100 degree rallys....NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!

I will begin with that admission that I am in fact a Geezer and will turn 66 in August. My first National was in '99 near Saratoga NY and the weather was perfect. Temps were in the mid 80s to perhaps the low 90's with the 80's most of the time. This was entirely tolerable weather and if you were in even reasonable health, you could enjoy the whole thing. I went to the rally in Bloomsburg, PA a few years back. 105 DEGREES!!! Ended up in the hospital overnight. If indeed there are rallys anywhere wherein the temps are going into the high 90s and beyond, it's just not happening for me. As of this writing, I will be looking for cooler spots. I'll ride the hot areas in the spring and fall Thank You, but spending time in the hospital is not my idea of an acceptable temperature.

Just getting old, I guess

3hawks

I'm leaving in a little over a week from now to go down to Utah and ride through the national parks there. The temperatures at times will be at or above that 94F threshold where you change your strategy on how you control your body heat. The heat has been my biggest planning concern.

Chris

Hydration is key in surviving the heat. I live in S. Fl and was a fishing captain for many years so I have dealt with heat stroke and exhaustion more than I care. This is mostly due to
customers boozing it up and drinking sodas all day long. Water is your best bet, as is V8 Tomato juice or similar. I found that pickle juice works well and when I ride my MTB or road bike I always
cary some on me for the longer rides. Banana's and (pea)nuts are another healthy option to bring the potassium levels back up.
I have found that a good cooling vest helps a lot in keeping your body temp down as well as those cooling neck ties. They work best in less humid climates however... YMMV

Finding a decent site has got to be the most thankless task on the planet! There are so many different and often conflicting conditions to meet. Shaded camping as well as hundreds of available hotel rooms. Plenty of RV spaces. Power, and air conditioned buildings. Availability of entertainment. Space inside for seminars. No conflicts with other major events in the area. Weather is a biggie. A couple years ago I was in the "move it earlier in the year when temps are more reasonable" camp. But as I monitored various parts of the country in the May/June timeframe I noticed how unpredictable the huge and often destructive storms were, and how they might block hundreds of riders from various regions from safely reaching the site. Autumn looks better, and I personally can't imagine a school taking issue with a youngster missing a week of class and perhaps doing a report on the experience upon his or her return.

But after reading several borderline venomous posts on the topic over the years I'll not be raising my hand to participate in the site selection process. The best advice I have on the topic is that we don't have to attend every single rally. Having pins or patches covering a thirty year span in not some sort of litmus test of adulthood. I hope to make it to SLC this year with my service dog, but despite having paid for our tickets (Tulliver has his own MOA card so it's only fair that he pay his way), if the heat is too much for him we'll be turning south somewhere around Craig CO and heading for the coolness of the higher altitudes...or giving up on the scenery and transiting in the coolness of the night.

It's going to be hot nearly anywhere in July. The saving grace for SLC is the mountains only minutes away.

That's what I tell the turkey in November.

Voni said:

Besides, it's a DRY heat

Voni
sMiling

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I read that and had a memory flash in front of my eyes. I went on a mission trip to Tanzania a couple years ago. Our first layover was in Amsterdam. The flight from Seattle was nice and comfortable. The plane wasn't packed at all, so we could stretch out. When I went to board the plane for the leg from Amsterdam to Nairobi, the wave of heat inside the plane's cabin hit me like a brick wall. It must've been 85F or hotter in there. The other thing that hit me, was the smell. Smell of people who didn't know what deodorant was and the smell of people who used their left hands as toilet paper. The cabin was packed and the seats narrow...and none were empty. I sat there in the seat and just said to myself, "Embrace the sweat. Embrace the sweat." Sometimes that's all you can do.

We'd get back to our rooms late at night, and I'd take a shower before hitting the sack. It was a cold shower with the water temperature only at whatever the sun had heated it to during the day. Before I could finish drying myself off, I was already sweating.

If I can survive that, I can probably survive most anything.

Chris

Slc

daboo said:

I'm leaving in a little over a week from now to go down to Utah and ride through the national parks there. The temperatures at times will be at or above that 94F threshold where you change your strategy on how you control your body heat. The heat has been my biggest planning concern.

