thinking of going on my first ever solo trip ?

[benfranklin]

Ok here it is...I am 63 and ride a v star 1300.....have never done anything like this befor..
I am thinking of riding to Missouri from New York to visit a cousin...I have to admit I am
a little scare of doing it,with all the crazy's out there...
My intention is to ride all major highways,thinking this would be better than side roads..
But I have no idea what to do to prepare for it...I just had new tires put one the bike
and a new inspection as well...I have a windshield and 2 side bags for luggage..Also
have a rain suit...
My thought is taking a small tent and tarp as well as the bike cover...Not too many
cloths.I can always wash them at a camp ground...I think anyway..
Taking water and protien bars or cheese etc... I have no idea how far I can ride in one
day,but have no plan to try to make it over night...And I thought every time I stop I
would gas up wether I need to or not..Don't want to run out...
So there you have it..Tell me your thoughts on this and share any ideas with me....John

[Lifemagician]

Hi John, and Welcome to the The Great American RoadTrip Forum.

Don't worry too much about the 'crazy's' out there, in reality, there are very few. In fact, in more than a decade of solo roadtripping, I am yet to meet any. And yes, like you, I roadtrip solo - albeit in a car, and like you, I was a senior citizen when I first hit the road. Go where you want to go, and if at anytime, you do not feel comfortable, move on.

As a solo traveller you have a great opportunity to meet lots of folk along the way. Make sure you get to know the folk camping around you. Besides making new friends, it is a measure of security.

Enjoy the experience.

Lifey

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

It seems to me that your concerns, while well placed, are all about what could go wrong rather than about all the things that can go right. New York City to St Louis is about 950 miles and could be done in two relatively easy days by car. But as this is your first major cross country RoadTrip and you'll be doing it by bike to boot, I'd recommend three days, plus whatever time you need to get to wherever in Missouri you might be going. The straightforward route via "all major highways" would be I-78/I-81/I-76/I-70 through Harrisburg, Wheeling, Columbus and Indianapolis. But such roads with their high speeds and plethora of large semis are not the most conducive to a fun bike ride. Some combination of 'semi-major' highways such as US-22, US-30, US-40, and US-50 might be more to your liking. More to the point, rather than picking the roads first, think about what kinds of things you'd like to see along the way, pick a few, and then find the roads that connect them.

AZBuck