I've decided to POSTPONE the trip for later in the year - I'm not sure which way I'll go - the bike ride is one I REALLY REALLY would like to do - I'm hoping that I can free up more time to do it in.

Question? - I know what an IronButt ride is but the "SS", "BB" & "50CC" I don't have a clue - can you fill me in?



We get that here all the time - called the "Santa Ana Winds". They come hot out of the desert some gusts 65+mph... It's not so much the wind - yeah that will blow you off course - but the crap that gets blown around will kill ya - branches - palm fronds - tumble weeds ...

In the mid west and when the miles of cornfields have been harvested (fall) or like in southern Kansas the miles of prairies, all of a sudden with no warning the wind kicks your arse when its whipping itself into a frenzy. One can almost see how a tornadoe could generate itself under those conditions. And your on a bike, thank God for the occasional under pass.

One time in Iowa, I-80, it went from sunny high 80's to dark and freezing in 2.2 seconds, then torrential down pour. Just that fast.

On one trip cross county in a moving truck - we rolled on the leading edge of a huge storm going through OK into TX. I've seen first hand what a wall of rain looks like and we drove through it a few times. A couple hundred feet sometimes was the difference between the rain and dry skies. You'd think it was a trick.

Mother nature can be a blessing or a curse. I'd have to say for the most part that most of my rides have been predominatly decent weather. I bet partly because I either took them in the Spring or the Fall. All my long distance multi day/week rides were taken either before the school year was over (April) or right after the school year started(September/October).

This ride to AK next year will be interesting as its the first ride I've taken in dead summer tourist season, June 16th to July 24th.. Weather will suck, roads crowded and hotels $$$ you watch. Picked this time based on what was recommended as the dryest most user weather freindly time on the ALCAN according to Milepost and other researched sources. My first dates were June 23rd thru July 31st. Don't have to put in for my time until December of this year.

The thing about summer riding that few realize is the "BUGS". Because we ride year round out here I get to see the difference on my windshield - during the winter months is stays pretty clean - its just starting to get bugged up now. During the summer months I have to clean it after a few hours of riding. Down by the beach is worse than out in the desert - and the mountains. You better bring some de-bugging for your windshield on that AlCan Hwy....
I did the trick with the oven cleaner on my 19 year old windshield - it had the yellow cracking coating from the factory - I used the oven cleaner to remove it. After a couple washes it started to get spider web scratches on it and when the sun hit it was hard to see through... I waxed it with the same stuff I use on the bike and it looks brand new - the wax took care of the micro scratches and it makes it really easy to clean the dead bugs off of it. You might want to experiment with something like that so you can do a pit stop cleaning to yours when that time comes.

I took the stock 12-14" windshield down to 4-6 inchs. Could never see thru or over it in pouring rain.

I have been forewarned that the mosquitoes in particular are enmasse and its important to have serious repellant. I do have a connection a shortway onto the ALCAN and who has been sharing with me factoids from a perspective of someone who grew up and still lives there.

I find it funny that NC state has a helmet law but no eye protection..or at least thats the way it was back in the '80's. Didn't nake sense because the bugs in NC areas big as golf balls

I've use the green can - OFF deep woods - works great. Don't get any on your clothes or painted surfaces that matter. It stained my rubber watch band. I spray it into my palm and then rub it on my arms and face.
You might even want to lightly coat your jeans and shirt (just be careful of anything with a finished surface like a leather jacket, boots, gloves, etc...)
You might want to wax your helmet glass to make it easier to keep clean since your windshield is short.