Chris

Click to expand...

I am hoping to go to SLC rally. Hopefully will see you there. I have a '07 F800st [gray] with graphics and Givi saddlebags. good luck, the Lord be with you.

As a three year old little girl, in our family, sang recently " Let It Go, Let It Go......", she sang as she stood smiling, arms in the air. From the mouths of babes, eh? Looking forward to SLC. - Bob

mouth of little ones!

EUGENE said:

I am hoping to go to SLC rally. Hopefully will see you there. I have a '07 F800st [gray] with graphics and Givi saddlebags. good luck, the Lord be with you.

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I agonized over this one. I'm going on a two week trip to see the national parks in the area. Coming back long enough to mow the lawn and then set out to Spearfish SD for the annual gathering of ST1300 and NT700V owners. And then my kids fly in later in July. If I include SLC in the itinerary, I'll have about two days before the kids fly in.

I've been married 42 years, going on 43. If I want to make it longer, I think I'd better skip SLC.

I do want to take a trip in mid-September down the Washington/Oregon/California coast. Maybe we can meet then???

Chris

daboo said:

I agonized over this one. I'm going on a two week trip to see the national parks in the area. Coming back long enough to mow the lawn and then set out to Spearfish SD for the annual gathering of ST1300 and NT700V owners. And then my kids fly in later in July. If I include SLC in the itinerary, I'll have about two days before the kids fly in.

I've been married 42 years, going on 43. If I want to make it longer, I think I'd better skip SLC.

I do want to take a trip in mid-September down the Washington/Oregon/California coast. Maybe we can meet then???

Chris

Click to expand...

Just curious. How many attendees do they get for the ST owners "gathering"? Is that the same group as the Honda Sport Touring club?

RIDERR1150GSADV said:

Hydration is key in surviving the heat. I live in S. Fl and was a fishing captain for many years so I have dealt with heat stroke and exhaustion more than I care. This is mostly due to
customers boozing it up and drinking sodas all day long. Water is your best bet, as is V8 Tomato juice or similar. I found that pickle juice works well and when I ride my MTB or road bike I always
cary some on me for the longer rides. Banana's and (pea)nuts are another healthy option to bring the potassium levels back up.
I have found that a good cooling vest helps a lot in keeping your body temp down as well as those cooling neck ties. They work best in less humid climates however... YMMV

Click to expand...

Great advice. For those who's systems are still able to tolerate the higher temperatures, there are very real and specific measures that need to be taken to ensure safety. When I was in my 20's I could manage several back-to-back days in 100F+, but that was because I had enough physical reserve to adjust to my lack of preperation. As the average age of MOA members and Rally attendees climbs, so does the need to adjust and adapt to increased demands. For some, their health is going to be a limiting factor and that is a real shame, but a stark reality.

glenfiddich said:

Finding a decent site has got to be the most thankless task on the planet! There are so many different and often conflicting conditions to meet. Shaded camping as well as hundreds of available hotel rooms. Plenty of RV spaces. Power, and air conditioned buildings. Availability of entertainment. Space inside for seminars. No conflicts with other major events in the area. Weather is a biggie. A couple years ago I was in the "move it earlier in the year when temps are more reasonable" camp. But as I monitored various parts of the country in the May/June timeframe I noticed how unpredictable the huge and often destructive storms were, and how they might block hundreds of riders from various regions from safely reaching the site...

Click to expand...

I had come to the same conclusions when going over those very same deliberations myself.

The only alternative locations that would address the temperature issues in July - holding the Rally farther north, in Canada, creates different issues that are just as problematic, but not temperature related, more logistical issues that are real and difficult to resolve.

glenfiddich said:

... Autumn looks better, and I personally can't imagine a school taking issue with a youngster missing a week of class and perhaps doing a report on the experience upon his or her return...

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Autumn brings on significant storm risks as well that not only make it dangerous for attendees on their travels but can put Rally sites at risk of nature's fury. I spent about a decade driving the Eastern Seaboard and and Central US several times during the spring and fall and had some significant near misses even with keeping a watchful eye on the weather and being able to adjust my timing slightly. With a rally having to set it's date and location at least 1-year in advance there becomes a real need to avoid those seasons as much as possible. As a boater, I've become even more aware of this as it is often a waiting game to get the boat into the water after the spring storms and high-wind risks pass and get it out of the water before the autumn storms and high-wind risks start. Last year I was away when we normally would get the boat out in September and had to wait until the 3rd week of September which meant that I needed to lash mooring lines to both sides of the boat and walk away and leave it until the high-winds passed. It was too dangerous to move the boat as the wind would over-power and completely control the boat, and it was too difficult to watch the boat being tossed around by the surge. Riding a bike in that would have been very difficult.

That sort of left me looking at June and August (the hottest month), but I then realized that many riders plan their season around the Rally to some degree and either take 1-3 weeks+ before or after the Rally for their riding adventurers (especially those who are retired). It is amazing the nuber who are already on the road now and will be including SLC in their travels.

glenfiddich said:

... But after reading several borderline venomous posts on the topic over the years I'll not be raising my hand to participate in the site selection process. The best advice I have on the topic is that we don't have to attend every single rally. Having pins or patches covering a thirty year span in not some sort of litmus test of adulthood. I hope to make it to SLC this year with my service dog, but despite having paid for our tickets (Tulliver has his own MOA card so it's only fair that he pay his way), if the heat is too much for him we'll be turning south somewhere around Craig CO and heading for the coolness of the higher altitudes...or giving up on the scenery and transiting in the coolness of the night.

Click to expand...

I think this is something everyone has to recognize, we all need to make our own decisions and be flexible enough to let adjust those decisions if conditions warrant. Hopefully, if we're lucky and vigilant, that will keep us out of a mjor natural conditions risk and out of the hospital.

Ride safe and aware.

Coming from a region where winters dominate the year and hot summer days are rare and fleeting, I'm kind of looking forward to a nice hot summer rally.

daboo said:

I agonized over this one. I'm going on a two week trip to see the national parks in the area. Coming back long enough to mow the lawn and then set out to Spearfish SD for the annual gathering of ST1300 and NT700V owners. And then my kids fly in later in July. If I include SLC in the itinerary, I'll have about two days before the kids fly in.

I've been married 42 years, going on 43. If I want to make it longer, I think I'd better skip SLC.

I do want to take a trip in mid-September down the Washington/Oregon/California coast. Maybe we can meet then???

Chris

Click to expand...

This year will be 42nd for us.

EUGENE said:

I am hoping to go to SLC rally. Hopefully will see you there. I have a '07 F800st [gray] with graphics and Givi saddlebags. good luck, the Lord be with you.

Click to expand...

Change of plans! I had the wrong dates for when my daughters would be in town, so I am going to SLC!

I'll send you a PM.

Chris

36654 said:

Just curious. How many attendees do they get for the ST owners "gathering"? Is that the same group as the Honda Sport Touring club?

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I'm not sure on this, so don't quote me on it. The "Honda Sport Touring" club, seems to have evolved into the Sport Touring forum. http://www.sport-touring.net They do have their rallies. This rally for the ST owners, is for Honda ST1300 and Honda NT700V owners, although anyone can come on anything that will get them there. One guy showed up on a Can-Am one year. I've never been to it before. Work and family vacation schedules always got in the way. So even though I've sold the NT700V, I plan to be there just to meet some of these people I've formed a relationship with in person. I think they get 30+ ST1300 owners there and about 15-20 NT700V owners at the rally. I'll take pictures and let you know.

Chris

Hydration and listening to Noel Coward’s advice that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the heat of the midday sun. I do my best to break up my riding day in a very different way than I would in spring and fall. Up early and on the road right away. Breakfast is a stop down the road. I push to a late lunch and find shelter for the heat of the midday sun. I will push off when I feel I can or want to handle the heat. Taking advantage of the late summer sun I will stay on the road a bit later in the day than I would in other seasons and end the day with a late light dinner. Manage your fluids intake and when you are on the road and you can deal with heat.

will3hawks said:

I will begin with that admission that I am in fact a Geezer

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Hey! Watch it with that Geezer stuff!