Cross Country Trip

Hi All,
May 16th I will be joining a group ( www.NVAR.US ) on a cross country Ride for Veterans. I will be riding my '15 RTS leaving from Auburn, California and ending in Washington DC for the Memorial Day Rolling Thunder event. I have never ridden a long cross country ride and am seeking suggestions on some of the necessities I should consider taking. This group rides in all weather conditions, and they say to expect it all. I do have a great rain suite, plan on taking a 1/2 and full helmet, heavy and light gloves. I have an armored pair of Levis and a pair of armored mesh pants for warmer weather. Since I will be representing the American Legion Riders for this I will want to wear my leather vest on the whole ride. Jackets are something I need suggestions on, I have a very nice Sedici leather Jacket with removable liner, but it's not comfy in hot water. I also have a BRP touring Jacket but it may be way to warm, Both jackets have full armor and I like that.
Anyway, I am open to suggestions from experienced long distance riders on what I should carry, both in the way of clothing and gear that I will be able to comfortably pack........

Sounds like an adventure! I woukd leave the leather jacket at home, it will take up too much space, and won’t do you any good in rain. Instead look for a good quality textile jacket made of Gortex or equivalent. These jackets can get you from the heat to cold and are 100% waterproof. Id also get matching pants. Then you can wear something thin underneath.

Take all dark colored clothes so that you only need to do a single load of laundry.

You will need to be dressed for any weather when you leave in the morning. So if there is any chance of rain before the next stop you need to be ready for it, they won’t stop for you to put on a rain suit.

Make sure you have good waterproof gloves or liners, wet hands will make you feel cold all over. Same goes for your feet, Gortex boots will keep your feet dry and still breathe.

Naturally space will be at a premium on your bike. I bought two compression sacks, one for my rainsuit and one for my wife's. It compresses fluffy items down to a hard ball, squeezing all of the air out of the package. They compress to the size of small cantaloupe.

Unless you've ridden long distances on your seat and find it comfortable after several hours, you may want to consider something like an Air Hawk seat cushion.

The wind noise and road noise is at the perfect frequency to damage your hearing, so you may want to pack some high quality earplugs like Eargasm or Adept.

Find a sunscreen you can live with. I like one called "Faces". I hate sunscreen, but a day on the beach or a day on the bike can be ruined by a bad sunburn.

Make sure someone on the trip has a list of your insurance information and emergency contacts in case something happens that keeps you from being able to.

I think it was Murphy brown who did that ride last year. may be she will be by in a little while.

Seat would be a big consideration for me. The stock seat is way too soft IMO. Butt :rolleyes: if you're happy with the BRP offerings, great.

Something that works for me are L/D Comfort shorts. Wicks sweat away. :thumbup:

https://ldcomfort.com/Mens-Riding-Shorts.html

edit...
see you have the seat already taken care of.:thumbup:

Pat

+1 What they said, though I've added a BeadRider, "Because they keep you cooler and dryer by increasing the air flow between the rider and the saddle." I did a SaddleSore 1000 on July 5th last year, with 20+ other riders and I had the coolest butt on the day. I leave it on all year, Rode back from Spyders in the Ozarks in the rain all day, butt dry after 6 hours of non-stop rain. The only time we weren't in the rain was when fueling up under the pump awnings on in a diner.

Ann Meyer has your requirements met to a tee. I offer that you consider at least one long and short sleeve polypro shirts to ride in. They provide an excellent base layer for cold weather and breathe well enough to work comfortably in warm/hot wx. you can rinse them out at night and they'll be ready to go the next morning. As far as dark colored pants are concerned, consider ones with zip off legs so you can ride in shorts if you choose under your protective trousers. As the weather warms up I swear by a Camelbak; there is nothing that well help you stay hydrated as well as using one of them IMO. I can take a long swig from one at 80 mph with my modular helmet with absolutely no problem. I would not waste space by carrying two helmets; make a decision on the type and stick with it. It might be a bit of a pita to fit a Camelbak bite valve up into a full face helmet but it can be done. Sounds like a great trip. Have fun and be safe!

Jay is on the mark about the Camelbak, that is what i ride with, i have a modular helmet and it is easy enough to drink whike riding.

As for what to pack your gear in, if you need to carry more yhan you can fit in your saddlebags, I really lije my Ortleib Dry Bag that I strap on the seat. On an RT you’ll want to run the straps under the seat so you can still lift it for fueling. On the F3 I use Giant Loop Pronghorn Straps, they are. great.

I have used nothing but Olympia jackets for years. They are first rate quality, and some models come as three in one. Two liners, one waterproof, and a mesh outer, with all the required armor. All three together will get you through most winter weather. Remove both liners, and the mesh is perfectly cool in the summer. My outer mesh jackets actually keep me cooler than riding in a short sleeve shirt, since they keep the sun off you, but allow the air to pass through.

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Originally Posted by SpyderAnn01

Jay is on the mark about the Camelbak, that is what i ride with, i have a modular helmet and it is easy enough to drink whike riding.

As for what to pack your gear in, if you need to carry more yhan you can fit in your saddlebags, I really lije my Ortleib Dry Bag that I strap on the seat. On an RT you’ll want to run the straps under the seat so you can still lift it for fueling. On the F3 I use Giant Loop Pronghorn Straps, they are. great.

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Another BINGO! I threw one of my Ortlieb bags in a creek on a bicycle trip, watched it float and not a single thing got even damp. Best dry bags made, IMO.

