Adventurers Wanted

[bryanchurch06]

Are you the type of person who is up for a really good bad idea? Can you embrace the suck with a sense of humor and the proper curse words? are you financially responsible and mechanically sound? If so why not join me this June for the CDT trail ride, That's right lets ride the little red machines from New Mexico to the Canadian border. I plan on leaving the 1st week of June and spending 2 or 3 weeks on the ride, I am somewhat flexible on the route as far as difficulty level, and time spent in each state. If this sounds like a good idea to you then you must be as crazy as i am so clear out your calendar and lets make some history. I live in South Dakota so we can ride South to North or North to South, the distance to start line is about the same.

 

[dmonkey]

Sounds like a lot of fun, hope you're able to find some like minded adventurers! Just a heads up, the Scooter Cannonball 2023 will be happening at the same time in June, so some folks up for that type of adventure may already have that in their plans. I would likely be signed up for the Scooter Cannonball myself if I wasn't already booked for Laconia Motorcycle Week in June. It's a busy time of year!

 

[bryanchurch06]

Sounds like a lot of fun, hope you're able to find some like minded adventurers! Just a heads up, the Scooter Cannonball 2023 will be happening at the same time in June, so some folks up for that type of adventure may already have that in their plans. I would likely be signed up for the Scooter Cannonball myself if I wasn't already booked for Laconia Motorcycle Week in June. It's a busy time of year!

Thanks for the feedback, I had thought about the cannonball run I just don't like riding in larger groups or more regimented type rides, I think the riders who think about the CDT or TAT rides are more independent and looking for a different experience. I could be wrong of course just the way I think about it, I will probably wind up riding alone. I hope we all have a great riding season next year, no matter what route you take, just ride while we still have the freedom to do so. Best wishes Bryan Church

 

[SneakyDingo]

Wouldn't you need someone who's fiscally irresponsible for something like this ?

This is just like, my opinion man, but.... If it's the first week of June, I know from the XWA experience that there will still be snow and whatnot on the northern end. Given the GDMBR experiences, you might have a better time riding south to north.

For me, this sounds awesome, but I'd need some sort of magical special shenanigans to pull off that much time off to do the whole thing. Maybe in my previous job with unlimited PTO. 3100 CDT miles at a fast pace on these bikes is at least 2 weeks of riding without any rest days, 3 weeks with comfort. Which is a pity because I have all the stuff to do it already.

I tell ya what - if I'm unemployed for any reason around this time, say May '23, I'm all in both feet and wheels. Even got the tires and 13T cog already. If you postpone to 2024, let's talk again then, because I'll actually have enough leave at that point.

 

[dmonkey]

You don't even need to be far north to encounter snow on trails, the high elevation areas in the Rockies hold winter wonder year round! It's all part of the experience Pack a full range of clothing layers and bring a cover for the Trail 125 so you don't wake up to ice on the controls. If you're not used to waking up above 10k ft you can get some practice in now by waking up hung over, it's the same dehydration symptoms

Colorado has a hail season that runs about April - August in the mountains. You'll have a sunny 90 degree day followed by rain into hail that accumulates and ices over on trails and roads. Here's a photo of waking up to that hail (not snow) on the ground when I was backpacking a section of the Colorado Trail that overlaps with the Continental Divide Trail in Lake County early July 2019.

Ended up glissading a lot by accident that morning. Very rarely is there fresh snowfall in June/July, but there's snow pack all year, some of it sticks around on the higher elevation trails where they aren't as frequented, and the melt from that often runs down roads and trials causing them to ice over.
All of this adds to the reasons why it's a good idea to travel with a fellow adventurer, or at the least carry a Personal Locator Beacon or GPS messenger device as a "just in case".

 

[bryanchurch06]

Wouldn't you need someone who's fiscally irresponsible for something like this ?

This is just like, my opinion man, but.... If it's the first week of June, I know from the XWA experience that there will still be snow and whatnot on the northern end. Given the GDMBR experiences, you might have a better time riding south to north.

For me, this sounds awesome, but I'd need some sort of magical special shenanigans to pull off that much time off to do the whole thing. Maybe in my previous job with unlimited PTO. 3100 CDT miles at a fast pace on these bikes is at least 2 weeks of riding without any rest days, 3 weeks with comfort. Which is a pity because I have all the stuff to do it already.

I tell ya what - if I'm unemployed for any reason around this time, say May '23, I'm all in both feet and wheels. Even got the tires and 13T cog already. If you postpone to 2024, let's talk again then, because I'll actually have enough leave at that point.

