Best distance (# of miles) for a day ride (Poll)

[Des]

Just curious ---

I know a lot of you have done the 1000+ miles for Iron Butt -- and many of use ride 500 - 600 miles in a day on trips but that's not what I'm asking.

It's a perfect day -- or maybe close to it.  Weather is nice & your Dragon is breathing fire ready to roll.  You've laid a plan and are off for a day ride.  Either group or on your own.

Head out from home and ride for _______ miles before you walk back through the door.

What do you consider --- a good distance for a day ride?  

[hubcapsc]

I clicked on 200-250, but if I could I would have picked 200-300... 
It has taken me all day to get from Seneca, SC to Knoxville, TN on several occasions...





-Mike

[Hoser]

I checked other, I can still enjoy up to 400 or so for a lesiurely day ride, but if I need to get somewhere, 600 to 800 is not too taxing.    Hoser

[SANDMAN5]

Hard to put a # on it. Some days a 100 mile ride is better than a 300.

[Oss]

around here I would say 100-200 is fine to take in all the scenery on nice 1 and 2 lane roads
that could be 4 hours or more
To get somewhere I am with Hoser but  650-725 is my max as the speed limits in the east are not 75 like out west

From here half an hour north of NYC I needed 3 days to get to Denver and 2 to the Ozarks on the slab
No other way when the destination is 1400 miles or more and you only have a week of vacation

[Mike in AR]

Voted before reading your post. Marked 400, which is a good days ride when we are headed somewhere on a long trip. But, generally, 150-250 is a good day of just wandering around. Next time I will read before voting. lol

[Jess from VA]

The problem with the mileage count is... some of the finest riding is in twisted, winding roads that take all day to get relatively few miles (the Skykine Drive/BRP comes to mind).  I really dislike a day on the superslab, but there are trips where it is the only way to get where you are going.

I love an all day 275-350 mile ride thru beautiful country (like the Eastern mountains and backroads).

With no traffic, rain, or cops.... at about 65F and sunny.  

It's gonna get over 40 tomorrow (finally), so I'm going.  

[Popeye]

I used to like the longer mileage days but the older I get the less I like them. If I can keep it under 500, my back also hurts a lot less.

[Valkahuna]

There should have been another button for: 400 miles +  

I always feel like I cheated a little if I call it quits after less than 400. Now, being that I like to avoid Super Slabs, that typically makes for long days. Usually never less than 12 - 14 hours.

I've been in situations where I needed to do 700+ to be somewhere by next morning, and that's OK also, but I don't want two or three of those in a row. Then I usually ride the slab though.

Me and my riding buddy do a lot of trips of 3-4 days where we cover 1,500 - 1,900 miles.  

I just got my seat modified by Spencers Seats, because while I like to ride far, that is on my HD, since the seat on my Valk IS starts talking to me at around 200, and kicks me in the a$$ and other places in 300+ to where I'm ready to pay to get off it. If my back ever gets better,   I plan to put that new seat to a test!  

OOPS! I also voted after reading the poll, and not your post. For a good days ride through beautiful scenery, taking time to stop here and there, a 200-300 mile day is perfect for a "day ride".

[Valker]

There should have been another button for: 400 miles +  

I always feel like I cheated a little if I call it quits after less than 400. Now, being that I like to avoid Super Slabs, that typically makes for long days. Usually never less than 12 - 14 hours.

I've been in situations where I needed to do 700+ to be somewhere by next morning, and that's OK also, but I don't want two or three of those in a row. Then I usually ride the slab though.

Me and my riding buddy do a lot of trips of 3-4 days where we cover 1,500 - 1,900 miles.  

I just got my seat modified by Spencers Seats, because while I like to ride far, that is on my HD, since the seat on my Valk IS starts talking to me at around 200, and kicks me in the a$$ and other places in 300+ to where I'm ready to pay to get off it. If my back ever gets better,   I plan to put that new seat to a test!  

OOPS! I also voted after reading the poll, and not your post. For a good days ride through beautiful scenery, taking time to stop here and there, a 200-300 mile day is perfect for a "day ride".

Custom seat with backrest.....

[Big Rig]

Did a 3 day this past summer, stayed off the slab and managed 400 to 450 a day. That was perfect but I do think I need a new seat...if I am going to ride anymore in a day.

[bigdog99]

every trip i plan is 400 to 500 miles per day, once i get where i am goin' its a day, all day no mater the miles.

[Bama Red]

I marked 250-300 'cause I'm a slow rider. I'd also rather do the 2-lane country or small town roads than the slab. Even on the slab, in a cage, I'm rarely goin' over 73-75 mph. Sure ain't goin' any faster than that on my Valk.

[ericj]

I have ridden as much as 750 miles in 1 day, 300 or so makes for a nice full day of riding.

[Momz]

I checked 300+ miles. On a good day, it is nice to get out at sunrise and find a few twisties as well as some highway miles (just to "blow out the carbon"). If I go on a 300+ mile day it is by myself; and I usually need to "blow out the carbon" in my own head.

When the "Tres Gimps Amigos" go out for a day of backroad adventures and in search of the "ultimate cup of coffee", we may only manage 150 miles if we're lucky.

My longest day was 898 miles on my old 1100 GoldWing on a trip to Sturgis SD. But on an average MC trip I prefer 400-450 miles for the first few days, but that means that I'm riding alone (as to an out of state rally or other MC event).

[PhredValk]

Longest was 19 hours, 950 miles on day 1 of my trip East last summer. Distance and duration way wrong for day 1 of a road trip, and I suffered for it. Did 4 days for the 2500 miles back, better, but that's a destination trip.
Best day ever out on the road; GWRRA Sunday ride to the mountains. 4 of us decided to do the full circle to Jasper to get home. About 12 hours and 700-750 miles. Perfect weather, long sweepers thru the Rockies...
Normal weekend solo ride, good weather, no particular destination, secondary hiways, 3-400 miles. Heck, I'll do 200 for a burger and coffee after work if the mood strikes.
Fred.

