Atlanta to Denver - Tip Planning

[alantf]

Originally Posted by BillInGA

I'm actually taking : cowboy boots (worn while riding)

I hope you've been to your local shoe repairer & had non slip rubber soles fixed over the leather soles. I used to wear cowboy boots on the bike (VERY comfortable) until I could afford my proper riding boots (my old ones fell to pieces years ago). Cowboy boots are fine for slipping your feet in & out of stirrups, but the slippy leather soles mean that they're useless on a bike (when you put your feet down) so a non slip sole is essential. :2tup:

[BillInGA]

Originally Posted by alantf

I hope you've been to your local shoe repairer & had non slip rubber soles fixed over the leather soles. I used to wear cowboy boots on the bike (VERY comfortable) until I could afford my proper riding boots (my old ones fell to pieces years ago). Cowboy boots are fine for slipping your feet in & out of stirrups, but the slippy leather soles mean that they're useless on a bike (when you put your feet down) so a non slip sole is essential. :2tup:

I'm actually on my third set of soles for my Tony Lamas. I had the non-slip soles put on the last time. The leather soles, in addition to slipping on the pavement, wear out very quickly. My leather soles lasted 12 to 18 months, but the rubber soles have been on for close to 2 years with no appreciable signs of wear.

When I was in high school in El Paso, the big trend was to put Vibram lug soles (for hiking boots) on your cowboy boots.

[dhgeyer]

Originally Posted by BillInGA

* Duct tape - Ok, now you're getting into minimalist backpacker territory. I have a half-used roll that I'll be taking.
* Rideon TPS - I've done the research and come to the conclusion that, for me, it doesn't offer enough protection for tubed tires. If I had tubeless tires I would definitely use it.
* Shoes - I'm actually taking 3 pairs: cowboy boots (worn while riding), running shoes and dress shoes (to go with my suit). I'm going back to Colorado for my parent's 50th anniversary party and need appropriate attire.
Bill

Minimalist backpacker territory is a good mindset for motorcycle touring. You'll figure that out after a while.

Rideon TPS is superior to Slime in every way, including on tubed tires. I don't know what Slime claims, but the stuff is low tech, corrosive, turns solid after a while, and if it leaks onto the rim can ruin the rim. I know this from personal experience. Rideon TPS will do none of these things, and will have a better chance of healing a puncture under any circumstances because it does actually heal the hole rather than try to merely gum it up. See if you can get a copy of the independent tests done by Motorcycle Consumer News before settling on an inferior product. I only stress this because, with tubed tires, it's about your only defense against getting stranded, other than Fix-A-Flat or something like it.

Just a thought: why carry the stuff you're not going to use except at your destination? Personally, I'd put the suit and tie and dress shirt and shoes in a box and ship them UPS ground for a few bucks. Less to carry that you don't need on the road.

Anyway, I really want to second WW's comments earlier about keeping yourself comfortable being the first priority.

Ride safe, and have fun!

[Water Warrior 2]

DH has an excellent idea about shipping the suit etc. Package up your fancy duds and ship them. The package will get there before you probably and there is less chance of something going amiss while on the road. One less priority item to take care of in the long run and it is not like you need it before you get there.

[zenbutcher]

Originally Posted by dhgeyer

Minimalist backpacker territory is a good mindset for motorcycle touring. You'll figure that out after a while.

Rideon TPS is superior to Slime in every way, including on tubed tires. I don't know what Slime claims, but the stuff is low tech, corrosive, turns solid after a while, and if it leaks onto the rim can ruin the rim. I know this from personal experience. Rideon TPS will do none of these things, and will have a better chance of healing a puncture under any circumstances because it does actually heal the hole rather than try to merely gum it up. See if you can get a copy of the independent tests done by Motorcycle Consumer News before settling on an inferior product. I only stress this because, with tubed tires, it's about your only defense against getting stranded, other than Fix-A-Flat or something like it.

Just a thought: why carry the stuff you're not going to use except at your destination? Personally, I'd put the suit and tie and dress shirt and shoes in a box and ship them UPS ground for a few bucks. Less to carry that you don't need on the road.

Anyway, I really want to second WW's comments earlier about keeping yourself comfortable being the first priority.

Ride safe, and have fun!

Dude... I'm getting the feeling that not a lot of strangers come up to you at the bar to strike up a conversation... All I've seen you do in this thread is tell the guy why he's not as smart as you... not a very keen way to make friends, on here or in life.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by zenbutcher

Dude... I'm getting the feeling ......

Which is YOUR problem. :poke2:

**I** get the feeling that you are WAY too sensitive.......about who is better than whom.

Which isn't "a very keen way to make friends" either.

Crabbing about personalities CERTAINLY does't contribute anything useful to ANY discussion.

Chill.

If Bill feels that way, he can probably stick up for himself.......don't you think ??

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by dhgeyer

Minimalist backpacker territory is a good mindset for motorcycle touring.

I guess I have a slightly different philosophy on packing for bike trips (wouldn't exactly call my travels "touring").

I keep my bike in top shape all the time, as much as is practical, with a minimal set of tools (factory), a tire gauge, a little bottle of chain oil and some rags. For trips, I add a rain suit and maybe an extra sweatshirt. That's it.

I pack 2 bags, which takes me about 20 minutes, gear up and I'm gone.

I figure that my cell phone, a GPS and AAA will take care of the rest.
If it doesn't, more of an adventure than I planned.

[BillInGA]

I didn't start this thread expecting everyone to agree with me. I understand and respect that different people have different goals, different priorities and different perspectives.

I have done my research and planning, but I haven't done a multi-day ride - dhgeyer and Water Warrior, among others, have. As such, I welcome their input and respect their opinions. I will implement some of their suggestions, and others I won't. But I'm certainly not offended by the fact that they have an opinion or that sometimes their opinions differ from mine.

Regarding forum postings in general: It is extremely difficult to convey tone through the keyboard. I have often deleted phrases that in person would be witty, but on the screen sounded mean or condescending or something else bad. Therefore, when I see a posting that could be taken two ways, I choose to take it the good way and not the bad.

[dhgeyer]

I went up to the mall to do my daily walk, and it came to me how I should respond. What I was going to say was that I'm not going to respond in a defensive or negative way, and I hoped no one else would either. There's too much of that in Internet forums. If I offended anyone, I apologize. I don't think I'm smarter than anyone (well, certain political figures maybe), but I do have some experience in certain areas that others don't. Perhaps my comment was a bit arrogant, perhaps not. It wasn't intended to be.

Bill, thank you for your charitable comments. I'm sure you will enjoy your trip. I'm jealous in a way. The first one is the most exciting.

Easy, thank you for your good thoughts. Your philosophy of MC travel is sound. It helps that you're riding a Honda, as you're never all that far from a dealer. Same for Suzuki or Kawasaki to a slightly lesser degree.

zenbutcher, you're right about me and bars. Haven't set foot in one in decades.

[Water Warrior 2]

Oh thank goodness this didn't escalate into a war of words. We have been there done that...............no fun for anyone in the long run. Thanks guys.