Who did not attend because of the heat?

[Paul_F]

Randy, I noticed more young males and young females attending Sedalia than any other National that I have been at in the past seven years. There may be hope for the organization to survive us.

[RDUBARTON]

I'm from Florida,and retired to the north,north Georgia mountains,that is. ps,Iwas born in Virginia(1946) moved to Florida(1948) retired to Georgia(2006)

[nplenzick]

Randy, I noticed more young males and young females attending Sedalia than any other National that I have been at in the past seven years. There may be hope for the organization to survive us.

I've noticed that too. I think we can attribute it to BMW making some models geared toward younger riders and the MOA starting Camp Gears a few years ago.
Camp Gears looked to be very well attended and if this club moved this event to anything but the summer I feel it would really hurt or kill Camp Gears.
Many clubs are dying as they are not attracting younger riders, the MOA needs to be congratulated on Camp Gears and reaching out to the younger set.

[71243]

I've noticed that too. I think we can attribute it to BMW making some models geared toward younger riders and the MOA starting Camp Gears a few years ago.
Camp Gears looked to be very well attended and if this club moved this event to anything but the summer I feel it would really hurt or kill Camp Gears.
Many clubs are dying as they are not attracting younger riders, the MOA needs to be congratulated on Camp Gears and reaching out to the younger set.

Glad to hear of the younger attendees, the motorcycling community has been aging...

I didn't attend due to conflict with the AMA V/days, @ Mid-Ohio...a tradition with myself & local friends. BTW {IMO} V/days has gone 'down hill' due to changes in the AMA, & new owners of M/Ohio. If it conflicts ? It may not be a factor next year.

[OfficerImpersonator]

I live in Seattle for a reason - it never gets above 100 degrees, and we never see humidity higher than 50%. If I wanted to go to a place where it was 100 degrees and 95% humidity, I'd go visit my relatives in Michigan.

I have zero interest in riding a motorcycle cross-country in ATGATT when it's 95 degrees and 95% humidity. I simply won't do it. It's just not fun.

I'm pleased to see that next year's rally will be in my neighborhood - Western Oregon.

The mid-west bias of the MOA prevents it from understanding that anything west of the Cascade Mountains in Washington and Oregon is very comfortable in the summer. Past rallies in Spokane, WA and Bend, OR were not in the same climate zones as Western Washington and Western Oregon. It's also too damn hot in Spokane and Bend in the summer.

There was a credible attempt to have a rally held at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA. The close-by epic riding is limitless, as the fairgrounds are an hour's ride from Stevens Pass (elev. 4100') and two hour's ride from the North Cascades Hwy, consistently ranked as the best motorcycle ride in the United States.

But some MOA bean counter decided that there weren't enough hotel rooms in the vicinity (I guess Seattle - 30 minutes away from Monroe - doesn't qualify as a large enough city with enough potential hotel rooms to qualify as a rally site).

So we'll be stuck with future rallies held in places I won't go in the summer, because I insist on being comfortable while riding.

Don't worry - it's not my loss

[2bikemike]

I live in Seattle for a reason - it never gets above 100 degrees, and we never see humidity higher than 50%. If I wanted to go to a place where it was 100 degrees and 95% humidity, I'd go visit my relatives in Michigan.

I have zero interest in riding a motorcycle cross-country in ATGATT when it's 95 degrees and 95% humidity. I simply won't do it. It's just not fun.

I'm pleased to see that next year's rally will be in my neighborhood - Western Oregon.

The mid-west bias of the MOA prevents it from understanding that anything west of the Cascade Mountains in Washington and Oregon is very comfortable in the summer. Past rallies in Spokane, WA and Bend, OR were not in the same climate zones as Western Washington and Western Oregon. It's also too damn hot in Spokane and Bend in the summer.

There was a credible attempt to have a rally held at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA. The close-by epic riding is limitless, as the fairgrounds are an hour's ride from Stevens Pass (elev. 4100') and two hour's ride from the North Cascades Hwy, consistently ranked as the best motorcycle ride in the United States.

But some MOA bean counter decided that there weren't enough hotel rooms in the vicinity (I guess Seattle - 30 minutes away from Monroe - doesn't qualify as a large enough city with enough potential hotel rooms to qualify as a rally site).

So we'll be stuck with future rallies held in places I won't go in the summer, because I insist on being comfortable while riding.

Don't worry - it's not my loss

Sour grapes?

[36654]

I live in Seattle for a reason - it never gets above 100 degrees, and we never see humidity higher than 50%. If I wanted to go to a place where it was 100 degrees and 95% humidity, I'd go visit my relatives in Michigan.

I have zero interest in riding a motorcycle cross-country in ATGATT when it's 95 degrees and 95% humidity. I simply won't do it. It's just not fun.

I'm pleased to see that next year's rally will be in my neighborhood - Western Oregon.

The mid-west bias of the MOA prevents it from understanding that anything west of the Cascade Mountains in Washington and Oregon is very comfortable in the summer. Past rallies in Spokane, WA and Bend, OR were not in the same climate zones as Western Washington and Western Oregon. It's also too damn hot in Spokane and Bend in the summer.

There was a credible attempt to have a rally held at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA. The close-by epic riding is limitless, as the fairgrounds are an hour's ride from Stevens Pass (elev. 4100') and two hour's ride from the North Cascades Hwy, consistently ranked as the best motorcycle ride in the United States.

But some MOA bean counter decided that there weren't enough hotel rooms in the vicinity (I guess Seattle - 30 minutes away from Monroe - doesn't qualify as a large enough city with enough potential hotel rooms to qualify as a rally site).

