My motorcycling drivel - listen at your own risk.
Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial
2 years ago
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Let's Talk FJR
A lot has happened since the end of the Spank. Most important thing is: I bought an FJR! At the end of my Spank ride report I wrote this about my BMW: "I probably won’t ride it in the IBR. After this failure, and the other weird failure it had last year, my confidence in it is fading. I still like that bike a lot, but I need something that is bulletproof. My old red Beemer isn’t." And that's why I bought this beauty:
It is a 2005 non-ABS California model that I purchased from someone on the FJR Forum. The reason I chose this particular bike is that it had just the right set of farkles to be a starting platform for the IBR. It had PHID lights, Ohlins rear shock and RaceTech front shock, and a fork brace. It also included an aftermarket stator to power any additional farkles, as well as other items that were all useful to me. The owner had taken very good care of it. The odometer turned over 16,000 miles during my test ride.
Since buying the bike in early September I've completed the following changes (or at least have them significantly in the pipeline.)
My ride conditioning program has an official name: The SJC10K. SJC stands for Sally, Jerry, and Claire. 10K stands for the 10,000 miles I want to ride before the IBR.
The first "leg" of this long term rally was executed in October. Here's the report. The second leg will be on November 22, and will be coterminous with the Bite The Weenie RTE at Pink's in Hollywood.
A lot has happened since the end of the Spank. Most important thing is: I bought an FJR! At the end of my Spank ride report I wrote this about my BMW: "I probably won’t ride it in the IBR. After this failure, and the other weird failure it had last year, my confidence in it is fading. I still like that bike a lot, but I need something that is bulletproof. My old red Beemer isn’t." And that's why I bought this beauty:
It is a 2005 non-ABS California model that I purchased from someone on the FJR Forum. The reason I chose this particular bike is that it had just the right set of farkles to be a starting platform for the IBR. It had PHID lights, Ohlins rear shock and RaceTech front shock, and a fork brace. It also included an aftermarket stator to power any additional farkles, as well as other items that were all useful to me. The owner had taken very good care of it. The odometer turned over 16,000 miles during my test ride.
Since buying the bike in early September I've completed the following changes (or at least have them significantly in the pipeline.)
- Fuzeblock auxiliary fuse panel for additional farkles
- N/Line dash shelf to mount said farkles
- Wild Bill highway pegs
- Electrified and otherwise customized the tank bag
- Disconnected the PowerCommander ignition timing module.
- Moved my BLM-Accessories fuel cell from the BMW to the FJR
- Replaced OEM mirrors with mirrors from a Yamaha FZ1.
- Heat Troller dual circuit controller for my heated gear.
- Russell seat
- Garauld luggage rack to mount my Pelican case
My ride conditioning program has an official name: The SJC10K. SJC stands for Sally, Jerry, and Claire. 10K stands for the 10,000 miles I want to ride before the IBR.
The first "leg" of this long term rally was executed in October. Here's the report. The second leg will be on November 22, and will be coterminous with the Bite The Weenie RTE at Pink's in Hollywood.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Spank Results
After a three-legged red-eye air journey that took nine hours, and one last night at the Iron Butt Motel, I arrived at rally HQ before 9AM. Coincidentally Roger Van Santen was on the same flight from DFW to Tulsa, and invited me to ride with him and his wife to the rally HQ. That was great, riding with friends instead of taking a taxi. I went through the scoring process as if I had finished. This was part of my Spank learning experience, as I had made a few small errors that cost me some points. George was kind enough to allow my final few bonuses that I would have earned had the bike not broken. My total score, had I not broken down, would have earned me fourth place. It is no small consolation. I knew I rode a great rally.
Congratulations to Matt Watkins, first place, Tom and Rosie Sperry, second place, and Mark Crane, third. Obviously I was a DNF, but still it was a little surprising to not have my name called, and especially disappointing to not receive my finishers plaque. It's my first experience as a DNF, and hopefully my last. Traditionally DNFs are not mentioned at all during the banquet, no matter how heroic their efforts may have been. George had custom plaques printed for each rider, so there's one with my name on it that went into the garbage can.
Here are all the official daily rally reports.
http://www.sierraresearch.com/mc/SPANKfinish.pdf
http://www.sierraresearch.com/mc/SPANKday7.pdf
http://www.sierraresearch.com/mc/SPANKday6.pdf
http://www.sierraresearch.com/mc/SPANKday5.pdf
http://www.sierraresearch.com/mc/SPANKday4.pdf
http://www.sierraresearch.com/mc/SPANKday3.pdf
http://www.sierraresearch.com/mc/SPANKday2.doc
http://www.sierraresearch.com/mc/SPANKday1.doc
http://www.sierraresearch.com/mc/SPANKday-1 .doc
After a three-legged red-eye air journey that took nine hours, and one last night at the Iron Butt Motel, I arrived at rally HQ before 9AM. Coincidentally Roger Van Santen was on the same flight from DFW to Tulsa, and invited me to ride with him and his wife to the rally HQ. That was great, riding with friends instead of taking a taxi. I went through the scoring process as if I had finished. This was part of my Spank learning experience, as I had made a few small errors that cost me some points. George was kind enough to allow my final few bonuses that I would have earned had the bike not broken. My total score, had I not broken down, would have earned me fourth place. It is no small consolation. I knew I rode a great rally.
Congratulations to Matt Watkins, first place, Tom and Rosie Sperry, second place, and Mark Crane, third. Obviously I was a DNF, but still it was a little surprising to not have my name called, and especially disappointing to not receive my finishers plaque. It's my first experience as a DNF, and hopefully my last. Traditionally DNFs are not mentioned at all during the banquet, no matter how heroic their efforts may have been. George had custom plaques printed for each rider, so there's one with my name on it that went into the garbage can.
Here are all the official daily rally reports.
http://www.sierraresearch.com/
http://www.sierraresearch.com/
http://www.sierraresearch.com/mc/
http://www.sierraresearch.com/
http://www.sierraresearch.com/
http://www.sierraresearch.com/
http://www.sierraresearch.com/
http://www.sierraresearch.com/
http://www.sierraresearch.com/
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
It ain't so bad
Good news on my bike. It's not the transmission, it's the drive shaft! That changes a 10 hour repair job with many new parts, to a 3 hour repair with few new parts. They may be able to fix it while I'm in Tulsa, and I may be able to ride it home. I'll know more on Saturday. Good thing I didn't purchase my return flight yet! I'm currently in a very nice bar in Reno with Reno John, one of my bike buddies, waiting til it's time to go to the airport.
Good news on my bike. It's not the transmission, it's the drive shaft! That changes a 10 hour repair job with many new parts, to a 3 hour repair with few new parts. They may be able to fix it while I'm in Tulsa, and I may be able to ride it home. I'll know more on Saturday. Good thing I didn't purchase my return flight yet! I'm currently in a very nice bar in Reno with Reno John, one of my bike buddies, waiting til it's time to go to the airport.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Friday, August 08, 2008
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Here we go!
The rally is a bunch of combination bonuses. There are 83 waypoints, nearly all of them are used in combination with each other one or more times. For example the Sundial Bridge in Redding, CA, can be combined four different ways. Many of the bonii are food-related. I won't be going hungry on this rally! It was quite a challenge to plan and route, but I think I have a good route. Can't say much more for now. Tomorrow we ride!
The rally is a bunch of combination bonuses. There are 83 waypoints, nearly all of them are used in combination with each other one or more times. For example the Sundial Bridge in Redding, CA, can be combined four different ways. Many of the bonii are food-related. I won't be going hungry on this rally! It was quite a challenge to plan and route, but I think I have a good route. Can't say much more for now. Tomorrow we ride!
Gotta keep up with the Joneses
Fellow Spankster Matt Watkins, the other blogger, has already posted twice. Son of a biscuit eater, I'm behind already! So let's see...what is there to say? I'm in Omaha, gotten checked in to my room and to the rally, just finished the odometer ride, and now there's not much to do but wait for 2:00. At that time George is giving us the electronic waypoints so that everyone can get all the GPS rigamarole out of the way. Dinner is at five, and then the bonus sheets drop. Good fun!
On the ODO run I rode with a woman named Margaret. Her GS looks like it has some miles on it, and she's got insignia from Alaska on there...so I ask her at a red light, "Are you from Alaska?" She says in a wonderful accent, "No mate, I'm from Australia. I've been over here for awhile. Rode down to South America, then Prudhoe, then Key West. I've never done this kind of thing before! (meaning an organized rally)" All I can say is Wow. I want Margaret to be my new best friend. Yeah I've had some success in some 24 hour rallies, but no way have I ridden anything like this woman has. She's never ridden a rally but she's damn sure ridden some great miles. After this week she'll be ready for the IBR.
I also spotted Heidi Still and Maura Gatensby. Great to see the solo women representin'. Tom and Rosie are the only couple (I think.) It didn't take them long to get back on the road after their BMW let them down in Nevada.
I caught up with the usual suspects, met people I've only emailed with before, had greetings passed to me from Milwaukee. It's always great to spar and joke around with Meese. I'm gonna kick his ass on this rally!
Fellow Spankster Matt Watkins, the other blogger, has already posted twice. Son of a biscuit eater, I'm behind already! So let's see...what is there to say? I'm in Omaha, gotten checked in to my room and to the rally, just finished the odometer ride, and now there's not much to do but wait for 2:00. At that time George is giving us the electronic waypoints so that everyone can get all the GPS rigamarole out of the way. Dinner is at five, and then the bonus sheets drop. Good fun!
On the ODO run I rode with a woman named Margaret. Her GS looks like it has some miles on it, and she's got insignia from Alaska on there...so I ask her at a red light, "Are you from Alaska?" She says in a wonderful accent, "No mate, I'm from Australia. I've been over here for awhile. Rode down to South America, then Prudhoe, then Key West. I've never done this kind of thing before! (meaning an organized rally)" All I can say is Wow. I want Margaret to be my new best friend. Yeah I've had some success in some 24 hour rallies, but no way have I ridden anything like this woman has. She's never ridden a rally but she's damn sure ridden some great miles. After this week she'll be ready for the IBR.
I also spotted Heidi Still and Maura Gatensby. Great to see the solo women representin'. Tom and Rosie are the only couple (I think.) It didn't take them long to get back on the road after their BMW let them down in Nevada.
I caught up with the usual suspects, met people I've only emailed with before, had greetings passed to me from Milwaukee. It's always great to spar and joke around with Meese. I'm gonna kick his ass on this rally!
Monday, August 04, 2008
Day 3
Meeting at the Airport
Yesterday's long ride was worth it, because today I was able to make it to the airport just in time to greet the girls. It worked out perfectly. I got parked in the special motorcycle lot, got my gear off and locked to the bike, and walked into the terminal. Just then I spotted everyone coming out of baggage claim. Claire saw me and shouted, "Daddy!," and ran to me with a big hug. It was just like a scene from a movie, with the desired tear-welling effect. Grandma Cole and Aunt Cathy were there too, and it was a welcome reunion.
I'm spending the next few days in relaxation mode here in Des Moines. Bike-wise I have the tire change tomorrow, and a few minor tweaks. The blog is going dark until Wednesday at the Spank check-in.
Meeting at the Airport
Yesterday's long ride was worth it, because today I was able to make it to the airport just in time to greet the girls. It worked out perfectly. I got parked in the special motorcycle lot, got my gear off and locked to the bike, and walked into the terminal. Just then I spotted everyone coming out of baggage claim. Claire saw me and shouted, "Daddy!," and ran to me with a big hug. It was just like a scene from a movie, with the desired tear-welling effect. Grandma Cole and Aunt Cathy were there too, and it was a welcome reunion.
I'm spending the next few days in relaxation mode here in Des Moines. Bike-wise I have the tire change tomorrow, and a few minor tweaks. The blog is going dark until Wednesday at the Spank check-in.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Day 1
Reno isn’t Hell, but it’s so close you can see Sparks
I’m relaxing in a lovely room in the Nugget Hotel and Casino in Sparks, Nevada, typing a blog entry that I can’t post right now because the hotel charges for WiFi access. Can you believe that? I guess they’d rather have their guests gambling instead of surfing the net. So I’ll post this tomorrow at whatever motel I stay at that has free WiFi. I love you guys, but not enough to pay $6/hr just so I can blog.
The first day’s ride was a bit slow, but that’s what you get when you put your bike together at the last minute. I left late in the afternoon, after watching Claire perform at the end of her week-long summer dance camp. It was really great to see her so dance so joyfully. The feelings of love that welled up in me were a helpful reminder of what’s important on this trip – coming home safely to Sally and Claire.
At the gas station in San Leandro I decided to try out the nozzle helper dingus they gave us at the Cal 24. It’s supposed to make those California vapor recovery fuel pump nozzles easier to operate. Immediately the dingus dropped into the extra-wide mouth of my auxiliary fuel cell. Great. How the heck am I supposed to fish that out? I decided to deal with it later, and hoped it wouldn’t impede the flow of gas out of the unit.
Traffic wasn’t too bad for a Friday afternoon. I only had to lane split a little bit between home and the Carquinez Bridge. I was getting to know my new 2610 GPS. This is my first ride with the unit and I want to be able to use it effectively during the Spank. I was not paying close enough attention to navigation duties when I crossed over the bridge, and I ended up on 780 instead of 680, so I had to backtrack. Doh! First delay of the journey. Then traffic backed up about five miles from the junction of 80 and 680, and continued to be slammed all the way until past Vacaville. While I was splitting lanes I was appreciative of that privilege we have in California. I wondered what it will be like being stuck in traffic during the rally. Weather is supposed to miserably hot, so I guess I will bake in my riding gear as I creep along. Ugh! I hope I manage to avoid any heavy traffic on this trip.
Up in the Sierras I flipped over to my aux tank, but was dismayed to see that the fuel didn’t seem to be transferring. I exited at a gas station near Donner Summit and opened the gas cap to see a completely full tank. I also saw the nozzle dongle sitting at the bottom of the tank, clearly not in the way of any gas flow. Then I saw that I hadn’t fully seated the quick disconnect valve when I installed the tank this morning. Doh again! Press the connector and watch the fuel recede as the vital elixir transfers to my thirsty motorcycle.
