Your Next Big Ride

[Uncle Champ 116]

I think that was Wildwood, now in Idaho.

[Goofy Footer 539]

On 9/12/2022 at 4:17 PM, Oracle said:

I've done CABDR X2, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and will be setting out with the BDR crew to take on 1000 miles of dirt on the NVBDR in a couple weeks. Each has been a lot of fun, each had some challenges (usually weather related), and each is well worth doing. As far as my favorites, I'd probably go with CO at this point. But Utah was awesome....oh heck, they were all awesome in their own way.

Zubb, hit me up if you want to do CABDR. I'd might be game depending on what life is throwing at me.

@Oracle + @Covered in Dust how did the NVBDR turn out?  How was the route?  Was Late Sept / Early Oct a good weather window for the route?  Did you ride it door to door from SD? 

 

Any intel is Great for my personal planning purposes.

[Covered in Dust 162]

We got froze out in either late September or early October. Can’t remember exactly, but it was a freak cold front that moved in so we had to bail about a third of the way through. They suggest doing it in 2 different rides, half in the summer and half in the winter or something like that. It would be luck to get the whole ride in at once without either it being really hot or too cold during part of it. Both times we were going to do it we missed a Goldilocks window by about a week. I may try again next fall.

 

This was the 1st attempt. Loren tells about the 2nd attempt below.

 

CiD

Edited December 20, 2022 by Covered in Dust

[Oracle 195]

14 hours ago, Goofy Footer said:

@Oracle + @Covered in Dust how did the NVBDR turn out?  How was the route?  Was Late Sept / Early Oct a good weather window for the route?  Did you ride it door to door from SD? 

 

Any intel is Great for my personal planning purposes.

It was a bust. About five days before we left, the weather took a significant turn for the worst. Much of the NVBDR is at altitude and it looked like the lows would be in the low 20's, maybe even into the teens, at night for more than half of the ride. So at the last minute, I put together a five to six day ride in Arizona, half of which included the AZ BDR tracks and half was new tracks. The weather looked to be ideal for Arizona. We were all set to pull out on a Tuesday morning, and everything was lined up. I finished prepping my bike on Sunday, including installing new tires. I got my bike all loaded up and decided to take it for a quick shake down around the block (which for me includes Highland Valley Road) to make sure everything was secure. My bike washed out in the first corner on HVR and I went down hard. Got scraped up a bit and broke my thumb. So bottom line, I was out. The rest of the group continued on to the Arizona ride, but ended up turning around after a couple days and heading south as a result of the weather getting too cold there too. 

Edited December 20, 2022 by Oracle

[Goofy Footer 539]

23 hours ago, Covered in Dust said:

We got froze out in either late September or early October. Can’t remember exactly, but it was a freak cold front that moved in so we had to bail about a third of the way through. They suggest doing it in 2 different rides, half in the summer and half in the winter or something like that. It would be luck to get the whole ride in at once without either it being really hot or too cold during part of it. Both times we were going to do it we missed a Goldilocks window by about a week. I may try again next fall. 

 

This was the 1st attempt. Loren tells about the 2nd attempt below.

 

CiD

I think your Fall attempt is likely the best opportunity for good weather for the Complete ride. I too have read the idea of riding the North in the summer and South in the winter. I must admit that 2 different rides doesn't sound overly appealing to me, part of the fun of a BDR is completing the Ride. One could complete the CABDR and loop back south via the NVBDR and AZ Peace Trail (or head north on AZ Peace Trail / NVBDR then loop south on CABDR).

I remember that cold front and it dropped temps even in San Diego - it was our first big break from the summer heat. I currently have some time planned for Fall 2023 if things align correctly.

[Goofy Footer 539]

11 hours ago, Oracle said:

It was a bust. About five days before we left, the weather took a significant turn for the worst. Much of the NVBDR is at altitude and it looked like the lows would be in the low 20's, maybe even into the teens, at night for more than half of the ride. So at the last minute, I put together a five to six day ride in Arizona, half of which included the AZ BDR tracks and half was new tracks. The weather looked to be ideal for Arizona. We were all set to pull out on a Tuesday morning, and everything was lined up. I finished prepping my bike on Sunday, including installing new tires. I got my bike all loaded up and decided to take it for a quick shake down around the block (which for me includes Highland Valley Road) to make sure everything was secure. My bike washed out in the first corner on HVR and I went down hard. Got scraped up a bit and broke my thumb. So bottom line, I was out. The rest of the group continued on to the Arizona ride, but ended up turning around after a couple days and heading south as a result of the weather getting too cold there too.  

Damn what a crappy turn of events!  Sorry to hear that. How is the thumb? I broke the bone between my wrist and thumb (call it the lower thumb) years ago and it still bugs my throttle hand - I often ride with my thumb basically touching the starter button instead of fully wrapping it around the grip.

I may or may not be familiar with the large metal building that houses red engines just south of you on dye road.

As mentioned above, I remember that cold front - I thought it was great for SD to break the heat but didn't check to see how much it was hammering your rides. NVBDR is one I would like to complete. If riding the northern section of the NVBDR one could roll directly into the IDBDR. NV looks desolate and has the one long section 240miles? between gas but the terrain looks relatively mellow.

What bike were you planning to take?

 

 

 

@Covered in Dust the BDR documentary states 103F at low latitude and 10" of snow at the northern end