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How to calculate actual ride time - long trip

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seeyalater
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PostPosted: 20:08 - 09 Mar 2020    Post subject: How to calculate actual ride time - long trip Reply with quote

Hi all

I want to plan a trip from doncaster to hastings.
Ive planned to avoid the a1 as much as i can to give interest to the trip.
Its come out at 5hrs 30 mins.
the plan is to set off early hours so i can be there to have dinner and drinks etc.

My question is what is the realistic ride time is route planner says 5.5hrs

cheers
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arry
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PostPosted: 20:46 - 09 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

What does that mean?

I dunno. Are you on a Ducati 1198 with a tank that takes a spit of fuel or an FJR1300 with heated seat grips vest and textiles?

I'd happily do 5 hours in one sitting on a comfy bike no stopping. Others would stop every couple of hours. Some every hour. Regardless of bike. But you'd have more chance of making it in one sitting except a fuel stop if you had a big comfy touring bike with a big tank.

Realistic is what you're up for. No-one else can tell you that TBH.

Too many unknowns and not enough info.
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doggone
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PostPosted: 21:01 - 09 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

"As a rough guide" you can reasonably average 50mph on a bike, which is about five hours including fuel stops. Type of bike is less significant than you might think if you can comfortably do around legal limit when possible.
Whether you want to do that with just a couple of brief fuels tops is up to you.
Since you can filter through inevitable jams on a bike it's more predictable than a car.
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Ste
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PostPosted: 21:13 - 09 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

How long is a piece of string?

That's an hour and a half longer than the 230 mile A1, M11, M25 route.

You might be taking A roads that aren't the A1 or you might be piecing together a route that's mainly smaller B roads.

Are you going to be averaging 50mph at best or are you going to be averaging as fast as you're willing to go which could be 100mph or more?

Is it dinner in the middle of the day you're wanting to be there for or is it dinner in the evening? Laughing
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seeyalater
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PostPosted: 21:59 - 09 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Guess i was asking on average how many miles in one hit do people do. my bike will do 200 mile before a refill. Im not sure how long i can ride for as never done it,, was looking for general advice.
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arry
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PostPosted: 22:08 - 09 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Leearchertog wrote:
Guess i was asking on average how many miles in one hit do people do. my bike will do 200 mile before a refill. Im not sure how long i can ride for as never done it,, was looking for general advice.


If it's a reasonably comfortable bike then 'doing a tank' ain't hard. If you're hardy and you're alright with the weather then that's no bother.

I've ridden all the way back from Wales to Essex with just a fuel stop and a red bull for sustenance. Doesn't mean others will find that easy.

Why not just plan in for 2 stops in between, and factor 20 mins each stop for a starter for ten. You won't know what the answer is for you until you do it.
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Riejufixing
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PostPosted: 22:49 - 09 Mar 2020    Post subject: Re: How to calculate actual ride time - long trip Reply with quote

Leearchertog wrote:
My question is what is the realistic ride time is route planner says 5.5hrss

If the route planner says 5 1/2 hours, that should be the time in a car assuming traffic is "normal" and you don't speed.

I have found route planners to be rather pessimistic, however, if you're invited to dinner, it's very bad form to be late.
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Riejufixing
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PostPosted: 22:52 - 09 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Leearchertog wrote:
Guess i was asking on average how many miles in one hit do people do. my bike will do 200 mile before a refill. Im not sure how long i can ride for as never done it,, was looking for general advice.

If you're reasonably able, you should be able to do it reasonably easily. How long is it in total?
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Pigeon
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PostPosted: 23:33 - 09 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

doggone wrote:
"As a rough guide" you can reasonably average 50mph on a bike


+1

I tend to plan things based on 45mph average (circa 110 miles between fuel stops and grabbing 30mins for lunch if its a day thing).
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Ste
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PostPosted: 08:14 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Allow six hours, stop as frequently or as infrequently as you want. If it's a shitty cold day then you might well want to stop a couple of times as opposed to a nice day where you can keep going until you need to stop for petrol.

You might be able to get away without stopping for petrol at all but that's subject to your riding style on the day. And we don't know how many miles your five and a half hour route is. Laughing

You're avoiding the A1 but if the journey starts to get boring, you've had enough and just want to arrive already then you can head for the A1 to speed things up a bit.

I'm sorry that all our answers are vague but there are so many variables that it's nigh on impossible to give an accurate answer. If we tell you four hours but it actually takes six then you'd be a bit pissed off whereas if we tell you six and you get it done in just over four hours then you'll get to proudly tell us how wrong we were. Laughing
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seeyalater
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PostPosted: 11:44 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

arry wrote:
Leearchertog wrote:
Guess i was asking on average how many miles in one hit do people do. my bike will do 200 mile before a refill. Im not sure how long i can ride for as never done it,, was looking for general advice.