The rest of the ride into Sparks was nice. The sun was going down, creating nice light effects on the mountains. Traffic was not a problem, and it was easy to find the hotel. I had a delicious late dinner at the seafood buffet, complete with two glasses of wine. Boy am I ready for bed now! Probably I’ll end up waking up early tomorrow and heading out with the sunrise. It’s going to be a long day. Rawlings, WY, is halfway between Sparks and Des Moines, so that’s my goal for the day. Cheers!
Day 2
A Saddlesore 1000? What the heck.
Here I am in Kimball, NE, which is at Mile Marker 20 in western Nebraska. This morning at 5:00 I departed the Nugget Hotel and Casino, which is at MM 19 in western Nevada. I can’t seem to make it more than 20 miles into a state before I fall into a deep torpor! In the intervening miles I crossed Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, a total of 1,011 miles according to the computer. I had only planned on making it to Rawlins, WY, which is roughly halfway between Sparks and Des Moines, 800 miles. But early in the day the idea came to me that I should try to make today’s ride a Saddlesore. If I’m going to run seven in a row starting Wednesday, it couldn’t hurt to bang one out today. So I did! Total time was about 16.5 hours, a fairly leisurely pace. I took a few long gas stops and a nap at a state rest stop.
Since today went so well, I’m going to try to surprise Sally and Claire at the airport tomorrow. I called her and asked what time they land, and then said, “Oh, it’s impossible for me to make it by then.” But I actually think it’s quite possible. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow. :)
I had one long and frustrating delay in Tooele, UT when the gas cap for my fuel cell wouldn’t come off. At my previous gas stop I had positioned it slightly differently when I was done filling up, without thinking it would make a difference. Well, it did. I must have spent 20 minutes wrenching away at that thing before it finally came loose, looking much worse for wear. The gasket is chewed up, and there are bits of red plastic floating around in the tank. No way they’re getting past the filter, so it’s cool, but still, not good. I had Sally email BLM (the vendor) requesting an emergency shipment of a new cap to Spank HQ. Hopefully he gets the message in time and can respond. Otherwise I think I’ll be OK on this cap, but if it sticks again I could be without aux fuel for the rally. Erg.
On the way across Nevutahming I spent some time listening to “The Old Man and the Sea” by Hemingway. I didn’t know it when I chose it, but this story is a really good analog to endurance rallying. It’s a story of an old fisherman alone in a boat in the ocean, battling a giant marlin. He has to be extremely patient, smart, resourceful, and brave. In one passage, the fish jumps out of the water and the old man sees his adversary for the first time. The fisherman says, “Now I know what kind of fish he is. I’m going to show him what kind of man I am. He is my friend and I respect him greatly, but I am going to kill him.” It really got me thinking about the ways we express our manhood in today’s modern society. At work I am a powerless cog in a corporate machine. At home I try to be kind, loving, considerate, and inclusive in decision making. But out on the bike in a rally I am the boss, chasing my marlins under my own sole command, and pounding my chest when I net my catch. I highly recommend this story for endurance riders.
Reno isn’t Hell, but it’s so close you can see Sparks
I’m relaxing in a lovely room in the Nugget Hotel and Casino in Sparks, Nevada, typing a blog entry that I can’t post right now because the hotel charges for WiFi access. Can you believe that? I guess they’d rather have their guests gambling instead of surfing the net. So I’ll post this tomorrow at whatever motel I stay at that has free WiFi. I love you guys, but not enough to pay $6/hr just so I can blog.
The first day’s ride was a bit slow, but that’s what you get when you put your bike together at the last minute. I left late in the afternoon, after watching Claire perform at the end of her week-long summer dance camp. It was really great to see her so dance so joyfully. The feelings of love that welled up in me were a helpful reminder of what’s important on this trip – coming home safely to Sally and Claire.
At the gas station in San Leandro I decided to try out the nozzle helper dingus they gave us at the Cal 24. It’s supposed to make those California vapor recovery fuel pump nozzles easier to operate. Immediately the dingus dropped into the extra-wide mouth of my auxiliary fuel cell. Great. How the heck am I supposed to fish that out? I decided to deal with it later, and hoped it wouldn’t impede the flow of gas out of the unit.
Traffic wasn’t too bad for a Friday afternoon. I only had to lane split a little bit between home and the Carquinez Bridge. I was getting to know my new 2610 GPS. This is my first ride with the unit and I want to be able to use it effectively during the Spank. I was not paying close enough attention to navigation duties when I crossed over the bridge, and I ended up on 780 instead of 680, so I had to backtrack. Doh! First delay of the journey. Then traffic backed up about five miles from the junction of 80 and 680, and continued to be slammed all the way until past Vacaville. While I was splitting lanes I was appreciative of that privilege we have in California. I wondered what it will be like being stuck in traffic during the rally. Weather is supposed to miserably hot, so I guess I will bake in my riding gear as I creep along. Ugh! I hope I manage to avoid any heavy traffic on this trip.
Up in the Sierras I flipped over to my aux tank, but was dismayed to see that the fuel didn’t seem to be transferring. I exited at a gas station near Donner Summit and opened the gas cap to see a completely full tank. I also saw the nozzle dongle sitting at the bottom of the tank, clearly not in the way of any gas flow. Then I saw that I hadn’t fully seated the quick disconnect valve when I installed the tank this morning. Doh again! Press the connector and watch the fuel recede as the vital elixir transfers to my thirsty motorcycle.
The rest of the ride into Sparks was nice. The sun was going down, creating nice light effects on the mountains. Traffic was not a problem, and it was easy to find the hotel. I had a delicious late dinner at the seafood buffet, complete with two glasses of wine. Boy am I ready for bed now! Probably I’ll end up waking up early tomorrow and heading out with the sunrise. It’s going to be a long day. Rawlings, WY, is halfway between Sparks and Des Moines, so that’s my goal for the day. Cheers!
Day 2
A Saddlesore 1000? What the heck.
Here I am in Kimball, NE, which is at Mile Marker 20 in western Nebraska. This morning at 5:00 I departed the Nugget Hotel and Casino, which is at MM 19 in western Nevada. I can’t seem to make it more than 20 miles into a state before I fall into a deep torpor! In the intervening miles I crossed Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, a total of 1,011 miles according to the computer. I had only planned on making it to Rawlins, WY, which is roughly halfway between Sparks and Des Moines, 800 miles. But early in the day the idea came to me that I should try to make today’s ride a Saddlesore. If I’m going to run seven in a row starting Wednesday, it couldn’t hurt to bang one out today. So I did! Total time was about 16.5 hours, a fairly leisurely pace. I took a few long gas stops and a nap at a state rest stop.
Since today went so well, I’m going to try to surprise Sally and Claire at the airport tomorrow. I called her and asked what time they land, and then said, “Oh, it’s impossible for me to make it by then.” But I actually think it’s quite possible. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow. :)
I had one long and frustrating delay in Tooele, UT when the gas cap for my fuel cell wouldn’t come off. At my previous gas stop I had positioned it slightly differently when I was done filling up, without thinking it would make a difference. Well, it did. I must have spent 20 minutes wrenching away at that thing before it finally came loose, looking much worse for wear. The gasket is chewed up, and there are bits of red plastic floating around in the tank. No way they’re getting past the filter, so it’s cool, but still, not good. I had Sally email BLM (the vendor) requesting an emergency shipment of a new cap to Spank HQ. Hopefully he gets the message in time and can respond. Otherwise I think I’ll be OK on this cap, but if it sticks again I could be without aux fuel for the rally. Erg.
