Iron Butt Journey
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Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 46
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From: Texas
Iron Butt Journey
I need some help prepping for the 1000 mile ride I am about to endure. I need to know what I need to do in a months time to get ready for these grueling 1000 miles. Does anybody have any tips? I plan on making the journey with a good friend of mine. Hopefully he wont fall out after the first 500 or so, only time will tell. Hopefully ya'll have some helpful tips/advise for me. Everything will be helpful to me. The longest ride I have taken on this FatBob is about 450 in a day but I am going to attempt to double that. Thanks in advance!
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee area
Water. Lots of it. Every time you stop for gas, drink water. I got a little dehydrated when I did an IB in June, and got a headache around 3am. Sucks having a headache and trying to ride, in the dark, miles away from home.
Get good raingear. Make sure it fits over your regular stuff. Get used to it. My buddy and I had to ride a couple hundred miles in a storm (at 3am, when I had the headache).
If you're doing it for the Iron Butt Association certification, be sure your route is a good bit more than 1000 miles. Buddy's odometer and mine didn't match, even though we went exactly the same places.
We still need to send our stuff in for the IBA cert.
Get good raingear. Make sure it fits over your regular stuff. Get used to it. My buddy and I had to ride a couple hundred miles in a storm (at 3am, when I had the headache).
If you're doing it for the Iron Butt Association certification, be sure your route is a good bit more than 1000 miles. Buddy's odometer and mine didn't match, even though we went exactly the same places.
We still need to send our stuff in for the IBA cert.
Last edited by Grind; Aug 28, 2010 at 12:37 AM.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,137
Likes: 0
From: Rocky Mtn High CO
Just did one myself. https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...de-report.html Here are some common and not so common tips that may help make it easier.
- Don't screw around at gas stops. Get your log filled out, gas receipt stored away, top off, and go. We planned for 10 -15 minute stops, but I know we stopped for 20-30 most times, which adds up fast.
- Take a tank bag with stuff you need quick access too and consider one like I bought (Recon) that has a hydration bladder inside. Easy to hydrate while you ride.
- Spend the month before making sure your bike is well adjusted for you - bar reach, comfortable grips, seat comfort, etc. Anything that's bugging you a little, will multiply on an SS1K.
- Consdider an airhawk seat pad. Ne seat is perfect and they will all give you pressure points. After 500 miles both of us were starting to get sore, so I pulled out the airhawk. We alternated using it every gas stop from there on out. Big surpise was by alternating, the airhawk caused some pressure points that were different than the main seat and made the seat feel good again for the next leg.
- Look at your route and time of day for each part - avoid rush hours.
- Compression shorts and anti-monkey butt powder. Also, nothing in your back pockets.
- Consider getting a bike to bike communication system (we used Sena SMH10). Really helped at night and at the end when fatigue is setting in.
Club Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 10,815
Likes: 16
From: Virginia
Good suggestions so far.
I've done a few so I would add,
just eat little snacks when you stop for gas and don't eat anything that will upset your stomach.
I would leave early in the morning while you are fresh and plan it so the ride ends not too long after dark so you won't have to ride very long at the end in darkness when you will be tired.
Make sure you have a comfy seat, you're gonna need it.
Don't forget to keep your receipts and a log in good order.
Be prepared to wait a long time to get certified. I still need to send in my paperwork for the 1,000/1,500/2,000 ride we did last May but I'll probably send it in next month. I doubt they will certify the ride before the end of the year.
Have fun!
I've done a few so I would add,
just eat little snacks when you stop for gas and don't eat anything that will upset your stomach.
I would leave early in the morning while you are fresh and plan it so the ride ends not too long after dark so you won't have to ride very long at the end in darkness when you will be tired.
Make sure you have a comfy seat, you're gonna need it.
Don't forget to keep your receipts and a log in good order.
Be prepared to wait a long time to get certified. I still need to send in my paperwork for the 1,000/1,500/2,000 ride we did last May but I'll probably send it in next month. I doubt they will certify the ride before the end of the year.
Have fun!
Last edited by PigInaBlanket; Aug 28, 2010 at 01:19 AM.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 449
Likes: 1
From: The Mohawk Trail
Good Luck on the trip. I did 730 miles several times on my last bike. (MA to Ohio on a sport Bike) Given that my Dyna is about 1000 time more comfortable, maybe I should look into this again and combine the two legs.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 6,519
Likes: 0
From: Nomad
don't turn this into a big production. just ride.
first time I did 1000 in 24 was by accident. I used to live in Cleveland, Oh and used to ride around Lake Erie often. I'd go up thru Buffalo,NY thru Ontario and come back into States thru Detroit. or the other way.