If it's a reasonably comfortable bike then 'doing a tank' ain't hard. If you're hardy and you're alright with the weather then that's no bother.

I've ridden all the way back from Wales to Essex with just a fuel stop and a red bull for sustenance. Doesn't mean others will find that easy.

Why not just plan in for 2 stops in between, and factor 20 mins each stop for a starter for ten. You won't know what the answer is for you until you do it.


yes true. that helps. I know everyone is different, and someone on sports bike will do less in one go maybe, but did want to know if there was a general way to plan, and your way sounds like a good start.
Most ive done in 1 go is around 1hr 30mins. cheers
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seeyalater
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PostPosted: 11:46 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Riejufixing wrote:
Leearchertog wrote:
Guess i was asking on average how many miles in one hit do people do. my bike will do 200 mile before a refill. Im not sure how long i can ride for as never done it,, was looking for general advice.

If you're reasonably able, you should be able to do it reasonably easily. How long is it in total?


its around 235 mile with the extra riding due to staying off A1.
as you said it may be different due to being on a bike and not getting as stuck in busy traffic. all new to me so all input helps, thanks
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seeyalater
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PostPosted: 11:48 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ste wrote:
Allow six hours, stop as frequently or as infrequently as you want. If it's a shitty cold day then you might well want to stop a couple of times as opposed to a nice day where you can keep going until you need to stop for petrol.

You might be able to get away without stopping for petrol at all but that's subject to your riding style on the day. And we don't know how many miles your five and a half hour route is. Laughing

You're avoiding the A1 but if the journey starts to get boring, you've had enough and just want to arrive already then you can head for the A1 to speed things up a bit.

I'm sorry that all our answers are vague but there are so many variables that it's nigh on impossible to give an accurate answer. If we tell you four hours but it actually takes six then you'd be a bit pissed off whereas if we tell you six and you get it done in just over four hours then you'll get to proudly tell us how wrong we were. Laughing


I know, i realise it is asking a pretty random question with little info. I was mainly curious if there was a rule of thumb to plan by.
Its 235 miles if i stay off a1. I do go on it for about 35 miles which i dont mind, i do go on motorways, was only avoiding boredom really. thanks for input.
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ThunderGuts
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PostPosted: 12:19 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

If it's a "tour" rather than a day ride and you're crossing places you've not been before, factor in the possibility of going to look at something, stopping off randomly (e.g. bike photos) etc. - this will all add up. 5.5 hours of actual riding time in the saddle; I'd include a 30 minute lunch stop, a couple of brew stops and some photos, so probably about 7.5 - 8 hours for me. The other thing to consider is the weather; it's handy to have some float in your schedule so if it's due to rain late afternoon, you can get your ride done by then, or alternatively set off a bit later to miss the tail end of a weather front. Not always possible to have this sort of float, but it's handy and beats just riding through the pouring rain getting cold and wet.
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seeyalater
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PostPosted: 12:34 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

ThunderGuts wrote:
If it's a "tour" rather than a day ride and you're crossing places you've not been before, factor in the possibility of going to look at something, stopping off randomly (e.g. bike photos) etc. - this will all add up. 5.5 hours of actual riding time in the saddle; I'd include a 30 minute lunch stop, a couple of brew stops and some photos, so probably about 7.5 - 8 hours for me. The other thing to consider is the weather; it's handy to have some float in your schedule so if it's due to rain late afternoon, you can get your ride done by then, or alternatively set off a bit later to miss the tail end of a weather front. Not always possible to have this sort of float, but it's handy and beats just riding through the pouring rain getting cold and wet.


i was thinking originally that 5 hours would become 7 ish with stops. so was going to set off really early. will be lighter mornings then, not that it matters but less frost etc. do want to enjoy the ride rather than just a means to get there or id go in the car. Smile
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Riejufixing
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PostPosted: 13:07 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Leearchertog wrote:
its around 235 mile with the extra riding due to staying off A1.
as you said it may be different due to being on a bike and not getting as stuck in busy traffic. all new to me so all input helps, thanks

The main thing is how the route planner basically calculates time for your specified route allowing for a comfortable car trip without speeding. If you're on a bike, you won't get held up as much if there's traffic, but you might need fuel, so I;'d be inclined to add on (say) 15 minutes for that, plus any fudge factor for getting lost/making wrong turns, and just be prepared to arrive a bit early and have to hang about a bit if that happens.

