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[freddycarraway]

My wife and I are planing our first trip to Sturgis What should I know befor I go. Dont wanna look like this

[Ghost Rider]

Where are you staying and how long are you staying?

Are you going to party (Buffalo Chip) or are you going to ride?

Going with friends or by youselves?

Sorry need more info.

Oh, and by the way, it doesn't matter how you answer these questions, your going to have a great time?

[pado]

My first trip too.  My goal was to have my pic taken with my bike and wife at Mt. Rushmore before I was 60.  I will just make it.

I love to party with the best of them but I've heard that there is just too much riding to be done in a short time.  I can party later. 

I'll be staying in Rapid City.

[Chief]

Sturgis.........soo much to do. Sooo little time.

If you're going for the riding:
Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway, Spearfish Canyon, Badlands Scenic Loop, Wildlife loop in Custer, Vanocker Canyon road through Nemo.

When doing Needles / IMR, go early to prevent getting stuck in the train.

Here's a link to the "Green Map" with all of the good roads.
This is the best map for the area. http://www.nps.gov/moru/planyourvisit/upload/Big%20Map.jpg

Enjoy it, but start making your plans to return to catch what you missed the first time out.

[Ghost Rider]

My first trip too.  My goal was to have my pic taken with my bike and wife at Mt. Rushmore before I was 60.  I will just make it.

I love to party with the best of them but I've heard that there is just too much riding to be done in a short time.  I can party later. 

I'll be staying in Rapid City.

Plan on taking Nemo road from Rapid city to Sturgis one morning.  Just north of Nemo take a right (I thinks its Hwy 26) through Vanocker Canyon.  Very nice ride.

[Ghost Rider]

Sturgis.........soo much to do. Sooo little time.

If you're going for the riding:
Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway, Spearfish Canyon, Badlands Scenic Loop, Wildlife loop in Custer, Vanocker Canyon road through Nemo.

When doing Needles / IMR, go early to prevent getting stuck in the train.

Here's a link to the "Green Map" with all of the good roads.
This is the best map for the area. http://www.nps.gov/moru/planyourvisit/upload/Big%20Map.jpg

Enjoy it, but start making your plans to return to catch what you missed the first time out.

Yeah, all of those rides too.  And don't forget  Devils Tower.  Its pretty much just a big rock, but if you take the back roads (always avoid I-90 nothing to see there) it is an awesome ride as well.

I like to plan at least one evening to spend in downtown Sturgis just to people watch, and look at all those pretty bikes.   

[Ghost Rider]

By the way Chief, why aren't we going to Sturgis this year?   

[Notah - AZ]

Going for the first time this year also.  Staying at the KOA in Hill City.  Pulling a TimeOut camper behind the bike.  Going with 4 other bikes.  Riding from Phoenix on a 17 day road trip.  Hitting Sturgis the beginning of the 2nd week of the trip.  Going up through Monument Valley - Flaming Gorge - Yellowstone - Cody, wy, Crow Agency, Devil's Tower - Sturgis - Durango - Phoenix.  You can check out the entire route at my website http://members.cox.net/traderhome.

Looking forward to a great time.

Rick

[Chief]

By the way Chief, why aren't we going to Sturgis this year?   

I'd like to, may just pull up and go. Originally thought a new job with limited vacation would get in the way. Just accepted a new contract today which means I can vacation all I want. No workey, no money is a hard pill to swallow though.

What are the dates again? Might have to take some time off between gigs.

[Ghost Rider]

I'd like to, may just pull up and go. Originally thought a new job with limited vacation would get in the way. Just accepted a new contract today which means I can vacation all I want. No workey, no money is a hard pill to swallow though.

What are the dates again? Might have to take some time off between gigs.

August 4-10.  If you decide to go call me.  I was not planning on going, but what the hell.  The last minute trips are always the best.  Besides if I ride with you, than you will be able to say you have riden with someone who has a 110 that hasn't leaked.   

Crap, I probably just jinxed myself.

[Chief]

August 4-10.  If you decide to go call me.  I was not planning on going, but what the hell.  The last minute trips are always the best.  Besides if I ride with you, than you will be able to say you have riden with someone who has a 110 that hasn't leaked.   

Crap, I probably just jinxed myself.

I'm supposed to start on 7/28. I wonder how they'd feel about me taking off for a week one week after starting and then taking time for Maggie Valley in Sep. and then a trip in October and then 2 days in October for the Breast Cancer walk. I'm thinking that wouldn't be a goog way to impress them. But then, if I were to get fired, I'd have lots of time for more vacations, but no money, so now we're right back to me having to go to work. Curses!

