Mojave Travel

[Catbird]

I need to take I40 from Flagstaff, AZ, to San Luis Obispo, CA, this July. Is it miserably hot and difficult?

Thanks!

[WherezTheX]

Should be a ride to remember because it's going to be toasty .

[cruiser7734]

I need to take I40 from Flagstaff, AZ, to San Luis Obispo, CA, this July. Is it miserably hot and difficult?

Thanks!

Carry extra fuel and a good amount of water. If you start to feel overheated just pour a bottle over your head

[mightywarrior72]

Not too bad if you go at night.
You might want to get a Camel Pack. It is a water back pack with a hose that can can easily drink while riding/ walking/ etc. Mine saved my butt on a trip from Los Angeles to Vegas in the summer.

http://www.google.com/search?aq=f&so...8&q=camel+pack

[enduro]

Is it miserably hot and difficult?

miserably hot?... Yes, difficult?... depends

I lived in the Mojave high desert for 7 years riding that entire period, 29 Palms Marine Base. You'll be skirting the northern edge of it. Riding then is VERY even dangerously hot. You get no relief from the moving air as it is like a blast furnace. On base long before July we go to early summer hours with the work day starting at 5am with no lunch break, work day ends by 11am. Most July days are "black flag" conditions which means outside physical activity prohibited. If you start to ride at 5am by noon you will be through the desert, early afternoon 1-4 is the worst.

[Catbird]

Helpful insights. Thanks, Guys!

[enduro]

I'll be doing an Iron Butt 50 Coast to Coast (50CC) June 3-4, from Jacksonville to San Diego in under 50 hours. I'll have about 1000 miles of southern desert on I-10, San Antonio, El Paso, Tucson, Yuma, into San Diego. I'm concerned about the heat too even then as I have to ride about 18hr/day, not sure I can safely change my body clock to ride from 4pm to 10am for 2 days.

[guilfoil]

The desert is dangerous in the summer.My sister lives in Bulhead an I went there last august an damm near died.I pulled into a gas station to cool down an there was no cool water.I tried to use a water hose an damm near scalded myself.It took about 20 minutes to get cooler water from the hose ,If you must, go at night it will be in the 90s after midnight.I'm going there soon but it will be in may,is will still be warm.

[ZShot]

Living in the desert, it gets very hot, but there are steps you can take to make is more bearable...

Consider a full face helmet. It is actually cooler in the dry, desert heat vs an open face helmet. With an open face helmet, you get blasted by the hot air.

The best trick I've learned; however, is to have a bottle of water handy. When you get hot (this will sound silly), pour some on your crotch area while riding. This will immediately start to lower your core temperature and the effect will last for ~10 minutes (it dries off quick too).

[heffly]

Drink Lots of fluids before you go....jug of water. Keep skin covered.....jug o water. Leave early like enduro says and youll be through before the oven gets good and hot....jug waaater....

[Catbird]

Okay. Travel at night. Jug of water. Pour some on crotch. Extra gas. I'm wondering if going at night will affect gas availability.

Thanks again!

[TeepS]

Yes the weather will be an issue, it will be hot.
The roads are not difficult, but will be extremely boring.

You should not need to carry extra gas, if you refuel every 100 miles or so.
The Camel Back canteen is not a bad idea; but also probably not necessary. A couple of 16oz. water bottles is all I would carry.

I would wear a full face helmet, motorcycle jacket and long pants.
Bare body parts in hot weather: wind burn, sun burn, dehydration, and missile impacts, not good.

[nascarpop]

I have been through Phoenix at 2:00 in the AM and it has been 103+. There are lots of places you can stop for a quick soda or coffee and they are usually air conditioned. Just be sure to park your bike in as much shade as possible or you won't be able to get back on, especially in the day time.

[Philscbx]

I need to take I40 from Flagstaff, AZ, to San Luis Obispo, CA, this July. Is it miserably hot and difficult?

Thanks!

Check route on Google, as your post is listed there as well.
I selected 'month' time frame search, which is just a month out.
There are some good videos from the sand storms that hit AZ last summer.

If you were thinking of changing tires, 240 asphalt can add stress.
I didn't enjoy the instant blow out doing 90 out of Vegas on a decent rear tire.
Used every bit of two lane, shoulder to shoulder,
so it's after 10pm from now on till most of heat has past, if it was 110 earlier.
Chinook winds will try to knock you off the highway during sunset w/o warning.

But it shouldn't be that hot for a 3 months yet. I see you did post July, Oh boy.
How much is the train?
Now You'd run into snow first, lol

[HondaPartsGuy]

All excellent advise. You can better prepare yourself if you start training now. Go get your wifes blow dryer and point it at your face for about an hour a day.

Just remember , Water ! Water !! Water !!! Drink even if you aren't thirsty. You'll be sweating like crazy , though you won't even realize it because it evaporates and you stay dry.

Did I mention the water ?

[3Mutts]

This will sound odd but take a change of clothes specifically for the ride portion and if you have room in the bags, take emergency rain gear. Every so often the high desert will get a freak summer downpour with all of the sound and light show to go with it. Did Colorado Springs to L.A. one year in early August and had rain almost the entire trip ranging from a light sun 'mist' to steady summer rain. Another year going to Vegas in late June the ex and I hit a downpour so heavy even the highway patrol was pulling over under overpasses due to visibility. Barring bad weather, as folks said above, drinks lots of fluids and ride at night if possible.

[Stanky Dawg]

Invest in a cooling vest. I have one and have worn it many times when riding in the desert with the temps over 100 degrees and have felt very comfortable.
The only drawback is that it is a wet vest so keep your wallet someplace dry.
It acts like a swamp cooler with the wind blowing through it keeping you cool. When you are stopped, that's a different story.
They're well worth the money spent on it for keeping your core temps down and preventing heat exhaustion or heat stroke !

http://www.soundrider.com/archive/pr...oling_vest.htm