2008 Gillette National - attending or not?

[mark1305]

I plan to be there, but as a single Dad, sometimes glitches pop up that CX trips.

In 2005 I rode the F 650 fro GA to OH for a Chain Gang Pre-MOA gathering but couldn't stay for Mid Ohio Vintage Days or the MOA Rally.

In 2008 I am organizing everything on my calendar towards riding up for the Rally and seeing lots of stuff on the way home.

 

[sheridesabeemer]

I plan to be there, but as a single Dad, sometimes glitches pop up that CX trips.

In 2005 I rode the F 650 fro GA to OH for a Chain Gang Pre-MOA gathering but couldn't stay for Mid Ohio Vintage Days or the MOA Rally.

In 2008 I am organizing everything on my calendar towards riding up for the Rally and seeing lots of stuff on the way home.

How old is the kid? Are you bringing the kid? Can you ship him/her ahead?

 

[R1100rtp]

How old is the kid? Are you bringing the kid? Can you ship him/her ahead?

Careful....he may not want to bring the "kid".....next thing you know "the kid" will want a bike

 

[beemokat]

Probably not in the time/money picture this year. But I'll hate to miss it.

 

[Shell4747]

Wyoming from Texas

I'm a maybe - headed up from my new home in the Austin area (routing advice welcome). I'm also thinking about the Paonia rally the following weekend. But it all depends on how much vacation time I can acumulate...

 

[nytrashman]

I'm a new member to BMWOA and would love to go to the rally. I'm still a new rider ( less than 4,000 miles in 2 years). I'm not sure the F650GS would be that comfortable doing 2 1/2 days trip of 500 miles per day from Ohio. If I go it would be nice to have a company during the trip. I will be camping if I go. And I'd like to avoid I-80.

i'll be riding my F650GS from NY to Wyoming. not sure of my exact route yet but if your going and want to hook up along the way let me know.

 

[DarthWader]

I've attended the last three national rallies and would really like to go. However, I'm concerned about the travel time riding to and from my home in Virginia. Since my part-time job allows me to be off the month of July, I'm seriously considering renting a bike and returning to Austria to ride in the Alps. This time, my plan would be to do it on my own for I'm comfortable with the language. Honestly, this is a hard decision for I've never seen the West up close and personal.

I just would like to say here that I'm proud to be an MOA member and feel that I derive more from membership than I could ever possibly give. I know also that those who are in leadership positions put in countless hours for us and I appreciate their efforts.

Jim

 

[SilverRT]

Attending (my second)

I'm leaving the prior week (9th) and will make the rally by way of several national parks (Glacier, Banff, Yellowstone, Tetons plus a few lesser known ones). I'm still maping out my complete trip but would be glade to ride with anyone planning to return east after the rally. The complete ride is shapping up to be in the 5,000 to 6,000 miles range.

 

[nytrashman]

not sure if this is the right place for this but here goes: i just googled the past years temps in Gillette and found it is in the upper 80's in the day, upper 50's at night with very little/no rain. should i bring my mesh riding gear w/ the thermal liners as well as my rain gear or should i bring my non mesh gear, leave the thermal liners home but bring my rain gear? my non mesh jacket (olympia voyager) does have some venting but the pants (olympia ranger II) have no venting. i do not have the room to bring both sets of riding gear as well as one set of liners. i will be spending 3 days (give or take a little) on the slab (want to try to do 50% slab/50% secondary roads but not sure i will have the time) to get to Gillette. i think riding the slab in hot weather in mesh gear would dehydrate me more then the same ride in non mesh gear, correct? i have never made a trip like this before (1800 + miles each way) so i want to make sure i make the right choice in what riding gear i bring.

 

[pglaves]

not sure if this is the right place for this but here goes: i just googled the past years temps in Gillette and found it is in the upper 80's in the day, upper 50's at night with very little/no rain. should i bring my mesh riding gear w/ the thermal liners as well as my rain gear or should i bring my non mesh gear, leave the thermal liners home but bring my rain gear? my non mesh jacket (olympia voyager) does have some venting but the pants (olympia ranger II) have no venting. i do not have the room to bring both sets of riding gear as well as one set of liners. i will be spending 3 days (give or take a little) on the slab (want to try to do 50% slab/50% secondary roads but not sure i will have the time) to get to Gillette. i think riding the slab in hot weather in mesh gear would dehydrate me more then the same ride in non mesh gear, correct? i have never made a trip like this before (1800 + miles each way) so i want to make sure i make the right choice in what riding gear i bring.

