Route 66 or?

[Davel]

I've never been to the USA but me and a couple of guys have planned to take a 14 day ride in America next year.

The question, I'm sure, has been done to death but having watched various programmes on doing Route 66 by Billy Connolly and Henry Cole, I just wonder if there are better rides to do for our first and possibly only trip?

Not looking for an accompanied tour but just want to make sure that we choose the right one to do.

Sadly, none of us have wives interested in doing the rides, or we'd do this more often.

 

[itspilsbury]

Thinking of doing R66 next summer if we can afford it.
Done a few road trips in USA over the years, but in a car, and all I can say is they were brilliant.
Did San Fransisco to Los Angeles along Highway 1 and went inland to Highway 49 the gold rush area, had a convertible on hire, great memories. The second one did 3 weeks from and back to San Francisco, 6000miles in 3 weeks, 9 states, several national parks and also Sturgis during their bike week festival, this time in a saloon car and again fabulous. Never booked any hotels just went on spec.
USA has a lot to offer.

 

[JPR]

Billy Connolly and Henry Cole are a pair of twats as far as biking is concerned .
Forget 66 ,youd be bored to death.
Do your own thing.
Suggestions?
Maybe Colorado,Utah,New Mexico,Arizona ?
Im sure others will be along with alternatives.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

R66 really doesn't exist these days so I'd look elsewhere and I'm guessing you are renting HD's? If so, you can pick up and drop off anywhere and I did a 2 week trip from Phoenix to San Francisco a few years ago on a HD which was a breeze and got in the Grand Canyon, Zion, Vegas, Death Valley, Yosemite and the PCH. Saying that, you could base yourself anywhere on the West coast and have 2 of the best weeks riding of your life.

How about into Seattle and back out of SF? You could get across to yellowstone and back via some amazing places and get in some of the iconic PCH as well.

Colorado is fantastic and would give you spectacular scenery as well as amazing roads to ride so Denver to San Francisco?.

I would avoid Los Angeles like the plague because it is a hell hole. Although there is some decent riding around there, it jammed full of traffic and the coast road is very busy and not half as impressive as the PCH just north of San Francisco.

If you need any help with planning, give me a shout as I'd be happy to help out with ideas.

 

[Earache]

66 is a waste if time; flat and featureless for the most part until you get pretty far west. It conveniently by passes all of the good stuff..
Southern Utah, Northern New Mexico, Northern Arizona and Western Colorado is where'd I'd spend all of my time on my first trip here. I'do 2-3 trips through there each year and can help you out with routes if you'd like. email me at EaracheMS at Gmail.com if I can help you out with anything.

Ride in the area with Schtum a couple of years ago.....
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...-and-Earache-ride-West-2011&highlight=Earache

 

[Clifton]

.......I just wonder if there are better rides to do for our first and possibly only trip?

66 is a waste if time; flat and featureless for the most part until you get pretty far west. It conveniently by passes all of the good stuff..
Southern Utah, Northern New Mexico, Northern Arizona and Western Colorado is where'd I'd spend all of my time on my first trip here.

There is a lot of great riding in the east but I have to think it would be more similar to the UK with lots of green (I'm just guessing as I've never been to the UK). Whereas the west and southwest in particular will be more of a change.

Skip 66, Earache's and Bilco's suggestions are good and I would consider them as well as Wyoming, western South Dakota, Idaho, and Oregon. And certainly California with its wonderful diverse terrain and some of the best motorcycle roads in the US. Then narrow it down a bit depending the time of year, and whether you will be finishing wherever you start from which will require a loop so to speak.

I like California, Arizona, and southern Utah in May as well as mid-September/October. In fact you could zig zag just through those states for 14 days. Mid summer will be pretty uncomfortable there except for the highest elevations. Colorado is best in June through mid-September. May through probably early October is fine for SD, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.

We did a September ride starting in Phoenix up to the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce parks in Utah, across Nevada on Rt 50 to Lake Tahoe Nevada/California, back and forth over the central/northern California mountain ridges to the redwoods in NW California, then down the pacific coast and back over to Phoenix. Actually I think that was 14 days.

Mid summer would be nice to start in Denver Colorado and ride that state then maybe up through Wyoming to Yellowstone maybe on into western Montana then back to Denver.

 

[Paul Rochdale]

Route 66, pleez don't say you'll rent a bloody Harley, has been done to death in the media. When I was over there, I rode about an hour of it just to say I'd been there but there are far far more enjoyable roads in the west. Two weeks? Try the Pacific Coast Highway from Washington State, Oregon and California following Route 1 and 101.

 

[Schtum]

Rent a GS or some other interesting motorcycle rather than a bloody iron horse. Get one from Dubbelju in San Francisco and tour NorCal. Sorted....

 

[Earache]

This is what ya see on the vast majority of Route 66...

 

[Earache]

This is what you'd miss by riding Route 66...

 

[Earache]

Rent a GS or some other interesting motorcycle rather than a bloody iron horse. Get one from Dubbelju in San Francisco and tour NorCal. Sorted....

