Gotta Know!

[mgw12]

I will be living in S.Carolina in 3 more weeks! Lake Murray, Chapin! Being from California & not really having a "bug problem" when riding....is it really bad in the evenings...any suggestions for a "newbie" to south-east coast riding?....I am willing to take advice & learn from others, so ANY tips are going to be GREATLY APPRECIATED TRULY...I mean I have no winter issues & I have NEVER ridden in the rain OR even went out when there was a possibility of rain...give me tips PLEASE! & even if ya wanna show me some good rides that would be SWEET!.
Thanks---Matt :D 8)

Welcome to SC! Well, I guess SC is Southern California to you, but you know what I mean.

Night riding in the southeast is a dirty job, but somebody has to do it. We have big bugs here and they love to aim themselves at headlights. They miss most of the time, though, and end up squashed on your windshield (a must-have if you plan to ride after the sun goes down), your helmet, your front forks, your gas tank, you footpegs, your triple tree.....well, everywhere. All I can say is you're likely to be washing your bike much more often here than in Cali. We have no helmet law, but you absolutely have to wear some sort of eye protection here. You'd be foolish to ride without that, even during the day.

You're going to get wet in SC unless you just use your bike as a lawn ornament. A good rainsuit in the saddlebags is necessary, especially if you plan to ride in the mountains where the weather can change on a curve.

Great rides are all around you at Lake Murray. I don't know a lot about Columbia, but two hours to your west is the Blue Ridge Parkway and two hours to your east is coastal roads and ocean drives. I'm sure there are nice rides in central SC, but I don't really know them. The BRP is fantastic, and you'll find lots of places to visit in the mountains. I envy you for getting to experience it all for the first time.

SC riders don't seem to get together for rides too often, or maybe I'm just out of the loop. We need more meet-n-greets and to ride more.

Welcome, and be safe!

[Mindflyer]

Welcome to SC! Well, I guess SC is Southern California to you, but you know what I mean.

Night riding in the southeast is a dirty job, but somebody has to do it. We have big bugs here and they love to aim themselves at headlights. They miss most of the time, though, and end up squashed on your windshield (a must-have if you plan to ride after the sun goes down), your helmet, your front forks, your gas tank, you footpegs, your triple tree.....well, everywhere. All I can say is you're likely to be washing your bike much more often here than in Cali. We have no helmet law, but you absolutely have to wear some sort of eye protection here. You'd be foolish to ride without that, even during the day.

You're going to get wet in SC unless you just use your bike as a lawn ornament. A good rainsuit in the saddlebags is necessary, especially if you plan to ride in the mountains where the weather can change on a curve.

Great rides are all around you at Lake Murray. I don't know a lot about Columbia, but two hours to your west is the Blue Ridge Parkway and two hours to your east is coastal roads and ocean drives. I'm sure there are nice rides in central SC, but I don't really know them. The BRP is fantastic, and you'll find lots of places to visit in the mountains. I envy you for getting to experience it all for the first time.

SC riders don't seem to get together for rides too often, or maybe I'm just out of the loop. We need more meet-n-greets and to ride more.

Welcome, and be safe!

That about sums it up...