The main issue is the temperature range you will encounter between NY and WY. July is notorious for possible hot weather across the midwest and the plains. It is a complete guess but I would be prepared to ride in daytime highs of 100 and evening lows of 50. If you plan to ride in the Black Hills, or further west in the Bighorn Mountains the low temps might be lower than that.

That said - I would bring the non-mesh gear. Rain stuff of course. The best of all worlds would be the non-mesh gear plus the mesh pants. When we travel I bring my Roadcrafter 2 piece suit and my First Gear mesh pants. So other than what I am wearing I just have the extra pants to pack.

 

[nytrashman]

bringing the mesh pants is a very good idea. they will not take up much room and in the event i will be riding in 100 degree temps will make a big difference in my comfort. with taking my non mesh gear i guess i would be ok leaving the liners home, but the rain gear will be coming along for sure.

 

[bikerfish1100]

not sure if this is the right place for this but here goes: i just googled the past years temps in Gillette and found it is in the upper 80's in the day, upper 50's at night with very little/no rain. should i bring my mesh riding gear w/ the thermal liners as well as my rain gear or should i bring my non mesh gear, leave the thermal liners home but bring my rain gear? my non mesh jacket (olympia voyager) does have some venting but the pants (olympia ranger II) have no venting. i do not have the room to bring both sets of riding gear as well as one set of liners. i will be spending 3 days (give or take a little) on the slab (want to try to do 50% slab/50% secondary roads but not sure i will have the time) to get to Gillette. i think riding the slab in hot weather in mesh gear would dehydrate me more then the same ride in non mesh gear, correct? i have never made a trip like this before (1800 + miles each way) so i want to make sure i make the right choice in what riding gear i bring.

you'll have to decide for yourself- but anytime i go touring in the summer, i bring a 3 season Cordura vented jacket (Belstaff or Teknics for me, but what ya got is what will do), a Ballistic mesh jacket and removable liner (happens to be Teknic this year, Joe Rocket in year's past), armored vented pants (lately a pr of JR Alter Ego pants). The jacket liner can double as a lightweight camp jacket. in the hot stretches, I use a JR hydration liner under the mesh- lasts for about an hour in the dry heat of Utah/AZ/CO, maybe 2 or 3 hrs in the swamps of the midwest.
YCMV- your comfort may vary
enjoy the big ride. any mistakes in planning that you discover along the way can generally be readily corrected- they have stores that sell stuff in most towns you'll come across.

 

[HODAG]

what does "cowboy up" mean?

 

[redclfco]

Tough it up, buck up, shut up and get back at it.

Quit yer damn whining, and do the right thing!

All the above is the jist of the saying

"Cowboy Up"

 

[HODAG]

well then...
charging station will be "cowboy kinda hanging around"
kinda

 

[redclfco]

Sounds like you got it all under control then...

Cowboys hanging around to help me charge my phone will be just what I expected with the GREAT western hospitality out there, um...out there west...

 

[crispy]

lets go already...

yes yes me chaci and hopefully our frien ''the gipsy''we gointo ride from new england area land of nfl CHAMPIONS...

 

[mrbreeze]

The main issue is the temperature range you will encounter between NY and WY. July is notorious for possible hot weather across the midwest and the plains. It is a complete guess but I would be prepared to ride in daytime highs of 100 and evening lows of 50. If you plan to ride in the Black Hills, or further west in the Bighorn Mountains the low temps might be lower than that.

That said - I would bring the non-mesh gear. Rain stuff of course. The best of all worlds would be the non-mesh gear plus the mesh pants. When we travel I bring my Roadcrafter 2 piece suit and my First Gear mesh pants. So other than what I am wearing I just have the extra pants to pack.

It kinda makes ya miss the days of riding in army field jackets and blue jeans, don't it?

 

[redclfco]

It kinda makes ya miss the days of riding in army field jackets and blue jeans, don't it?

yes, but I just got my boxers in a bunch worried about what t shirts to bring, several pastels or should I stay more brown and grey-black ?subtle

 

[judjones]

If forced to choose, I would leave the mesh jacket at home. They are great for tooling around on a hot day, but on a long trip, you are right, you get dehydrated very easily. Don't leave the liners at home. In the Black Hills and the Big Horns you can get hail in July that looks just like snow once it's a few inches deep on the road, and it is just as cold.