What do you think of this route?

[zeus661]

12697

I have about 10 days in June. It's about 3600 miles. I have ridden up to 900 miles a day in the past. I enjoy highway riding. My plan is two days to Albuquerque, then south into Texas and slower heading back to Toledo, Ohio.

What I am looking for is thoughts on the weather as far as temperatures through mountain areas. Road conditions. Dangerous areas.

[bobbyf6b]

Looks boring, you missed Arizona! :icon_mrgreen:

[Limoles]

12697

I have about 10 days in June. It's about 3600 miles. I have ridden up to 900 miles a day in the past. I enjoy highway riding. My plan is two days to Albuquerque, then south into Texas and slower heading back to Toledo, Ohio.

What I am looking for is thoughts on the weather as far as temperatures through mountain areas. Road conditions. Dangerous areas.

The only fortune teller will be able to predict any weather 2 - 3 months prior to your trip . Mountain's temps will always vary , mostly to its elevations and time of the day . Usually , the only congested traffic, or road repairs contribute to the possible riding conditions , so it also can be unknown . I'm afraid , that after sitting on the saddle all day long , you will have little experience from that trip , with the exception of getting to the next hotel/motel , where you can rest. Highway riding is boring and provide limited impressions . Plan "b" can include some spectacular views and discoveries of the off-roads attractions , which you can draw after little studies , or simple searches . Without trying to change your plans , I wish you to enjoy your vacations and after return , please send us some pictures . America is a beautiful country anyway .

[srt8-in-largo]

That stretch from El Paso to Dallas may be an eye opener, I-20 I believe that is. Lots of HUGE frost heaves in the road with potential to flip you over the top of the handlebars. A few shady gas stations manned by illegals with water service that has long been shut off; the bathrooms are nothing but holes in the ground.

[unsub]

I think June will still be cool at the higher elevations in NM, so plan on dressing warm in the AM. And the east, oy vey, the east has been sh*t kicked this year for crappy weather as you know. I hope it warms up for you. Don't forget the B has a weather radio so try it out now, learn how to use it if you haven't used it before.

Any time in the saddle is fun but Limoles nailed it. You might as well be doing a bun burner if you have to ride 900 miles a day, but I understand one only has so much time.

Otherwise, jealous to all of you that can take time away from the "office" to ride. My "office" keeps calling me back.:icon_frown:

[hiflyer]

zeus, you need to get on the F6 phone list, so you'll have some contact numbers along the way. I'm on there and if you give me a call when coming into OKC I'll treat you to one of our hidden & secret dining extravaganzas, or my "special" breakfast place.

[Limoles]

zeus, you need to get on the F6 phone list, so you'll have some contact numbers along the way. I'm on there and if you give me a call when coming into OKC I'll treat you to one of our hidden & secret dining extravaganzas, or my "special" breakfast place.

What about me ? I'm on the list already , so don't forget to call me for any special extravaganzas :icon_biggrin::icon_biggrin::icon_biggrin:

[srt8-in-largo]

:lolup::lolup::lolup:

[hiflyer]

What about me ? I'm on the list already , so don't forget to call me for any special extravaganzas :icon_biggrin::icon_biggrin::icon_biggrin:

All ya gotta do is bring your appetite to OKC!

[bobbyf6b]

It's gonna be HOT between 2 and 3. Carry extra drinks just in case. And cover up. I wear a mesh jacket in the heat to stay out of the sun.

If you're hungry near Hatch, NM stop and get a green chili burrito. Yum! Rudy's BBQ in El Paso is good too, and check out the Hotel El Capitan in Van Horn, TX. I stayed there once and it's a real gem with a bar/restaurant too.

Stay away from the Diesel Fried Chicken across the highway though. :icon_wink:

12708

[Limoles]

It's gonna be HOT between 2 and 3. Carry extra drinks just in case. And cover up. I wear a mesh jacket in the heat to stay out of the sun.

If you're hungry near Hatch, NM stop and get a green chili burrito. Yum! Rudy's BBQ in El Paso is good too, and check out the Hotel El Capitan in Van Horn, TX. I stayed there once and it's a real gem with a bar/restaurant too.

Stay away from the Diesel Fried Chicken across the highway though. :icon_wink:

12708

NO - Thank you - I stay in OKC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[stroguy]

I would recommend a southerly bypass for the DFW complex. You hit it at the wrong time, traffic is a nightmare. Slip a lil south through the Corsicana area or northerly through Denton. Good luck.

[53driver]

I would recommend a southerly bypass for the DFW complex. You hit it at the wrong time, traffic is a nightmare. Slip a lil south through the Corsicana area or northerly through Denton. Good luck.

+1. Spend the night in north west Ft Worth, get a GREAT steak at Cattlemen's, and detour around the metroplex.
If you are hell bent on seeing the "new" Cowboy stadium, head to Arloington, get your tour and then head due north to avoid Dallas, or continue south of Dallas, however, the 635 Loop on the East/North side is under serious construction - they are making the 8 lane freeway a "double-decker." You can see the 2 story freeway starting about 1:45 into the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfcn2WZBvM0

And while they are doing a fairly decent job allowing flow, it's still a major tie up every morning and afternoon.

