By the time you allow @ $80 per day for food and fuel plus @ $400 for your insurance you can see where I get my figure from
nick sanders american expodition
- Thread starter steeevo
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By the time you allow @ $80 per day for food and fuel plus @ $400 for your insurance you can see where I get my figure from
sven
Registered user
My riding buddy went to Morocco with him and said it wasn't really a guided tour - it was more a case of telling you where the next nights stop was each morning and then being left to your own devices to team up with other group members. He also said it turned into a feat of endurance rather than a holiday (bearing in mind he as used to 10-12 hour ride outs on a weekend) i.e. too much riding and not enough sightseeing.
It would probably suit me in the respect that I don't need a guide, but then I would also save the cost of paying someone else's wages and do it all myself.
Do it yourself......
Far cheaper, far more satisfying, a LOT easier than you would imagine and it keeps the cash in YOUR pocket to finance yourself and your dreams, rather than lining that fuckwit fake Sanders' pocket
The man's a cnut.
I've met the twat, and couldn't agree more
steeevo
Registered user
wow
Thanks folks
Great advice as usual from everyone.really have to have a better look at this trip and check out other options, maybe just ride round Scotland for three weeks and enjoy a few shandies
Thanks folks
Great advice as usual from everyone.really have to have a better look at this trip and check out other options, maybe just ride round Scotland for three weeks and enjoy a few shandies
Good luck with that one old son. There is absolutely no way you will experience America with the time he takes getting across and back. It's more of an endurance test than a tour and you will have very little time to relax or take it all in. I spoke to a guy a while back who had done a Sanders trip and his very words were "if you like riding through Monument Valley at 90mph at 11pm and possibly sleeping in a bus shelter, t trip everhis trips are for you"
I took 10 guys Coast to Coast one way in 4 weeks in 2010 which is barely
enough time to see the great things which are there.
I was one of those guys, 4 weeks not enough, would definitely do it again, best trip ever, rode on some roads which you would never find without an experienced guide, which we certainly had.
I've met Nick Sanders many times at various events, bought his books and even had a drink with him a few times. I love listening to his talks as it is clear that the guy is completely utterly and totally barking mad (and believe me, I am an expert in this area).
However, I would NEVER ever pay money to go on any trip with him. Like him, I love to cover last distances at speed when it suits me but he has absolutely no concern whatsoever for anyone who goes on his tours. A good friend of mine went on his Timbuktu trip and said Nick was completely useless and did nothing to help them and just pissed off into the distance. To be fair my mate knew this in advance so knew what to expect but don't expect any sort of tour guide. You are simply paying for his holiday and get very little in return.
However, I would NEVER ever pay money to go on any trip with him. Like him, I love to cover last distances at speed when it suits me but he has absolutely no concern whatsoever for anyone who goes on his tours. A good friend of mine went on his Timbuktu trip and said Nick was completely useless and did nothing to help them and just pissed off into the distance. To be fair my mate knew this in advance so knew what to expect but don't expect any sort of tour guide. You are simply paying for his holiday and get very little in return.
The Bede
Registered user
... I've met the guys on his last Ushuaia to Alaska jaunt, they were only in Peru and already 10 days behind schedule. Sanders was nowhere to be seen with the group when socialising and laggers were abandoned (that's no fuckin' use when you've already paid for your accommodation on his tour). The support crew were more involved sorting hotels and tour logistics that should have been put to bed before the trip started. Not impressed.
... Plan it out carefully and you can pretty much match his trip for price and have a far more enjoyable time on your own schedule.
... The only place Sanders tours save money compared to a privateers effort is on shipping all the bikes in one container. A good freight forwarder will still get you loaded into a shared container at a decent price.
... If you want to spend that kind of money and have group camaraderie and pre-booked agenda go with Unchained (Sgt Bilco of this parish and especially knowledgeable on the US and Canada) or Globebusters. They are both much more professional outfits.
... Plan it out carefully and you can pretty much match his trip for price and have a far more enjoyable time on your own schedule.
... The only place Sanders tours save money compared to a privateers effort is on shipping all the bikes in one container. A good freight forwarder will still get you loaded into a shared container at a decent price.
... If you want to spend that kind of money and have group camaraderie and pre-booked agenda go with Unchained (Sgt Bilco of this parish and especially knowledgeable on the US and Canada) or Globebusters. They are both much more professional outfits.
I was about to mention this, you beat me to it Steve. Also, ISTR Brian saying how Nick borrowed his map then cleared off, leaving him behind to get lost, with no map!
And another story of how he wouldn't let them buy petrol until he'd spoken to the garage staff, if he wasn't happy with the answers to whatever he asked he'd ride off to another garage. Very strange!
