My failed Iron butt challenge story, whats yours?
#1
10-06-2016, 02:48 PM
My failed Iron butt challenge story, whats yours?
I thought I would share the story of my failed Iron Butt 1000 mile challenge attempt.
I have wanted to do a 1000 mile Iron butt challenge ever since I first became aware of it a few years ago. On my recent ride up to sturgis I figured I would go for it. A little nervous about if I would be able to pull it off, I tested the waters with 850 miles on my first day of the trip. Feeling good about it I planned on going for the 1000 miles on my last day of the trip, I have a good friend in Omaha which is 1040 miles from New Orleans so I planned to stop and stay the night with him the head out 6am the next morning. My friends who I was camping with in Sturgis had extra space in their trailer and offered a ride back home but I really wanted to do the Iron butt, plus I had rode 1900 miles solo on the trip so far so why trailer now. I was going for it!
The day from hell....
I got up and got myself ready, gassed up and was ready to run at 6am on the dot. Took my pictures of the odometer and gas receipts for the challenge, downed some OJ and hit the road!
First couple of hours was going great, it was a bit chilly but the weather was good and I was optimistic, then I hit the rain. Now, we've all ridden in rain, no big deal but here is where it starts to unravel. Trying to lighten my load I left my "extra" bags in my buddy's trailer, and you guessed it , my rain gear was in the bags...Doh! Well I had a leather jacket so I put that on and hoped to get through the rain quickly. No such luck. After about 60 miles of heavy, freezing rain I felt hypothermia starting to kick in so I stopped for gas, some food and to warm up. Checking my phone I see I am in the middle of a wall of water with a 90% chance of rain for the next 5 days. Great.... well I wasn't going to sit at that gas station for 5 days so I wrapped my legs in duct tape and garbage bags and took off into the rain, the whole time cursing myself for not putting my bike in the trailer and getting a ride home.
When I got back on the road I was pleased to find the temp had gone up a few degrees so at least it wasn't as cold as before. The rain was just as bad, it really was an absolute downpour, visibility was almost nonexistent, then all of our worst nightmares happened.
I was coming to a stop on a downhill, turning from one small hwy to another and the next thing I knew I was on the ground and the bike was sliding away from me. I have no idea what happened, it was pouring and I think maybe I was too heavy on the front brakes and the bike just washed out from under me. One second I was riding , the next I was on the ground. Jumping up, I checked myself, I was fine, ran over to the bike and picked it up. Surprisingly the bike was ok, a little scratched up here and there, the saddlebag took the brunt of it, mirror was broken, shift lever was pretty bent but still worked, started up so I hopped on and was about to take off when I noticed my bags thrown all over the road! I guess the tour pak and saddlebags opened up and spit out my bags, I hadn't even noticed till I was about to leave. So not only was I soaked but now all of my dry clothes were soaked too. Oh and it was pouring rain this whole time too.
At this point I rode a few miles, found a gas station and pulled over to collect myself. I've never been down on my road king before so I was a little shaken up. I checked the bike out, tried to fix my mirror and gave myself a pep talk and went back out into the rain. I was determined to rise to the challenge and conquer the Iron butt!
Well the rain was relentless, I rode through the storm that flooded large areas of Louisiana, forcing the interstates and large hwy's to close due to flooding...more on that later. I rode for a solid 300 miles in the worst rain I have ever ridden in but I was determined.
The rain finally stopped!
After 300 miles finally, FINALLY the rain stopped, I was so happy! It was gas stop time so just as I was about to pull off the next exit I see my buddies in their truck and trailer heading the opposite way on the interstate. I pulled over to get gas and called them, they had a puncture in their tire and were backtracking to walmart to get a tire. I told them about going down on the bike and they insisted I come meet up with them and catch a ride the rest of the way. Here was my second chance but stupid me wanted to press on. I was not going to be defeated.
I gassed up and hit the road, almost immediately coming up on a wreck right as they were shutting the interstate down. I was about 5 cars from the wreck. I hoped they wouldn't close the interstate down for too long , then I saw the EMT's pulling sheets out of the ambulance....this cant be good. Then a helicopter lands on the interstate, then another helicopter! This is definitely not good. Well long story short a van flipped over ejecting three people . They died on scene and the two additional people who survived had to be airlifted out. The whole time I was watching this unfold all I could do was thank my lucky stars my wreck was as minor as it was and cursed myself for not going to get in the trailer when I had my second chance.
The interstate was shut down for 3 hours. I had left Omaha at 6am and now my projected arrival time in New Orleans was 1am. Still I pressed on. I wanted to beat this challenge.