On the way across Nevutahming I spent some time listening to “The Old Man and the Sea” by Hemingway. I didn’t know it when I chose it, but this story is a really good analog to endurance rallying. It’s a story of an old fisherman alone in a boat in the ocean, battling a giant marlin. He has to be extremely patient, smart, resourceful, and brave. In one passage, the fish jumps out of the water and the old man sees his adversary for the first time. The fisherman says, “Now I know what kind of fish he is. I’m going to show him what kind of man I am. He is my friend and I respect him greatly, but I am going to kill him.” It really got me thinking about the ways we express our manhood in today’s modern society. At work I am a powerless cog in a corporate machine. At home I try to be kind, loving, considerate, and inclusive in decision making. But out on the bike in a rally I am the boss, chasing my marlins under my own sole command, and pounding my chest when I net my catch. I highly recommend this story for endurance riders.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Almost Spanking Time
In less than two weeks, Aug 1 to be exact, I'll be heading out for my big summer trip. The highlight is the Spank Rally, my first multi-day rally and practice for next year's Iron Butt Rally. After that I'll be at the IBA National, a two day get-together in Tulsa where I'll get to hang around with my fellow motorcycling maniacs.
My schedule is as follows:
Preparations:
Right now my bike is in Ted's Beemer Shop in Scotts Valley, CA. (Yes this is a blatant plug.) They are the only shop that I fully trust to work on my bike. They do a great job, and only charge labor for actual hours worked, not what some labor book tells them to charge. They even allow you to hang around the service bay while they work on your bike, so you can watch and learn. Sure, you'll pay extra in labor hours because all that chit-chat slows the job, but it's worth it if you want to learn about your machine.
Normally I do all my routine maintenance myself. However, my bike now has 100,000 miles on it and I want a few extra things checked. They're checking front and rear bearings, measuring clutch wear, and rebuilding my front shock. Along with this, it's good to have an experienced mechanic looking all over your bike and seeing things that you don't.
The bike is supposed to be ready in the next few days, and I hope to pick it up this Wednesday or Thursday. We're doing a little family traveling this weekend, but I hope to be able to start putting my bike in LD trim when we return Sunday. I have my lists and have gathered things together, but still have to get it all installed and loaded. Mixed in with all those preparations, we need to paint our bathroom which is being remodeled right now. Hoo boy, it's going to be a busy couple of weeks!
In less than two weeks, Aug 1 to be exact, I'll be heading out for my big summer trip. The highlight is the Spank Rally, my first multi-day rally and practice for next year's Iron Butt Rally. After that I'll be at the IBA National, a two day get-together in Tulsa where I'll get to hang around with my fellow motorcycling maniacs.
My schedule is as follows:
- Aug 1: Leave home after work, overnight in Reno. Possible get-together with LD guys Reno John and BR.
- Aug 2-3: Ride to Des Moines. I'm taking I-80 the whole way. Boring, I know, but a good way to cover distance quickly.
- Aug 4-5: Vacation time with family in Des Moines. While there I'm getting fresh tires installed at a local shop.
- Aug 6: Spank check-in, Omaha. A full day of fellowship and mind games with my fellow riders. The rally packs are handed out after dinner and we retire to our rooms to plan our routes (and how to murder George after we see what he has done with the rally pack.)
- Aug 7-14: Spank Rally. Everybody asks me, "Where are you riding?" Answer: I have no idea. Rallymaster George Zelenz says he has bonus locations in all 49 continental states (with the possible exception of Oregon.) All I know is that I'll finish in Tulsa a week later. There have been some hints thrown out. I may be going to Quebec to eat a plate of poutine, to Texas for BBQ, or New Orleans for oysters and gumbo. Or I may be going to museums and public sculpture gardens all over the US to look for Alexander Calder mobiles. Only one person knows, and he ain't saying. It doesn't really matter at this point. I'm sure that George has planned an amazingly fun and challenging week for us. It will be what it will be.
- Aug 14: The end of the Spank merges with the start of the IBA National. Banquets, awards, pink T shirts, parking lots, adult beverages. Oh, it'll be fun.
- Aug 15-16: IBA National, Tulsa. As the website says, "The purpose of the IBA National Meet is to facilitate the cohesion of the Long Distance riding community by serving as a source of information, experience and equipment for the LD Rider and to provide an arena in which to renew old friendships and make new ones." In other words, I'll be hanging around a bunch of long distance riders, kicking tires, telling lies, and taking Iron Butt classes.
- Aug 17-18: Ride home. I've devised a scenic, non-interstate route that takes me across the Oklahoma panhandle, northern New Mexico and Arizona, and ends in St. George, UT. My planned highlights will be Taos, Antelope Canyon, and possibly the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
- Aug 19: Continue ride home. I'm slabbing it from St. George to the Bay Area. That's close to 700 miles, a long day to finish an epic summer vacation. Here's a map of the route.
Preparations:
Right now my bike is in Ted's Beemer Shop in Scotts Valley, CA. (Yes this is a blatant plug.) They are the only shop that I fully trust to work on my bike. They do a great job, and only charge labor for actual hours worked, not what some labor book tells them to charge. They even allow you to hang around the service bay while they work on your bike, so you can watch and learn. Sure, you'll pay extra in labor hours because all that chit-chat slows the job, but it's worth it if you want to learn about your machine.
Normally I do all my routine maintenance myself. However, my bike now has 100,000 miles on it and I want a few extra things checked. They're checking front and rear bearings, measuring clutch wear, and rebuilding my front shock. Along with this, it's good to have an experienced mechanic looking all over your bike and seeing things that you don't.
The bike is supposed to be ready in the next few days, and I hope to pick it up this Wednesday or Thursday. We're doing a little family traveling this weekend, but I hope to be able to start putting my bike in LD trim when we return Sunday. I have my lists and have gathered things together, but still have to get it all installed and loaded. Mixed in with all those preparations, we need to paint our bathroom which is being remodeled right now. Hoo boy, it's going to be a busy couple of weeks!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Cal 24 Summary
Another fantastic Cal 24 is in the books. I had a great time and finished well too. It was really two rallies in one. The first half was a nod to the Bite the Bullet event from 15 years ago. There were 6 bonus locations along a predefined route. At each "bullet" the rider would participate in a brief whimsical activity. I hit 5 of the six mandatory bullets.
Bullet 1 - shoot a paintball pellet into the target on the back of your rally shirt. This bonus was about 10 miles away from the rally start in Dunnigan.
Bullet 2- I had a hard time finding this one near Oroville Dam. The instructions were not very clear. I looked for awhile, then gave up and continued. Many other riders found this bullet eventually.
Bullet 3 - buy a flower from some Hare Krishnas in Quincy. This bonus was hilarious because it featured legendary hardass Warchild pretending to be a kind and mellow loving sort of guy. Yeah, right. Also the Johnsons from Texas were along for the merriment. The ride from Oroville to Quincy was along Bucks Lake Road. Awesome twisties!
