2024 GLMC Grand Tour General Discussion

[Lee_0123]

This is a place to discuss the GT.

[Lee_0123]

Hello Everyone,
Just a quick note that we are progressing and we are shooting for a January 1, 2024 starting date.
Looking forward to a great year!

[Willie]

(12-14-2023 08:45 PM)Lee_0123 Wrote:  Hello Everyone,
Just a quick note that we are progressing and we are shooting for a January 1, 2024 starting date.
Looking forward to a great year!

Any info on what the tour is going to be.???

willie

[theemightyorbit]

(12-21-2023 01:40 AM)Willie Wrote:  

(12-14-2023 08:45 PM)Lee_0123 Wrote:  Hello Everyone,
Just a quick note that we are progressing and we are shooting for a January 1, 2024 starting date.
Looking forward to a great year!

Any info on what the tour is going to be.???

willie

From Ride Master...

A search for cities, towns, villages, boroughs, hamlets, and townships that have compass points in the name.

The link there, tho, leads to the 2023 GT page.

I expect that to be updated shortly...

[Lee_0123]

That's the theme for this year. The GLMC GT webpage is being updated to include the new rules for 2024. As you saw Ride Master is in the process of being updated as well.

[DownUnder]

Would it be possible to share what kind of things we will be looking to photograph in the cities, towns, villages, boroughs, hamlets that have compass points in the name??

[Lapchik]

If it's not a specific item, general GT rules of the past it generally has to be a permanent, non-moving item. Water tower, city sign (not the green D.O.T. signs), city hall, local business window sign. Can't be a firetruck or whatever as those move.

[DownUnder]

That was what I was also thinking (fixed signs at Post Office, Public Schools, Town Halls, Community Halls, etc), but this year's RM mentioned that the webpage is being updated to include the new rules for 2024 and before I launch into a few hour's Googling, I thought I would seek clarification.

[Lee_0123]

Kory's explaination is correct. Thanks Kory.
I'll add that it is only one sign per town.
I don't think there there aren't any changes to the basic rules that have been used in the past. The rules do have explainations on what town names are allowed and how to earn bonus points.

---

I'll try to answer a question before it is asked.
In the rally rules we make reference to the American states of North Dakota, South Dakota, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia. Not much good for you folks in Australia.

From the web I understand that Australia contains six states—New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania—and two internal territories—the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, which contains Canberra.

Australian riders can insert New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory in place of the American state names.

[JohnF]

Need a clarification on what signs count. In Kory's post he stated "green d.o.t. signs DO NOT count," And made reference that rules would be like in the past. Which I thought the new Ride Master then(thank you for stepping up) concurred.

In the 2019 GLMC Grand Tour rules it states:

"Qualifying photos include your bike, GT flag and ANY sign or business with the city/town limits that contains the town name."

The key word being ANY. Eliminating a green and white (or in PA often blue and white or white and blue) Town Limit sign will eliminate many N-S-E-W destinations from the Grand Tour. Often they are tiny little places where the only recognition that one is in a town with a name is the DOT type sign at either end of the town, the rest of the town is just the 10 or 12 buildings of residents. It's these tiny places in backroad America that make the ride fun.

Maybe when the final version of the 2024 rules are available, we will find that DOT type (as well as the Chamber of Commerce type) signs are in play. Allowing a DOT type sign just means more opportunities for places to visit. IMHO

Last year it was 65 degrees on New Year's Day here in Cincinnati...not the case this year. As Bruce Springsteen sings..."I'll be Waiting for a Sunny Day."

John F
Rider 207 (if we retain our historic number)[/i]

[DownUnder]

I guess it all depends on just what year you want to invoke. The 2015 Rules state " In each town, take a picture of your bike, your rally towel, and something that has the town name on it. No post office or green city limits signs. City limits signs that the locals put up WILL count, however I expect them to have character. Green signs that the state puts up will still NOT count. "

A clarification I would like to ask for, pending the arrival of the 2024 Rules, is that do the town names need to just start with the letters N-E-S-W or do the words North-East-South-West need to be included. ie. Newtown vs Northboard ??

