Been doing alot of reading on the Iron Butt rides. Thinking of trying it next year, any advise.

 

I've been an IBA member for several years and have done more then a couple rides.

The one area I see little discussion is organization. There's nothing more frustrating then completing a ride only find out you've misplaced a few receipts.

I use a clipboard with a log sheet on top and an envelope underneath. At each stop, I log the necessary data then place the receipt in the envelope.

After the completion of the ride (maybe a day or two later) I re-write the log sheet and complete the rest of the paper work.

So far, I've not had an issue and all my rides have been approved.

Good luck and enjoy the ride!

 

Loads of information at the main IBA website http://www.ironbutt.com/about/default.cfm and a great bunch of folks on the forum http://www.ironbutt.com/about/default.cfm .

You'll find quite a few tips at the "Archive of Wisdom" http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aowprintout.cfm .

It can be a bit addicting!

The biggest issue I had with the first one was simply the personal anxiety. When it was done, I found it wasn't as difficult at I thought it could be, but it certainly wasn't as easy as I'd hoped it would be - if that makes any sense. Make the first one a simple ride, maybe out and back, and enjoy.

 

Last run on DVD.


http://www.apgvideo.com/ironbutt07/

 

A couple of buddies and I just did the Saddle sore, we had been planning it for a while but could never get our schedules to jive, when we finally did it November 7th. Leaving Northern Utah it was 28 degrees Nevada was nice but the days were very short. With that being said late spring early summer would be a good bet,we did 1075 mi. rode hard and it still took 16+ hrs. Plan a route that is mostly interstate and keep in mind big city traffic, there is not much time for sight seeing except from the saddle. We enjoyed the hell out of our ride. Good luck and enjoy....

 

Have done a couple of these. Try to leave about 8pm, after a nice nap. This gets the most dangerous night portion out of the way while you are still fresh. At every gas stop, I walk around for 10 min or so, gets the blood flowing. Stay away from energy drinks and energy bars, the energy crash is bad. Drink gatorade and water. Fresh fruits and beef jerkey. Plan your ride with interstate to make good time but throw in some 2 lane to break up the routine. Dont eat alot, nothing in, nothing out. Remember that you have 24 hours to do it, you dont get extra credit for doing it any faster. That being said, it has never taken me more that 21 hours to do it. Keep all your reciepts and log all your stops. These rides are not for everyone, but can also be addicting. You will probably get done with your ride and say youll never ever do that again, then a month or so later after your buns have healed up youll forget and start planning your next trip. I cant wait for this summers edition. Good luck and enjoy.

 

I've done 4 certified IBA rides and the information on their website is very helpful. Personally, I found a routine of riding at 75 +/- mph for two hours or so (about 150 miles +/-), then stopping for gas, bottle of water, etc. (15-30 min.) and repeating (with a longer meal stop included) worked well. Check state DOT websites for construction or other delays, plan around metro rush hours, use a credit card for gas purchases and number the receipts (keep in freezer bag with pen), take digital pics of the start, end, and gas stops (for additional proof if needed--it won't be, but it's a little insurance) and relax--absent a mechanical or severe weather delay, the Saddlesore and BunBurner are easily achieved on a well-maintained HD Touring bike riding Interstates.

 

It has always taken me ~16 hours to hit the 1000 mile mark. And that's w/o stopping for meals.

It should be so much easier with the new 6 gallon tanks. I've found even if I average 80mph on the freeway all day, those few short fuel stops drop my average to around 60.

An ipod and a good stock road glide seat are all it takes to get me 1000 miles in a day.

RokDoctor