I know what the question would have been. He would ask for "bulk discount" for getting the entire group to buy petrol. Only the discount was that they all paid full price and then he got his own fill up for free!
Ummmmmmm.
I know Nick quite well. Been RTW with him, Timbuktu, Ushuaia to Alaska, coast to coat US, all over the world in fact.
Depends what you want. I like to challenge myself and his trips certainly do that. You'll have bad days, but the good days will more than make up for it. The trips are cheap but usually pretty hard core. I did 14k in a month on one trip. I did 5k in a week alone riding home from one. I just enjoy the riding, not so much of the sightseeing. Much of what you see is the same for hours anyway when you're in the middle of nowhere. Even in the US, everything or interest is miles appart unless you want to spend hours in Idaho's potato museum or something then you just get a constant Big Sky view all day long. You want to take your time then they're certainly not for you. The bloke is no more of a c*nt than anybody else, including a lot on here. Anyone can do the USA, absolutely no problem, easy peasy and everyone says do it yourself. That's fine, but not everyone has the time either for the trip or the planning. These trips aren't all about a squadron of lost in showbiz company directors on shiny BMs who spend the evenings in willy waving competitions, they're mostly 'normal' people on an adventure. Personally I like adversity and I like not knowing exactly what is going to happen so I can tick it off on my clipboard. It's not all about the US either. Add one, or several foreign languages, and places like a Nicaraguan border and things aren't quite so straight forward. Nick tells you where to get to for the night then you're on your own most of the time so it's a good compromise in my book. Some people like it, some people don't. Point is, he's given me more priceless memories than I can list and he's taken a load of cash in return. Fair exchange I think.
So put your hand up if you've done as much extreem riding as he has or would consider riding an R1 down Ruta 40 with a pillion Nope, didn't think so.
I know Nick quite well. Been RTW with him, Timbuktu, Ushuaia to Alaska, coast to coat US, all over the world in fact.
Depends what you want. I like to challenge myself and his trips certainly do that. You'll have bad days, but the good days will more than make up for it. The trips are cheap but usually pretty hard core. I did 14k in a month on one trip. I did 5k in a week alone riding home from one. I just enjoy the riding, not so much of the sightseeing. Much of what you see is the same for hours anyway when you're in the middle of nowhere. Even in the US, everything or interest is miles appart unless you want to spend hours in Idaho's potato museum or something then you just get a constant Big Sky view all day long. You want to take your time then they're certainly not for you. The bloke is no more of a c*nt than anybody else, including a lot on here. Anyone can do the USA, absolutely no problem, easy peasy and everyone says do it yourself. That's fine, but not everyone has the time either for the trip or the planning. These trips aren't all about a squadron of lost in showbiz company directors on shiny BMs who spend the evenings in willy waving competitions, they're mostly 'normal' people on an adventure. Personally I like adversity and I like not knowing exactly what is going to happen so I can tick it off on my clipboard. It's not all about the US either. Add one, or several foreign languages, and places like a Nicaraguan border and things aren't quite so straight forward. Nick tells you where to get to for the night then you're on your own most of the time so it's a good compromise in my book. Some people like it, some people don't. Point is, he's given me more priceless memories than I can list and he's taken a load of cash in return. Fair exchange I think.
So put your hand up if you've done as much extreem riding as he has or would consider riding an R1 down Ruta 40 with a pillion Nope, didn't think so.
The Bede
Registered user
... Not just fuel, bulk rates don't benefit the group for meals, excursion tickets or hotel rooms. All that happens is some of the operators cost is defrayed.
... When pricing your own tour compared to a Sanders (or any organised) expedition you have to remember that the tour leader, their business, the support crew and vehicle have to be paid, their expenses must be covered and they need a trading profit to stay in business. All have to be paid for over and above the prime costs of shipping your bike, your flights (often not included) and paying for your accommodation. If you factor that all in to your calculations you very quickly realise that your own DIY efforts must always be cheaper and that a small operator (Unchained springs to mind) can offer best value.
... Cost isn't everything. Some folk want the camaraderie of a like minded group. Others lack the confidence to operate on their own in an unfamiliar environment. Sometimes time is an over-riding issue (though actually it's just as quick to do your own pick-up and temporary import paperwork as it is for a group).
... Doing the miles, even high mileage, is easy. The real adventure is making it happen. Besides, if confidence is your issue why the fuck did you buy a rufty-tufty adventure bike in the first place
+1 I'd go along with that.
It's fairly simple, you like his type of tours and riding or you don't.
And just because you don't like his tours doesn't mean the blokes a ****. He can't be that much of a **** as he's run his bike tour business for a long while going to lots of different destinations.