[JohnF]

I do remember GLMC rallies with the rules as you stated. I think Jack
B was the ridemaster and wanted people to go into towns and look around for a sign, not just zoom up to the town limits and ride on. With the use of Google Earth street views many will have an object located before venturing out...so with the advent of technology we are kind of back to ride in get your photo and move on. With (to me) the important part of that is we are out riding.

Having the D.O.T. signs in play puts more towns and Cities into play and was the reason for my question.

Another issue is towns with the same name in multiple states. I know of 5 West Liberty's in five different states.

Let's Ride!!!!
John F
Cincinnati, OH

[Lapchik]

Jack B was also a big proponent of "send 'em all in and let the RM sort it out".

Any sign with the town name vs any sign within the town. Limits sign wouldn't be within. Doubtful there will be intentional reading comprehension tests (for a GT anyway, happens a lot in 1 day rallies), but no official rules have been released yet that I know of. For sure a lot of towns that will only have a railroad sign or the green DOT sign for this rally.

Just a guess, but probably going to require the actual North South East West in the name. N-S-E-W starting towns provides zero challenge. Again, no official rules out yet.

I don't have any riding to do when it's hovering around freezing and raining, but I do have spreadsheets I've made over the years and Charles Turner's Bonii Prep to expedite routing. Lots of info out there for computer nerds if you look in the right places. Saves a ton of time vs. wandering around on maps hoping to see locations.

https://turnlink.net/ for the free bonii prep download

[StarWolve]

I've already created a GPX and KML file for all NSEW Locations in the U.S., but what I've found is that the "location name" often includes trailer parks, housing developments, and "communities" rather than actual towns. So I may redo the file with a more strict data set, that only uses the "map name" - which is usually the city or town.

Once the rules are official, I'll publish a link to the files.

I'm looking forward to it - It'll be in the 60's in NC today, and I rode to work. Any excuse to ride...

[Lee_0123]

The rules are in process of being added to the website and will address most if not all the questions above. I'll be at home this weekend and will offer clarifcations online once the rules are released.

[BkerChuck]

How would we count a situation with 2 directions in one town name? Northeast, MD comes to mind for me.

[theemightyorbit]

(12-28-2023 11:12 AM)BkerChuck Wrote:  How would we count a situation with 2 directions in one town name? Northeast, MD comes to mind for me.

That could be a theme for a Coming and Going Grand Tour.

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(12-28-2023 09:37 AM)StarWolve Wrote:  I've already created a GPX and KML file for all NSEW Locations in the U.S., but what I've found is that the "location name" often includes trailer parks, housing developments, and "communities" rather than actual towns. So I may redo the file with a more strict data set, that only uses the "map name" - which is usually the city or town.

Once the rules are official, I'll publish a link to the files.

I'm looking forward to it - It'll be in the 60's in NC today, and I rode to work. Any excuse to ride...

I've been using Wiki to search for individual state's cities, towns, villages, and townships, starting close to home and branching out from there.

Wiki's nice because links are provided for the individual spots, and it's easy enough to do a google maps street view to see if the qualifiers are valid.

[Lee_0123]

Hey guys, I think we all need to look at an example of a DOT town sign.
If you are out and about this weekend would you mind taking a picture of your idea of a typical DOT town sign? It does not have to have compass points in the name. For example a sign Athens OH or Leeville, SC (just made this town up). And to avoid getting thousands of examples lets have them posted by the end of day Jan 1. Post your example here on the discussion page.

Thanks for the help,

[JohnF]

I have followed Kory's YouTube video, and I cannot get a photo copied to the message board. Any help? I have hundreds (and hundreds) of Grand Tour photos with my bike, a flag, and a green and white town limit sign.

[theemightyorbit]

(12-30-2023 07:50 AM)Lee_0123 Wrote:  Hey guys, I think we all need to look at an example of a DOT town sign.
If you are out and about this weekend would you mind taking a picture of your idea of a typical DOT town sign? It does not have to have compass points in the name. For example a sign Athens OH or Leeville, SC (just made this town up). And to avoid getting thousands of examples lets have them posted by the end of day Jan 1. Post your example here on the discussion page.

Thanks for the help,

The following is pretty basic.



Some will have the town name and population, some will have the town name and CITY LIMIT on 'em, some will have the above plus the elevation.