Bullet 4 - eat a mystery sandwich at Daggett Pass, NV (Kingsbury Grade above south Lake Tahoe.) Whoever was there before you made your sandwich from the variety of ingredients. Then you got to make the sandwich for the next guy. I was lucky, and my part time riding partner Reno John Austin made me a delicious sandwich of honey, turkey, and cheese. Yummy! I wasn't as nice - I made one of turkey and baby food, and left it for the lucky chap who arrived next. Alan Pratt and John Langan staffed this one.
Bullet 5 - put on lipstick at Walker Lake, NV. Rallymaster Mark Crane was there with a choice of pink or orange. I chose orange, and apparently did a lousy job of it, because for the rest of the ride I got lots of laughs whenever I took my helmet off.
Bullet 6 - get your nails painted by John Langan at Rawhide Mine, NV. This remote location was also the hiding spot of the Cal 24 Police. This is a long and funny story which I'm too lazy to type right now. Suffice it to say I had a personal encounter with the cops.
There were also two optional bullets: a hot springs in CA, which fit right in after Daggett Pass, and the Shoe Tree in NV, about 15 minutes away from Rawhide. I earned both of these bullets, for a total of seven. For my efforts I was awarded seven bullets when I arrived at the checkpoint in Yerington, NV. I fired away at my t-shirt target and did pretty well too!
The second half of the rally had either a base route that stayed fairly local, or some big points bonii with accompanying high miles to the far north of the state. The base route had a ton of small bonii, and it would be a lot of work to get them all. I opted to take the big points and the big mileage. After picking up the freebie in Yerington, I went to LD mecca Gerlach, NV. From there I planned to go north to Fort Bidwell and two other towns on the Oregon border. But as I ran the scenarios I didn't think I had the time to make all that mileage, so I realigned. After Gerlach I went to Burney, CA.
Outside Burney my odometer turned over 100,000 miles. I stopped for photos. It was 2:37 AM. It was a memorable moment in my riding career, having it turn over during a rally.
My last and most valuable bonus, was Hayfork, CA. This tiny town is only reachable by miles and miles of twisty roads. There are two ways into this town, and both of them are long. I had a very nice ride to Hayfork. I arrived there as the sun came up. I was so far away from rally HQ that I was unable to arrive by 8 AM. I was 17 minutes late, which cost me 10 points per minute at the scoring table. In the end that penalty didn't cost me a thing in the final standings, as the fifth place rider beat me by more than 170 points.
The top two riders - well, do I really have to name them? Who else would they be? Jeff Earls (first) and Eric Jewell (second.) Reno John Austin rounded out the podium. Jeff and Eric both rode the base route on the second leg. I should have paid closer attention to the math. Had I been as smart as they were, I think I would have won the rally. I say that because I was tied with Eric Jewell after the first leg, but he didn't get all the Leg 2 bonii. Earls did. Since I beat Jeff in Leg 1 and could have beaten Eric in Leg 2 (had I done it), the rally was mine. All I needed to do was make the right decision when the Leg 2 bonus sheet was handed out. Lesson learned - do the math!! 4th and 5th place were covered by Dave Biasotti and Brian Roberts, who successfully swept the northern route.
I have no regrets over making the wrong choice for the 2nd leg. It was a very fun rally, and well run by all the staff. I had an excellent time. And to top it all off, Sally and Claire surprised me by showing up at the finishers banquet. I couldn't ask for a better Fathers Day present. The more rallies I do the more fun I have, and the more friends I make. The LD community is really a great bunch and I'm proud to be a member.
Another fantastic Cal 24 is in the books. I had a great time and finished well too. It was really two rallies in one. The first half was a nod to the Bite the Bullet event from 15 years ago. There were 6 bonus locations along a predefined route. At each "bullet" the rider would participate in a brief whimsical activity. I hit 5 of the six mandatory bullets.
Bullet 1 - shoot a paintball pellet into the target on the back of your rally shirt. This bonus was about 10 miles away from the rally start in Dunnigan.
Bullet 2- I had a hard time finding this one near Oroville Dam. The instructions were not very clear. I looked for awhile, then gave up and continued. Many other riders found this bullet eventually.
Bullet 3 - buy a flower from some Hare Krishnas in Quincy. This bonus was hilarious because it featured legendary hardass Warchild pretending to be a kind and mellow loving sort of guy. Yeah, right. Also the Johnsons from Texas were along for the merriment. The ride from Oroville to Quincy was along Bucks Lake Road. Awesome twisties!
Bullet 4 - eat a mystery sandwich at Daggett Pass, NV (Kingsbury Grade above south Lake Tahoe.) Whoever was there before you made your sandwich from the variety of ingredients. Then you got to make the sandwich for the next guy. I was lucky, and my part time riding partner Reno John Austin made me a delicious sandwich of honey, turkey, and cheese. Yummy! I wasn't as nice - I made one of turkey and baby food, and left it for the lucky chap who arrived next. Alan Pratt and John Langan staffed this one.
Bullet 5 - put on lipstick at Walker Lake, NV. Rallymaster Mark Crane was there with a choice of pink or orange. I chose orange, and apparently did a lousy job of it, because for the rest of the ride I got lots of laughs whenever I took my helmet off.
Bullet 6 - get your nails painted by John Langan at Rawhide Mine, NV. This remote location was also the hiding spot of the Cal 24 Police. This is a long and funny story which I'm too lazy to type right now. Suffice it to say I had a personal encounter with the cops.
There were also two optional bullets: a hot springs in CA, which fit right in after Daggett Pass, and the Shoe Tree in NV, about 15 minutes away from Rawhide. I earned both of these bullets, for a total of seven. For my efforts I was awarded seven bullets when I arrived at the checkpoint in Yerington, NV. I fired away at my t-shirt target and did pretty well too!
The second half of the rally had either a base route that stayed fairly local, or some big points bonii with accompanying high miles to the far north of the state. The base route had a ton of small bonii, and it would be a lot of work to get them all. I opted to take the big points and the big mileage. After picking up the freebie in Yerington, I went to LD mecca Gerlach, NV. From there I planned to go north to Fort Bidwell and two other towns on the Oregon border. But as I ran the scenarios I didn't think I had the time to make all that mileage, so I realigned. After Gerlach I went to Burney, CA.
Outside Burney my odometer turned over 100,000 miles. I stopped for photos. It was 2:37 AM. It was a memorable moment in my riding career, having it turn over during a rally.
My last and most valuable bonus, was Hayfork, CA. This tiny town is only reachable by miles and miles of twisty roads. There are two ways into this town, and both of them are long. I had a very nice ride to Hayfork. I arrived there as the sun came up. I was so far away from rally HQ that I was unable to arrive by 8 AM. I was 17 minutes late, which cost me 10 points per minute at the scoring table. In the end that penalty didn't cost me a thing in the final standings, as the fifth place rider beat me by more than 170 points.
The top two riders - well, do I really have to name them? Who else would they be? Jeff Earls (first) and Eric Jewell (second.) Reno John Austin rounded out the podium. Jeff and Eric both rode the base route on the second leg. I should have paid closer attention to the math. Had I been as smart as they were, I think I would have won the rally. I say that because I was tied with Eric Jewell after the first leg, but he didn't get all the Leg 2 bonii. Earls did. Since I beat Jeff in Leg 1 and could have beaten Eric in Leg 2 (had I done it), the rally was mine. All I needed to do was make the right decision when the Leg 2 bonus sheet was handed out. Lesson learned - do the math!! 4th and 5th place were covered by Dave Biasotti and Brian Roberts, who successfully swept the northern route.
