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Rally 2014 a Bust?

Well I'm gonna tell you all what...the next several days in Bloomington, IL will have night time lows of -6 to -11 with no warm up in the next 7+ days. I'm ready for WARM!

I ran against Bloomington in track my senior year of high school... 1985 Paxton high school.
 
Odd, but in twenty-some years of MOA membership and lots of rallies I can't remember anyone ever complaining about it being COLD, but it seems like no matter where the rally is sited there's gonna be some bitchin' 'bout the HEAT. It's July, what do people expect??

Those people should get a list of available hotels with air conditioners within a 50 mile riding distance... Problem solved.
 
I kind of amazed that the 2015 Rally is such a big deal: When the 2014 is months away? I guess the 2014 is going to be a bust because in the the 'Midwest' and who the the heck wants one there?
Okay I am being cynical. I just feel at that time a notice of the location, not days of main feature on home page.

Hey, Tom:stick


Mind changing your Title to Rally 2014 OR Bust?? :laugh I understand your concern, and appreciate it...but everytime I go to the forum, I see this. Appreciate that you're being cynical, and thanks for speaking up, and helping make the change. There's a lot of folks workin' hard to make sure it's NOT a bust.:laugh

If you feel that way when it's over, by all means start it again. :thumb
 
I have been to every MOA National Rally since Missoula '84 except Moodus '93 when I changed jobs about 2 weeks before the rally and had Zero vacation. Voni however did make Moodus so has been to every one since '84. I think that is 30 in a row. For the first 20 or so of those we had jobs and kids, and house payments and all of that but still managed to see our friends at the National rally. But we didn't have a garden to take care of, or HD TV to watch.

We will be at St. Paul - the first truly major-metropolitan urban MOA rally ever.
And we will be at Billings in 2015, barring the unforseen.

As for Billings, we have travelled through, and camped at, Billings in the summer on several occasions. It is and will be a pleasant place for a rally.

I have concluded the north, south, east, west, region 1, 2, 3, 4 or whatever is actually meaningless. When it comes to rally sites I have only one questions - is it above 3,000 ft. MSL?
 
I ran against Bloomington in track my senior year of high school... 1985 Paxton high school.

Two of my sisters live in Bloomington Ill. Coldest ride to date for me was leaving from St. Louie, in 30 degree weather to ride up for a quick lunch with them....... It was supposed to get warmer during the day, but never did, and I didn't dress correctly for even the morning start.... Got to just before Springfield and needed gas, so stopped at a filling station and tried to drink a cup of coffee after filling up. Was shaking sooooo bad that I spilled most of the coffee all over my hand from the shakes....:) Had a great time!:groovy
 
Okay, Paul, I give up. Why does the altitude of the site make a difference to you? 3,000 MSL does not seem like much, hardly noticeable to most folks.

Because most of the hot swampy parts of the country are below 3K MSL, and at and above 3K MSL you are at a location that generally cools off considerably as soon as the Sun goes down.
 
Because most of the hot swampy parts of the country are below 3K MSL, and at and above 3K MSL you are at a location that generally cools off considerably as soon as the Sun goes down.

All pilots know that the "normal" temperature change is 2 degrees C or 3.5 degrees F per thousand feet of altitude change. That is why you take a jacket liner to go over that 12,000 ft mountain pass in Colorado in July.:thumb
 
A few thoughts.

Interesting choice of the two upcoming locations, as my significant other spent a few years of her childhood in Billings then her family moved to St. Paul. I've never been to either city (or either state for that matter, except for the inside of the MSP airport). I sure do hope that I can make it to at least one of them.

I don't think that the Billings Chamber jumped the gun, although I'd appreciate it if somebody in-the-know would correct me if I'm wrong. I saw the announcement on the MOA site home page at least a day before I saw somebody post it on the MOA's Facebook page.

