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Frequently asked
questions:
But first.... An
introduction to your tour guides...
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Shawn Summerfield:
Featured in the
Mountain City Tomahawk and The Centennial - Great Road
Adventures Magazine, Shawn is your leader for most tours and has
been devoted to riding for over 25 years. During these years, he has
logged well over
300,000 miles and has photographed most of it due to his incessant need
to photograph everything. He has accumulated thousands of
photographs and hundreds of hours of video. As the president
and co founder the of the
Charlotte Chapter of the Dragoneez Sport Bike Club, he stresses the
need for safety at all times. He has the experience, the routes and
organization required to lead any size tour.
He is also the creator, webmaster, and owner of such sites as
Boomers Domain
and the
Charlotte Dragoneez.
Each November he archives the year’s
photos and videos and makes them available for all to own.
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Daniele
Summerfield:
She is normally seen within the front 3 or 4 riders, but
during tour rides, you'll usually find her in the middle of
the pack maintaining pace or playing sweeper to ensure no one is
left behind. Taught by some of the smoothest, safest
street and track riders in Charlotte, she is an extremely talented
rider. Your first contact will most likely be with her as she
usually books all the tours and prepares the documents you'll need
to ride. Friendly, knowledgeable, and while a bit competitive with
the boys, she'll ensure the ladies will feel welcome and have
someone to talk to during rest stops. Be forewarned... she has been
known to be a bad influence on the ladies. Some actually getting
off the back and onto their own bikes... Sorry guys.
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Gary Simpson:
Gary's love
of motorcycles and well over 28 years of riding experience has made
him an expert. Oft times, we call him
our 'beloved pack mule'. He is and always has been ready for
anything. As the owner of "The List", he goes above and beyond to
ensure that we are prepared and have everything we’ll ever need off
it. On the tours he's usually the sweeper, comfortably in the back
of the pack making sure no one is left behind, or is in need of
mechanical assistance. He is not afraid to show that he truly enjoys
riding with others in this motorcycle wonderland that we have in our
back yard. He can share stories with you that will leave your sides
hurting from laughing so hard! "No matter rain or shine, the worst
day of riding still beats the best day of working at the office".
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OK.... Now for your questions...
Why
Should I book an SS Cycle Tour rather one from another company?
Since we are not a large touring company,
we don't offer motorcycle rentals, or have
a web
site full of sponsors, is there really a need for someone from
California or Arizona to book a tour with us? Absolutely! We are
"The Locals" and everyone who travels, or watches a TV show
about anyone who needs to travel, knows that when you need
directions you ask a local. We'll take you on roads that aren't
mapped yet.
How many
miles should I be ready to ride each day?
The number of miles we travel
will depend greatly upon which tour you have chosen to book. We
have several different routes that range from 250 miles to 400
miles per day. Most routs are twisty mountain roads where the
shortest route is 250 miles. To the casual rider, it can feel like 400. Not to worry...we'll take frequent breaks
along the way. At every stop we'll chat about how each rider is
feeling and how the pace is. Do we need to slow it up or make it
a bit more brisk? Every rider's stamina, riding style and skill
level is different and we take all of this into consideration to
ensure everyone is having a good time. (FYI... Bring Advil,
Aleve or Tylenol. Better yet, take one the night before your
trip. you may need it.)
Do I have
to stay with the group?
Yes. We understand that there are
some riders who enjoy riding their own pace and
we respect that, but we wont be doing a lot of flat tracking like other
companies. The mountain roads are technical and for an inexperienced
mountain rider, can be quite hazardous. We provide everyone with a
route map just in case a rider falls back. We keep the
groups to around 10 riders, therefore there will always be a control rider around to make sure
you safely meet up with the group at your own comfortable pace.
What type
of gear should I wear?
When riding in
the South East, SS Cycle Tours highly recommends that you dress
appropriately and wear full gear that is in good repair. Full
faced DOT/SNELL helmet, gloves, jacket, boots and riding pants
is the minimum recommended attire. Experience has taught us that
there is no such thing as not wearing enough protection.
Your type of gear is your choice of course, but your safety is
of a paramount concern to us. Non DOT "Beanie Helmets" or
"Novelty Helmets" will not be allowed under any circumstances.
Think smart and protect yourself.
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Spring
Tours
- Enjoy the lack of rain as most of it is
over by the end of March. Our tours start in April or May
and the temperatures can very wildly. The south east is
known for micro-climates. You could start the tour at 75
degrees, ride 100 miles and see 55 degrees with snow 4and then on
the way back it'll warm up to 80 degrees. We have ridden in below
freezing weather and perforated gear will NOT keep you warm. Dress in
layers as it's always easier to remove a layer than to put
something on that you don't have.
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Summer Tours
- They call it the Sweet South for a reason. The summers in
the city are
hot & humid. Perfect for escaping to the mountains where
you can encounter a 20 - 30 degree swing in temperature.
Perforated leathers or an armored textile suit with a
windproof liner will do fine.
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Fall
Tours
- We LOVE the weather here
and usually can schedule tours deep into November before the
weather turns too unpredictable in the mountains. You are
more inclined to run into a little rain during these tours,
but since we monitor the weather all the time we have become
really good about scheduling accordingly. Rescheduling a ride due to
weather is a rarity. Remember that we can't control
Mother Nature and sometimes she throws us some surprises.
I have a cruiser. May I ride also?
We have been asked this question a
few times already. The company was formed with sport bike riders
in mind. We want to get them out of the city and change their
thought process that clover shaped on-ramps are NOT "killer corners!"
Not only is this dangerous but really boring too. Twisty
mountain roads are known for scraping the pegs on cruiser style
bikes, (Like in the photo. This is at Deals Gap and Tail of the
Dragon) but if your willing to show us what ya' got, we will be
most accommodating to your needs. All we ask from anyone is
this...
"ALWAYS ride your own ride. Don't
EVER feel like you need to keep up.
Someone will always be right behind you."
How much riding experience should I have to
book a tour?
Our only formal requirements are that you have a valid motorcycle endorsement on your license,
and insurance,
but it will be helpful to have a few hundred miles of
mountain riding experience and some form of formal rider
education before coming on a tour. The roads we will take you on
are generally in good repair, but keep in mind that off the
beaten path, you may encounter some roads that are not so perfect. If
your local, and unsure of your skill level, we'll be happy to evaluate your riding
style and see if your ready. Give us a call if you have any
questions.
Do I have to wear a helmet
while we are in a helmet optional state?
The states SS Cycle
Tours travels in
all have a helmet law with the exception of South Carolina. Even
though this is a helmet optional state, it is our requirement you wear
a full faced helmet in every state for safety. We want to ensure
you go back to your families in one piece with no skin
missing.
What will I need to pay for?
Dining: We are competitively priced and people are picky
eaters... admit it! On the shorter tours, we have decided not to
offer any paid meals (that may change later) but on the longer tours where
an overnight cabin stay is needed, a dinner or breakfast will be
included. Please read each tour to see what is included so you
are financially prepared. Some of our favorite sit down restaurants
consist of
Fatz Cafe,
Lynn's Restaurant,
Buffalo's Cafe
and many other smaller Mom & Pop places that don't have web
sites but offer great food at a really reasonable price.
Lodging: At the end of a
very long hard day of mountain riding, a hot shower, warm meal,
the Advil or Aleve I mentioned above, and a place to rest to think about
the day is all you'll want. There are some tours where the
accommodations are included and some where they are not. Please
read each tour carefully to find out what's included.
More to
come.....
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