Subject pretty much says it.
200 miles from houghton MI to marinette WI
240 Austin to Nacogdoches... stopped every hour to let things breathe
I wonder if any body ever did an IRON BUTT on a GS?
Quote from: cksheppard on July 28, 2011, 05:18:31 AM
Subject pretty much says it.
During the Summer, put 180 miles every Saturday, and another 180 every Sunday! 14,000 this past year....
I've used up all 4 years of the Maintenance schedule!
Surely not any kind of record...but probably a lot more than most!
Cookie
Quote from: werase643 on July 28, 2011, 05:31:30 AM
I wonder if any body ever did an IRON BUTT on a GS?
That's what I was waitin' for!
I've only done a piddly 130... wondering if I could pull off 500 in a day down the road a bit.
NE Ohio to Lake George NY was a 535 mile day for me on my 97 GS back in 01, a mix of Interstates and back roads. Also did eight 400 mile Interstate first and last days going to the Smoky mountains in 01 thru 04. And most miles per year was my first year on my 97 GS bought new 3-26-99 and I put a tire on it on 4-4-00 at 21,700 miles. A real slackard now, I only went about 6k miles this past year on my 02 GS.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/GS500tirelogs.jpg
6k is more than I have done any year on 1 bike, now a days its more then I put on all bikes and cars maybe.
My prolific riding days are well past me, the few years in Cali were it.
I always had atleast 3 bikes to share the burden, and in the 95-98 and the 99-01 window, I ran 100 mile r/t's every day nearly. There were jobs that I was @ for 6 months and 3 months where I never drove my truck (my only other vehicle) but I always had 3+ bikes @ a minimum.
1 day max, around 400 was on a GS. Max for me I guess.
1 month max around 2500, was on several bikes, a vulcan, a few GS'es, a eli 1000.
6 month max on 1 bike ~10K The vulcan 750 that was having a failing charging system. In 6 months it went from ~14v @ idle to barely 12v @ 5K.
Yearly max - 20K but split across 4-5 bikes.
Cool.
Buddha.
I do about 80 everyday on my commute. But the most ever in one day is a little over 200. I was tired and sore for days... :confused:
331 on memerial day this year. That was in about 8-9hrs. Tomorrow I'll probably do close to 300. I bought my bike in mid-march and now have 3500 on it and I'm half way through the riding season. My goal is 8k this year but I think going to come up short. My schedule from now through the end of October doesn't allow for many long day/weekend trips. So basically going to get about 200 miles a week on commuting.
Ive done over 650 km in a day which equals about 400 miles, I've also determined that is about my limit, any more than that is quite uncomfortable
670 miles.I just couldn't stop riding that day.I was really enjoying it.
675kms (420miles) was the longest day on my GS...that was with a stop every hour to hour & a half...pics, chat, pee...coffee...fuel...etc...
I had a great day, even thought it was only a daytime high of 8C (46F)...the ride started at -5C (23F)...I just geared up and off I went with a huge grin on my face...one of my first rides this year, and one of my last rides on my GS :sad:
Later.
250 miles or so from Gainesville, Fl to Panama City, Fl, in July last year. Then a turn around 2 days later, I'll never ride that far when it's that hot again. Did find a GREAT biker bar on the St Marks River called Outz Too on 98 just before 267, the road that heads up to Wakulla. Best fried oysters on the planet, shucked fresh and into the peanut oil Jacuzzi. I had about 50 of the little buggers.
Quote from: madjak30 on July 28, 2011, 08:54:02 AM
I had a great day, even thought it was only a daytime high of 8C (46F)...the ride started at -5C (23F
my 200 mile ride was in similar weather and raining, kinda aweful but i had to get my GS down to my new job
I did about 300 miles a couple of weekends ago going up to the north georgia mountains, that is about as far as I ever want to go on the GS :D
150 was the most in one day. On the day i bought it no less.
I regularly do 80 - 100 miles per day though.
500+ kms. And have done a couple 500+ kms double days - 500+ on Saturday and 500+ on Sunday. Not recommended unless you have built up your riding stamina to such levels/distances.
Michael
1,100 miles. Started at 430am, ended at about 1130pm. Seattle to Santa Barbara. Temps went from 45F to 120F+ during that ride :)
After the first few hundred miles your butt goes numb. Then it gets easier. Well, not easier, just not any harder.
