4 Day Discovery ride to explore Sequoia National Park and Yosemite
Ride Description
This is a great discovery ride around the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Our route will take us through Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park.
The ride starts on Saturday in Visalia, CA and ends in Merced, CA on Tuesday.
Riders will be spending the night in "Tent Style Cabins" in both Yosemite and Kings Canyon Natl Park.
Riders will be carrying their own overnight gear on their bikes.
This is a scenic style ride, not a tough guys ride.
Self Guided Trail
This ride is designed to be a self guided adventure. Riders install a custom GPS microSD Card into their Garmin GPS unit. The routes are then displayed as the rider travels along. Navigation is made easy. Riders can choose to follow along at times or can choose among hard and easy options or riders can simply choose to ride off the routes and return to them later. For many, this allows them to just experience the trail without the burden of getting lost.
Do this ride yourself: Purchase Rider Packet and GPS microSD Card for this ride.
Note: A Full Rider Packet consists of printed ride descriptions and paper ride maps and a custom GPS microSD card for your Garmin or BMW GPS unit.
Yosemite by Adventure Bike Choice (Scroll Down Menu)
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Notes: I suggest you plan and order early. Normally I ship within a week. But sometimes I run out and it can take me several weeks to get new cards and maps. And sometimes I am out riding and building new adventures so that can be hard too. I list the Option for 2 SD cards because many riders like to carry a backup card or a cheap backup GPS in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
FYI
Notice that we meet at noon on Saturday. That allows riders to come from either Southern CA or the Bay Area early on Saturday morning.
For those that want to truck their bikes to the ride, there is parking at the Visalia Airport. Riders make their own arrangements.
Lodging in the National Parks is very hard to get so the ride is limited to the 12 spots that I could get.
We should finish by 1:00pm on Tuesday, allowing riders to make the long drive home and get to work on Wednesday morning.
How does the ride navigation work?
This is a self-led GPS ride; all riding is on your own. You are responsible for your own riding. You will be given a GPS map file and instructions on how to use your Garmin GPS unit. People will hook up in small groups of less than 6 riders and tend to ride together. You are not encouraged to ride alone. You are responsible for your own riding and yourself.
(see my ride Navigation Video)
How do I make the GPS stuff so easy?
I develop very high quality custom ride maps for our ride. They come from much of what I and others have ridden. I take the best from all my rides and make new ones.
(See my Custom Ride Maps Video)
Note from me, gpsKevin
My goal for this ride is simple: great riding! You can count on great routes and places to ride.
But in addition, the ride is about discovering new places, meeting new friends, seeing new parts of the world.
Thanks
gpsKevin
FAQ's
Q: What bikes are right for this ride?
A: Almost any bike can do well on this ride. The ride was designed with larger adventure bikes in mind like the Suzuki VStrom or BMW1200GS. There are dirt road sections that are scenic. For riders that want all pavement, there are those options. While this ride is designed for larger bikes, there will likely be riders that take smaller dual sport bikes like the Suzuki DRZ400 and they will do well also.
Q: What is the best bike for this ride?
A: It is either the Kawasaki KLR650 or the KTM990 or the Suzuki DRZ400 (many just enjoy smaller dual sport bikes).
Q: What bike is gpsKevin going to ride?
A: I will be riding my Yamaha Super Duper Tenere
Q: What is the gas range needed for this ride?
A: 145 miles
Q:What will the weather be like this time of year?
A: The weather is most often nice, could be a little cold in the morning and in the mountains, but sometimes there can be rain. Come prepared with extra gear for cold and wet.
Q: Would this be a good ride for new riders?
A: Yes, the riding has easy route choices and some easier dirt options for beginners.
Q; What do I do if I don't have a Garmin GPS?
A: Buy one, you need it. We will show you how to use it. You can get a great one for 100 bucks.
(See gpsKevin's gps recommendations)
Q: Is the riding really on my own?
A: Yes, it is on your own, but not by yourself. Everyone hooks up and rides with a friend or a new friend and rides together. I do not encourage riding alone.
Q: Do I need a street licensed bike?
A: Yes, there are areas where a licensed bike is required. You must also have a motorcycle class driver's license.
Q: Do I need insurance?
A: Yes, you must carry proof of medical insurance and liability insurance for yourself/motorcycle.