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I just caught myself.....

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dualsportvet

dualsportvet

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Joined
Apr 15, 2013
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Location
Beeville
First Name
Bryan
Last Name
Hughes
Sitting at work, looking out the window on the 8th floor downtown Austin listening to George Strait's Run and day dreaming about a long ride somewhere in the middle of nowhere! It's been over a year now since my last long ride. Way too long. I wonder how long I was spaced out lol?
 
The important thing is you got paid. I am sitting here on my last Monday ever at work before I retire on Thursday. I am listening to music and playing on the internet. Life is good, sir. I may be about to take my first long motorcycle trip soon.
 
One reason I don't like to sit by the windows. It reminds me that I could be out riding instead of working. Sigh...
 
OldTLSDoug said:
The important thing is you got paid. I am sitting here on my last Monday ever at work before I retire on Thursday. I am listening to music and playing on the internet. Life is good, sir. I may be about to take my first long motorcycle trip soon.
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:clap::clap::clap:

NICE! Well happy retirement. I've got about 10 yrs left before I hit my rule of 80. Once that's done, I'M OUT! I don't care if I have to file chapter 7 to do it. Between riding and fishing, I've got too many miles to ride and waters to see to work all my life.

Dainget, now I'm day dreaming again lol.
 
Only every day for me... even when it is raining...

I have three BIG windows right in front of me looking out into the woods. I have to keep the mini blinds closed most of the time so I can get things done :doh:
 
You know, when people say "I know you're retiring, but could you...", I get a little giddy. It is like I am now after almost 36 yrs a protected species. Looks like a great idea, I should have done it in March.
 
dualsportvet said:
Sitting at work, looking out the window on the 8th floor downtown Austin listening to George Strait's Run and day dreaming about a long ride somewhere in the middle of nowhere! It's been over a year now since my last long ride. Way too long. I wonder how long I was spaced out lol?
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Where were you thinking?:rider:
 
I used to be smart, then I jumped straight to old. I am getting the road at the house fixed starting tomorrow, can't wait, it is only slightly rougher than the dirt road Mitch and I rode down the other day.
 
Jarrett said:
How long is a long ride?
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Depends on if you are talking about a single day ride or a trip.

I would say a long day ride is anything over 400 miles a day. Iron Butt folks would laugh at that, but they are an extreme minority. In the years that I have planned tours, rallies, and personal trips with friends, I have found that most people view anything over 300 miles in a single day as a long ride. Around 250 miles is where I start noticing people getting lazy/sloppy with their riding if they are not used to doing several hundred miles in a single day.

As for a long ride referring to a trip...? Well, that is going to vary wildly. For me, anything over 6-7 straight days of riding is long, but that is just because I cannot get more time off in a single stretch. I have LONG envied those people that have been able to just take off on a ride of indefinite time and ride until they get tired of if...
 
Tourmeister said:
I would say a long day ride is anything over 400 miles a day. Iron Butt folks would laugh at that, but they are an extreme minority. In the years that I have planned tours, rallies, and personal trips with friends, I have found that most people view anything over 300 miles in a single day as a long ride. Around 250 miles is where I start noticing people getting lazy/sloppy with their riding if they are not used to doing several hundred miles in a single day.
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So...what do they do after lunch then? :rofl:

I was going to say after breakfast, but my last ride was 220 miles for breakfast so not quite far enough for that. :D
 
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For me and my choice of bike 250 is the sweet spot.

I've done 350-400 mile days. But that last couple hours aren't as enjoyable


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Jarrett said:
How long is a long ride?
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Long enough that you're ready to stop....

It also depends on what it is and what you are riding it on every bit as much as how far it is.

I did a section of singletrack in Colorado on my KTM 450 that was only about 30 miles but it took about 5 hours and we were exhausted. That was a really long ride.

I rode home from Thermopolis, Wyoming to Arlington a couple years ago on my Goldwing. It was about 1200 miles or so... and that seemed to be a full day's ride, but not even close to that 30 miles in Colorado.

In general, I like about 300-400 a day in the Twisties, 150-250 a day on street /dirt mixed, around 100 on pure dirt, under 50 on challenging dirt and under 1000 on highway.

So....maybe the simple answer is...."It depends."
 
Jarrett said:
How long is a long ride?
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My last long ride, and longest to date was last year when I rode out to Terlingua. 9.5 (stopped for lunch and gas) hrs and 512 miles. Probably the single most relaxing time I've ever had, with maybe the exception of the day sailing around St. Kitts in 95.

When I went to Terlingua, it's like after I left Junction, life stopped. At that point it was just me and the road.

I thought I would take the week off to think about life in general and my future, but it's like once I hit the road, all I could think about was the ride. It blocked everything else out. After my trip it dawned on me how relaxing it is when you don't have to think about those things.

