I do need to post up for it. I'll take some pics and figure out the hosting to post deal. Been needing to do that forever now anyway.
I do need to post up for it. I'll take some pics and figure out the hosting to post deal. Been needing to do that forever now anyway.
Long in state? And trailer?
Sissys.
You guys could always come out here to reno and see what its like to take a ride around tahoe. You wouldn't be disappointed.
Tenatively looking at a window of June 1 thru June 15th for the 2015 Spine and July 1 thru July 15th for the 2015 Black Hills trip.
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
In state no trailer.
Spine probly yeah.
Sounds like it's to hot down there during July though. I've never really rode in really hot temps. A lil bit here coming home from riding in the mountains and once back in the city that shit sucked. Not liking the idea of 5 days of it.
Just as hot there in July ?
Worst heat I ever road in was into slc when it was a heatwave. 120. That SUCKED!!
Tahoe hangs around the 80s but down in the valleys you can see 100 plus. But the roads in the mountains around here are amazing!
The reason for a trailer has more to do with the fact that riding through sandstorms does terrible things to paint jobs. I'd ride everywhere, no problem, but through the long, boring sections of the Navajo reservation I'd much rather be in the cab of a vehicle, and my bike safely covered in a trailer.
Sandstorms huh shit. I think I do remember reading some of you got shit all peppered up after one of these trips. That sucks.
Hey, what I do in my wife's clothing is my business! No need to be all judgmental about it! :P
Yeah, the 2013 trip. Mine looked like it had been sprayed by a media blaster afterwards. If I ever ride to the spine again, I think I'll take Hotcarcass' advice and invest in some aeronautical wax or some clear wrap.
Last edited by Drano; Mon Dec 29th, 2014 at 04:49 PM.
For me it wasn't even the paint, although that sucked it's a part of the game for me so I didn't mind it as much.
But the hours and hours spent going straight? That got old quick. Not to mention dangerous, especially when you consider the speeds some guys wanted to cruise at. I thinl 3 of the guys got tickets on the 2013 trip, all 3 bad tickets in excess of 100. Just not worth it when that wasn't even a fun section of road.
Hahahaha best ticket ever.
Son do you have any idea why I pulled you over? I just look at him.
You were doing over 100 mph... First thing I think is he didn't see the wheelie?
Cop.. ON ONE FUCKING WHEEL!
Lol that was a 1000 dollar ticket.
If that's the case I'm passing on the spine this year. I want another set of body work for this good time. That sucks.
This shits to new for a blasting just yet.
So 4-5 in state is where my head and planning is going.
For what it's worth, the 'sand storm' could have happened just about anywhere and of the 3 times I've done the Spine trip (2008, 2012 and 2013) we ran into a wind storm only on 2013.
I feel like I need to point out though that the ONLY reason we even ran into a thunderstorm/sand storm in the LATE afternoon was because SOMEONE in this thread (with a BMW) showed up to a 1800 mile ride with maybe 1000 miles of tread life remaining. I should have just sent him home but no, I wanted him to enjoy this trip which had been in planning for 5 months so we stopped and waited for 3 or 4 hours in Montrose for him to get new tires installed...
Eventually we had to leave him in Montrose with another guy who noticed his fork seal was leaking that morning and they were going to meet us the next morning in Gallup. Guess who got to Gallup 90 minutes late? "SOMEONE"...
Oh, and who could forget when SOMEONE and a group of 4 or so others decided to pass the group leader in the desert and then miss the turn off to Clifton? They got lost in the desert and we waited for them in Clifton for an hour and a half... so we got to start the spine with sunset only an hour away.
So take the complaints with a grain of salt because the people complaining about how hard last year's trip was showed up unprepared.
Remember, sport touring sometimes involves an adventure.
Maybe I should point out the ONLY reason we ran into the 2013 sand storm because was "SOMEONE" (with a BMW) showed to a 1800 mile ride with MAYBE 1000 miles of tread left. The group stopped in Montrose and waited for 3 or 4 hours while he had a new set of tires installed. In fact, eventually we had to leave him there and he was going to meet us in Gallup in the morning. Guess who showed up 90 minutes late the next morn so we stopped on Montrose for 3 or 4 hours while he got a new set of tires installed. That error pretty much did the rest of the trip in. I should have just sent that guy home... I would have if I knew he would bitch and moan about it for the the next year.
