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I'm curious to know how most of us plan our trips?
Are you real map junkies and lay out everything by the kilometer and minute
or
Do you glance at the map and head in the direction of the road signs
or
Do you just get on the bike and go without planning at all and only have an idea of where you want to go and what you want to see?
to be honest all of the above but mostly i like to map everything out so i know where i'm going. i try not to put a time on any trip except leave time and return day.
I just get on the bike and go. I've crossed China back in 2000, rode around the world in 2004-05, and just finished a ride down to southern Anhui and back. The one thing in common with all those rides is a map was an afterthought at best. Riding around the world, I didn't pick up a map until I was leaving Germany. And even then it was a Colliers World Atlas with very few of the cities that I actually rode through. If I had to look at a map, I'd probably never get anywheres.
Regds,
Jim
Damn JSideCar! That's some old school gritty traveling right there! Do you have a web page or blog of your travel experiences?
CC
In answering the question, I try to have basic idea of routes, destinations and a time table before I leave, but once on the road anything can happen.
In North America I'll use a combination map/gps. GPS routing software has a great ability to route you through roads you would have never considered. Sometimes this is result in dead ends but most of the time results in seeing quaint old towns in middle America, cheap lodging and good ol' fashioned country cookin'.
In China it's currently more about where you're allowed to go that dictates route, but good years in Western China there's not a whole bunch of road options anyway so every turn can have a profound impact on your ride experience. Sometimes I'll pull up to an intersection and let it speak to me then I'll examine the map and clouds then choose from there.
In really desolate regions, if you don't pay attention to the weather, it will hand you your ass.
CC
I like maps and geography so when I decide to go somewhere I use internet tools like Google maps, wikipedia, wikitravel or sometimes travel books like LP to get a rough idea of the places I'll cross.
On my way I have no schedule, no sticky roadmap to follow. Each morning I target a vague area to reach and look for the most interesting roads (small, dirt, twisty), every surprise that could change the bearing is welcome.
I try to avoid all the tourist sites (traps), crowded places (cities).
I myself am the kind of guy that just walks outside and hops on the bike. I just need an idea of where I have to go, but I'm thinking about changing those habbits a bit and trying to actually find a specific destination.
For prep I'm using Google earth, 51ditu.com, panarmio and a pile of maps
Not really, but I am trying to finish a book of my ride around the world. it was on a 1969 BMW R69S with a Jawa sidecar. I've been stalled on it for over a year now though. I posted blogs on http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...=Trans-Eurasia (don't know if this is going to come out on this forum)
and pictures of the ride are posted at http://www.changjiangunlimited.com/Jim-IoM-Beijing.htm
When I see other ride reports with great pictures I wonder how they do that? It seems like it takes me forever to get off the bike, dig out my camera, and then take a (bad) picture, then stow the camera, and get back on the bike. I guess I need to have a passenger taking pictures all along the way.
Regds,
Jim
www.mycj750.com
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrazyCarl
It's not hard to take a good picture. It just takes a little time to learn how to use a camera. Actually it is a lot of fun and very rewarding when you look at your pictures and saw wow I did that and wow I remember that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimbosidecar
JSCar,
It's not a quick affair but keeping a decent pointnshoot in your pocket helps making snapshots easier. For the sweet shots, you have to give yourself time to take pictures. If you ride through a beautiful or interesting place, the stop and walk around for a bit. Explore subjects from different angles. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it means trekking over a kilometer uphill to a place where you can get the angle you want. Also, because of the more frequent stops, it's better to ride in small groups or solo if capturing more than your ride is a serious goal.
Good luck on the book! It's a massive task to assemble all the text and images in a meaningful and enjoyable way. Just tell yourself you're going to sit down for 10 hours straight to get some momentum...then don't stop!
Easier said than done yeah?
CC
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimbosidecar