Is A GPS "required"

[GunMD]

Sure, I'd love to have a GPS for my first rally, but life isn't perfect...and pretty high on nearly everyone's list of imperfections is money and finance. Having said that, of all the farkles available, a GPS is arguably one of the larger investments. So, I'm looking for some feedback...do I really need a GPS for a 24 hour rally?

 

[SkooterG]

Geeze, I hope not. If so, I better figure out how I finished those three 24 rallys I have done without one.

Bling. Useful bling. But bling none the less. Though I am sure you will find differing opinions than mine. Now, for the Iron Butt Rally, I hate to admit, I can see a GPS being very useful.

 

[Rogue]

People did rallys and the Iron Butt before there were GPS's.

I doubt if I could do an Iron Butt WITH a GPS but people did it!

All you really need to finish any rally is a good bike, a good map and the detemination.

I'm sure if you really want to be a top finisher it really helps but don't worry about it yet.

 

[valetz]

do I really need a GPS for a 24 hour rally?

Nope.... I've run a couple of MN1K's w/o one.... If you halfway know the area you are in, and can halfway use a map/follow directions you should be fine...

-bvw.

 

[Warchild]

So, I'm looking for some feedback...do I really need a GPS for a 24 hour rally?

Absolutely NOT! All you need is the drive/desire to ride long and hard.

Now, if you start climbing the latter of success in the Endurance Riding arena and want to be extremely competitive, then a GPS is an excellent weapon to have in your arsenal.

But unless you reach this level of competition, I wouldn't begin to classify it as "required" by any means.

 

[stryg8r]

I'd go as far to say you'll be missing a great experience if you DO use a GPS on your first rally. Not having a mapping gps will force you to develop some time/distance/speed and map skills that will benefit you later. Sure a gps is a useful tool, but you'll never know how useful if you don't try a rally without one.

By not using a gps on my first rally I now know exactly how it will help me in the next rally...and I have a much better understanding of which features are important to me, essential for making a purchase.

Derek

 

[Ignacio]

I've had an entry level GPS since before I started long distance riding and rallying. It's not a required items, but it did help me in the Utah 1088 last year because there was a single, significant point bonus that GPS helped on. 6,000 points out of the 39,000 I earned. Arguably, I could have figured it out with Streets and Trips in the hotel room or off of a Gazeteer map, but knowing the coordinates were exact helped.

But, that was 1 bonus out of 40 plus.

Since my GPS does not calculate road routes, but instead "as the crow flies" I found it sometimes helpful, but significantly less important than the map I had taken a highlighter to earlier.

....lots of other goodies I'd get first before trying a rally.

 

[beeroux]

Gun MD.

Absolutely NOT. The IBR was the first rally that I used a GPS, and it sure was helpful, but not critical. In fact, my finely honed sense of time and distance has already suffered from disuse, due to having the GPS. I'm not happy about that.

I borrowed Warchilds GPS for this years 1088, and the only thing I used it for was one bonus, right of I-80. And even then, I didn't use it "correctly". Details on that to follow when I get a chance to write a 1088 report.

Me thinks developing a super-sense of map reading skills and time/ distance calculations will serve you much better now, and in the future. For instance, during the IBR my GPS mount broke, and suddenly I was back to "old school" navigation. Thankfully it was in Utah on my way to CO so it was no biggie. But if that had happened to me on the East Coast......

My rally will have some GPS only bonii, but unlike other RM's, I will allow you to tag along with a rider that has GPS, and you should be fine.

I'm still fighting the GPS thing, but I can see where things are heading, and to be top-tier competitive, you will definitely need one.

I still have visions of winning the IBR much like I did the 1088. No GPS, no CB, no lap-top. Just raw energy and a modicum of practiced skill. I think it's possible, but the odds are definitely stacked against this approach. Perplexing it is.

For now, forget it. Buy beer instead. :bleh:

George Z

 

[GunMD]

For now, forget it. Buy beer instead

Finally, something I'm qualified for AND can afford.

:drinks:

 

[ChrisW]

All you really need to finish any rally is a good bike,

Guess a good pedal bike would be sufficient to finish a lot of 24 hour rally's.

The MD 20-20 and the MM1K only require you to bag one bonus to be considered a finisher. A regular bonus at the MD 20-20 is to get the address of the diner across the street from the host hotel. Another is Jim Young's grave at Indian Town gap cemetary about 10 miles away, and so on.

I would'nt think of running one without my 2610. I did one with a Garmin V and the lack of memory was very frustrating. Maybe the bonuses are harder to find back east.

Directions in a rally book can suck!

At the MD 20-20 2-day this year, Rick through in a last minute "plug", that I considered to be absolutely necessary to my route. It took me and another guy almost an hour just to figure out the general location with two laptop's running S&T's, his Streetpilot III, and my 2610. That was before we even got our helmet's on.

Once we got to the area, well.... The detail in a 2610 is amazing. About 5 miles into a goatpath in central PA there was a fork in the trail. My GPS new which way to go. Amazing. No paper map in the world would have helped, unless of course you carry a Delorme book for each state. I think we visited 9 states in all in that rally.

I lost 40 minutes in the 05 MM1K because I decided to try to follow the directions in the book to West Quaco, NB. Once I realized I was going the wrong way and keyed the loc into Mr. Garmin I got back on track.

With 2 hours to the finish the gps said I had two minutes to spare. I checked in with two minutes to spare. Using a paper map alone would not have gotten me back in time.

You really need to keep your paper maps handy, however. All to often a gps will send you down a "shortcut" that will shave a mile off your route when you should have stayed on the highway and saved 30 minutes. Got the chance to see the ghetto in Richmond, VA at 3:00 AM tho :bigeyes: They need to be used with one another.

Abviously folks here with better rally results than I, can do without, but if your gonna be cutting it close, a gps and a laptop are essential. I think I could have had first in the Minuteman if I had utilized the gps up in canada instead of relying on someone elses directions.

A GPS and a bunch of good maps are much more important than a fuel cell. At least on the east coast where there is plenty of gas. Usually

Just my opinion of course.

 

[zorkler]

the more i read about this super long distance stuff the more i want to try it . great job guys keep up the great work .