I would try to find one jacket to wear that will cover most of your requirements. I did a cross country ride last August across Idaho, Montana, etc. I wore a Tourmaster Mesh jacket with both a rain liner and a quilted liner. For extra warmth I had a sweatshirt to add. I was cold a couple of mornings but was fine in the afternoon. Being it's May you might want a regular jacket with those liners and zipper venting. I wore riding jeans but you might want pants that would match your jacket. Cycle Gear is a great source for these matching outfits. Wear some kind of wicking undergarments, I took 7 days of clothes and washed them at the motel. You could wear your vest over your jacket.

All of the above are great ideas! When I was riding on 2 wheels, space was at a premium. A friend told me that the best way to pack for a trip on a bike was to take OLD t-shirts and underwear (you could do the same with socks), throw the socks and underwear away and use the t-shirt to wipe down the bike in the morning before you throw it away. No stops to do laundry and plenty of room for the trip home for souveniers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SpyderAnn01

Jay is on the mark about the Camelbak, that is what i ride with, i have a modular helmet and it is easy enough to drink whike riding.

As for what to pack your gear in, if you need to carry more yhan you can fit in your saddlebags, I really lije my Ortleib Dry Bag that I strap on the seat. On an RT you’ll want to run the straps under the seat so you can still lift it for fueling. On the F3 I use Giant Loop Pronghorn Straps, they are. great.

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I bought a dry bag to carry behind me, adds a lot of extra capacity

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TEWKS

Seat would be a big consideration for me. The stock seat is way too soft IMO. Butt :rolleyes: if you're happy with the BRP offerings, great.

Something that works for me are L/D Comfort shorts. Wicks sweat away. :thumbup:

https://ldcomfort.com/Mens-Riding-Shorts.html

edit...
see you have the seat already taken care of.:thumbup:

Pat

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I did get one of those beaded cushions, was suggested by enough folks.......can always mail it home if I don't like it

Thanks for all the input. I splurged and bought a real nice 3 season jacket and a pair of mesh pants. ATGATT! Frog togs will be taken also. I also have a nice compact tire repair and a method to inflate a tire. Got a new set of(car) tires, because looks like the original tires could not make the whole trip, not to mention the originals do a piss poor when wet. This will be a big item to cross off on my bucket list. I spent many tours in Vietnam and have never visited the "Wall". Will be honoring veterans all along the whole trip....

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Originally Posted by El Dorado

... I spent many tours in Vietnam and have never visited the "Wall"...

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You will find it a very moving experience. Safe trip!

Don’t take what you don’t need or can buy as needed. I wear Frogg Togo’s, and boot rain covers. I do not wear leather. 🧐😎 I have silk long johns, nylons underwear & socks. So, I can wash at every motel on the way. In summer I wear very light (Columbia) pants. Blue jeans as weather changes. I also have flannel lined blue jeans. The light weight clothes have served me well on all my overseas travels. Have fun & ride safe.

Clothing and hydration have all been mentioned, BUT, what also concerns me on cross country trips is the rising and setting sun.
If you ride with a clear faceshield you should invest in one of these :-

https://www.jpcycles.com/product/132...xoC3FUQAvD_BwE

If you ride with a smoked faceshield, don't forget to pack your clear one for the occasional night riding you may do.

Riding back west from DC to Auburn, facing the setting sun for an hour or so, can be uncomfortable on the eyes.

Ignore the above if you have a drop-down sun visor :D

Riding back west from DC to Auburn, facing the setting sun for an hour or so, can be uncomfortable on the eyes.[/QUOTE]

I agree, I have a pair of Wiley X prescription sunglasses that work fantastic for just those scenarios. Plus riding East in the Morning could be tough also

I swear by Olympia for their 3 season gear. They discontinued their one piece suit, but their Airglide line offers mesh outers backed up with a separate rain plus insulated liner. This makes touring a breeze (literally) since the liners scrunch up nice and small in your luggage when not used. I can wear nylon shorts under their pants in hot summer, and long johns in winter with their rain liner zipped inside.

Visor(s)- bring a spare in case your primary one gets scratched or broken. Same for sunglasses if you wear an open face helmet. I have a Bell "transitions" visor that goes from smoked to clear just like their sunglasses; it relieves me from having to carry two kinds of visors.

Padded bicycle shorts! Good ones, not the cheapo Walmart kind. They relieve or delay monkey butt on long days in the saddle.

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Originally Posted by OverHillAndDale

The wind noise and road noise is at the perfect frequency to damage your hearing, so you may want to pack some high quality earplugs like Eargasm or Adept.

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Another vote for Eargasm earplugs, which you can get via Amazon. I used mine today for the first time and found they made a big difference. Much more comfortable ride up GA 400 to Dahlonega and through the hills.


Richard

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Finished my ride.
I was on the road for 23 days total, covered 7028 miles, in 133.28 hours for an average of 52.6mph. The Spyder performed flawlessly over the entire trip and did not even use a drop of oil! Rode for many days in the rain, through a horrendous hail storm and in temps from 38 to 96 degrees. This trip was dedicated to Veterans all across the country. We stopped at many Veterans hospitals and homes to visit with veterans. We paid homage to many that paid the ultimate sacrifice by visiting many Veterans Cemeteries. I got to visit the Vietnam Veterans Wall for the first time, and also the very little known Memorial to the Middle East Conflict in Marseilles,IL. Also participated in Rolling Thunder. I will be doing this ride again next year with the National Veterans Awareness Organization http://www.nvao.org
What a trip, I love my Spyder even more now than before. Thank you for all the fine suggestions