Actually, you may have broken the streak because we both were in Hot Springs and we both went on the ride, so my 100% doesn't hold water anymore. 

[Gecko]

This will be my seventeenth time, but I still look forward to it every year.  This time I'm going up the week before as the riding is easier.  By Tuesday or so some of the roads can get to be gridlock going into town.  

When you do Iron Mt. Road it will end at the highway between Custer and Hermosa, take a left toward Hermosa.  That will lead just out of the Hills to Highway 79, take another left, go a half mile or so and take another left onto Highway 40.  That leads back into the Hills to Keystone.  If you like high speed sweepers it's a great road with very little traffic.

For the person staying in Hill City, a nice morning ride is the road to Deerfield (what little there is of Deerfield).  It starts next to the Continental Cafe at the north end of Main Street and also has mostly sweeping turns, may want to watch it a little going down the last big hill (you'll know it when you get there) as a couple of the turns tighten up.  I left a couple hundred feet of floorboard behind last year on that one.

Expect a variety of weather.  In the years I've been going it has hailed enough to bring the snow plows out in Custer, washed bikes down the street in Deadwood, had frost in the morning (Hill City), been 109 in Rapid and Sturgis, rained for six straight days, been in the nineties during the day and forties at night, and blown up some horrific storms.  The storms usually build in the afternoon and move out onto the prairie, so if you come from the east arriving early helps.

You don't need to bring that much with you.  Being it's your first time you'll probably buy a bunch of clothes anyway, and everything is available.  A set of leathers or other warm clothes is a must if you will ride before ten or after six, as is rain gear.

Do plan some time in Sturgis.  I don't get a lot out of rally central anymore, but it is impressive.  There is usually parking in the residential areas surrounding downtown if you don't find a spot on Main.  Don't park against a yellow curb - they will tow you regardless.

There is a message board on Sturgis.com that has an FAQ board that will answer about anything you'd like to know.

[sadunbar]

This will be my seventeenth time, but I still look forward to it every year.  This time I'm going up the week before as the riding is easier.  By Tuesday or so some of the roads can get to be gridlock going into town.  

When you do Iron Mt. Road it will end at the highway between Custer and Hermosa, take a left toward Hermosa.  That will lead just out of the Hills to Highway 79, take another left, go a half mile or so and take another left onto Highway 40.  That leads back into the Hills to Keystone.  If you like high speed sweepers it's a great road with very little traffic.

For the person staying in Hill City, a nice morning ride is the road to Deerfield (what little there is of Deerfield).  It starts next to the Continental Cafe at the north end of Main Street and also has mostly sweeping turns, may want to watch it a little going down the last big hill (you'll know it when you get there) as a couple of the turns tighten up.  I left a couple hundred feet of floorboard behind last year on that one.

Expect a variety of weather.  In the years I've been going it has hailed enough to bring the snow plows out in Custer, washed bikes down the street in Deadwood, had frost in the morning (Hill City), been 109 in Rapid and Sturgis, rained for six straight days, been in the nineties during the day and forties at night, and blown up some horrific storms.  The storms usually build in the afternoon and move out onto the prairie, so if you come from the east arriving early helps.

You don't need to bring that much with you.  Being it's your first time you'll probably buy a bunch of clothes anyway, and everything is available.  A set of leathers or other warm clothes is a must if you will ride before ten or after six, as is rain gear.

Do plan some time in Sturgis.  I don't get a lot out of rally central anymore, but it is impressive.  There is usually parking in the residential areas surrounding downtown if you don't find a spot on Main.  Don't park against a yellow curb - they will tow you regardless.

There is a message board on Sturgis.com that has an FAQ board that will answer about anything you'd like to know.

I missed last year, but had 15 years straight up to last year...

[Ghost Rider]

I'm supposed to start on 7/28. I wonder how they'd feel about me taking off for a week one week after starting and then taking time for Maggie Valley in Sep. and then a trip in October and then 2 days in October for the Breast Cancer walk. I'm thinking that wouldn't be a goog way to impress them. But then, if I were to get fired, I'd have lots of time for more vacations, but no money, so now we're right back to me having to go to work. Curses!

Actually, you may have broken the streak because we both were in Hot Springs and we both went on the ride, so my 100% doesn't hold water anymore. 

I hear ya.  I missed three years ago because I had just started this job.  I'm trying hard to come up with a reason to go this year, but haven't found one yet.  I was hoping you would be my excuse.

[Chief]

I hear ya.  I missed three years ago because I had just started this job.  I'm trying hard to come up with a reason to go this year, but haven't found one yet.  I was hoping you would be my excuse.

I'm more often used as a bad example than an excuse.