I was actually planning a South to north route, hopefully the heat will not be an issue then. I have spent time in each region over the years and know just enough to be dangerous. I don't wish you any bad luck with you job but you seem like the kind of person I'm looking for so fingers crossed, unemployment pays pretty well I'm told.

 

[bryanchurch06]

You don't even need to be far north to encounter snow on trails, the high elevation areas in the Rockies hold winter wonder year round! It's all part of the experience Pack a full range of clothing layers and bring a cover for the Trail 125 so you don't wake up to ice on the controls. If you're not used to waking up above 10k ft you can get some practice in now by waking up hung over, it's the same dehydration symptoms

Colorado has a hail season that runs about April - August in the mountains. You'll have a sunny 90 degree day followed by rain into hail that accumulates and ices over on trails and roads. Here's a photo of waking up to that hail (not snow) on the ground when I was backpacking a section of the Colorado Trail that overlaps with the Continental Divide Trail in Lake County early July 2019.
View attachment 4248
Ended up glissading a lot by accident that morning. Very rarely is there fresh snowfall in June/July, but there's snow pack all year, some of it sticks around on the higher elevation trails where they aren't as frequented, and the melt from that often runs down roads and trials causing them to ice over.
All of this adds to the reasons why it's a good idea to travel with a fellow adventurer, or at the least carry a Personal Locator Beacon or GPS messenger device as a "just in case".

Great advice, I lived in Anaconda mt for 2 yrs working for the dept of corrections, spent a lot of time in the mountains there. I have been caught on the wrong side of the weather a time or two. Hope for the best but plan for the worst is my planning,.I want to pack a light as possible though. Kind of an ultralight backpack camping setup with extra weight spent on motorcycle maintenance tools, etc. Any advice is appreciated as this will be my 1st time on a trail ride of this length, previous long ride have all been pavement

 

[dmonkey]

Once you've got your gear together feel free to share a list for a virtual shakedown. Depending on what I'm doing, and if I'm working remote during it, I have various levels of "luxury" for moto camping loadouts. The bare minimum one is exactly that, the ultralight backpacking gear I've landed on after a few thousand miles of hiking and then some motorcycle specific tools and gear that I try to use for regular maintenance so when something comes up while traveling I know the kit is complete and functional.

 

[bryanchurch06]

Once you've got your gear together feel free to share a list for a virtual shakedown. Depending on what I'm doing, and if I'm working remote during it, I have various levels of "luxury" for moto camping loadouts. The bare minimum one is exactly that, the ultralight backpacking gear I've landed on after a few thousand miles of hiking and then some motorcycle specific tools and gear that I try to use for regular maintenance so when something comes up while traveling I know the kit is complete and functional.

I have quite a bit of ultralight camping gear, about the only chane I will be making is going from a sleeping bag to a quilt, I am trying to focus on a ultralight motorcycle maintenance kit. I have a tendency to try to carry everything I could ever need, trying not to do that this time. I believe the lighter I can keep the bike the less wear and tear on drivetrain and tires. I am also trying to decide on a tubless option for tires, I really don't want to be changing tubes in the middle of nowhere. I will list gear as I buy it here, got my 1st piece in today, a gas can I picked up for 30 dollars on Amazon, it was a return like new

 

[bryanchurch06]

I am researching this kit, Amazon has it for 85.00
Tubeless kits for Hunter Cub/CT125 JA55/Trail 125 Front and Rear 17×1.60/OUTEX FR-HCUB2 https://a.co/d/8rSc3GT
I really like the idea of using tire plugs, I've used them in the past on street bikes with a co2 inflator.

 

[dmonkey]

I'm a huge fan of quilts. Used an Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20 for years, swapped it out for an Enlightened Equipment Enigma APEX 20 because I usually cinch the footbox and the synthetic is slightly less miserable than down when wet from rain, humidity, and flooding from equipment failure at a nearby dam. Because the synthetic doesn't pack as small I have a Mountain Laurel Designs Spirit Quilt 28 for when I really need something compact, it fits tight though so it's a compromise of luxury. I've used all of them snow camping down near 0 degrees with layered clothing on.

Good deal on the gas can. Do you already have a plan for how you will mount it?
@Kritou went with a frugal tubeless setup that involves cutting the tube and turning it into the rim seal:

Need advice on second rear tire flat/non-puncture

Just had a second rear tire flat within 4 months. Unable to find a puncture. I'm thinking it may be the valve stem separating from the tube? I'm in Honolulu, Hawaii. Temperature is 80 - 85 degress F, street riding, around 1500, about 30 minute ride, max speed 45 MPH. Rear tire just went flat as...

hondatrail125.com

Something to consider with any tubeless setup is what tires you'll run. Tubed tires often have softer sidewalls and rely on the tube to hold the bead against the rim. Whatever setup you land on, just make sure you put some testing miles on it before you're away from home.