[miramiramira]

Given your enjoyment of hightway/interstate riding, that’s a good route. I’ve ridden or driven those interstate systems from Cincinnati to Albuquerque and from Pecos to Nashville (not all on the same ride). I can’t speak about the interstate from El Paso to Pecos so maybe the frost heaves and the desperado gas stations are as horrendous as srt8-in-largo says, but I know the rest of that route to Dallas and it isn’t like that. For that matter, Pecos is 209 miles from El Paso. I easily get 240 miles between fill ups so if you gas up in El Paso you can make Pecos, which is a nice little town with running water and honest gas stations. For me, however, I’d head northeast out of El Paso on 180 to Carlsbad and then due east on 176 through Andrews to Big Spring. That way you get a little more scenery when you cut the edge of the Guadalupe Mts. Or, northeast out of El Paso on 54 to Alamagordo then through Cloudcroft and Mayhill on 82 until Artesia where you can drop down to Carlsbad. That route will take you through some mountains and some really nice two lane mildly curvy roads. It’s a bit more scenic either of those ways and the roads are good with a lot less 18 wheeler traffic.

If you’ve not ridden in the west before, the big skies and emptiness can get tedious and some of the geography is going to be quite boring.

You’re not really going to be in the mountains on this route. Albuquerque’s elevation is around 5,000 feet and everything west of Ft. Worth (the 98th meridian) is what used to be called The Great American Desert. So, night times will be cool and days will be hot. In June, I’d run it with mesh and carry rain jacket and pants to go over the mesh for when it gets cool. You’re always in danger of some good afternoon thunderstorms in that part of the world but by June you shouldn’t see much persistent rain.

I totally agree with the advice to avoid Dallas. One way would be to pick up 35W in Ft. Worth to Denton and head east from Denton to Greenville then pick up I30 in Greenville (Denton to Greenville sucks for traffic too with a lot of stop and go and traffic lights, but it’s better than going through Dallas). Or stay south of Dallas on I20 to Canton and head northeast on 19 to pick up I30 in Sulphur Springs. Traffic on I20 from east of Ft Worth until you’re past 635 East will suck depending on the day and time, but it’ll be better than going through Dallas.

Memphis had crazy traffic. Nashville is Nashville, you could spend your whole trip there if you wanted. Oklahoma casinos are crap for the most part, but the casino hotel in Roland, OK will let you park your bike under the overhang and they’ll have security keep an eye on it. I like El Paso and it has lots of good places to eat.

There are, of course many other options if you want to get off the Interstate for awhile. I’ve ridden a lot in TX, NM, CO, and AZ and I can offer some of those options if you’d like. I agree with BobbyF6B that there are some fine scenery and roads in AZ, as well as in NM. But, it’s your ride and your time frame so make up what works for you.

Oh, if you’re planning to use GPS on your phone, be warned. Once you’re in West Texas and beyond, there will be extensive areas with no cell service.

[Old Ryder]

That looks more like work than fun. Are you an IBR? :icon_razz:

[imported_NMRed]

For the I40, I25 and I10 portions of the ride in NM you can reasonably expect temps during the day between mid 90s and 100teens. There are not many options to the I40 section, but minor deviations either to the west or east of Albuquerque for the ride south can put you on good mountain roads with much less traffic and infinitely greater views with temps in the 80s or low 90s. The ride from Abq. to El Paso Tx using the mountain route only takes about 30 to 40 minutes longer if you don't take time to enjoy the views. I ride regularly between Abq and El Paso. There are several options if you are willing to leave the superslabs.Give me a shout if your interested in some of these options or if you would like some company on your way through NM.

[Fla_rider]

Is there a Iron Butt Patch on the line?

12796

[Old Ryder]

12697

I have about 10 days in June. It's about 3600 miles. I have ridden up to 900 miles a day in the past. I enjoy highway riding. My plan is two days to Albuquerque, then south into Texas and slower heading back to Toledo, Ohio.

What I am looking for is thoughts on the weather as far as temperatures through mountain areas. Road conditions. Dangerous areas.

Let me chime in one more time with a more serious comment. If it is miles and bragging rights you are looking for, then there are already a ton of suggestions and comments. If it is a round trip to visit somebody, then I understand. When I was on the Victory boards there was a rider named "Rollin" and he lived for stuff like that. On one ride he posted a picture of his GPS and he averaged 80 MPH over a 16 hour period if I remember correctly.

I have a buddy with a Versys and we do 2 or 3 4 day trips and we try for a week long once a year. Some days we do 500 miles and some days only 2 or 300. We pick a direction and not a highway. About 3 PM or so we start looking for a place to bed down for the night. Folks at the motels and restrauants are always willing to share local attractions or points of interest when they see a visitor. One year we stumbled upon the radio telescope in West Va as well as the windmill farms in NW Maryland and other neat stuff. Many of our destinations revolve around the weather for the next day. Riding in bad weather is no fun and when the fun ain't fun, then it ain't fun anymore. :crackup: Nothing quite like getting caught on your bike on I-40 West in a hailstorm so bad that traffic is at a standstill.

Anyway--just the thoughts of a crazy old man that has his 3 trips for the year already planned out. Have fun and send us a postcard. :icon_mrgreen:

[Phaedrus]

Is there really a phone list?

[srt8-in-largo]

^^^ Yes there is

[Phaedrus]

I guess I'm thick headed. I can't find it. Where is it?

[unsub]

I guess I'm thick headed. I can't find it. Where is it?http://hondaf6b.com/showthread.php?4944-Forum-Members-Private-Phone-list

[SpeedyWho]

US54 in NM is much more scenic than I25. Plus you'll get to drive thorough White Sands.

[fxdl2051]

As long as you're in Albuquerqe you really owe it to yourself to spend a few days in Santa Fe, you'll be glad you did, one of the most charming cities in America with scads of history. Texas panhandle is going to be hot, humid and flatter than 6 year old ginger ale. Probably be in time to catch some of the summer thunder storms which are worse than anything I've ever seen anywheres else in the US ( I did long haul OTR for awhile years ago). West Texas is a whole lot of bother served up on nothin' for miles, no offense to Texans who are good people.