Step 7: Now that I have a list of potential solutions to all my potential problems, I copy that list of solutions and start sorting them out by categories, roughly by the order that you can execute them, by the place or way that you’ll execute them (eg in Nevada, I can do research. I can get things bought that I’ll need while in Nevada. I need Dave to do certain things when he gets back to Ohio. I have to do certain things when I arrive in Arizona, etc). Ask yourself when and where will things happen, sort according to that.
After that, I sorted things into a category that told me things I needed to do as routines while on the trip, reminders of what to do if I run into particular circumstances while on the road, my backup plans for things that could go wrong on the road, and finally a reminder to myself to go and have fun once I’ve done all my planning and prep work and it’s time to… GOOOO!!!!
Some of your items will have to be split into different parts of your timeline – do that as you copy and paste items into different categories.
You are then left with a to-do list of the various things that need to be done at each step along the way of your time- and place-line. This is where the rubber meets the road in planning!!
Next, I’ll start working down through the list, looking at it through an 80/20 lens, so that I can tackle first things first, the things that are most important and critical first.
As I go along in that process, ticking through those to-do items, the more my mind will be set at ease. And, just like when I started this motorcycle riding endeavor at the outset, I mentally gave myself an out at every step along the way. Between the two, at this point I am now starting to get a real comfort level around this mini-expedition!! I’m starting to get really excited about it!!
| TIME/PLACE | TO-DO LIST |
| RESEARCH AHEAD OF TIME | |
| I want to be able to place my feet flat on the ground on both sides of the bike, or as close as possible | Run up to Reno and sit on the Tiger 800xc and see if my feet touch the ground sufficiently for me to be comfortable
If not, have David send the low seat to Arizona, so I can install it when I arrive, which would drop it another .8” Call bike shops near Carefree, possibly Uri’s shop, to see if they can lower the bike, how much it would cost, and how long it would take FAIL-SAFE: if it’s not at a safe height, the trip gets scrapped and I find a different way to bring the bike back to Ohio |
| Route preparation | Play on Google Maps til you’re blue in the face, lay out multiple routes, do research on the elevation of roads and the weather for each in April. |
| Trip Planning | Don’t start planning for this trip early enough – start planning now!! Lol And, start ticking things off the to-do list starting now.
Don’t leave enough time to safely complete the trip – I’m planning on 200 miles/day * 10 days and adding in a 10 day margin and putting nothing on my calendar that is time sensitive for 20 days (100% margin!!). I can literally take the entire month of April if I want, to do this trip, and work from the road. FAIL-SAFE: If you don’t have the whole month of April free to go, you don’t go!! (I just blocked the whole month out on my calendar for this!!) |
| Weather | Weather – look at average temperatures and snow fall along your various proposed routes. Adjust to travel further south until you have a route that has a reasonable probability of decent weather. |
| Gear | Insufficient gear testing – other than my Delorme InReach Mini, everything has been road tested, so I’ll test out the Mini hiking over the next couple of months.
Insufficient bike testing – I rode in Ohio and am comfortable. I’m taking routes that are all back country to minimize traffic in larger towns and cities. Clothing failure – locate stores for replacements or have David overnight what I need. Gear failure – look through every item of gear on your packing list and make a plan for each item if it is lost, broken or stops working. Bike failure – Get AAA insurance on motorcycle Simple maintenance, how and when – print out the owner’s manual and study it over the next two months to familiarize myself with maintenance issues and schedules and fixes. Hole in tire – figure out how I’m supposed to fix it and what I need |
| Packing | Inadequate food and water – plot out what you think you need and add 20%.
Too much gear – find out how many liters each of bags hold, do a trial run of how much gear I’m taking by putting it into my 20 liter backpack to see how much I’m trying to take. Pare back what you have til you have 20% extra space left over between all your luggage. |
| Personal Safety | Don’t have backup help – put a message out to Facebook to find friends of friends in an area to help you.
Room safety – the precautions I already take when traveling alone – list these out No one know where I’m at – have a list of people who are following you on your Mini, with a plan of what to do if you don’t move in a certain amount of time, what various messages mean your angels should do, who is the lead angel, make sure they all have each other’s phone numbers plugged into their phones (see the plan Adventure Alan has for this for hiking). Have a plan for if your phone dies. Violate conceal carry state laws, get thrown in jail – do homework on this, call the hotline number we have, know your business. |
| BUY AHEAD OF TIME | |
| Weather
Clothes |
Unexpected torrential rains – buy rain gear
Insufficient clothes testing – the only clothes I haven’t tested is for rain (get rain gear) |
| Gear | Simple maintenance, how and when –Pick up any tools that would be routinely needed for simple maintenance.
