Biketoberfest Haul: Bungee Heaven!
Gear:
Four person tent, 84 inch sleeping bag, army blanket, sheets, shirts, jeans, ABM recording equipment on one bike. Began with the heavy stuff, thick rubber straps. Top with light items, bungee-secured. All that on just the chopper. No saddlebags. Plenty of room to roll up the leathers (see third para) and bungee to the handlebars. From the rear, looks like a pile of gear, no rider, rolling down the road. Nothing better than a stout sissybar, a raised support platform in back of the bar, over the rear fender, strong. Leaning back against the gear while blasting down the super slab, feels like kicking back on the couch to watch some tube!
Rainy Georgia, Carolinas:
Snowbird bikers, if you can make it past South Carolina, and Georgia, you're home free. Today has been cloudy in the Daytona area, but still no appreciable rain. The front which brought snow and ice to the midwest is working it's way through the south. As is usually the case, Florida only gets the tail end. Tomorrow, Friday look to be at least party sunny, and warm.
Locals Are Excited:
The northeast never got a summer. The midwest seems to have missed fall. In Florida, it's been summer since May, 90's day in, day out--we never got even one cool day-- and that's why the locals are dancing in the street...Saturday and Sunday is leather weather..high temperature of around 70, low around 50. Everybody's talkin', making plans for the cool weekend. If it's too hot, slaw for the wrestling girls ferments. You don't want to know what fermented cabbage smells like! ABM expects Biketoberfest to explode as local (Florida bikers) pour into town this weekend. Explode is a relative term, since BTF draws fewer than 100,000 bikers, compared to four times that number in spring, but who's counting?
Hotels vs Camping:
Still plenty of room in the campgrounds. You want cheap? VFW/New Smyrna Beach, $10/nite/person. Hot showers, cold beer at the post. Daytona 200 MC, between the speedway and the beach on Rt 92, $30/nite/up to 3 people. Primitive camping also available in a spot or two just north of the new Harley place on US1/I-95. For the old dog feel, try the town of Korona, home of Florida's oldest biker bar, camping out back and to the side. Bunnell has Thunder Gulch, RV friendly, bands, etc, just up past Bunnell, on US1, maybe 15 miles north of Destination Daytona. Want a hotel? With a weak economy, take your time. Check them at the very last minute. We saw some one stars, like the Scottish Inn right on top of Destination, 89 bucks a night. Down toward Daytona, the Royal Inn on Ridgewood, 91bucks. Granted, these are not four star establishments, but they're not asking 200 a night either. As a rule, the further away from town, the cheaper the hotels. Several in Deland (about 25 minutes west of Daytona) can be found in the 70's. ABM is camping. There's something righteous about bikers who arrive with a bedroll, ya know?
Four person tent, 84 inch sleeping bag, army blanket, sheets, shirts, jeans, ABM recording equipment on one bike. Began with the heavy stuff, thick rubber straps. Top with light items, bungee-secured. All that on just the chopper. No saddlebags. Plenty of room to roll up the leathers (see third para) and bungee to the handlebars. From the rear, looks like a pile of gear, no rider, rolling down the road. Nothing better than a stout sissybar, a raised support platform in back of the bar, over the rear fender, strong. Leaning back against the gear while blasting down the super slab, feels like kicking back on the couch to watch some tube!
Rainy Georgia, Carolinas:
Snowbird bikers, if you can make it past South Carolina, and Georgia, you're home free. Today has been cloudy in the Daytona area, but still no appreciable rain. The front which brought snow and ice to the midwest is working it's way through the south. As is usually the case, Florida only gets the tail end. Tomorrow, Friday look to be at least party sunny, and warm.
Locals Are Excited:
The northeast never got a summer. The midwest seems to have missed fall. In Florida, it's been summer since May, 90's day in, day out--we never got even one cool day-- and that's why the locals are dancing in the street...Saturday and Sunday is leather weather..high temperature of around 70, low around 50. Everybody's talkin', making plans for the cool weekend. If it's too hot, slaw for the wrestling girls ferments. You don't want to know what fermented cabbage smells like! ABM expects Biketoberfest to explode as local (Florida bikers) pour into town this weekend. Explode is a relative term, since BTF draws fewer than 100,000 bikers, compared to four times that number in spring, but who's counting?
Hotels vs Camping:
Still plenty of room in the campgrounds. You want cheap? VFW/New Smyrna Beach, $10/nite/person. Hot showers, cold beer at the post. Daytona 200 MC, between the speedway and the beach on Rt 92, $30/nite/up to 3 people. Primitive camping also available in a spot or two just north of the new Harley place on US1/I-95. For the old dog feel, try the town of Korona, home of Florida's oldest biker bar, camping out back and to the side. Bunnell has Thunder Gulch, RV friendly, bands, etc, just up past Bunnell, on US1, maybe 15 miles north of Destination Daytona. Want a hotel? With a weak economy, take your time. Check them at the very last minute. We saw some one stars, like the Scottish Inn right on top of Destination, 89 bucks a night. Down toward Daytona, the Royal Inn on Ridgewood, 91bucks. Granted, these are not four star establishments, but they're not asking 200 a night either. As a rule, the further away from town, the cheaper the hotels. Several in Deland (about 25 minutes west of Daytona) can be found in the 70's. ABM is camping. There's something righteous about bikers who arrive with a bedroll, ya know?
posted by americanbikerminute at 12:28 PM
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