[Black Pearl's Captain]

Where are all the day long riders at in this thread?

If I'm on a day where my goal is to ride far then I want to RIDE all day, 5:30 to 10:30. 1,000 miles is my goal on those days and more then not I make that goal. I've had about 8 good days this year and 20 more pretty good 750-900 mile days. 

Anything much less for me is scenic tour and that has a whole different goal.

Raymond

ST1300 motorcycle ride	powered by Aeva

[MacDragon]

I clicked on the 300+... I will commonly take off from Mass... go to Connecticut to visit with some lifelong friends... spend a few hours, and ride back to Mass.  Around 300-350 round trip.
I do the same with Maine being the destination to visit family. 
It's a good time in the saddle without pushing it.

[ChromeDome]

I checked other because I just don't think distance is the only consideration.

[RP#62]

If we're out for a day trip, its about having fun and seeing things and we do how ever few or how ever many miles it takes to go see what we wanna see.  We don't have any mileage target in mind.  That being said, now that we're in AZ, stuff is further apart and the day trips tend to consume more miles than they did back east.  On a trip, usually the trip itself is part of the vacation an we plan about 500-600 mile days.  When doing consecutive days, we've found that anything beyond around 550 miles a day starts to be work.  This is considering that we seldom do superslab the whole way, we try to mix it up between back road 2 lane and superslab.
-RP

[stormrider]

You asked for a vote so I did. Now for my reason for voting the way I did, 300+. Not many opportunities to do so but when they come about, it's usually to go meet someone for lunch then return home. It helps weld that friendship to know we care enough about each other to make that kind of an effort. And then there have been many more similar rides with 1/2 the milage involved. Just something about bieng in the saddle all day makes life more fulfilling.

Today was going to be one of those days, however, had to worm the horses, then groom them. The well needs some attention, and the weather is perfect; plenty of sunshine, mild temps, hardly any wind, arghhh.

[Hef]

300 plus is probably a good average for a single day leisure ride. I like to ride and enjoy nature. I have ridden with some friends who want to ride for about an hour and then sit and drank coffee for an hour and the same thing an hour later. Not my cup of tea. I love to visit but if you want to visit come over to the house and we will visit, if we are going to ride, then let's ride.

[Dave M]

  I've only had my valk since may, and have ridden a few rides of 400+ miles, usually around 250 or so. I live in central Utah so the rides need to be rather long or they get rather boring. You Know, same country all the time. I need a new seat!!!

[Lyn-Del]

I've been known to run down to Corpus for lunch -- 500 miles round trip.  Or to Dallas, about 525 or so.   Wizard's favorite lunch run around here is about 250 miles. 

Then again, any miles are better than no miles.

[Hoosier Valk]

Voted before reading your post. Marked 400, which is a good days ride when we are headed somewhere on a long trip. But, generally, 150-250 is a good day of just wandering around. Next time I will read before voting. lol

 

[Big IV]

depends on my mood. I'm spending most of my time commuting. When I get to head out for a day of riding I want to spend time without hurting myself or stressing too much. About 200 miles give or take is nice. 100 out, take a nice lunch and back again sees about my speed.

[NW roller]

Depends if I am by myself or have the better half with me. Also depends who I am riding with. I only haqve one friend who owns a Valk so when the harley boys are done we are just getting started. 200-300. I gauge it like this breakfast at home. Lunch and dinner on the road out on the bike.

[¿spoom]

Maybe I misunderstood the question, we talking wandering around or actually going somewhere? In the past I think 600 miles has been about all I've done in a day but if you mean a day trip to nowhere in particular, under 200 is fine with me. Calories, now that's another poll.........................

[Valkahuna]

There should have been another button for: 400 miles +  

I always feel like I cheated a little if I call it quits after less than 400. Now, being that I like to avoid Super Slabs, that typically makes for long days. Usually never less than 12 - 14 hours.

I've been in situations where I needed to do 700+ to be somewhere by next morning, and that's OK also, but I don't want two or three of those in a row. Then I usually ride the slab though.

Me and my riding buddy do a lot of trips of 3-4 days where we cover 1,500 - 1,900 miles.  

I just got my seat modified by Spencers Seats, because while I like to ride far, that is on my HD, since the seat on my Valk IS starts talking to me at around 200, and kicks me in the a$$ and other places in 300+ to where I'm ready to pay to get off it. If my back ever gets better,   I plan to put that new seat to a test!  

OOPS! I also voted after reading the poll, and not your post. For a good days ride through beautiful scenery, taking time to stop here and there, a 200-300 mile day is perfect for a "day ride".

Custom seat with backrest.....

Can't use a backrest. But basically, the Spencer mod with the Long Distance option is a custom seat made to your weight, height, etc. I plan to post on it once I get some miles on it.

[solo1]

ANY mileage on a nice road is good mileage. Quality is better than quantity at my age.

[fudgie]

Agree with solo1 on this. Quality over quanity. I usually pic a spot to go to. Maybe 10 miles or 60. as long as i get to the spot and return home. A day ride when we travel depends on how bad we want it. Sometimes 300 or 500. Took us 7 hrs to go 300 miles last year. 

[olddog1946]

Depends on the type of ride..for my daily ride with chicko we generally go between 110-200 miles with no where in particular to go to, just a vague idea of direction...destination trips, well that depends on the time  you have, when you need to be there, how far away, etc...as I've gotten older, rides and trips have become shorter, but more relaxed, with time taken to check out what's happening around me, instead of the dogged determination to get from here to there..Now, if only I would quit forgetting my camera...