I look on it as he runs tours for grown ups, who don't need their arses wiping at every stop, and takes you out of your comfort zone and you'll end up with a sense of achievment at the end of it.
I "get" his type of tours/riding. Long dusty days, red eyes, calloused hands, testing and pushing yourself, beer at the end of it, unless you're kipping in a bus shelter, in which case a laughable memory to cherish instead of a beer.
If you like sniffing the flowers, stopping and taking in the vistas in great detail, doing as the tour guide tells you, stopping at the same time everyday, buying trinkets, then that's also fine.
So, you have a choice ; you can have a tour where every day you acheive something; or everyday you take in the views.
And long may the choice remain.
That's not for me, but i wouldn't call the guide a **** just because i don't like it.
There appears to be sense of snobbishness and "holier than thou" attitude amongst tourers, that if you ride long distances all day you aren't really touring, you don't appreciate what you're travelling through or taking in any culture. Well, that's pure and utter bollox.
sven
Registered user
....or you can do it yourself and have a combination of the two; I fail to see why you'd want to start a tour in the east when the sights and interesting riding roads are days away across tedious roads to the west 
It may be cheap for a three week holiday, but half of it is wasted time. In our 17 days riding in the States, I would only consider a few straight desert sections as dull riding and made a point of starting out on the LA Crest Highway and ending the holiday on the Pacific Coast Highway, not days across the tedious Mid West. You may as well ride up and down the A1 for several days and save the airfare if you're not interested in the sights 
It may be cheap for a three week holiday, but half of it is wasted time. In our 17 days riding in the States, I would only consider a few straight desert sections as dull riding and made a point of starting out on the LA Crest Highway and ending the holiday on the Pacific Coast Highway, not days across the tedious Mid West. You may as well ride up and down the A1 for several days and save the airfare if you're not interested in the sights
....or you can do it yourself and have a combination of the two; I fail to see why you'd want to start a tour in the east when the sights and interesting riding roads are days away across tedious roads to the west
Perhaps because it's an "Across the USA tour". And i wouldn't just dismiss 9/10ths of a country as tedious.
And what you may find uninteresting may cause others to spaff in their trolleys.
Earache
Registered user
.... I fail to see why you'd want to start a tour in the east when the sights and interesting riding roads are days away across tedious roads to the west
I've always recommended that folks fly into Denver and hire bikes there. Then do a circular route through the Rockies, into New Mexico then west to California and north to Montana and Glacier Nat'l Park. Finally heading back to Denver.
Takes in most of the better things to see, lots of great riding and can easily be done in 14 days.
Most of the riding east of Denver is as Sven says; pretty tedious at best. Far eastern US is also fairly crowded. A first timer should probably skip it all together.
Earache
Registered user
Perhaps because it's an "Across the USA tour". And i wouldn't just dismiss 9/10ths of a country as tedious.
And what you may find uninteresting may cause others to spaff in their trolleys.
Only 2/3 of it is tedious
Perhaps because it's an "Across the USA tour". And i wouldn't just dismiss 9/10ths of a country as tedious.
And what you may find uninteresting may cause others to spaff in their trolleys.
Bang on there Steppers. Long open roads can be far from tedious that's for sure. People think the Mid West is dull but it really isn't and depends on your mind set. Sure it's different from the Rockies or the west coast but it has it's own charm. You have to keep an open mind and if you get a bit bored, just remember where you are. There is loads of stuff going on and lots of brilliant roads to ride if you know where to look.
Sanders does things his way and it's not everyone's cup of tea that's for sure as Monkeyboy has said. I reckon he knicked the idea of fast transcontinental trips from a certain persons "dashes" which are in a similar vein and none the worse for that
Earache
Registered user
Have lived all over the Midwest for 40 years and have yet to find anything charming about it
I'm kidding of course. Places like Amana, Iowa and Galena, Illinois can be very charming to those that have never been there. Great rib BBQ joints to be found in Kansas City, MO. And it can be a novelty to cross Kansas from east to west and wonder to yourself, after 6 hours of riding at a steady 90 mph, when the Hell this State will ever end.
My friends from the UK that have ridden across the US with me have all kinda liked the Midwest. But the heat in the summer and monotony can get to them as well.
I reckon he knicked the idea of fast transcontinental trips from a certain persons "dashes" which are in a similar vein and none the worse for that
Do you remember sitting outside a roadside cafe on the way to marrakesh waiting for some GS riders who'd taken a wrong turn.
Feck'em, they know where marrakesh is.
Once spoke to him outside a dealers at Clay Cross,he had the Mobil 1 Triumph.Spent half an hour chinwagin,seemed decent enough to me.Then again i did,nt need my arse wiping
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