This particular time I left Cleveland around 4pm and headed to Buffalo. Somewhere around Erie, PA I changed my mind and decided to go to NYC. Dropped down I 79 to I 80 and put the hammer down. Crossed GW Bridge right at midnight and headed straight to CBGBs. Anyone here remembers CBGBs?
After the show, got a slice of pizza and headed to Brooklyn. My old stomping grounds. Flatbush, Prospect Park, down to Brighton Beach where I spent summers with my grand parents, over to Coney Island Park, up McDonald av to the cemetery. Climbed the fence and snapped a couple of pics of grandparents new headstone (for my mom) and took off before someone called the law.
I was in Jersey at 7am when it started raining. Put on my rain suit and put the hammer down again. About half way home it slowed down to a drizzle, but the rain suit leaked. At the crotch. That pissed me off, so I went faster. Hitting 90+ ....
Got home just before 3
there ya go 1000mi in 23hrs
first time I did 1000 in 24 was by accident. I used to live in Cleveland, Oh and used to ride around Lake Erie often. I'd go up thru Buffalo,NY thru Ontario and come back into States thru Detroit. or the other way.
This particular time I left Cleveland around 4pm and headed to Buffalo. Somewhere around Erie, PA I changed my mind and decided to go to NYC. Dropped down I 79 to I 80 and put the hammer down. Crossed GW Bridge right at midnight and headed straight to CBGBs. Anyone here remembers CBGBs?
After the show, got a slice of pizza and headed to Brooklyn. My old stomping grounds. Flatbush, Prospect Park, down to Brighton Beach where I spent summers with my grand parents, over to Coney Island Park, up McDonald av to the cemetery. Climbed the fence and snapped a couple of pics of grandparents new headstone (for my mom) and took off before someone called the law.
I was in Jersey at 7am when it started raining. Put on my rain suit and put the hammer down again. About half way home it slowed down to a drizzle, but the rain suit leaked. At the crotch. That pissed me off, so I went faster. Hitting 90+ ....
Got home just before 3
there ya go 1000mi in 23hrs
not sure what the big deal is, me and my brother just got back from a short sunday ride, about 400kms (2X 200kms with a break), if you go anywhere over here (Australia) its a long way nearest big town for us is 1000kms away, like that man said just ride and it will happen, today I took cash, phone and Zen player, wore jeans, hoody, vest and steel caps.
Planning - very little.
Planning - very little.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,579
Likes: 10
From: S.E. MO
Biggest thing I did in the weeks before I did mine was just ride as much as I could to help prevent soreness that day.
I put on around 1500 miles on the bike the 2 weeks before the Iron butt. I then didnt ride much a couple days before we left so I didnt start with any soreness.
We left early in the morning (4am) so I started getting up at 4 am 3 days before we left to help get adjusted and to also help me go to sleep early the night before.
Like the others said stay Hydrated and pack some stuff you can reach.
We stopped every 120 to 150 miles for about 20 minutes. Time goes by quick so watch the stops. We then stopped twice for about a hour each, once for lunch and once for dinner.
Biggest thing is try to have fun. We did 1100 miles and I had a lot of fun for the first 850. The last 250 was after dinner and it got dark and boring and wasnt as much fun.
We ran alot of 2 lane and back highways which added to our time over running interstate the whole way, but it also made it more fun.
I put on around 1500 miles on the bike the 2 weeks before the Iron butt. I then didnt ride much a couple days before we left so I didnt start with any soreness.
We left early in the morning (4am) so I started getting up at 4 am 3 days before we left to help get adjusted and to also help me go to sleep early the night before.
Like the others said stay Hydrated and pack some stuff you can reach.
We stopped every 120 to 150 miles for about 20 minutes. Time goes by quick so watch the stops. We then stopped twice for about a hour each, once for lunch and once for dinner.
Biggest thing is try to have fun. We did 1100 miles and I had a lot of fun for the first 850. The last 250 was after dinner and it got dark and boring and wasnt as much fun.
We ran alot of 2 lane and back highways which added to our time over running interstate the whole way, but it also made it more fun.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,265
Likes: 99
From: Northern VA
BACKREST... If you don't have one on your ride (I don't), make something work.
My longest trips (4 @ 850 miles) had a tent/sleeping bag strapped to the pillion seat and created a backrest. Most comfortable miles I've ever had.
This also worked as a great backrest when I wanted to take the bike to a party...
My longest trips (4 @ 850 miles) had a tent/sleeping bag strapped to the pillion seat and created a backrest. Most comfortable miles I've ever had.
This also worked as a great backrest when I wanted to take the bike to a party...