I have no regrets over making the wrong choice for the 2nd leg. It was a very fun rally, and well run by all the staff. I had an excellent time. And to top it all off, Sally and Claire surprised me by showing up at the finishers banquet. I couldn't ask for a better Fathers Day present. The more rallies I do the more fun I have, and the more friends I make. The LD community is really a great bunch and I'm proud to be a member.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Cal24 Prelude
I'm at the Cal24 rally HQ in Dunnigan, CA. The rider meeting starts in about an hour. I've been here since before noon, and it's been a pleasant, if hot, afternoon. I've been seeing old friends, saying hi to familiar faces from past rallies, and meeting new friends. I finished the odometer check with a reading of exactly 99,000 miles. This means my bike will be rolling over to 100,000 during the course of the rally. Hopefully I'll keep my wits about me and stop for a photo when it happens. Most likely that occur after sunrise Sunday morning. The rallymaster is Mark Crane, which means we should be on some very twisty roads over the next 24 hours. Yipee!! They're not passing out the bonus packs until tomorrow morning, so that should mean a good night's sleep tonight. I'll try to use the audio blog a little during the rally. Wish me luck!
I'm at the Cal24 rally HQ in Dunnigan, CA. The rider meeting starts in about an hour. I've been here since before noon, and it's been a pleasant, if hot, afternoon. I've been seeing old friends, saying hi to familiar faces from past rallies, and meeting new friends. I finished the odometer check with a reading of exactly 99,000 miles. This means my bike will be rolling over to 100,000 during the course of the rally. Hopefully I'll keep my wits about me and stop for a photo when it happens. Most likely that occur after sunrise Sunday morning. The rallymaster is Mark Crane, which means we should be on some very twisty roads over the next 24 hours. Yipee!! They're not passing out the bonus packs until tomorrow morning, so that should mean a good night's sleep tonight. I'll try to use the audio blog a little during the rally. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
A Proper WORD! Ride Report
The best version of this ride report is hosted on the ironbutt.com web forum. Here's the link.
The best version of this ride report is hosted on the ironbutt.com web forum. Here's the link.
Monday, June 02, 2008
I won!
Not the rally, silly. The High Mileage award. I managed to ride over 1800 miles and finished a middling 17th. The rally itself was a 32 hour game of Scrabble. We were given a list of 250 words to spell. To spell the words we would take pictures of the city limits signs of any town we could find. We could use any of the letters in the city names (one letter per town) to spell the words. The highest scoring words used Q, Z, X, so those were the places to go after.When I get back home I'll write up something more substantial. In the meantime I'll leave you with my favorite photo, and a couple of maps of my ride. You can see all my photos here.
My Leg 1 was about 800 miles. Highlights were the non-existent town of Flux, Utah (which is in the Gazetter and my GPS, but not in reality.) I also picked up a cow pattie in Utah and carried it the rest of the rally.
At the checkpoint I tossed horseshoes and won the letter J and a blank letter to be used wherever I needed. My Leg 2 was over 1000 miles. I have many great memories of this ride but the highlight is the fact that I banged out a Saddlesore after already riding 800 miles in the first leg. In hindsight this was not the most efficient route. But I went into the rally wanting to ride hard, and I certainly accomplished that.
Not the rally, silly. The High Mileage award. I managed to ride over 1800 miles and finished a middling 17th. The rally itself was a 32 hour game of Scrabble. We were given a list of 250 words to spell. To spell the words we would take pictures of the city limits signs of any town we could find. We could use any of the letters in the city names (one letter per town) to spell the words. The highest scoring words used Q, Z, X, so those were the places to go after.When I get back home I'll write up something more substantial. In the meantime I'll leave you with my favorite photo, and a couple of maps of my ride. You can see all my photos here.
My Leg 1 was about 800 miles. Highlights were the non-existent town of Flux, Utah (which is in the Gazetter and my GPS, but not in reality.) I also picked up a cow pattie in Utah and carried it the rest of the rally.
At the checkpoint I tossed horseshoes and won the letter J and a blank letter to be used wherever I needed. My Leg 2 was over 1000 miles. I have many great memories of this ride but the highlight is the fact that I banged out a Saddlesore after already riding 800 miles in the first leg. In hindsight this was not the most efficient route. But I went into the rally wanting to ride hard, and I certainly accomplished that.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Say the WORD!
Tomorrow night I'm heading out for my first rally of the year - the WORD! It's based in Ely, NV, and being hosted by the Cognoscente Group. Basically I think that's just Warchild and a couple of his LD buddies. It should be a lot of fun (we're bringing condoms and dollar bills), and pretty difficult too (we're bringing detailed topo maps of five states.) I have zero expectations from this rally, other than to ride hard, do my best and enjoy it. This year's rallies have dual meanings for me now that I'm in next year's IBR. Practice, practice, practice.
Logistics: On Thursday I'm leaving home around 8PM, after coming home from International Night at Claire's school. I'll ride over the Sierras, and sleep somewhere in western Nevada. On Friday morning I'll ride the rest of the way on US-50 to Ely, where Rally HQ is open between 10AM and 4:30 PM. It's always best to get there early. The rest of the day and night will be spent hanging out, and then being enfolded in Warchild's evil web of treachery. The rally runs from 0500 Saturday morning until 1300 Sunday afternoon. Then the banquet, then I'll start for home. I don't expect to make it all the way home, but will hole up somewhere Sunday night. Be back home Monday.
The new big deal for me is AUDIO BLOGGING! I'll be trying out my new toy that allows me to leave messages from my cell phone that people can listen to on the Web. (Proper credit goes to Paul Peloquin who pioneered this last summer.) Audio blog entries should appear on my blog page as I leave them. I have no idea how many messages I'll leave, or even how much cell phone service I'll have during the weekend. We'll see how it works out. The old faithful Star-Traxx satellite tracking is also available. I've made a link at the top of the blog page. See the Where Am I link on the right side of the page. See you Monday!
Tomorrow night I'm heading out for my first rally of the year - the WORD! It's based in Ely, NV, and being hosted by the Cognoscente Group. Basically I think that's just Warchild and a couple of his LD buddies. It should be a lot of fun (we're bringing condoms and dollar bills), and pretty difficult too (we're bringing detailed topo maps of five states.) I have zero expectations from this rally, other than to ride hard, do my best and enjoy it. This year's rallies have dual meanings for me now that I'm in next year's IBR. Practice, practice, practice.
Logistics: On Thursday I'm leaving home around 8PM, after coming home from International Night at Claire's school. I'll ride over the Sierras, and sleep somewhere in western Nevada. On Friday morning I'll ride the rest of the way on US-50 to Ely, where Rally HQ is open between 10AM and 4:30 PM. It's always best to get there early. The rest of the day and night will be spent hanging out, and then being enfolded in Warchild's evil web of treachery. The rally runs from 0500 Saturday morning until 1300 Sunday afternoon. Then the banquet, then I'll start for home. I don't expect to make it all the way home, but will hole up somewhere Sunday night. Be back home Monday.