Finally the interstate opened back up and I took off. Still determined as ever to complete the Iron butt. About 30 minutes of riding and you wouldn't believe but I came up on my friends in their truck again! They had backtracked to walmart, got their tire replaced and detoured around the wreck and were in front of me again. This was now my third chance to get in the trailer but I think you guys can guess what I did.....waved and blasted past them! I wasn't going to quit! I was tired, wet, a little beat up and emotionally drained but I pressed on!
An hour later my phone starts going crazy, one of my friends was texting me from home to inform me that the interstate and most smaller hwy's were closed due to flooding from the rain storm I just rode through! great, checking the gps I could detour through Mississippi, this would add an additional 2 hours to the trip. So now my projected arrival time was 3am, I left at 6am. Still I pressed on.
Well I got about 100 miles south of Memphis, pitch black hwy and it starts to rain again. I just couldn't do it. There just happened to be an exit with a hotel right there and I pulled over and gave up. I dont think I have ever felt more defeated in my entire life. I also dont think any bed has felt more comfortable then the one in that flea bag motel that night. As much as I wanted to beat the Iron butt challenge it defeated me, at least I know it was not for lack of trying! I had 300 miles of pouring rain, went down on my bike, came up on a 3 fatality wreck and then all the hwy's were shut down in Louisiana, if one of these things hadn't happened I would have made it.
I will try again one day, not sure when but one day, I will beat the Iron butt challenge!
Have you tried and failed at the Iron butt challenge? whats your story?
I have wanted to do a 1000 mile Iron butt challenge ever since I first became aware of it a few years ago. On my recent ride up to sturgis I figured I would go for it. A little nervous about if I would be able to pull it off, I tested the waters with 850 miles on my first day of the trip. Feeling good about it I planned on going for the 1000 miles on my last day of the trip, I have a good friend in Omaha which is 1040 miles from New Orleans so I planned to stop and stay the night with him the head out 6am the next morning. My friends who I was camping with in Sturgis had extra space in their trailer and offered a ride back home but I really wanted to do the Iron butt, plus I had rode 1900 miles solo on the trip so far so why trailer now. I was going for it!
The day from hell....
I got up and got myself ready, gassed up and was ready to run at 6am on the dot. Took my pictures of the odometer and gas receipts for the challenge, downed some OJ and hit the road!
First couple of hours was going great, it was a bit chilly but the weather was good and I was optimistic, then I hit the rain. Now, we've all ridden in rain, no big deal but here is where it starts to unravel. Trying to lighten my load I left my "extra" bags in my buddy's trailer, and you guessed it , my rain gear was in the bags...Doh! Well I had a leather jacket so I put that on and hoped to get through the rain quickly. No such luck. After about 60 miles of heavy, freezing rain I felt hypothermia starting to kick in so I stopped for gas, some food and to warm up. Checking my phone I see I am in the middle of a wall of water with a 90% chance of rain for the next 5 days. Great.... well I wasn't going to sit at that gas station for 5 days so I wrapped my legs in duct tape and garbage bags and took off into the rain, the whole time cursing myself for not putting my bike in the trailer and getting a ride home.
When I got back on the road I was pleased to find the temp had gone up a few degrees so at least it wasn't as cold as before. The rain was just as bad, it really was an absolute downpour, visibility was almost nonexistent, then all of our worst nightmares happened.
I was coming to a stop on a downhill, turning from one small hwy to another and the next thing I knew I was on the ground and the bike was sliding away from me. I have no idea what happened, it was pouring and I think maybe I was too heavy on the front brakes and the bike just washed out from under me. One second I was riding , the next I was on the ground. Jumping up, I checked myself, I was fine, ran over to the bike and picked it up. Surprisingly the bike was ok, a little scratched up here and there, the saddlebag took the brunt of it, mirror was broken, shift lever was pretty bent but still worked, started up so I hopped on and was about to take off when I noticed my bags thrown all over the road! I guess the tour pak and saddlebags opened up and spit out my bags, I hadn't even noticed till I was about to leave. So not only was I soaked but now all of my dry clothes were soaked too. Oh and it was pouring rain this whole time too.
At this point I rode a few miles, found a gas station and pulled over to collect myself. I've never been down on my road king before so I was a little shaken up. I checked the bike out, tried to fix my mirror and gave myself a pep talk and went back out into the rain. I was determined to rise to the challenge and conquer the Iron butt!
Well the rain was relentless, I rode through the storm that flooded large areas of Louisiana, forcing the interstates and large hwy's to close due to flooding...more on that later. I rode for a solid 300 miles in the worst rain I have ever ridden in but I was determined.