Redding, CA to Lake Stevens, WA - Approx 630 miles
I'm duly impressed guys.
I'd estimate around 220 miles... On the track.
I haven't gone much further than 300 miles in one day.
Not trying to steal the topic but, for you guys who do all-day rides, do you use some sort of extra cushion for your seat or any kind of extra padding?
810km or 503 miles in NSW Aust. Cambelltown, Umina, Gulgong, Lithgow, Katoomba and back home and some little bits around those areas and have never been the same since. I think it burnt me out :icon_sad: :icon_lol:
Also no padding no seat cover just the standard seat, though Ive never found the GS seat to be uncomfortable :thumb: :cheers:
I did 310 miles from San Jose to LA one day. My arse was numb the last couple of hours. I don't have any kind of seat pad, but I won't make another trip like that without some sort of seat help.
Quote from: kininja on July 28, 2011, 03:16:01 PM
I haven't gone much further than 300 miles in one day.
Not trying to steal the topic but, for you guys who do all-day rides, do you use some sort of extra cushion for your seat or any kind of extra padding?
Nope...here's a pic of me leaving the camp site last year...poor little bike...
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ND05PWpfUuc/TFELTGWwVhI/AAAAAAAAALg/R8Ae37DYegc/38949_447742535140_624880140_6366490_568387_n%25255B1%25255D.jpg)
I'll have to get a couple of pics taken of me on my new toy...I just felt that the GS was too little for me (physically)...I know I'm not the biggest guy to ride one, but that is how I felt...
Anyway, I put over 10,000kms (6250miles) on the little guy last year looking just like that...I still look like that, but the bike under me is larger ;)
Later.
The most I've done is 180 miles, but I have only been riding for 3 months.
I'm building my stamina to be able to ride non-stop for 285 miles (that's the milage
I get with a full gas tank and reserve). Hopefully there will be a gas station
waiting for me at that mile mark otherwise I'll probably have to stop before, lol.
My seat - in fact the entire bike - is totally stock.
The trick to riding long distance is NOT to do it all in one go. But to break it up into legs that are between 60 - 120 minutes long. And to do micro movements on the bike Before you start feeling all cramped up. Change your leg position, change your seat position - forward, back ,each side. Strech a leg forward on each side. Relax your left arm and let it dnalge by your side or on your thight, or gas tank or knee or where ever else you think of. Sit slightly askew (one side closer to the bars than the other). And when you stop... Stretch it out. Also drink plenty of water. Wear earplugs. Wear flannel boxer shorts or padded bicycle shorts.
@Lukewarm Wilson let me guess, during the ride you started to feel, all there was was riding. Nothing else mattered. Just riding. BUT. After the ride was over and you were home, the last thing you felt like doing was getting back on the bike and riding, anywhere, no matter how small the distance. Right?
What happpened is, you experienced a bad physical time. So it burned into your mind as a negative - riding equals a negative. Do shorter trips of just pure pleasure and you'll find you Unburn yourself :thumb: :thumb:
Michael
Great tips Michael. Do you use any sort of throttle lock or cruise device to stretch your right hand?
Quote from: cksheppard on July 29, 2011, 05:31:23 AM
Great tips Michael. Do you use any sort of throttle lock or cruise device to stretch your right hand?
I did buy a Cramp Buster type thing
(http://www.cyclegear.com/images/StreetAcc/Throttle%20Rocker_310x310.jpg)
And while it allowed me to use my palm only to keep the throttle open on long cruising runs, it interfered with my commuting riding - and - high frequency gear changes as sometimes experienced when riding twisties. In in that regard, unless it was positioned Just Right, coming completely off the throttle was not happening. And sometimes, I was inadvertenetly still using throttle while meaning to have no throttle and using front break. I removed it because I did not think that situation was safe.
What I do is...
Take off riding. IF I feel numbness beginning to creep in (or any change of feeling), I grip the throttle only with my index finger and thumb releasing the other fingers. Then I grip with my pinkie and ring finger and release the other fingers. I'll also move my hand more around the front, slightly increasing the throttle, then allow slight throttle loss back to normal as I use only my paml on the throttle while my all fingers rest on the break leaver. After I do this and gain my full sensitivity back, I find I do NOT need to make those adjustments again for the rest of the ride. As if I just needed to tell my hand to not grip so hard or something.