The new big deal for me is AUDIO BLOGGING! I'll be trying out my new toy that allows me to leave messages from my cell phone that people can listen to on the Web. (Proper credit goes to Paul Peloquin who pioneered this last summer.) Audio blog entries should appear on my blog page as I leave them. I have no idea how many messages I'll leave, or even how much cell phone service I'll have during the weekend. We'll see how it works out. The old faithful Star-Traxx satellite tracking is also available. I've made a link at the top of the blog page. See the Where Am I link on the right side of the page. See you Monday!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Spank is ON!
Today's big news is that the 08 Spank Rally is on. This is such a relief. Once I found out I was in for 09, it became imperative to run a multi-day rally this year. George had some issues with the Spank and wasn't sure if was going to happen. That caused me to run a bunch of alternate scenarios. But earlier today he let us know it's definitely going to happen. Awesome! My plan is to have my bike all farkled for 09 before the Spank, so I can test drive it in rally mode.
Planning and Research
Now that it's sunk in, I'm starting to get ready. There is a web forum for all the 09 participants to check in. I'm amazed at how many rookies there are. There's safety in numbers! Also good is the number of people who were rookies in 07 and are back in 09. This group is the greatest, because they're still enthusiastic and willing to help, and they have some excellent experiences to share. I think the ones who've done it 3 and 4 times are over all that, they just want to go out and do their thing.
I've told some riding buddies the good news. Immediately I picked up a pit crew and ground support. It's so great and comforting knowing that I have competent people willing to go out of their way to help me. Ken Meese and I have already started talking about what I might need in the way of mechanical services during the pit stop. At this point I'm thinking of a tire change, and possibly an oil change and valve adjustment. Plus there will likely be some minor repairs required, who knows what they'll be? Hopefully nothing more than a blown turn signal. We have a year and a half to work out the logistics of the pit stop.
Pit stop? Well, the rally has a start, two checkpoints, and a finish. I think that the last checkpoint before the finish will be when I want things refreshed. That'll probably be around day 8 or 9. I'll need tires for sure. Rebecca and Paul both said they used ME88s for the whole rally because they didn't want to worry about tread life. I feel that I'd rather have the better traction and feel of a set of sport touring tires, at the sacrifice of longevity. I like to corner briskly, and if I'm not confident in my grip I won't ride as well as I want to.
Some things I want to do:
Last week I went down to Ted Porter's Beemer Shop to talk about what my bike needs (it's 11 years old and has 95K on it.) He had some great suggestions, none of which sounded too expensive. I think he's a great mechanic and a good guy to talk to. I have lots of confidence in his shop. I asked him about sponsoring me as an Iron Butt Rally rider. He didn't want to commit, because he isn't sure what he'll get out of it in terms of new business. Also he said it's a slow year for his shop due to the economy. But somehow I got the feeling that he wants to help out, so we'll see what comes of that.
Today's big news is that the 08 Spank Rally is on. This is such a relief. Once I found out I was in for 09, it became imperative to run a multi-day rally this year. George had some issues with the Spank and wasn't sure if was going to happen. That caused me to run a bunch of alternate scenarios. But earlier today he let us know it's definitely going to happen. Awesome! My plan is to have my bike all farkled for 09 before the Spank, so I can test drive it in rally mode.
Planning and Research
Now that it's sunk in, I'm starting to get ready. There is a web forum for all the 09 participants to check in. I'm amazed at how many rookies there are. There's safety in numbers! Also good is the number of people who were rookies in 07 and are back in 09. This group is the greatest, because they're still enthusiastic and willing to help, and they have some excellent experiences to share. I think the ones who've done it 3 and 4 times are over all that, they just want to go out and do their thing.
I've told some riding buddies the good news. Immediately I picked up a pit crew and ground support. It's so great and comforting knowing that I have competent people willing to go out of their way to help me. Ken Meese and I have already started talking about what I might need in the way of mechanical services during the pit stop. At this point I'm thinking of a tire change, and possibly an oil change and valve adjustment. Plus there will likely be some minor repairs required, who knows what they'll be? Hopefully nothing more than a blown turn signal. We have a year and a half to work out the logistics of the pit stop.
Pit stop? Well, the rally has a start, two checkpoints, and a finish. I think that the last checkpoint before the finish will be when I want things refreshed. That'll probably be around day 8 or 9. I'll need tires for sure. Rebecca and Paul both said they used ME88s for the whole rally because they didn't want to worry about tread life. I feel that I'd rather have the better traction and feel of a set of sport touring tires, at the sacrifice of longevity. I like to corner briskly, and if I'm not confident in my grip I won't ride as well as I want to.
Some things I want to do:
- Replace my BMW top case with a square Pelican case. Rebecca has one and I'm impressed. The BMW case is oddly shaped and hard to fully utilize.
- I'm talking to RV about swapping fuel cells. Hers is slightly bigger, and I'll take all the advantage I can get.
- Once the fuel cell thing is settled I'm going to order a Linda T fuel cell luggage setup. I've seen them, they're great.
- I've got to get my cell phone hookup finalized. My LG phone doesn't work very well with the Zumo. The sound is crappy. It's not on the Garmin supported list. I'm going to get a Motorola KRZR, which is on the list and the folks on zumoforums.com say it works fine. Got a tip from our Verizon rep, he said to just buy one on craigslist and switch my number. That'll save me about $150.
- I'm considering using a 2nd GPS for average speed and other calcs. I've seen it before on IBR bikes but I always thought it was too much geek/nerd stuff. When RV said it was really helpful I thought again.
Last week I went down to Ted Porter's Beemer Shop to talk about what my bike needs (it's 11 years old and has 95K on it.) He had some great suggestions, none of which sounded too expensive. I think he's a great mechanic and a good guy to talk to. I have lots of confidence in his shop. I asked him about sponsoring me as an Iron Butt Rally rider. He didn't want to commit, because he isn't sure what he'll get out of it in terms of new business. Also he said it's a slow year for his shop due to the economy. But somehow I got the feeling that he wants to help out, so we'll see what comes of that.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The last entry had me thinking about whether I should do this or not. We've been talking a lot about it at home. The morning after I got the initial announcement, Sally called me on the phone and said she wanted me to do it because she knows how much this means to me. That made me feel really great. What an awesome wife. I am a lucky guy to have her.
But still I went out and started asking some of the other rally riders with young kids how they are approaching it. Basically their thought process is the same as mine. When you have that family waiting back home, your first priority always has to be to get home alive. Even if it means you don't finish the event, or you don't place as highly as you could if you took more risks. That's how I've always managed it too. There was one one rally when I rode with another guy for awhile. We were under the gun time-wise, and had to ride pretty briskly to beat the deadline. There were one or two spots where I held back because the margin of safety wasn't quite big enough for me. I remember thinking at the time, I don't want to risk crashing just to earn this bonus. How horrible would Sally feel if she knew I crashed because of a bad choice. My friend made the pass that I didn't. He got to the next location sooner than I did, but not by much. I knew I had done the right thing for me. He did the right thing for him, and that's totally fine.
On other rallies I've had to pause to rest or even sleep. Again, it's because I promised Sally I'd take care of myself and not ride fatigued. I can't put myself into a position where I cause my own downfall due to poor judgment.