Hot or cold...I'm one of those crazy idiots who think that it wouldn't be such a bad idea if we weren't so orthodox about always having the damn thing in July. We don't have to change it every year, just some years in order to open-up some locations that would be downright inhospitable in the summer. I think that Lima was the hottest of the four that I've been to. I lived in TexSux at the time, so when I griped about the heat people said to me, "but you're in your element, right?" Wrong. I never spent 96+ straight hours outdoors in the heat, in fact I tried to spend as much of the summertime in the aircon as possible when I lived there. But I'm not bitching; Lima was my first International Rally and despite the heat I had a real and true blast.
Two years later in West Bend I actually was cold the first night. I was expecting heat again (it had been rather hot the previous few days I'd spent seeing southern Wiscowsin) so I didn't bring more than a sleeping-pad and a Coolmax cocoon. I shivered all night and the first thing I did that first morning was ride down to the big outdoor-store I'd heard about a couple of exits to the south and bought myself a fleece lounging-pouch sort of thing (since I didn't have room to pack a full-on sleeping bag back home). It proved to be just right for the remaining nights. I look back on this with a giggle.
 
First National Rally

This will be my first National Rally Im really looking forward to riding to St. Paul Minnesota, and Im really excited with the 2015 Rally In Billings Montana being announced early it gives me plenty of time to prepare at work and make arrangements for the trip in 2015! I cant wait!:clap
 
As another posting said............Billings can be HOT. I remember back in 1998, after the Missoula Rally........Billings to Sheridan on I-90........toasty. Like the inside of a patio grill with the dial set on high. Sorta kinda like Bloomsburg. However, prior to the Missoula rally, I spent a few delightful days in St. Paul........the weather was great.

So, enjoy the rally in St. Paul, if you can go. Similarly, do the same the the following year.

I think it was 1995 I was touring Montana in early June and every time the elevation rose a bit I was in heavy snowfall. When I stopped for lunch, I remarked to the counter waitress that I left my heavy jacket back at the hotel since it was so warm and bright sunshine that morning when I left, and my being from New Jersey, snow was one of the last things on my mind.

She said it was a good thing I wasn't there in 1991. I asked why, she said: "Because it snowed for 14 months straight!"
So even if its the rally in July, I guess plan on a WIDE range of possible temperatures!
 
This will be my first National Rally Im really looking forward to riding to St. Paul Minnesota, and Im really excited with the 2015 Rally In Billings Montana being announced early it gives me plenty of time to prepare at work and make arrangements for the trip in 2015! I cant wait!:clap

DogMoon, I see your from Pacific.... I'm just a little south of your area in DeSoto MO... I managed to make my first rally 2 years ago when it was in Sedalia, and got bit by the rally bug..... Made it all the way out to Salem last year, and plan on St. Paul this year. If you are going for the whole experience, I'd suggest volunteering for of the many activities that needs help to put on the rally. Helps to meet people, if you are riding up by yourself. I plan on leaving a week earlier than than the rally and doing some exploring their TMAT adventure trails before arriving at the sight.....

BTW, Gateway has a tire tech session going on next weekend at 11:00 and 1:00 if your interested in any of the tech sessions that they offer. Good information available at the sessions and a chance to meet other like minded riders.....
 
Tech session and rally

DogMoon, I see your from Pacific.... I'm just a little south of your area in DeSoto MO... I managed to make my first rally 2 years ago when it was in Sedalia, and got bit by the rally bug..... Made it all the way out to Salem last year, and plan on St. Paul this year. If you are going for the whole experience, I'd suggest volunteering for of the many activities that needs help to put on the rally. Helps to meet people, if you are riding up by yourself. I plan on leaving a week earlier than than the rally and doing some exploring their TMAT adventure trails before arriving at the sight.....

BTW, Gateway has a tire tech session going on next weekend at 11:00 and 1:00 if your interested in any of the tech sessions that they offer. Good information available at the sessions and a chance to meet other like minded riders.....

Thanks weschmann I will be at Gateway this weekend for the tire tech session my time will be limited on riding to the rally this year as I only have five days, next year is a different story I have a full two weeks and plan on making the best of it thanks! Hope to see you Saturday.
 
For all my fellow BMW riders who I hope to see at the various rallies this year, remember this winter's weather before complaining about the temps at the rally.
 
Thanks weschmann I will be at Gateway this weekend for the tire tech session my time will be limited on riding to the rally this year as I only have five days, next year is a different story I have a full two weeks and plan on making the best of it thanks! Hope to see you Saturday.

DM, sorry I missed you at the tech session. I hope you enjoyed the info on tires. I think gateway has a spring event coming up in May, so I might see you there....!
 
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