This is vaguely interesting:

https://www.verizonconnect.com/resources/article/google-maps-travel-time/
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seeyalater
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PostPosted: 13:23 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Riejufixing wrote:
Leearchertog wrote:
its around 235 mile with the extra riding due to staying off A1.
as you said it may be different due to being on a bike and not getting as stuck in busy traffic. all new to me so all input helps, thanks

The main thing is how the route planner basically calculates time for your specified route allowing for a comfortable car trip without speeding. If you're on a bike, you won't get held up as much if there's traffic, but you might need fuel, so I;'d be inclined to add on (say) 15 minutes for that, plus any fudge factor for getting lost/making wrong turns, and just be prepared to arrive a bit early and have to hang about a bit if that happens.

This is vaguely interesting:

https://www.verizonconnect.com/resources/article/google-maps-travel-time/


Arriving early or late is ok, its just a relative who lives there, but the plan is out for a beer and food so be nice to arrive by 4pm ish. so if set off at 7am id have time for stops and photos of the bike, i mean scenery. Smile
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seeyalater
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PostPosted: 13:31 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

thats a good link too thanks,, lots to consider. be better to not have a time limit at all as such, set off earlier than need too etc
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Riejufixing
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PostPosted: 13:53 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Leearchertog wrote:
Arriving early or late is ok, its just a relative who lives there, but the plan is out for a beer and food so be nice to arrive by 4pm ish. so if set off at 7am id have time for stops and photos of the bike, i mean scenery. Smile

235miles / 9hours ≃ 30MPH so I would say, barring catastrophes, that's plenty of time! The nearer you get, the more stops you might find time for...
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Kentol750
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PostPosted: 14:28 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did Kettering to York in 1 hit a couple of years back. A1 isn't that boring and it took 2
1/2 hours up and about 2 1/4 back. Friday afternoon/ Sunday afternoon. Maps said 2 hrs 50mins. Would try to make the most of faster roads before hitting the Dartford crossing. I'd also fill up in a tesco/asda/Morrison's halfway that's close to your route. A lot of the services are between 20 and 25p a litre more than the supermarkets.
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seeyalater
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PostPosted: 18:53 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kentol750 wrote:
Did Kettering to York in 1 hit a couple of years back. A1 isn't that boring and it took 2
1/2 hours up and about 2 1/4 back. Friday afternoon/ Sunday afternoon. Maps said 2 hrs 50mins. Would try to make the most of faster roads before hitting the Dartford crossing. I'd also fill up in a tesco/asda/Morrison's halfway that's close to your route. A lot of the services are between 20 and 25p a litre more than the supermarkets.


From what i could see, Id get on a1 after peterborough, but for some reason takes me to the M11, no idea what thats like.
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martin734
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PostPosted: 20:36 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

The last long trip I did on my bike was Poole to Sheffield, 240 miles. I did the trip up there on a Friday afternoon and it took just over 4 hours, the return trip was done late Sunday night into Monday morning and took just less than 4 hours. It was all dual carriageway and motorway and I didn't have to stop for fuel, just a 15 min comfort break. That was on my ST1100. I have done a similar trip on a ZX6R and it took almost an hour longer each way due to fuel and comfort stops.
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Kentol750
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PostPosted: 20:46 - 10 Mar 2020    Post subject: M11 Reply with quote

M11 is quite boring, last time I went into London that way there were toadworjscand average speed cameras. That's your most direct route, I'd fill up in Tesco Huntingdon, it's close to a1. Pick up m25 of m11 and remember to check toll roads!
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seeyalater
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PostPosted: 15:27 - 11 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

martin734 wrote:
The last long trip I did on my bike was Poole to Sheffield, 240 miles. I did the trip up there on a Friday afternoon and it took just over 4 hours, the return trip was done late Sunday night into Monday morning and took just less than 4 hours. It was all dual carriageway and motorway and I didn't have to stop for fuel, just a 15 min comfort break. That was on my ST1100. I have done a similar trip on a ZX6R and it took almost an hour longer each way due to fuel and comfort stops.


You did great for time then. can see why it was easier on the ST1100.
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seeyalater
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PostPosted: 15:27 - 11 Mar 2020    Post subject: Re: M11 Reply with quote

Kentol750 wrote:
M11 is quite boring, last time I went into London that way there were toadworjscand average speed cameras. That's your most direct route, I'd fill up in Tesco Huntingdon, it's close to a1. Pick up m25 of m11 and remember to check toll roads!


just my luck
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