So we'll be stuck with future rallies held in places I won't go in the summer, because I insist on being comfortable while riding.

Don't worry - it's not my loss

OK, so your answer is? You seem to be unhappy about it, but you seem to be saying......"if the Rally is local I'll go." That's fine. I think most of us do that.

However, no place is local to everyone and there's lots of flat between the Appalachians and Rockies. No one can change that.

[tonycarlos]

I read the above responce not as "if it's local, I'll go," but as he stated it: if it's so hot as to be unbearable, I'll not go. I feel the same way. Suffered thru PA, chose not to do it again in MO even though I had reserved the week and intended to attend.
It's obvious from these postings alone that many did choose not to go to the rally because of the heat. If MOA wants to respond, the options seem clear: alternate dates, altitudes or locations.
Or was can wait for Global Cooling to begin, and bitch about how cold it is.

Jeff Dicarlo

[JDOCKERY132445]

It's obvious from these postings alone that many did choose not to go to the rally because of the heat. If MOA wants to respond, the options seem clear: alternate dates, altitudes or locations.
Or was can wait for Global Cooling to begin, and bitch about how cold it is.

Jeff Dicarlo

Jeff,

Ask the people who went to MO...it was NOT hot. Sure the temps were high; but I am from the land of 90+ temps and 90+ humidity...Sedalia was pleasant; especially at night. We had low humidity and the temps at night were low 70s. Two nights, I had to turn off the ceiling fan in my tent.

[Rob Nye]

Jeff,

Ask the people who went to MO...it was NOT hot. Sure the temps were high; but I am from the land of 90+ temps and 90+ humidity...Sedalia was pleasant; especially at night. We had low humidity and the temps at night were low 70s. Two nights, I had to turn off the ceiling fan in my tent.

Funny how people's perceptions can be so different.

I was in Denver last weekend at a meet with a few folks who were vendors in Sedalia. They said it was much hotter than Bloomsburg but the Air Conditioning was 100 times better.

Regardless last I checked when touring on a motorcycle in the summer there's a pretty good chance of finding a few days of wicked hot temps. bfd.

[nplenzick]

Funny how people's perceptions can be so different.

I was in Denver last weekend at a meet with a few folks who were vendors in Sedalia. They said it was much hotter than Bloomsburg but the Air Conditioning was 100 times better.

Regardless last I checked when touring on a motorcycle in the summer there's a pretty good chance of finding a few days of wicked hot temps. bfd.

And out the thousands that did go and the thousands who are members there still isn't a hundred people who have participated in this poll.
I would say that you and the others who hate the summer time frame are in a minuscule minority at best.

[RDUBARTON]

How do you partisipate if the only questions are why didn't you go? I went, rode from the south and I don't think it was to hot. I will admit thursday was hot,but friday,saturday,sunday were warm. The venue was great,and so were the locals. All but the former Super8,but thats another story.

[osbornk]

Jeff,

Ask the people who went to MO...it was NOT hot. Sure the temps were high; but I am from the land of 90+ temps and 90+ humidity...Sedalia was pleasant; especially at night. We had low humidity and the temps at night were low 70s. Two nights, I had to turn off the ceiling fan in my tent.

I didn't go but I had three friends who did. They didn't complain about the temperature there as much as they complained about the heat as they traveled there. They said riding with temperatures between 106 and 108 was more than a man quickly approaching 77 years old should have to endure. However, he will be at the next one regardless of where or when it is. Every year, he says he is never going to ride west of the Mississippi and he then finds himself in California, Oregon or somewhere else far from home.

Regardless of where the Rally is located, a lot of people have to endure extreme temperatures to get to the rally in the middle of the summer.

[Ken F]

Why you people don't buy some LD Comfort underwear is beyond me.

It is like having A/C on your motorcycle-riding through 107 degrees is not a big deal, and just like an electric jacket liner it really extends your
riding season. Just as with todays technology in clothes, there is no reason to be cold in the winter...you don't have to swelter in the summer either!

I even wore it while I wasat the rally, and kept soaking it down with water about every 45 minutes to an hour.
So did my Dad, who is 89, and rode to the rally. (The disclaimer is that we only had a 110 mile ride this year)
We also rode to Bloomsburg last year and it was not that bad with LD Comfort to assist.

Ken

[CaptRehkopf]

I attended both the PENN and MO rally's and will not go back because of the heat. Something about twice shame on me or something like that. I understand that a poll was taken about when to have the Rally, I can't remember if I was apart of the poll or not. However, I can agree that July is a good time-frame to hold a Rally if the date was the ONLY consideration. Again, I was not part of the poll so I don't know the exact wording of the question that mandated a July date, but I do believe if the question read something like this, do you want to swelter in July at a rally say yes? I believe the response to a July date wouldn't be so firm!
I understand about 5200/5300 attended, I thought more like 7000/8000 were hoped for. Regardless the number of people home bound by cold weather or school teachers/parents which I hear time and time again the reason for a July date, are surely not 40/50% of the attendees or MOA Rally attendees/members.
I also read in the posts that riding in July you expect to be hot, AND THAT'S TRUE! But you don't have to if you don't want to, and that is the approach I'm going to take regarding attending the MOA Rally.
If I remember correctly there was not one square foot of shade in the Club Camping areas, except for your tent.
Obviously this is my opinion and yours is surely different, no flame war intended. I will speak with my feet, so to speak, and skip rallying/living in the sweltering heat.
Ride Safe,
Robert