With that said, the 2013 trip overall was still fun but my least favorite trip to the Spine. Too many bikes, rider delays, bad weather, ect. I remember starting the climb of the Spine by Clifton with sunset just 45 minutes away because "SOMEONE" decided it would be cool to fly past the group leader and miss the turn off for Clifton and then get lost in the desert... everyone met up at Clifton 90 minutes later.
My point is, take what you read here about the spine with a grain of salt. Sometimes the stars just don't align.
Overall the 2013 trip was my least favorite. The group was too big (12 bikes starting with 10 riding to the spine) - we ran into weather (sand storm on the way there) and a massive rain on the way home by Farmington. I also remember starting at the bottom of the spine as the son was going down because "SOMEONE" decided to fly past the lead bike right before the turn off for Clifton and then got lost.... we waited at least an hour, amybe 9
Touring often involves a bit of adventure.
My point is, take what you read on CSC with a grain of salt.
With that said, trailering down to the Spine is probably the better method.
Driving down there with a trailer is a 10-11 drive from Colorado Springs but it also means missing out on the Colorado roads (specifically 550/Million Dollar Highway). Regardless if you trailer or ride down to the Spine, you really need 4 or 5 days total to spend 2-3 days dedicated to riding the spine and surrounding roads to really get your money's worth.
We may trailer down during the first week or two of June but honestly, if weather is good I would rather do Black Hills twice this year.
The Black Hills route also has a big section of middle of no where riding through Wyoming and some parts of western South Dakota but the destination makes up for it. The Black Hills are just FULL of excellent motorcycle canyon riding and the pavement is perfect everywhere. Plus sites to see like Mt Rushmore and Crazyhorse.
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
I'll not be passive-aggressive and come out and say it. If you think that 90 minute delay in Clifton was even half of the problem with that trip you've got your head up your ass. Besides, I had more fun missing the turnoff to Clifton because at least I was riding with a group of guys who didn't have a wife on the back that also needed to stop every 20 miles to either take a break, or change out of heated gear, only to have to change back into it 20 miles later.
Let's talk about waiting. Let's talk about getting to Gallup, exhausted from riding all day, only for me and 2 others being forced to sit and wait in a Home Depot parking lot (when we could have been relaxing at a hotel) while you ran an errand to find a nut for your wife's headset! Let's talk about you getting lost trying to find the hotel that same night! Let's talk about day 2 on the Spine, when Al and I waited for you for 45 minutes without any communication, because your brakes had over-heated! Let's talk about how you also got us lost on day 3, taking us God only knows how many miles and hours off course. Let's talk about you bailing on us in Farmington due to storms and because you didn't want to skip the Million-Dollar Highway, so added a 4th day to the ride. Let's talk about how the rest of us trucked on through rain, wind, sleet, and snow because we decided to stick to YOUR plan which promised to have us home on day 3!
So you want to get pissy at me because I didn't care for certain aspects of the trip? Well, you can shove it. Prior to your outburst, all I have done in this thread is provide additional situational information that others may find informative. I can't control whether they lose interest in joining a trip, but they have a right to know what they're getting themselves into, even if the possibility is remote! The fact of the matter is that I'll definitely do the spine trip again someday because it was that awesome! The only difference is that the next time I'll do things differently. The biggest change, and improvement for that matter, is that it will be done without you on it, or anywhere near it! Your "Spine Trips" are poorly planned, and dangerous. Every time you have led the trip you've gotten lost, even with your "GPS" you have no idea where you're going half the time. You are the problem with these spine trips, not the other way around. Take that with a grain of salt.
Last edited by Drano; Wed Dec 31st, 2014 at 02:31 AM.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
"So live your life so the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their views, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide."
"Finish today what others won't, so you can achieve tomorrow what others can't."
Ditto with Bryan. Ya, delays came up, they always will, that's why in that huge story of yours you cited and blamed every rider on the trip for them. Except for yourself of course. The trip was planned without any cushion for the delays, and that's the problem, not the delays themselves.
Hahahaha. Its winter time.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
"So live your life so the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their views, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide."
"Finish today what others won't, so you can achieve tomorrow what others can't."
Yeah but it makes for some good entertainment. Lol.
Wow. I've been missing out.
Ok revive
out of state tickets just a fine right? Does your insurance go up from one?
Sweet. Thank you Sir.