Riding to an unfamiliar destination without GPS

[Darling Ninja]

Tomorrow I'm riding 39 miles (one-way) to a destination that I am unfamiliar with.

I'm going to participate in the Street RiderCourse that is part of the MSF curriculum. One of the guys who put the class together sent me directions. They are very detailed which is good, but I'm pretty sure I won't remember everything. I don't have GPS.

What are some good tips for riding to unfamiliar destinations? I'm going to have to take 3 different freeways to get to the course in L.A. traffic during rush hour.

[Ytse Frobozz]

The best advice I can give is to do a scouting report. Drive there once, way ahead of time. Since you're going there tomorrow, that would mean do it tonight. That way when you go for real, you'll have already seen everything once. I understand an 80 mile round trip for a simple dry run is kind of a haul, but you just have to weigh that against the risk of things going awry tomorrow.

The other advice I have is to leave EARLY. If everything goes right and you end up there 45 minutes ahead of time, that is way better than freaking out because you're going to be late. The last thing you want is to be stressed out and in a hurry on unfamiliar roads.

Last but not least, if possible, have a number to call if you need directions while you're out there. It sucks to pull over, bust out the cell phone, and make calls while you're sitting on (or near) your bike, but I've done it before.

And of course, if your cell phone has internet capability, there's always the following process:

1. Ride a while
2. Stop
3. Fire up Google Maps on the cell phone
4. Curse profusely
5. Repeat

Good luck!

[revstriker]

I have a tank bag which has a map sleeve on the top. If I am going somewhere unfamiliar, I will normally print out directions and put them in the sleeve. If I am printing directions from a service like Google, I will normally simplify them a bit to make them easier to read. Just don't try to read them while you're riding.

[Darling Ninja]

Thanks Frobozz!

I think I am going to scope the place out tonight just to get an idea of what to expect. I need to practice anyway, so I don't care about the 80 mile round trip.

I'm pretty sure the first two freeways that I have to take don't have carpool lanes which sucks, but the last freeway does. I'm also planning on leaving extra early tomorrow, because I don't want to be late just in case I still get lost.

Once, I taped a little post it note to my tank with directions, but I was riding when there was very little traffic so it was easier to glance down once in a while.

I need to look into investing in a GPS.

[Alex]

Great advice so far.

I'm skeered of going anywhere new without GPS; it's been so ingrained in my process for years and years now.

[bluepoof]

Originally Posted by revstriker

I have a tank bag which has a map sleeve on the top. If I am going somewhere unfamiliar, I will normally print out directions and put them in the sleeve. If I am printing directions from a service like Google, I will normally simplify them a bit to make them easier to read. Just don't try to read them while you're riding.

+1!

[bdavison]

Just use blue painters tape to tape the map to your tank...it comes off with no residue, and will stay stuck even at highway speeds.

Plus you can peel it off the map later if you want to save the map.

[Darling Ninja]

Originally Posted by Alex

I'm skeered of going anywhere new without GPS; it's been so ingrained in my process for years and years now.

Spoiled!!

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Darling Ninja

Spoiled!!

And weak, I know.

[V2Neal]

I'm the visual type. I usually look at a map and commit the major roads to memory as well as the general area I'm headed to. ie; major intersection etc.

Also allow yourself extra time.

I love getting 'lost'.


Have fun!

[setasai]

Sometimes when I do that, I make it a multi-destination trip. I'll ride closer to the location to purposely stop and get coffee until it's time to head to my real destination. That way I am not rushed at all, can relax a bit, and I'll be close enough to just zip over. If you have friends in the general location. Meet them up for a snack and then head over.

[Reddoak]

Good lord... map reading is becoming a dead art.

Although navigating LA Freeways is rough...
Leave early. Pull off the road if you need to consult the directions. Reading a map while riding on a busy freeway is a recipe for disaster.

[Domagoj]

Originally Posted by V2Neal

I'm the visual type. I usually look at a map and commit the major roads to memory as well as the general area I'm headed to. ie; major intersection etc.

Also allow yourself extra time.

I love getting 'lost'.


Have fun!

I don't have a gps in the car. Getting lost truly is a great fun! Every little trip to the unknown becomes an adventure of sorts.

Highways are easy, you have signs everywhere. City can be tough.
Allow yourself extra time, and do not panic, you can always use the old fashioned "stop and ask someone". That works well usually, but beware of "how far" estimations that passers by give you, depending on the part of the world and mentality, they tend to overestimate or underestimate the distance greatly.

Try to remember some landmarks of the place you are going to. Street view on google maps works well for that. It has worked well for me to try to reach those "easy" spots, and then explore around them, with option of returning to the landmark always there. This way you are never hopelessly lost.

Finally, it is sometimes beneficial to learn a bit about local transport (buses in this case). Just tail the bus that goes where you go . It is totally silly and slow but works. Especially on the motorcycle, because you can always find a spot to wait for it to load/unload the passengers.

[Darling Ninja]

I just wanted to let everyone know that I made it there! The night before, I drove there in my car and my boyfriend took notes of important things to remember. The next morning, I knew what to look out for and I even got to the place 2 hours early ha ha.

Look for my article about the new Street RideCourse the MSF is now offering in Motorcyclist magazine. Coming Soon!

[Alex]

Way to go!

Will definitely check out the article. Will there be pics?

[Darling Ninja]

Originally Posted by Alex

Will definitely check out the article. Will there be pics?

Thanks Alex! Yes, there will be pics. Motorcyclist magazine had a photographer go down there with me, she took many shots.

There were 2 other guys riding in the group and 2 coaches, so 5 riders total. But, I was the only beginner in the group. They all said I did really well on my Ninjette.

[CThunder-blue]

Awesome! Looking forward to the article . For future reference, do you have a smartphone? Most have nav/gps apps these days.

[CC Cowboy]

You're on a motorcycle, you never get lost, it just takes longer to get there some times.

["A"]

I've been using GPS on my motos since 2001, the functions that GPSs nowadays offer is just too much for motorcycling.

I usually just leave mine on map mode (not 3D mode) with the scale of the map fixed.
In unfamiliar areas, I judge my corner entry speed according to the upcoming curve that I see on the map. See the curve before getting there really is a good thing.

If I know the general heading of my destination, I don't even bother with the routing tools, just head towards the general direction and plot a route if I feel like I'm getting close or press for time.

My GPS unit has been mounted on many different motos, dropped many times on & off-pavement, the map has not been updated since 2004 or so, but it still suits my needs. My wife got me a new GPS last Xmas, I used it once and went back to my old unit.

Still kept my top speed on the Blackbird from way back when:

[Memengkamatis]

I still have my old Garmin Quest, but I now use a Garmin Nuvi 1450. Got it from Ebay cheap. Bought the proper Ram mounting rig. Loved it for the 5-inch color display. Not waterproof so I carry a ziplock bag just in case. Ride safe guys.