The rain finally stopped!
After 300 miles finally, FINALLY the rain stopped, I was so happy! It was gas stop time so just as I was about to pull off the next exit I see my buddies in their truck and trailer heading the opposite way on the interstate. I pulled over to get gas and called them, they had a puncture in their tire and were backtracking to walmart to get a tire. I told them about going down on the bike and they insisted I come meet up with them and catch a ride the rest of the way. Here was my second chance but stupid me wanted to press on. I was not going to be defeated.
I gassed up and hit the road, almost immediately coming up on a wreck right as they were shutting the interstate down. I was about 5 cars from the wreck. I hoped they wouldn't close the interstate down for too long , then I saw the EMT's pulling sheets out of the ambulance....this cant be good. Then a helicopter lands on the interstate, then another helicopter! This is definitely not good. Well long story short a van flipped over ejecting three people . They died on scene and the two additional people who survived had to be airlifted out. The whole time I was watching this unfold all I could do was thank my lucky stars my wreck was as minor as it was and cursed myself for not going to get in the trailer when I had my second chance.
The interstate was shut down for 3 hours. I had left Omaha at 6am and now my projected arrival time in New Orleans was 1am. Still I pressed on. I wanted to beat this challenge.
Finally the interstate opened back up and I took off. Still determined as ever to complete the Iron butt. About 30 minutes of riding and you wouldn't believe but I came up on my friends in their truck again! They had backtracked to walmart, got their tire replaced and detoured around the wreck and were in front of me again. This was now my third chance to get in the trailer but I think you guys can guess what I did.....waved and blasted past them! I wasn't going to quit! I was tired, wet, a little beat up and emotionally drained but I pressed on!
An hour later my phone starts going crazy, one of my friends was texting me from home to inform me that the interstate and most smaller hwy's were closed due to flooding from the rain storm I just rode through! great, checking the gps I could detour through Mississippi, this would add an additional 2 hours to the trip. So now my projected arrival time was 3am, I left at 6am. Still I pressed on.
Well I got about 100 miles south of Memphis, pitch black hwy and it starts to rain again. I just couldn't do it. There just happened to be an exit with a hotel right there and I pulled over and gave up. I dont think I have ever felt more defeated in my entire life. I also dont think any bed has felt more comfortable then the one in that flea bag motel that night. As much as I wanted to beat the Iron butt challenge it defeated me, at least I know it was not for lack of trying! I had 300 miles of pouring rain, went down on my bike, came up on a 3 fatality wreck and then all the hwy's were shut down in Louisiana, if one of these things hadn't happened I would have made it.
I will try again one day, not sure when but one day, I will beat the Iron butt challenge!
Have you tried and failed at the Iron butt challenge? whats your story?
The following users liked this post:
Stud Duck (10-10-2016)
#2
10-06-2016, 03:07 PM
Tourer
#3
10-06-2016, 03:28 PM
I had a "must get home today" ride coming back from Nashville over the summer when the skies opened up and poured buckets on us. I didn't go down but I know that feeling when the tires decide 5+ inches to the right was better for them. It happens faster than you can think and then you realize what just happened.
#4
10-06-2016, 03:39 PM
Tourer
#7
10-06-2016, 04:34 PM
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#8
10-06-2016, 04:36 PM
Moderator
SpaceReapersNOLA,
First off I am SUPER SUPER SUPER proud of u and would be privileged to call you my friend if we were friends.
Your CAN DO attitude and insistence on getting the job done amongst real crappy conditions is ADMIRABLE!!!! I wish more people in the USA had ***** like you do....
CONGRATs for giving it such a GREAT EFFORT…………. Sorry you had to go thru so much turmoil. MUST have felt really bad.
I am an IBAer with 3 rides under my belt but no failures.
Be sure to Give It Another Go. Just check the WX ahead of time on your route. If you do not have good iPhone WX app’s, let me know and I will share the ones I use that you may want to check into.
What a freaking story………..
BuzzCap7
First off I am SUPER SUPER SUPER proud of u and would be privileged to call you my friend if we were friends.
Your CAN DO attitude and insistence on getting the job done amongst real crappy conditions is ADMIRABLE!!!! I wish more people in the USA had ***** like you do....
CONGRATs for giving it such a GREAT EFFORT…………. Sorry you had to go thru so much turmoil. MUST have felt really bad.
I am an IBAer with 3 rides under my belt but no failures.
Be sure to Give It Another Go. Just check the WX ahead of time on your route. If you do not have good iPhone WX app’s, let me know and I will share the ones I use that you may want to check into.
What a freaking story………..
BuzzCap7
