Thanks for all the tips guys. The trip was a success and although it was rainy on Friday and hotter than h*ll on Saturday and Sunday, we managed to log a sweaty 1620 km (640+480+500) between the three days. Night 1 we set up in the Super 8 in Clearfield, PA for $65 and then Night 2 we were at the Garden Cottages Motel in Wellsboro, PA for another $65. Halfway through Day 1 Friday we were already hitting plenty of twisty sections. Day 2 Saturday all day was just amazing. Day 3 does not get mentioned...
Highlights of the trip included:
- Watching a hang glider take flight at the top of Hyner View
- Wykoff Run Road (although it had a fine dusty, gravel collection pretty much the whole way down the center tire track), didn't keep us from doing it once on day 1 and twice the day after.
- Hwy 144 North and South of Renovo were damn perfect. Barely any traffic and turn after turn after turn of clean, smooth, well painted pavement.
- Grand Canyon in Wellsboro, PA (the road there was a tar and chip mess but the view was Hyner style, very nice view)
- Had a wasp sneak into my coat and get me in the armpit and had a close call with a Turkey Vulture taking flight from the shoulder and a small bird that played chicken with me on I-90.
- Beer selection was superb, but, can't get booze at convenience stores.
- If you get the chance, give Cloney's or Not Your Father's Root Beer Ale a try... perfect and refreshing after a long day, and, 5.8-5.9% to boot.
- GPS mounted to my bike made it very easy to adapt the route as needed. It is a distraction at times, but, trying to train myself to look at it even less than the speedo.
- Finding out that you can own a home in Pittsburgh suburbs for $80k with pool and a yard... also, finding out that liability only insurance can be had for $109 a year (less than $10 a month) on a Shadow. Insane. F*ck ya 'merica.
Good tips for next trip:
- I didn't have the foresight to leave the leather pants and coat at home in exchange for my textile coat and riding jeans... I had the jeans on all day Sunday, the leather pants were packed away.
- Some Gore-tex boots would change the game for me in the wet conditions. Although I have a pair of Gore-tex socks, it was too warm to get good flow around my current sport boots.
- Some lighter (non-insulated) waterproof gloves would be superb.