Leah, Yellowstone/Beartooth/Wyoming/Montana is my home territory, so here are my thoughts to hopefully put your mind at ease:
- Other than keeping your saddle covered, which is always a good idea, don't worry about summer snow storms. What most people don't realize is that it's as arid here as it is in Vegas. As soon as the snow/slush/rain passes (which will be quick), everything will dry quickly. Rust is mostly a non-issue. Rooftop racks are better than hitch racks if you MUST drive through the rain, because the bikes won't get road spray on them, but they get bug splats otherwise. But the same truth usually holds: pull over, take a break, and the roads will dry out in no time. Another nice thing to know is that hey don't use as much salt on the roads here as they do in other parts of the country where there is less snow but where constant thaw/freeze cycles and humidity can create really slick conditions. Beartooth doesn't even get plowed in the winter. So the worst of the corrosion-inducing elements is also not a worry. - There was some sort of significant societal change in the last year or two, and theft HAS become an issue where it never was before. It's probably still mostly crimes-of-opportunity rather than organized rackets though. So cable locks are probably good for most things other than remote trailheads, but I agree with others: Take your bikes in the hotel room at night, or at least leave the car parked somewhere well-lit. Also remember that relatively few people realize what a Rivendell is, or recognize how good they are. And most who do are kindred spirits who are by nature, less likely to commit bike theft. $7,000 carbon fiber and full suspension bikes are extremely common out here, where there's a lot of disposable income, or recreation priorities, or both - and THOSE are the bikes that thieves will target first. So I say bring the bike you love, and make some memories. Also, let us know if you end up in Grand Teton or Jackson Hole. We can steer you to some nice family rides or maybe even join you. (Also my wife wants a Platypus and would enjoy seeing yours, I bet.) On Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 12:23:50 PM UTC-6 Yankeebird wrote: > Keep your vacation simple. > Bring one bike. > Bring the Clem. > > On a functional (not emotional) level-- it's 90% of the Platy, and maybe > more in some other directions (such as off-road capability a smidge more, > but can't remember what size tires your are running on either.) The Clem > solves most all your problems for this trip, over what will be a relatively > short period of time, without the emotional angst if something happens. > It's one less complication. > > I have the Cheviot and the Clem. The Cheviot is for riding in New > England/Maritimes as a daily driver or on specific bike-oriented trips. The > Clem for longer-distance travel/trips that are not bike oriented but I > would like to have one with me. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/d4306648-12d2-4059-810e-ddc84e154592n%40googlegroups.com.