Yup. +1

 

[sven]

I researched my trip in 2012 very carefully as it was going to be a once in a lifetime trip (although we're going back next year). I rode part of Route 66 across the Mojave Desert, over the hills north of Oatman and the bit most people ride on tour from Kingman to Seligman. Only the Oatman section was interesting, but we really liked Williams for a night before heading north to the Grand Canyon.

The must see places in the States are the National Parks. There's just nothing like them in Europe. If you do nothing else, visit the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde, Xion, Yosemite and Death Valley

All these can be included in a two week trip and connected by some very interesting roads (and some straight tedious ones too). My favourites were the Los Angeles Crest Highway, CO550 Million Dollar Highway, UT12, Stovepipe Wells - Lone Pine out of Death Valley, Tioga Pass and Pacific Coast Highway south of Carmel.

Next time it'll probably be Seattle to Las Vegas via the Canadian Rockies, Yellowstone and the north rim of the Grand Canyon as trudi wants to go on a mule trek into the Canyon.

 

[Andy_E]

I agree with Bilko and Sven, I'd stick with the West Coast, and some of the Western States. That way you could get in some amazing riding and the major parks and sights. I'd also agree on avoiding LA if you can.

Although I've never toured them on a bike, only in a car, I also really liked Virginia, West Virginia and New England but I think you'd probably get more smiles per mile in the West!

 

[Paul Rochdale]

I researched my trip in 2012 very carefully as it was going to be a once in a lifetime trip (although we're going back next year). I rode part of Route 66 across the Mojave Desert, over the hills north of Oatman and the bit most people ride on tour from Kingman to Seligman. Only the Oatman section was interesting, but we really liked Williams for a night before heading north to the Grand Canyon.

The must see places in the States are the National Parks. There's just nothing like them in Europe. If you do nothing else, visit the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde, Xion, Yosemite and Death Valley

All these can be included in a two week trip and connected by some very interesting roads (and some straight tedious ones too). My favourites were the Los Angeles Crest Highway, CO550 Million Dollar Highway, UT12, Stovepipe Wells - Lone Pine out of Death Valley, Tioga Pass and Pacific Coast Highway south of Carmel.

Next time it'll probably be Seattle to Las Vegas via the Canadian Rockies, Yellowstone and the north rim of the Grand Canyon as trudi wants to go on a mule trek into the Canyon.

I'm pleased to say I have visited almost each and every one of those places and all are really exceptional, mind you I had three months to do it in ;-) The Million Dollar Highway to Durango was quite special. Monument Valley took my breath away but the Four Corners was really depressing with sad stalls with sad Navajo trying to sell trinkets to precious few visitors. When in Death Valley visit Badwater Basin (the lowest point in the US at 282ft below sea level) and the viewing place at Zabriskie Point (like the surface of Mars). For paper maps, find someone in the US who's a member of their AAA as their excellent maps cover each state and are free to members.

 

[Davel]

Thanks for all these comments guys, which I'll pass on to the others too.

I always thought that Route 66 was a must do but, after watching the TV stuff and reading your comments on here, there's clearly better routes to take.

Cheers all!

 

[Davel]

- and yes probably on Harleys...:

 

[gerry b]

I wouldn't knock rt 66, I done it a few years ago and really enjoyed it, if you get a rt 66 map as you enter each state there is a load of attractions to visit and meet some fascinating people and there struggle to survive since the road was bypassed, its really a trip down memory lane, visit indian reservations, raft the grand canyon or fly over it, gamble in vegas, stand in the corner of Winslow Arizona and sing it, have a shoot out in Oatman, go deep into the the caves where Jessie James gang hid out, there is loads to do, I guess thats why thousands visit it every year, September is a nice time, we rented from Eagle rider in Chicago and dropped off in LA, I also done a lot of the other roads on my GS both very enjoyable but up to you which to pick, enjoy either way.

 

[Jon]

Have a look at the tours (guided or self guided) on HC-Travel. Not to book, but to give you an idea of whats possible and were to go. It's a good place to start if you're not sure what to do/where to go.

 

[mrsroynie]

I've ridden Rt 66 four times now with an all brands m/c rally (that is, it has to be said, mostly made up of HDs). We stumbled on the Mother Road Ride Rally website by accident before our first trip in 2001, and signed up. I completely concur with those here who have said that there isn't much left of Rt 66 and the 'roadside attractions' are mostly a bit of a waste of time. (Sadly, in the years since 2001, many of the better ones have closed down.) However, we did make a lot of friends on that first trip and it is those friends that we go back to see, rather than Rt66.

Frankly, if we had done Rt 66 as we had originally intended, alone, we would probably have blitzed through in 2 or 3 days and missed the few worthwhile bits. Texas is simply soul-destroyingly flat. The stock yards stink and the incessant side winds and 'dust devils' (miniature whirlwinds) can be quite unnerving. You really need a sense of humour and some like-minded folk to have a laugh with.

On the other hand, it isn't all rubbish. There is a lot of good stuff west of Texas: Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Williams, Seligman, Oatman, Santa Monica ...

 

[Davel]

Thanks again for the comments.

I'll happily travel down Route 66 if that is what the others wish to do. It would, in any case, be a great adventure.

Otherwise, some very useful comments and offers of help.

Cheers!