay a few days in Tahoe. Then I'll ride home on "The Lonliest Highway" US 50 through NV and UT stopping in Salina, UT. Then I'll go through to Pueblo, CO and back to OKC. Does 500 miles a day on these highways sound reasonable (during daylight mostly)? What kind of weather should I expect in early April? Any musts along any of these routes?
You don't mention if you will have a companion, but be sure that the seat is also VERY comfortable.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,807
Likes: 33
From: TEXAS
Yeah 500 miles a day is doable, but like others have said it takes away from the fun part. I average about 50 to 55 mph on my long trips. The most recent was 740 miles, took 14 hours, average 53 mph. That is pretty much ride, buy gas, pee, eat, repeat. Lots of great stuff to see along that route, I just pretty much enjoy the western scenery. The weather in April through there is pretty benign, although it can and does get pretty cool at night in the desert so take warm stuff. Enjoy the trip.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,700
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From: down south
I did Little Rock, AR to Amarillo, TX back in July. I think it was around 600 miles and it was terrible. Next day was Amarillo, TX to Pueblo, CO and that was a perfect ride. It was around 320 miles. I just don't like doing those long days.
On the way back I pulled out of Dillon, CO and went to Sallisaw, OK. 850 miles! That day was killer buddy.........
On the way back I pulled out of Dillon, CO and went to Sallisaw, OK. 850 miles! That day was killer buddy.........
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,241
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From: Daytona, Fla.
Heh, heh, heh. Let us know how you do. 500 mile days are easy to do, & do-able for several days in a row. Last summer I did two trips with a couple of friends. They like 600 mile days. That means 75/80 mph, gas & go, little or no lunch, & you do your sightseeing from the saddle. You see a lot of country, but you get to know *nothing* about it.
When I wasn't with the friends I averaged between 200 & 400 a day depending on what I wanted to see/do.
On the same trips, when I wanted to get home & didn't want to see anymore of the countryside I did 700 & 800 mile days. I don't recommend 'em............
When I wasn't with the friends I averaged between 200 & 400 a day depending on what I wanted to see/do.
On the same trips, when I wanted to get home & didn't want to see anymore of the countryside I did 700 & 800 mile days. I don't recommend 'em............
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Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,484
Likes: 2
From: Sarasota, Florida
That's not the way to do Route 66. I would say about 200 miles a day would be better. It's about the ride, not getting there. If you stay on 66, you wouldn't be able to do 500 miles a day anyway becaus it cuts through small towns and the speed limit will be low. If you want to ride 500 miles a day, say hello to the superslab.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,189
Likes: 9
From: la grange, il (near chicago)
you can do the math yourself
if you average 55 mph not including stops, then its 9 hours
even if you average 70, its still 7+ hours
if you stop around every 160 miles, then you will have a min of 3 stops. which at 20 min apiece will add another hour
total at 55mph is now 10 hrs, at 90 its over 8
maybe add another 30 min for some lunch
so you are doing nothing other than riding, grabbing a bite to eat, and stopping for gas for like 8hr or 9hr and most probably closer to 10hr, 11hr, or 12hrs a day.
once you add in any additional stopping and you are reall pusing it. lets say 11 hours, 8 hr sleep time, we are at 19, an hour to get up and dressed and breakfast, 20 hrs, maybe an hour for dinner - 21. and those additional 3 hours might be enough for you to do the site seeing, additional stopping, having some down time, etc. but sounds kinda much.
i have done 900+ in two days, and stopped and camped overnight. but 2 diays is different than multiple, and the first day i did the first 200 in just over 3 hours, doing 70 on the interstate. left at 7am. so i had only 700 left for almost 2 days. so i did the next 350 in 8 hours or so. that is only averaging 50 mph with stops. pitched camp, made dinner and sat around the campfire with a couple of beers. the next day with 350 to go was a snap, including the site seeing.
the most i have done in one day was 675, and that was in wind and rain and back roads.
i would suggest doing more like 400 or 450 a day. then figure the trip to do a longer day, like 500, and then a shorter day, like 350. this will give you some down time and time to meander and enjoy the trip.
unless you just like to 'ride' and you get the enjoyment purely from being on the bike and going. whick is okay too.
if you average 55 mph not including stops, then its 9 hours
even if you average 70, its still 7+ hours
if you stop around every 160 miles, then you will have a min of 3 stops. which at 20 min apiece will add another hour
total at 55mph is now 10 hrs, at 90 its over 8
maybe add another 30 min for some lunch
so you are doing nothing other than riding, grabbing a bite to eat, and stopping for gas for like 8hr or 9hr and most probably closer to 10hr, 11hr, or 12hrs a day.
once you add in any additional stopping and you are reall pusing it. lets say 11 hours, 8 hr sleep time, we are at 19, an hour to get up and dressed and breakfast, 20 hrs, maybe an hour for dinner - 21. and those additional 3 hours might be enough for you to do the site seeing, additional stopping, having some down time, etc. but sounds kinda much.
i have done 900+ in two days, and stopped and camped overnight. but 2 diays is different than multiple, and the first day i did the first 200 in just over 3 hours, doing 70 on the interstate. left at 7am. so i had only 700 left for almost 2 days. so i did the next 350 in 8 hours or so. that is only averaging 50 mph with stops. pitched camp, made dinner and sat around the campfire with a couple of beers. the next day with 350 to go was a snap, including the site seeing.
the most i have done in one day was 675, and that was in wind and rain and back roads.
i would suggest doing more like 400 or 450 a day. then figure the trip to do a longer day, like 500, and then a shorter day, like 350. this will give you some down time and time to meander and enjoy the trip.
unless you just like to 'ride' and you get the enjoyment purely from being on the bike and going. whick is okay too.