The Explorers Arsenal
The Navigational Tools of the Adventuresome Rider
We
all start out innocently. Get a bike and start riding from here to
there. In the beginning we use primarily the interstate and state
routes. Then there are those of us who gravitate toward the
secondary roads, tertiary roads and sometimes we hop on a dualsport
and figure out how to get from here to there over gravel roads.
Some time ago I heard a rider spouting off about riding 20,000
miles a year. As I queried him it became apparent he was doing it
all on interstates and state routes and had no clue as to the
spectacular places he was missing, which were often nearby his
otherwise boring routes. I was inspired by his jabber and vowed at
that point to have a more interesting ride and to keep discovering
new places.
We can follow someone else around who knows their way or we can
build our own arsenal of tools and mindsets that allow us to
adventure out on our own. That arsenal can swell to be quite large
and it was an interesting exercise to sit down and write this
article and realize just how many navigational tools and mindsets I
actually utilize to explore the places I go. After living in the
Northwest for over a decade and clocking 15K to 20K miles a year I’m
still discovering great roads.
So come on in and have a look at what’s in my arsenal.
State Atlases – I learned a long time back that basic folding
maps and an atlas of the United States work great if you just plan
to ride state routes and interstates. Beyond that they are fairly
useless. On the other hand, having a quality state atlas can make a
huge difference since they typically point out more attractions,
where the campgrounds are and elevations. My favorites are the state
Road and Recreation atlases made by Benchmark Maps. They provide
fairly accurate detail about what roads are paved and which are not
– critical if you’re planning a dualsport ride or trying to stay
out of the dirt on a street bike. The roads are checked every few
years and there are also detailed listings of campgrounds, recreation
spots and attractions. I actually keep three sets around for the
Northwest states where I live. I keep a set at home, one in the car
and a set for the bike, of course.
I’ve never been impressed with the DeLorme or Rand McNally brands
including their recently issued updates since they still have yet to
advise which roads are dirt and which are not. There is one thing
DeLorme includes that is unique: a series of bicycle routes which
are often fun to trace on a street bike since they often involve
tertiary roads with lots of twists and turns. Of course you’ve got
to watch out for the bicyclists! Rather than fork down full price
for these, I advise you purchase them used for about eighty percent
less.
International Atlases – If you live in the
Northwest or on any southern or northern border of the country,
you’ll want to have a good atlas of the province you plan to travel
through as well. Again you’re looking for one with good detail and
road type delineation.
Passport – Nowadays don’t plan to travel outside the US
without yours. And check to be sure it’s valid. If you’re renewing
allow up to six months for the State Department to process your
renewal.
Regional & Travel Magazines – I subscribe to several regional
magazines. They’re not written with motorcyclists in mind but more
toward the general traveler, outdoors-person stereotype. Here I
often find getaway articles about places I have yet to visit. I can
then scope out a route using the atlases and with a little attention
to detail I often come up with a fun adventure.
Local Guide Books – These are handy as well and typically not
written with the motorcyclists in mind. They often provide a lot of
detail about accommodations, where to eat and what events and/or
festivals are going on at any one time.
 GPS – A GPS is an essential tool I use for exploring. Once
I’ve verified my route via the atlases I key the route into my
mapping software and fly it into my GPS. I find the majority of
people who own GPS’ don’t actually know how to create a route and
send it to their unit. If you don’t, learn it and you will open the
window to some great rides and a minimum of navigational hassles
once you’ve mastered how to use the unit.
In this writer's opinion, the Garmin 60Csx is
still the best unit for the rider with multiple bikes. It runs 30
hours on batteries and doesn't require a wired mount.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is to route by creating a
series of way points and then creating a route from the collection.
The other option, which utilizes via points tends to
get you from a-z as fast as possible and may not take you along your
originally planned route, particularly if you’re on a loop ride.
My GPS of choice is the Garmin 60CSx and MapSource City Navigator
Software (which works for ALL roads including gravel stretches.) The
60CSx is convenient because I can move it between all my bikes
easily and run it 30 hours on a set of Energizer rechargeable 2500
mAh batteries before I need to replace them.
Be advised – if you got a smoking deal on a GPS there’s a chance
it may not be able to accept routes. Know this before you buy, it
hurts to find out later.
But there are times I don’t use the GPS…
Just Go – Sometimes I just turn off the GPS and ride to
wherever it is I go. No plans, no routes, no particular destination
I just ride and see where it leads me. Sometimes I think I know
where I am and alas I’m not even close. Eventually I always find my
way to a point I’m familiar with. These are some of the best times I
have when I’m exploring. If you have your GPS on, you could set it
to tracking mode so you know where you went later, just don’t pay
any attention to it while you’re riding.
The other time I turn the GPS off is when I’m going somewhere I
already know how to get to. I tend to pay much more attention to everything going on
around me. Go figure.
The Internet – Of course the information super highway has a
lot to offer, sometimes more than you need.
For general research, the internet is a good place to go, but you
have to watch out for out of date and misleading information.
Traffic, road construction and weather updates are essential to
taking a smooth ride. Getting turned around due to a road closure or
encountering a hail storm can put a crimp in your schedule and
outlook. Know before you go. With today’s bite-size laptops, PDAs
and cell phone services, it’s fairly easy to ascertain this info each
morning before you ride.
Newsgroups, forums, blogs and other sites that allow people to
comment can be a whole other story. I tend to steer clear of them
because they can be filled with misinformation (written by
misinformants, of course), out-of-date reports and the time it takes
to weed down through threads for anything useful between all the
jive is better spent going to a trustworthy site.
Additional Mapping Software – Along with MapSource, I utilize
several other pieces of mapping software. A copy of National
Geographic's Backroads Explorer resides on each of my computers
along with a copy of Microsoft Streets & Trips. Each has its own good
and bad points, but as you can see, the more information you arm yourself with,
the more you’ll know about where to go and what lies on the
adventure ahead and the better your ride will be.
Your Imagination – With all these tools at your command, it’s
quite a bit of fun to do your homework and then let your imagination
take control. Imagine the places you’ll go!
Patrick Thomas/Winter 09 |
