50cc question
- Thread starter Antibus
- Start date
I was led to believe that while I was planning my 50cc, between 11a and 3p local time, there was no toll collections on the Interstate in the Houston region.
When I wen thru, it was fairly light traffic in the middle of the week. My plan worked out, just doing the simple arithmetic to compute when I needed to leave to get to Houston by noon.
I woke up a couple of hours earlier on go day. Instead of languishing in the bed, I packed up and headed west.
When I wen thru, it was fairly light traffic in the middle of the week. My plan worked out, just doing the simple arithmetic to compute when I needed to leave to get to Houston by noon.
I woke up a couple of hours earlier on go day. Instead of languishing in the bed, I packed up and headed west.
There are no tolls on I-10 through Houston. If you're doing a 50cc, you are most likely to just take I-10 straight through Houston, so no need to worry about tolls. There is a portion of I-10 near Katy that has toll lanes if you really want to use them for some strange reason. Those toll lanes are also next to HOV lanes that allow motorcycles on them for free during both the morning and afternoon rush hours with wide margins for when you can use them. You have to go out of your way to get tolls when in Houston on a 50cc.
The only other toll road you might consider using is Beltway 8. It wraps completely around Houston and puts you going really far out of your way to get around the city. It's about another 30 miles or so. If you're using Beltway 8 on a 50cc, there are some very serious problems in Houston, like several dozen+ car pileups on several other roads. Both I-10 and I-610 would have to be shut down to make Beltway 8 fastest when going straight through. In fact, the north side and south side of the 610 loop would have to be shut down to make Beltway 8 faster. I-10 and 610 being shut down would make traffic on Beltway 8 pretty extreme, so you'd still make horrible time going through there. If that all happens, take it as a sign from the powers that be that you should just turn around and go home.
Just do like Kwthom and time it so you go through Houston at a decent hour and traffic won't be bad.
https://www.hctra.org/TollRoadMap
The only other toll road you might consider using is Beltway 8. It wraps completely around Houston and puts you going really far out of your way to get around the city. It's about another 30 miles or so. If you're using Beltway 8 on a 50cc, there are some very serious problems in Houston, like several dozen+ car pileups on several other roads. Both I-10 and I-610 would have to be shut down to make Beltway 8 fastest when going straight through. In fact, the north side and south side of the 610 loop would have to be shut down to make Beltway 8 faster. I-10 and 610 being shut down would make traffic on Beltway 8 pretty extreme, so you'd still make horrible time going through there. If that all happens, take it as a sign from the powers that be that you should just turn around and go home.
Just do like Kwthom and time it so you go through Houston at a decent hour and traffic won't be bad.
https://www.hctra.org/TollRoadMap
A common grouping of rides for PacNorWet IBA riders is to do a Border to Border ride down I-5, then get some sleep and do the 50CC from San Diego, CA to Jacksonville, FL. (I used to live in Portland, OR) It adds about 700 miles to your ride Vs the 50CC from Blaine to the New York coast, but adds a cert and gives you a more reasonable 50CC ride and a built in excuse to ride to San Diego. 
Depends on what you enjoy. Do you prefer going through major metropolitan areas like Jacksonville, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Tuscon, and San Diego on a weekend, or on a weekday?
Not trying to be difficult, just trying to point out that the question is pretty easy to answer if you know what you like.
Not trying to be difficult, just trying to point out that the question is pretty easy to answer if you know what you like.
Well, during the week, you will need to time your departure carefully so that you don't hit Houston, Baton Rouge, or Jacksonville during rush hour. You could hit some nasty delays in those cities if you get there at the wrong time. Actually, I'll add Lake Charles to that list as well. I-10 can get very badly backed up all the way through Sulphur from the I-10 or I-210 bridges in the evenings. I haven't been down there in a few months, so it might be getting better. It's doubtful with all the flooding that Lake Charles got over the last week. Southwest Louisiana really got the short end of the stick over the last year.
If, instead, you choose to do the run on the weekend, you'll have to deal with weekend traffic everywhere. That's a common time for weekend trips to the camp, or visiting Grandma a few cities over, or running those errands you've been putting off all week, or for hitting the bar since you don't have to work tomorrow, etc. All traffic will be a little heavier, and I think there are more drunks to worry about on the weekend, but you'll not have to worry about rush hour in major cities.
