MABAT20

What is our excitement about this ride?

The MABAT route is shown on the active map below as a BLUE route It provides a great mix of back paved and dirt roads. Perfect for adventure bikes and intermediate riders. But we have added both easier options and harder options. For those newer riders or riders simply wanting an easy scenic day or riders having a tough time, we have nested into the route all paved options shown as GREEN routes. And yes, of course, we understand some riders come on Dual Sport bikes wanting even tougher choices so we have identified several hard, RED route options. So what is great about all this? It's that most everyone can now enjoy this route and choose their own experiences along the way.

gpsKevin

Mid Atlantic Backways Adventure Trail

October 2nd-11th 2020

The Mid Atlantic BAT (MABAT) is a scenic ride for dual-sport and adventure motorcycles that uses dirt, gravel and paved roads to wind through remote parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Starting in Damascus Virginia, and ending in Lawrenceville, PA, this 1,000-mile route primarily uses forest roads and rural country lanes to lead riders through the Appalachian mountains, majestic forests, bucolic farming landscapes, Amish country and locations that played pivotal roles in early American history.

This ride is structured as a week long adventure. Riders will spend each night in a different hotel along the route. Riders will be eating in restaurants and snacking on the trail.

Pictures from last year's ride

MABAT as a Figure 8We have added great new routes to form a loop ride for the MABAT. This ride contains a 4 day southern loop and a 5 day northern loop. The routes together form kind of a figure 8 pattern with the ride staging area or start and end being in Cabins, WV at the Smoke Hole Caverns & Log Cabin Resort. Riders can choose both loops as a complete 9 day adventure or can choose either the 4 day southern loop or the 5 day northern loop. Riders trucking their bikes to the start can arrange to leave their trucks here during the ride.

Ride Plan MABAT 4 Days South

Ride Details

I know many of you also enjoy dreaming about the ride and making your plans, so here is the detail, enjoy!

Ride Plan MABAT 5 Days North

Signup info:

The cost to join the MABAT 5 Day Northern Loop is $695 This covers your lodging for the 5 nights during the ride.

The cost to join the MABAT 4 Day Southern Loop is $595 This covers your lodging for the 4 nights during the ride.

This also includes your ride packets which include a custom Garmin GPS Map on a micro SD card and printed ride maps and descriptions. If you would like to do both loops you must sign up for both rides.

Now taking signups: You can now reserve your spot on this ride by leaving a $100 Deposit (Ride limit is 24 riders)

If you would like to do both loops you must sign up for BOTH rides.

After your signup riders will receive an email from me with further ride information and instructions.

Note: Riders must make full payment by August 15th, 2020

Riders will receive ride packets in the mail one week before the ride.

Refund Policy

Do not sign up for this ride unless you are serious about coming. I take your signup very seriously and start planning for you the minute you sign up. If you need to cancel up to one month prior to the ride start date I will give you a full refund but I will keep $100 to cover the planning work. Sorry but I make non refundable commitments myself so it gets hard for me. "I hate this world of non refundable deals myself." If you need to cancel within one month of the ride I cannot give a refund unless I can find a replacement rider. In the case of finding a replacement rider, I will gladly give you the full refund minus the $100 to cover the planning work. In the event of ride cancellation, you will be given a full refund.

Ride Yoda's

Questions about this ride contact:

Yoda Keith B: akeithbennett@gmail.com and Yoda Allen W: alwoody99@gmail.com

View the ride maps

OK since many of you like to study more detail about the ride, below are the ride maps.

I put these ride maps on the web page because I know a few of you love looking at the ride detail and dreaming about the ride. At first glance these maps do not look so impressive, but they are way cool. If you start zooming in, you can see the ride in incredible detail. I have spent a ton of hours sorting through the details of the ride for each day, so for those of you that enjoy this sort of thing, well enjoy!

Legend:

The Blue lines are MAIN routes

The Red lines are Harder routes

The Green lines are Easy options

The Black lines are the out and back viewpoints

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)

Are you right for this ride?

When something goes wrong on a ride, would your riding friends say that you are more likely to need help or more likely to give help? You should be in the more likely to offer help camp. This ride is filled with riders that are more likely to give help, so most of the time the riders never need help. Additionally there is all the normal stuff, come prepared to maintain your bike, fix your bike on the trail, repair flat tires, deal with bad weather and rain and make a joke or two.

How do I make the GPS stuff so easy?

I develop very high quality ride maps custom 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, so 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 Southwest.

Thanks

gpsKevin

FAQ's

Q:What will the weather be like this time of year?

A: The weather is most often nice, could be a little hot in the lower elevations and it can be cold in the morning and in the mountains. But sometimes there can be rain. Wet and muddy routes can force us to change our plans. Come prepared with extra gear for cold and wet.

Q: Would this be a good ride for new riders?

A: No, this ride is for intermediate and experienced riders only. The riding has easy route choices and tough route options. Each evening we will study the following day's choices. You will find lots of supportive people at the ride.

Q: What are Motel room arrangements?

A: Rooms are double occupancy, meaning each rider shares a two queen bed room with another rider.

Q: What bikes are right for this ride?

A: Any adventure bike, small to large.

Bikes including and in between the Suzuki VStrom and the KTM990 all can do well by choosing the easy or hard route options.

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 under $200 bucks. ( See gpsKevin's gps recommendations)

Q: Is the riding really on my own?

A: Yes, but almost everyone hooks up and rides with a friend, or a new friend or me.

Harder RED Route option (Keith riding it on his KTM990)