I would like to see the results of that Outex kit with a Dunlop D604 (tubeless) in the stock 80/90-17 size (not available in the US market AFAIK), but I don't mind tubes enough to try it myself, and I'm pretty happy with only spending $40-50/each on trials tires. Run a heavy duty tube and you're likely to avoid many offroad flats, still won't save you from picking up a screw though.

 

[SneakyDingo]

So I figured out an interesting "loophole" in my work's leave policy that grants me an extra 2 weeks leave because I'm a returning employee with quite a bit of tenure from my previous stint, so keep providing regular updates on this one as I might end up being able to join you. Hopefully you don't mind the odd confusing Australianisms if that comes true.

 

[bryanchurch06]

So I figured out an interesting "loophole" in my work's leave policy that grants me an extra 2 weeks leave because I'm a returning employee with quite a bit of tenure from my previous stint, so keep providing regular updates on this one as I might end up being able to join you. Hopefully you don't mind the odd confusing Australianisms if that comes true.

Sounds great, I am flexible on time schedule, if it works out for you we can move the time frame if needed? We've got some time to figure it out. Thanks for you interest and input.

 

[SneakyDingo]

I'll DM you the details of the loophole, so you'll understand more about why it exists and how it will play into planning

 

[TheBenson]

I'm interested, what are you planning as for as getting to and or from your your end points?

 

[SneakyDingo]

I'm interested, what are you planning as for as getting to and or from your your end points?

We're in two different states that are far away from the start line in NM (I'm from Seattle, for example) so we have independent-but-related planning for relocation of motor vehicles. When I was doing some research on it, El Paso, TX is one of the closest major centers to the starting point. However, that also means I'm somewhat close when it comes to finishing line to home so I'm unlikely to ship the bike home, I'll probably ride home myself unless there's a good reason not to.

Ang from SomeGuyRides on Youtube had a comment at the end of his TAT video series about a shipper he used to send his bikes around. They aren't as convenient but their prices are better and they might have a delivery center there. There's a link here for his gear list and the shippers are at the bottom.

 

[bryanchurch06]

I'm interested, what are you planning as for as getting to and or from your your end points?

I am planning on renting a small uhaul to carry my bike and gear to NM, Sneaky may ship bike and gear to SD and I will meet him in either El Paso or Albuquerque, I would be happy to help you with any planning or logistics I can. I will be riding back to SD when we finish the route. Where will you be starting from?

 

[TheBenson]

Just kicking around in my head but i would start south probably where you start not sure yet on how i would get there. If I did the rental truck van thing it might be nearer a bigger metro area like Albuquerque. I have found in the past a considerable drop in price to drop a rental in a large location.

 

[bryanchurch06]

Just kicking around in my head but i would start south probably where you start not sure yet on how i would get there. If I did the rental truck van thing it might be nearer a bigger metro area like Albuquerque. I have found in the past a considerable drop in price to drop a rental in a large location.

I checked the rates to rent the smallest uhaul from yankton sd to El Paso in June and the rate was 1100.00 plus fuel for a thousand mile trip, so I am looking at around 1500 for the trip to start. I'm not sure that's the way to go but I've got some time to figure it out, I would be happy to have you ride along if you can make it work.

 

[SneakyDingo]

I checked the rates to rent the smallest uhaul from yankton sd to El Paso in June and the rate was 1100.00 plus fuel for a thousand mile trip, so I am looking at around 1500 for the trip to start. I'm not sure that's the way to go but I've got some time to figure it out, I would be happy to have you ride along if you can make it work.

Yup, that's basically what most of the CT125 type adventurers have pointed out. Shipping is a huge cost that usually dwarfs the rest, particularly if you're shipping both ways.

In my case, I'm shipping one way only and committing to riding back. I have a spreadsheet tracking my expected expenses with a pessimistic view on most of these costs. That's assuming I have all the swag I need for this already (I almost do, I would need some clothing), and costing only fuel, accommodation, shipping, flights, and necessary maintenance.

Right now the magic number is $3k, 1/3 of which is just getting the bike to the start line, and assuming we have a pretty luxurious time along the way.

EDIT: Side note, but at one point I was cost estimating based on what it would take to get my bike back from Vegas to Seattle via various mechanisms. In the end I went with a $670 U-Ship. I have that data saved still complete with a data visualization and can share that by DM if you're interested.