Don't get me wrong, life is good right now. But I'm longing for a road trip. I've never been to Colorado??????:trust:

But I've never been to the Keys either!:sun:
 
Also note, the stock AT seat isn't that big of a deal after about 6 hrs of riding. It's not that is comfortable after 6 hrs, but more because after 5 hrs you can't feel anything lol.
 
Good stuff. Wondering about making the 400 mile ride up to Eureka Springs in a couple of weeks and its got me thinking about distance.

I think 318 miles is the longest I've done so far, but that was in 95+ degree heat and it kinda sucked.
 
Jarrett said:
Good stuff. Wondering about making the 400 mile ride up to Eureka Springs in a couple of weeks and its got me thinking about distance.

I think 318 miles is the longest I've done so far, but that was in 95+ degree heat and it kinda sucked.
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My trip to Terlingua was July 1st 2017. It was 100 here and 114 there! Honestly, I think 450 to 500 a day would be good.
 
Jarrett said:
Good stuff. Wondering about making the 400 mile ride up to Eureka Springs in a couple of weeks and its got me thinking about distance.

I think 318 miles is the longest I've done so far, but that was in 95+ degree heat and it kinda sucked.
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Whether you need to or not, stop every 100 miles. Get off the bike, even if all you do is walk around it four or five times. Do a few deep squats, get back on the bike and go. It might take you all of five minutes if you do it REAL slow. Stay hydrated. Seriously, just do it, even if it is not hot. I have found that doing both of these things will make a HUGE difference in how you feel along the way and especially at the end of the day.

Nowadays, I might start the day with a few ibuprofen, half dose at lunch, full dose with dinner. That is usually something I do if I am doing hard riding multiple days in a row. A hot tub in the evening helps too ;-)
 
Tourmeister said:
Whether you need to or not, stop every 100 miles. Get off the bike, even if all you do is walk around it four or five times. Do a few deep squats, get back on the bike and go. It might take you all of five minutes if you do it REAL slow. Stay hydrated. Seriously, just do it, even if it is not hot. I have found that doing both of these things will make a HUGE difference in how you feel along the way and especially at the end of the day.

Nowadays, I might start the day with a few ibuprofen, half dose at lunch, full dose with dinner. That is usually something I do if I am doing hard riding multiple days in a row. A hot tub in the evening helps too ;-)
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Interesting.

When I was regularly doing bicycle touring a long day was 100 miles. With a loaded down touring bike, that was 8-10 hours in the saddle pedaling. We'd usually stop for lunch and a water or picture break here or there, but otherwise we were pedaling the whole time. Then more of the same the next day and the next and the next...

When we'd do Hotter Than **** in Wichita Falls, it was 100 miles on a racing bike as fast as you can with little to no stops. Some guys did it in 4 hours, I never got that fast. My best was a little under 6 hours. If you stopped, it was just to pee and refill your bottles, then back to the grind.
 
All,

Very interesting thread. A long day for me is maybe 200 miles, on the Guzzi. At age 64, my body fatigues: especially one back muscle, and hands. Summer heat and humidity definitely limit my range. Yes, I am retired, and have yet to go on a really "long" ride. I have the camping gear, etc: unopened.

I am not much of a long distance car driver anymore, either. Time was I would drive from Golden, CO to San Francisco and spend one night somewhere in NV. Not these days.

The new MV Brutale: one downside: the throttle spring is pretty stiff to keep the ride by wire/very powerful engine smooth at lower speeds. Hence, a muscle in my right hand has cramped terribly. No answers there except hoping my muscles adapt. Ibuprofen can help. Given that, last ride on the MV, last Sunday: it was actually cooler/dryer here in Houston, and we filled the tank on the way home from church, and piled on another 100 miles.

Safety is one of my concerns with long trips. To get home: inevitable drag through freeway dense traffic, trucks and construction around Sugar Land.
 
Jarrett said:
Interesting.

When I was regularly doing bicycle touring a long day was 100 miles. With a loaded down touring bike, that was 8-10 hours in the saddle pedaling. We'd usually stop for lunch and a water or picture break here or there, but otherwise we were pedaling the whole time. Then more of the same the next day and the next and the next...

When we'd do Hotter Than **** in Wichita Falls, it was 100 miles on a racing bike as fast as you can with little to no stops. Some guys did it in 4 hours, I never got that fast. My best was a little under 6 hours. If you stopped, it was just to pee and refill your bottles, then back to the grind.
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I think the big difference is circulation. Riding a bicycle keeps your circulation in your legs going. Don't know about the but though. I know when I use to ride mountain bikes, we'd ride for hours. Usually, the only stops were at the end of the trails or the occasional accidental offs :doh:. But even then, my but could feel it.

On the bike, you just sit. I know now they say even in a car you should stop every hr or so and walk around. Even on a plane ride.
 
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