There are enough risks just swinging a leg over a bike. The usual ones are car drivers who don't see you, deer running in front of you, and something slippery on the road (ice, oil, gravel.) For those you use your standard risk mitigation: wearing safety gear at all times, not riding too fast for conditions, being aware and anticipating the other drivers. Those are the normal risks that are always in my mind, but I don't worry too much about them. It's the special rally risks that are on the table right now.
Last night at dinner, it was Claire who sealed the deal. I was talking about how my rally priorities would be 1. Get home safely. 2. Finish the rally. 3. Place well in the rally. Claire said, "No, Daddy. It should be 1. Get home safely. 2. HAVE FUN. 3. Finish the rally. 4. Place well." My seven year old daughter is a very smart girl. I feel really good about sending in my rally fee now.
The rally is ON!
But still I went out and started asking some of the other rally riders with young kids how they are approaching it. Basically their thought process is the same as mine. When you have that family waiting back home, your first priority always has to be to get home alive. Even if it means you don't finish the event, or you don't place as highly as you could if you took more risks. That's how I've always managed it too. There was one one rally when I rode with another guy for awhile. We were under the gun time-wise, and had to ride pretty briskly to beat the deadline. There were one or two spots where I held back because the margin of safety wasn't quite big enough for me. I remember thinking at the time, I don't want to risk crashing just to earn this bonus. How horrible would Sally feel if she knew I crashed because of a bad choice. My friend made the pass that I didn't. He got to the next location sooner than I did, but not by much. I knew I had done the right thing for me. He did the right thing for him, and that's totally fine.
On other rallies I've had to pause to rest or even sleep. Again, it's because I promised Sally I'd take care of myself and not ride fatigued. I can't put myself into a position where I cause my own downfall due to poor judgment.
There are enough risks just swinging a leg over a bike. The usual ones are car drivers who don't see you, deer running in front of you, and something slippery on the road (ice, oil, gravel.) For those you use your standard risk mitigation: wearing safety gear at all times, not riding too fast for conditions, being aware and anticipating the other drivers. Those are the normal risks that are always in my mind, but I don't worry too much about them. It's the special rally risks that are on the table right now.
Last night at dinner, it was Claire who sealed the deal. I was talking about how my rally priorities would be 1. Get home safely. 2. Finish the rally. 3. Place well in the rally. Claire said, "No, Daddy. It should be 1. Get home safely. 2. HAVE FUN. 3. Finish the rally. 4. Place well." My seven year old daughter is a very smart girl. I feel really good about sending in my rally fee now.
The rally is ON!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
I'm in!!
It has begun. Yesterday afternoon I got the email from Lisa Landry that started with the words, “Congratulations! Your application was drawn for entry in the 2009 Iron Butt Rally.” I was at work, on the phone at the time, absentmindedly checking my email for the umpty-umpth time. I couldn’t say anything out loud at the time, but I did a silent “woo hoo!” and raised my arms in triumph. A tingly feeling of warmth and well-being swept through my body. The days and weeks of anticipation were over, and I had gotten my wish. I could breathe, and I could smile.
I submitted my application in late January. The drawing was on or about April 1 and the notifications were promised to go out no later than April 15th. Well, for two weeks I’ve been manically checking my email, and reading the tea leaves with George Zelenz. George has been my IBR guru since I helped him on the 07 Spank. He was very interested in whether or not I got in. It's nice to have made a friend in George. My work on the Spank was not rooted in any ulterior motives, it just naturally evolved out of some conversations we had regarding GPS tech stuff. We worked well together. Then I met L3 and "Chopped Liver" Hobart at the mountain-top bonus, and ended up finishing 2nd in the rally. I don't know if any of that had an impact, but at some point the right people decided I was IBR material. Yay me! Now all that was required was some luck on drawing day...Why?
Now comes the hard part: soul searching. Is this the right thing to do? Should I leave my wife and daughter alone for two weeks while I risk my life and limb on a wild goose chase? Is this a wise use of the thousands of dollars this is going to cost? How dangerous is this, really? The answer to all these is rooted in the answer to the really big question: What does the Iron Butt Rally mean to me? Why am I doing it, and what do I get out of it? I have until May 15th to pay my deposit. After that there’s no going back. These were the topics of bedtime discussion at the 518 residence last night.
What is the Iron Butt Rally? To me, it’s the Super Bowl and the Olympics of my sport. Only the best riders get in, and the best of the best make it to the winner’s circle. Making it to the starting line of the IBR is itself an affirmation of my standing and abilities in the community. (Either that or plain luck, don't kid yourself, Jer.) Just finishing, even in last place, is an accomplishment that very few have ever made. Right now there are 364 people who have ever finished the IBR, compared with 2436 people who have climbed
Why endurance rallying? Most other sports don't have life-threatening risks. As Sally said last night, why not take up marathon running? This one is harder to answer. I call endurance rallying the greatest game on Earth. I certainly have experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows during rallies. Obviously I love riding my bike on the open road. I love seeing beautiful scenery, enjoying the varied terrain, discovering different places and the people in them. When I’m on the bike I feel like I’m blessed by God to live in our world. It’s like being fully alive. The world is a gift given to me to enjoy.
But I can do all those things on a normal schedule, without the deprivations of “rally time.” The rally part appeals to me because of the challenge. The rallymaster does his best to create a puzzle with an answer that’s unknown until it’s over. When choosing targets, you need to ask yourself: is this bonus worth the effort required to get it? Can I make this in combination with all the other chosen targets? I need to think faster and better than the other riders to solve the puzzle better than anyone else. Then you need to execute the plan, which is easier said than done. Small mistakes add up, and big mistakes hurt like hell when you realize you’ve made them. When I excel in a rally I have affirmed my skills, and honed them for the future. When I do poorly I am challenged to examine what went wrong and learn from it, while keeping a positive attitude. The 07 Spank was particularly gratifying, because it was a mental challenge that I solved well, and it included some kick-ass riding. (Ken Meese knows what I mean.)
Rally bonus locations are beautiful, offbeat, difficult, funny, thought-provoking. I can’t tell you how many places I never would have visited had it not been on a rally. Jump into a lake, touch the
I must mention that LD people are top notch folks. The leaders in our sport, the rallymasters and rally winners, are invariably ultra-smart, and full of integrity and giving. Underneath the tough veneer they coach the new folks. Everybody knows that any type of cheating is unthinkable. People will stop and render assistance when needed, even when it threatens their own rally, because it’s the right thing to do. Above all, we have the bond of having gone into combat together, and emerged to lie about it over beers later.
The bottom line is, I am called to rallying. It touches me in a way few other things do. At my core I am a husband, a father, a Christian, and a long distance rider. This calling overrides any risk factor. I do my best to mitigate the risks. My bike is set up for maximum lighting, traction, and braking. I practice my skills on mountain roads and track days. Whenever I start to do something chancy, I think about my girls back home. Priority One is always to make it home to them, and I won’t take any bad bets that would jeopardize that. I have been doing this long enough to read my own fatigue levels, and to know when it’s time to stop and rest. Yes, there is random risk that is out of my control. For those situations I pray that the Lord will protect me and my family. He has answered those prayers in the past, and he has given me this opportunity to ride in the IBR. I’m going to use it as righteously as I can.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
