Topic: Ride from California to Texas (Read 4852 times)

JCZ · « **Reply #15 on:** April 17, 2017, 09:19:44 AM »

So you ended with about 4k miles.

I sent a PM (private message) to you. Got a bit concerned after you didn't post for a couple of days....

Switchback FLD · « **Reply #16 on:** April 17, 2017, 05:05:09 PM »

Quote from: JCZ on April 17, 2017, 09:19:44 AM

So you ended with about 4k miles.

I sent a PM (private message) to you. Got a bit concerned after you didn't post for a couple of days....

Thanks for the PM. Made it home. I did 3029 miles in 5 days. I did a loop, I-40 on the way out, I-10 coming back.

Day 1 Ventura to Rosamond CA. I left at 6pm and it took me about 3 hours to cover a little over 100 miles. I looked at it as a little shake-down cruise.

Day 2 I pushed off at 5:30 am or there-abouts and I rode from the Rosamond area to Albuquerque NM and got there around 8:30 pm. I saw some beautiful scenery in the deserts of California and the mountains of Arizona. It was a little windy at times. I stopped for a longer break for a cup of coffee and a map recon when I got to Flagstaff. I believe it was around 750 miles total. I have never ridden that far, and I felt the decrease in my situational awareness and reactions especially when I got into the city traffic in the evening.

Day 3 0445hrs I headed for Wimberly TX. I reckoned it was 700 miles or so. I knew I was heading into the hill country of TX, and I knew there would be a lot of deer, so I wanted to get there before dark. I followed the highway thru Lubbock then on to Highway 84 and 83, thru Fredericksburg to some small ranch roads. The sun went down on me 15 miles outside of Wimberley and in that next 10 minutes I probably saw a dozen deer. They came out like clock work. I slowed down and made it without incident. Planned my breaks better and the ride felt better.

Day 4 Left Wimberley at 7am after it got light due to my deer concern. Rode thru some nice ranch country to the I-10 and went all the way to Tucson. This was my highest mileage day. The 10 is a nice smooth fast road. A little drizzly around Sonora, but it got hot by the time I got to Ft Stockton. El Paso traffic reminds me of crazy So Cal traffic. Saw a house burning as I crossed the Rio Grande.

Day 5 Tucson to Home, around 550 miles. This should have been an easy leg mileage wise. But I rode right in to a very strong headwind around Palm Springs. Right about that time really started to see the crazies too. After passing the 60 traffic mellowed out till I transitioned to the 210, and it got crazier. Two traffic jamb accidents on that road.

All in all it was a fun ride and I learned a lot. The bike performed well.

Switchback FLD · « **Reply #17 on:** April 17, 2017, 05:08:20 PM »

Rest stop in New Mexico.

Switchback FLD · « **Reply #18 on:** April 17, 2017, 05:10:17 PM »

Rest stop in New Mexico. Cold morning.

Switchback FLD · « **Reply #19 on:** April 17, 2017, 05:11:02 PM »

Picnic Area in Texas on the 40.

Switchback FLD · « **Reply #20 on:** April 17, 2017, 05:11:51 PM »

Small town in Texas. These Texas highways move along at 75 mph. Until you come to a town, and then they slow down, and the highway is the main street. Once you clear the town you gas it again.