I still plan on posting a trip summary with gear and bike reviews in the near future. Here are some thoughts till then.
Lessons Learned and other comments:
This is not to say my opinions are correct or even
applicable to most riders but they are applicable to the 4 riders on our trip.
1
Carry Gorilla Duct Tape. This stuff is great and
can temporarily repair most things that break.
2
Carry good quality tie warps. I have some that
have a metal pin as part of the lock, much stronger but I don’t see them for
sale much anymore.
3
I was carrying a 20’ 1” tow strap on our TAT
Leg-1. It was critical for getting Woodrow’s bike back on the trail after he
decided to try and ride straight down the mountain. Problem was it wasn’t long
enough plus we had to use the KLR650 to help pull the CRF250L up a very slick
and steep slope to the trail. In the future I will carry a 50’ rope in a small
bag I use white water kayaking. It’s not very bulky but would have provided the
length we needed. In addition I will have a couple of carabiners and two prusik
loops. This combination of gear can make a Z-drag 3 to 1 mechanical advantage.
Google Z-Drag to see how it works. We use them all the time in white
water rescue of boats and gear. That being said, weight is an issue and how
many times would it be used. You must decide.
4
Work out a system to keep your boots dry in
water crossings. I was miserable a couple of times because my boots leaked or I
walked into deep water and filled them up. This really became an issue as the
temperature started dropping to the mid 40’s. I am replacing my $80 boots with
much more expensive but waterproof boots.
5
Intercom system is a very real safety item. It
let us warn each other about possible hazards and coordinate ride decisions. We
were using Sena products and I’m really not happy with them. It limits to 4
riders but we could only ever get 3 on line at the same time. We finally went
with 2 and 2. I used CB on two previous AK trips and may go that direction on
the rest of the TAT ride. Waterproof CB is available but expensive but much
more user friendly with unlimited number of users and talking to trucks is a
plus in Alaska and elsewhere.
6
Ride to your weakest rider. Woodrow will admit
he was our weakest and most of the problems we encountered happened to him.
Mostly because he didn’t recognize what was dangerous, therefore the need for
an intercom. Riding too fast through some of the technical sections on day 1
and 2 starting at Andrews can be a problem.
7
Don’t overestimate the speed you can ride. Days
1 and 2 we averaged 14 mph. We finally got up to around 25 mph average but only
after we got out of the really mountainous sections.
8
Motels and gas are far between even in the
eastern states. Our daily route was based more on this than the miles we could
have ridden. Our CRF250Ls had only 2 gal tanks with 1 gal in reserve RotoPax.
I’ve gotten 72 mpg on the CRF but riding on highway at 50 mph. In the mountains
I was probably getting 50 mpg. I would be on reserve around 90 miles.
9
Bent gear shifts seem to happen with almost
every dropped bike. Carry spare.
10
We had no rain on this leg but if we had, it
would have been a totally different and much more difficult ride.
11
Water crossings vary greatly. Some were concrete
but with moss making them slippery. Others were firm gravel. Several were mud
holes. The one I dropped hard in was rock shelfs that formed ridges that catch
your tire and you have no control. Take time to get off and look at them
closely. We walked the ones that looked questionable (remember wet boots). One
in particular was about up to the axle of the bikes but very swift water plus
was slippery.
12
Lots of blind turns especially in the mountains.
Meeting a car or other bike coming the opposite direction is a real shocker.
13
Forest Service closes roads at their discretion.
Sometimes you can get through but you may have to backtrack a good distance.
Plan this into your day’s ride so you have daylight at the end. Skip lunch and
ride!
14
Pack lite but have warm clothes. The last couple
of days I had many layers on trying to say warm when the temps dropped
drastically. We had snow for a couple of miles.
15
Wear protective riding gear. The TAT rides
through a lot of rural locations with dogs, cows, gravel and many other hazards
that are on the road just over the next hill or around the next turn. Going
cheap here will cost you in pain.
16
Excessive speed is like gambling. Sometimes you
win with more miles covered but you can lose real big when you meet that
unexpected dog in the road or muddy spot on a mountain trail; Woodrow will
testify to that.
17
Not many folks along our route even heard of the
TAT. This may have been because we were on the new route through Georgia. Even
the Forest Service guys we met did not know it existed. That being said everyone
was more than friendly and helpful and very interested in hearing about our
ride.
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