April 22, 2004

• CODE NAME …

  So, I’m looking at doing a BIG motorcycle ride this fall. An old friend of mine is getting married in Vegas in mid-September and my sister is getting married in Knoxville TN in the beginning of October.

  I’ve decided to make even more of a memory out of it and do it on the bike (btw, anyone interested in doing any of the legs is welcome to join me!)

  Right now, I have three possible itineraries, each spanning approximately 3 weeks.

  The first, named JOYFUL RIDING will be used if the girl is equipped to join me on the Knoxville leg. The specifics are:
  

  Trip : “Joyful Riding”
  Minneapolis MN – Las Vegas NV (1700 miles, 3 days, 500 – 600 mpd)
  Las Vegas NV – Minneapolis MN (1700 miles, 3 days, 500 – 600 mpd)
  [roughly 1 week layover in Minneapolis]
  Minneapolis MN – Knoxville TN (1000 miles)
  Knoxville TN – Minneapolis MN (1000 miles)
  Total Distance: 5400 miles

  The second, named THE BIG TRIANGLE involves a liesurly ride from Vegas to Knoxville. Since I have so much time, I may add site trips to this one…
  

  Trip : “The Big Triangle”
  Minneapolis MN – Las Vegas NV (1700 miles, 3 days, 500 – 600 mpd)
  Las Vegas NV – Knoxville TN (2000 miles, 11 days, 150 – 250 mpd)
  Knoxville TN – Minneapolis MN (1000 miles, 2 days, 450 – 550 mpd)
  Total Distance: 4700 miles

  The third, named THE TCCT would be one of those “tell the grandkids” journeys involving dipping a foot in both oceans. I’m not sure about the waypoints yet – the ones I picked looked like some of the closest oceanfront cities to the final destinations.
  

  Trip : “The TCCT (Tundra to Coast to Coast to Tundra)”
  Minneapolis MN – Las Vegas NV (1700 miles, 3 days, 500 – 600 mpd)
  Las Vegas NV – Malibu CA – Myrtle Beach SC – Knoxville TN
  (3400 miles, 11 days, 300 – 400 mpd)
  Knoxville TN – Minneapolis MN (1000 miles, 2 days, 450 – 550 mpd)
  Total Distance: 6100 miles

  In any case, unless I add some side trips or windy backroads to it, the cross country trek is actually quite leisurely, so my biggest concern is whether my ass can weather the miles and the possibility of equipment failure. I’m not a huge distance rider (yet), so the first leg to Vegas involves what may be rather long days for me.

  Hopefully, by the second week in October, I’ll be able to laugh at a mere 600 miles on the bike.

  Hmm, If I was a real biker, I’d include a stop in Canada and the Gulf of Mexico.

  • 11:32 am
  • 2 Comments