TWF Rally Update & Need Input!

[rogue]

This is the list as of today:

Attendees
Rogue (check in 7th - check out 11th)
Ericr (check in 7th - check out 11th)
Redd (check in 7th - check out 11th)
Derf (check in 7th - check out 11th)
Tommy (check in 7th - check out 11th)
Trip (check in 7th - check out 10th)
Amorok (check in 7th - check out 11th)
Chi (check in 7th - check out 10th)
Tigger (check in 7th - check out 10th)
Sixxxer (check in 7th - check out 11th)
Phenix Rider (check in -May 8th - check out May 11th)


Those Making Other Accommodations
Ricaholic
PistonPete
MFFJM2 - Arriving 8th - Leaving 11th
Lil Taz & S/O *dates not set & not sure if they'll be staying at TWO*
Smittie - Local

Pending
Ebbs
Fat Bstrd
Brian

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since we do not have have 15 people who have committed to the lodge yet, lodging prices are as follows for those that have committed.

Thursday
$29 plus tax
Friday & Saturday
26.37 plus tax

Sunday I have not tallied yet. With only a few people wanting to stay, I thought of some alternatives:

1-Just rent the rooms in accordance to how many are staying that night
2-Alot of those who are staying until Monday are wanting to go ride Deal's Gap. Deal's Gap is approximately a two hour ride (give or take) and a suggestion was made that we could head out Sunday and make arrangements closer to Deal's Gap to enable us to have more riding time Monday. It was suggested we could ride the Cherohala Skyway on our way there Sunday (for info on the Cherohala Skyway go here: www.cherohala.com if you're not familiar with it), bunk down Sunday evening closer to the Gap, and we'd be fresh for riding it Monday.

These are just suggestions and if anyone else has any, please speak up! Nothing is set in stone yet.

Also, I have not made the reservations for TWO yet, nor has Trip or Eric that I'm aware of. So we need agree as a group within the next couple of days on the finalization of TWO.

Please remember we still have people who are pending and a couple of people who haven't committed to staying at the lodge yet so the pricing of each night per person at the lodge can still change. I also need to know if anyone is bringing a guest. The only set price is for the lodge itself of $290 per night.

Positives for staying at TWO:
~we will be together as a group and not scattered about
~for those that can't commit until a later date, we still have plenty of room in the lodge for them, instead of them being misplaced elsewhere.
~TWO is a motorcycle friendly establishment!

Negatives for staying at TWO:
~One bathroom in the lodge to share (although there are other facilities on the TWO grounds)
~Probably not as much privacy as there would be if we all rented rooms....

I can't think of any other reasons off the top of my head. I'm sure there are others.

If anyone has questions, commits, suggestions, please speak up now or forever hold your peace!

Thanks! And I look forward to meeting everyone!

[Trip]

Looks good, now we just need to come up with where we are going to ride to.

[Amorok]

Sounds awesome. With 11 of us it should only be around $30 per night, I think everybody can swing that and it'll be less if more people jump in. I'm for staying at the lodge and I really think we should just rent the whole thing out. Just let me know, I'm willing to roll with whatever.

[ericr]

Originally Posted by Trip

Looks good, now we just need to come up with where we are going to ride to.

I'm working on some routes we can run in the area Trip. I have the "Mad Maps" for that area and they have a good circle that swings around into NC and back that's around 250 miles. I'm also going to check out some roads I've seen on maps that I haven't ridden yet, will try to get up there soon and actually ride them to check the condition out and have some routes worked up. And we could always have an "explorer" day Flip a coin and pick a road

Here's a question, how many miles should we cut off a planned ride at? I'm used to looong days and lots of miles but I know some people aren't. So is 250miles good? 400 too many? Maybe we should break this into another thread too?

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by ericr

I'm working on some routes we can run in the area Trip. I have the "Mad Maps" for that area and they have a good circle that swings around into NC and back that's around 250 miles. I'm also going to check out some roads I've seen on maps that I haven't ridden yet, will try to get up there soon and actually ride them to check the condition out and have some routes worked up. And we could always have an "explorer" day Flip a coin and pick a road

Here's a question, how many miles should we cut off a planned ride at? I'm used to looong days and lots of miles but I know some people aren't. So is 250miles good? 400 too many? Maybe we should break this into another thread too?

We do 400 mile rides on our upstate runs, its a long day but very doable for me, also depends on how many stops we make. Some guys gripe on my rides because I dont stop much aside for gas and lunch

Tom

[rogue]

250-400 mile rides are my usual. But I'm not used to riding in alot of twisties either.

The length of the ride doesn't matter to me. If I get tired, I fall back for a while. No biggie. It's what I normally do.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by ericr

I'm working on some routes we can run in the area Trip. I have the "Mad Maps" for that area and they have a good circle that swings around into NC and back that's around 250 miles. I'm also going to check out some roads I've seen on maps that I haven't ridden yet, will try to get up there soon and actually ride them to check the condition out and have some routes worked up. And we could always have an "explorer" day Flip a coin and pick a road

Here's a question, how many miles should we cut off a planned ride at? I'm used to looong days and lots of miles but I know some people aren't. So is 250miles good? 400 too many? Maybe we should break this into another thread too?

I have a bunch of ideas for rides as well, i know one day I want to head to franklin, NC.

[ericr]

Originally Posted by Trip

I have a bunch of ideas for rides as well, i know one day I want to head to franklin, NC.

If you have some routes picked out, send them to me and I'll check out as much as I can before the rally for road conditions, etc. Franklin has a nice road running nw back over to 129 if the road is in good repair. Been years since I've been on it though and it was borderline before condition wise.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by ericr

If you have some routes picked out, send them to me and I'll check out as much as I can before the rally for road conditions, etc. Franklin has a nice road running nw back over to 129 if the road is in good repair. Been years since I've been on it though and it was borderline before condition wise.

180 to 17 to 76 to warwoman up 28 into franklin. We can also take 64 on the way back.

[Amber Lamps]

My "Two" cents is the same as before,we should rent Two for the length of the rally to cover all contingencies. Better safe than sorry I say. At $290/night for 4 nights,that still makes for about $100 each,a sum I am willing to pay. Heck,as it stands I may be able to stay on that Mon as well,I'll know for sure as the time gets closer... I don't want anyone to be or feel "cheated" but seriously,because of TWO's set-up,I think that it is just better to have it for the entire time. As far as riding for 2 hours before the Gap that not a deal breaker for me. We could ride up,get a snack/meal and then ride for a few hours,I mean how many times do you want to go up and down the Dragon in one day? I'm no expert on the area but I am well aware that there are outstanding roads throughout that area and between TWO and the Gap. Heck,leave TWO in the morning,get a snack around the Gap,ride the Dragon a few times,take the long way back to TWO, Spend the last night,wake up Mon and head for home.