I find week day travel to be easier because I avoid big cities. That's kinda hard to do on a 50cc, so I think I would tackle that on the weekend. It's really just trading one problem for another. Which do you prefer to deal with?
If, instead, you choose to do the run on the weekend, you'll have to deal with weekend traffic everywhere. That's a common time for weekend trips to the camp, or visiting Grandma a few cities over, or running those errands you've been putting off all week, or for hitting the bar since you don't have to work tomorrow, etc. All traffic will be a little heavier, and I think there are more drunks to worry about on the weekend, but you'll not have to worry about rush hour in major cities.
I find week day travel to be easier because I avoid big cities. That's kinda hard to do on a 50cc, so I think I would tackle that on the weekend. It's really just trading one problem for another. Which do you prefer to deal with?
I've never ridden through any of those cities during the week or on a weekend. In St. Louis, traffic is lighter on the weekends. I was asking from a standpoint of trying to get the shortest/fastest route. I could bypass the cities to avoid traffic but that would add miles and I might not save any time overall. For those of you who have done a 50CC, which is better - weekend days or week days?
It's not really a difficult question. As a general rule, every major metropolitan area in the United States is more heavily congested on weekdays than weekends.
I spent years as a 48-state OTR truck driver, and I've been in every major metropolitan area in the contiguous United States. I've learned a few things along the way.
I spent years as a 48-state OTR truck driver, and I've been in every major metropolitan area in the contiguous United States. I've learned a few things along the way.
Jim, you're crossing the entire country. Your departure time will dictate when you hit major cities where most traffic will be. Outside of the major cities, it's I-8/10/12/10, anything can happen, or not happen, on any given day. There is no better, only what's better for you and your route. There are places where you can detour around cities, depending on your route, that make sense. 12 from Baton Routon bypasses New Orleans, for example. Some swear by 8 North around Houston. There are posts about those options here in other 50CC/100CCC threads.
I wouldn't choose to do it Labor Day weekend. Motorhomes and tourons will be out in force. Other than that, it really doesn't matter weekend or weekday, what matters is timing your ride so you avoid rush hour in major cities. Honestly, big cities always have traffic, even on weekends. An unknown to you event can clog things up if you're unlucky. Sports game letting out, etc.
I left San Ysidro at 6 am on a Monday, hit Tucson around noon, but worked thru traffic ok, then I stopped for some sleep just East of San Antonio about 12 hours later, hit the road at 4 am and was thru San Antonio and Houston before any serious traffic. By the time I got to Baton Rouge it was still well before lunch rush and I picked up 12 and continued on to JAX w/o issues. At the time, I would sleep in 3 hour cycles and would be off the bike for 4 hours, sleep for three and be back on the road, well rested. This was not a 50CC ride, but part of a 10/10ths ride.
Figure out your route, then start figuring out when you want to start your ride and when that puts you at the choke points on your route. Heck, you can check traffic for various cities before you do your ride, for the times you expect to be there.
I wouldn't choose to do it Labor Day weekend. Motorhomes and tourons will be out in force. Other than that, it really doesn't matter weekend or weekday, what matters is timing your ride so you avoid rush hour in major cities. Honestly, big cities always have traffic, even on weekends. An unknown to you event can clog things up if you're unlucky. Sports game letting out, etc.
I left San Ysidro at 6 am on a Monday, hit Tucson around noon, but worked thru traffic ok, then I stopped for some sleep just East of San Antonio about 12 hours later, hit the road at 4 am and was thru San Antonio and Houston before any serious traffic. By the time I got to Baton Rouge it was still well before lunch rush and I picked up 12 and continued on to JAX w/o issues. At the time, I would sleep in 3 hour cycles and would be off the bike for 4 hours, sleep for three and be back on the road, well rested. This was not a 50CC ride, but part of a 10/10ths ride.
Figure out your route, then start figuring out when you want to start your ride and when that puts you at the choke points on your route. Heck, you can check traffic for various cities before you do your ride, for the times you expect to be there.
If anyone's interested, Rob Lentini and I rode a 50CC in October 2000. Following the ride, we wrote a ride report that was published in the February 2001 BMW Owners News. The published copy has disappeared long ago but the original was posted on one of my web sites if you'd like to read it.
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