Hole in tire – get what I need to fix it and take it with you. Make a backup plan for what happens if you can’t fix it by yourself. I lose cell service – Make SURE your battery doesn’t die!! Buy the USB charging adapter for the bike. Something disastrous happens to my phone – get a new waterproof, Lifeproof case, get a phone holder for your bike |
| Packing | Too much gear – order tank bag, to give you more space. Buy a cheap bag and bungee cords and strap it to the bike. Take ratchet straps and bungee cords as part of what you’re taking, regardless. |
| Misc. | Physically too strenuous – get a wool seat pad |
| DAVE NEEDS TO DO WHILE IN OHIO | |
| Bike seat height | Have David check to see if the bike is at it’s lowest point, b/c it will help me determine how I’ll be sitting on the new bike |
| Gear | I don’t have any GPS – Have David bring portable Garmin as a backup. Have him update it.
Something disastrous happens to my phone – Get my old phone and its accessories so I have a backup. Get the screen fixed. |
| PREP WHEN LEAVING TAHOE FOR ARIZONA | |
| Weather | Weather –carry your camping safety equipment in case, heaven forbid, you get stuck somewhere (water purification, extra water, space blanket, hand gun, knife, extra food, etc)
Unexpected torrential rains – take extra warm clothes |
| Gear | Hole in tire –take repair kit and with you. Make a backup plan for what happens if you can’t fix it by yourself – call AAA.
Sena dies – have your ear buds with you as your backup |
| Packing | Inadequate food and water – water, take your water filtration system for backup.
Inadequate clothing – Compare what you’re taking with you to the temperatures you expect to ride in, and then take a little extra |
| Personal Safety | Bad people – .380, small knife in sheath in pocket of riding pants, pepper spray in outer backpack pocket, tac pen in my shirt |
| TO DO IN ARIZONA | |
| Bike height concern | Install lower seat if necessary
If that is still not low enough, get the suspension lowered |
| Emergency flashers | Figure it out, ask the previous owner how to use them if I can’t figure it out |
| Bike weight, picking up the fallen bike concern | I have to find a way to be able to pick up my own bike, practice it on carpet or cardboard; was going to have Dave help me with this, but he’s not going to be available – NEED ALTERNATIVE
The panniers on this bike should help keep it up off the ground more than the other bike that doesn’t have bags – test this out before you leave Practice getting the bike up off the ground until you are comfortable doing so FAIL-SAFE: if I can’t get the bike reliably up off the ground, I scrap the trip |
| Trip Planning | Don’t start planning for this trip early enough – take the extra days you need in Carefree for your preparations if they’re not complete before you arrive in AZ. I have plenty of time to take this trip, so I don’t have to rush this step. |
| Gear | I don’t know how to use my equipment – figure it out how to open and lock saddlebags before you hit the road |
| ROUTINES ON THE ROAD | |
| Morning | I lose cell service – always plug your destination into your phone because it will track you even if you don’t have cell service.
