Wanted to share my thoughts on the Rally Zone and Date changes. I don't mean it as an argument, just my thoughts and curious how these effect others. I am well aware that "you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time". And I am not against change or trying something new, that said there is also something to be said for an established consistency.
So here is how these changes effect me. Probably will not be in Tennessee in 2019. In the 4 zone rotation it worked out for me that I should be able to attend ever other year. I am not against riding the distance, but it is a numbers thing for me. Yes I can do hundreds of miles of slab a day (yuk). And I used to say if I didn't do 300 miles I didn't even feel like I took a ride, but I was younger then and rode more. So I find on a trip that 300 to 500 miles a day is what I do. And I like to seek out roads to ride along the way (normally not the Interstates but the fun stuff), I am not retired with unlimited funds. From the West Coast the old zone 1 and 2 generally gave me a location within a 3 to 4 day ride. Now I will have to wait and see 2020, the west coast zone and then skip two years and wait for 2023. If google gives me a route of 2400 miles, realistically that is 2600 miles, divided by (avg) 400... about an 7 to 8 day ride, x2 plus days at the rally. Two and a half weeks of my (and my family's) vacation time (I get around three weeks a year). Then cost, I figure and conservatively $200 a day on the road ( gas, food, hotel, ect). So, for me the longer trips become less affordable. Please don't get me wrong, if I had no limitations you could hold it anywhere and I would be excited about attending every year. To date my longest adventure was 7 weeks and could have kept going. That is just not my life now.
As for the date, I don't know. I like the consistency, and well summer is summer and hot is hot. I survived Salt Lake City and had a Great Time, but it was hot. There it helped to get out of the City and go for a day ride into the hills. Much cooler and hey that is what it is all about anyway. Sometimes I feel like those that complain about the heat in July, will still complain when ever it is. I do have kids in school that are not on break until the end of June, so not sure how the planning committee will feel about me taking off then?
Those are my thoughts. I wonder how the changes affect others? I personally Liked the 4 zone rotation. Worked well for me. Also if your going to change the zones why not back out the west in 2019 like it would have been had no changes been made. Maybe one year I can retire and ride without a care. Perhaps even help scout out Rally locations.
Sorry to be so wordy.
So here is how these changes effect me. Probably will not be in Tennessee in 2019. In the 4 zone rotation it worked out for me that I should be able to attend ever other year. I am not against riding the distance, but it is a numbers thing for me. Yes I can do hundreds of miles of slab a day (yuk). And I used to say if I didn't do 300 miles I didn't even feel like I took a ride, but I was younger then and rode more. So I find on a trip that 300 to 500 miles a day is what I do. And I like to seek out roads to ride along the way (normally not the Interstates but the fun stuff), I am not retired with unlimited funds. From the West Coast the old zone 1 and 2 generally gave me a location within a 3 to 4 day ride. Now I will have to wait and see 2020, the west coast zone and then skip two years and wait for 2023. If google gives me a route of 2400 miles, realistically that is 2600 miles, divided by (avg) 400... about an 7 to 8 day ride, x2 plus days at the rally. Two and a half weeks of my (and my family's) vacation time (I get around three weeks a year). Then cost, I figure and conservatively $200 a day on the road ( gas, food, hotel, ect). So, for me the longer trips become less affordable. Please don't get me wrong, if I had no limitations you could hold it anywhere and I would be excited about attending every year. To date my longest adventure was 7 weeks and could have kept going. That is just not my life now.
As for the date, I don't know. I like the consistency, and well summer is summer and hot is hot. I survived Salt Lake City and had a Great Time, but it was hot. There it helped to get out of the City and go for a day ride into the hills. Much cooler and hey that is what it is all about anyway. Sometimes I feel like those that complain about the heat in July, will still complain when ever it is. I do have kids in school that are not on break until the end of June, so not sure how the planning committee will feel about me taking off then?
Those are my thoughts. I wonder how the changes affect others? I personally Liked the 4 zone rotation. Worked well for me. Also if your going to change the zones why not back out the west in 2019 like it would have been had no changes been made. Maybe one year I can retire and ride without a care. Perhaps even help scout out Rally locations.
Sorry to be so wordy.