Of course, downhills give opportunities to rest the grip pressure entirely.
In short, I did use a device for a couple of shorter runs but have since stopped using it.
Michael
Funny, I had a similar experience. I bought a crampbuster, tried it, found it caused more trouble than it was worth, and stopped using it. I do similar finger stretching too.
Don't know if any of you guys are bicycle riders, but a few hours in the saddle there causes the same problems (sometimes worse) of hand cramping... Keep stretching.
434 kilometers = 269.675097 miles. Halifax to PEI.
Next year when I buy the bike I desperately want I expect this number to increase dramatically.
Quote from: mister on July 29, 2011, 12:14:16 AM
My seat - in fact the entire bike - is totally stock.
The trick to riding long distance is NOT to do it all in one go. But to break it up into legs that are between 60 - 120 minutes long. And to do micro movements on the bike Before you start feeling all cramped up. Change your leg position, change your seat position - forward, back ,each side. Strech a leg forward on each side. Relax your left arm and let it dnalge by your side or on your thight, or gas tank or knee or where ever else you think of. Sit slightly askew (one side closer to the bars than the other). And when you stop... Stretch it out. Also drink plenty of water. Wear earplugs. Wear flannel boxer shorts or padded bicycle shorts.
+1 ... when I first got my GS I hated my seat...now with just over 10,000kms on I guess its loosened up a bit :) But Mister's advice is solid. My longest trip (in a single day) is ~490kms (Hamilton Ontario>North of Algonquin Park) stopping around 125k for a leg stretch/drink and in-between those stops doing the above mentioned "micro movements" really really helps. I rest my arm on my tank bag alot too while cruising along and finger the throttle.
Couple of weeks ago I started my bike at 5 p.m. and I rode 530km to my first camping site. Next morning I packed my tent and by 5 p.m. I'd done 900km in 24hrs. Day after I rode 500km more to get home.
I've done a 1000km (620 miles) day on the GS. Rode from Sydney, inland through Goulburn, then down the Kings Hwy to the coast and then all the way down to a little town called Loch Sport in Victoria. Had torrential rain for about 500km of the ride, then when the sun came out I just couldn't stop riding :thumb:
I have a sheep skin seat cover that really saved my ass haha.
Quote from: cksheppard on July 30, 2011, 06:08:25 AM
Funny, I had a similar experience. I bought a crampbuster, tried it, found it caused more trouble than it was worth, and stopped using it. I do similar finger stretching too.
Don't know if any of you guys are bicycle riders, but a few hours in the saddle there causes the same problems (sometimes worse) of hand cramping... Keep stretching.
I use the crampbuster all the time...it did take a few rides to get used to it and to adjust it where I want it...but now I don't even notice it, other than I can wiggle all my fingers at the same time...
Quote from: Eduardo on August 01, 2011, 03:21:50 PM
I've done a 1000km (620 miles) day on the GS. Rode from Sydney, inland through Goulburn, then down the Kings Hwy to the coast and then all the way down to a little town called Loch Sport in Victoria. Had torrential rain for about 500km of the ride, then when the sun came out I just couldn't stop riding :thumb:
I have a sheep skin seat cover that really saved my ass haha.
On the GS, I had to stop every hour or so to rest my butt before the numbness set in...but the new bike has a wider seat like a cruiser, so I can go until the low fuel light comes on (185-210kms)...which is good and bad...now I just get to ride from gas station to gas station :embarrassed:
Later.
700 kms in two days (memorial group ride), then 700 km on the third (going back home).
That two day part was ok, since we stopped every 100 kms for stretching, drinks and new riders joining, but the ride back was... f%#&?kkkk...
My neck was killing me, so I layed down on the tank bag, and stretched my legs over the passenger footpegs (while on highway).
I had no feeling left in my right hand, it didn't feel like mine at all.
Although we stopped halfway for lunch, the pain got back pretty soon, so I guess I'm no Iron Butt material, not even close.
This year a group of my friends succeeded in group IB entry ride (SaddleSore 1000) = 1600kms in 24 hours. I wanted to go too, but had to cancel (the bike project wasn't over in time).