Bad people – .380, small knife in sheath in pocket of riding pants, pepper spray in outer backpack pocket, tac pen in my shirt Take a curve too fast – have your map running on your handlebars, so can see the curves coming up ahead, ride conservatively |
| Lunchtime | No inn or no room at the inn at the end of the day – At lunchtime the next day, when you can see how you’re progressing, making conservative plans for where to stop that don’t require me to push the clock if I run into the unexpected, and have David make arrangements for me, so I have a target destination. |
| Evening | Route planning – Get on Google Maps and plot out your route for the next day plus alternate routes; take screen shots of each, so you can adapt en route
Unexpected gravel, dirt or back road – research the roads you plan to take to try to ascertain that they’re all paved Accidentally getting on a highway – Pay attention to the types of roads you’re on in your nightly planning. Run out of gas – Fill up with fuel before you turn in for the night. Plot out next gas stations, for the next days travel. Plot out more than one next gas station to go to at a distance 2/3 of your expected gas range (150 miles). No inn or no room at the inn at the end of the day – the night before, plot out potential places to stay, places before and after your target destination. Riding long past my exhaustion point – Plot out some potential rest places for the next day’s travels (lunch, coffee breaks, potty breaks, etc) to break up the day’s travels Weather – Watch the upcoming weather every night for the next day and for the upcoming week along your current proposed route. FAILSAFE: Any hint of snow, high winds, etc plan your route to head south or stay put – it’s a hard and fast rule! Laundry – Do laundry in the evening |
| Gear | My Delorme InReach Mini dies – I use my i-phone for navigation. Just have a schedule for updating people on where you’re at, like I’ve always done for hiking. Charge your Delorme InReach Mini
I lose cell service – Make SURE your battery doesn’t die!! Charge it every night Debilitating loneliness – keep your Sena is charged as part of your nightly routine |
| Packing
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Inadequate food and water –Replace food and water used when you stop for gas, make it part of your routine. Plan to stop for lunch to refuel. Plan to stop for a coffee to get a break and some caffeine. Plan to have dinner before you crash for the night. |
| REMINDERS FOR ON THE ROAD | |
| Unexpected gravel, dirt or back road – watch for unpaved road signs, slow down on smaller back roads, always be watching out in front of yourself, really slow down for curves on small back roads
Accidentally getting on a highway – Plug the route into your GPS, pay attention to signs so you don’t get onto one – ounce of prevention!! If you do, be cool, stay calm, only ride at a speed that is comfortable, hug the right side of the right-hand lane, stay away from semis until you can get off the highway and plot out a new route. If I do get a highway or multiple lane road, be very aware of other driver’s blind spots, leave plenty of space and braking time in between you and others, slow down. Weather – If you run into bad weather, plan to reroute more south. Affected judgement – start plotting your escape for the day the moment you sense it, or if anything came up unexpected that risks you being on the road too long Unexpected torrential rains – get off the road to stay dry asap til it passes, or go find a place to hole up until is passes. Insufficient clothes testing –I haven’t tested clothes for below 38 degrees, or in icy conditions – you just don’t go out or you get off the road and call it quits til conditions change!! Bike failure – Call AAA, call a mechanic or a tow shop or a bike shop for help. Call 911 if you’re really concerned about how isolated you are. |
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| BACKUP PLANS FOR ON THE ROAD | |
| Run out of gas – AAA card to get gas delivered is my backup, could also grab a 1 gallon gas tank and carry it with me (will get me an extra 50 miles) | |
| Gear | I don’t have any GPS – buy a paper map at a gas station. Stop until you get the situation worked out.
Something disastrous happens to my phone – I ask for directions to an AT&T store or a Walmart and I get my phone taken care of. |
| Packing | Hypothermia – at first signs, get yourself a plan to stop for the night – don’t ever push this one!! Hard and fast rule!
Inadequate clothing – If your heated gear indicates it’s on the blink at all, plot out how you’re going to buy what you need and get it (find the Cycle Gear shop and make sure they order it in or have, order it and have it delivered to where you’re going next, have David pick it up and overnight it to me) |
| Misc. | Sheer terror that locks me up – stop for the night, get David on phone to talk me off the ledge, determine what is frightening me and if there’s something I can do to mitigate it (eg I’m exhausted – stay a couple of extra days and rest up). BACKUP PLAN – have David make arrangements for me to trailer the bike the rest of the way. Worst case, David flies down and I fly and we ride together or a ride back, and he rides the bike the rest of the way.
Debilitating loneliness – keep your Sena charged as part of your nightly routine, and yack your head off to all your friends and family – this has always been a viable strategy. Listen to podcasts. Call David. Reach out for support on Facebook. Use music to perk you up – have a playlist on Amazon just for this purpose. Physically too strenuous – sit on wool seat pad – supposed to help with fatigue. Follow your backup plan to get the bike back to Ohio |
| Personal Safety | Don’t have backup help – Put a message out to Facebook to find friends of friends in an area to help you.
I hit something – make sure you’re at the top of your game, or don’t ride. call 911 I get hurt or in an accident – call 911 I get lost – stop, calmly regroup to figure out where you’re at. Ask for help if need be, cautiously. |
| LAST, BUT NOT LEAST… | You’ve done all your planning. You’ve knocked out everything on your to-do list. You’ve cya’ed yourself to the nth. NOW, settle in and ENJOY THE RIDE!!! |
Smarter-Not-Harder U 