Its been awhile

Yes...I have been riding. Long distance? Not really! But that is about to change again.

Final plans are in the works before heading to Stecoah, NC and a weekend of Flower Sniffin' rides through the mountains of Tennesee and North Carolina. The Cherohala Skyway is a very scenic ride. One can't visit the area without the required trip to the "Tail of the Dragon", the road with 318 curves in 11 miles! Fontana Dam, made famous in the movie "The Fugitive" will be a stop during the visit.

A month later, it's off to Motorcycle Tourers Forum Founder's Feast. This annual event moves throughout the country and 2010 finds the festivities in Paris, TX. I can't pass up the chance to do another SS1000 on the way!

Following the "feast" I'll be heading for San Diego, CA for a brief stop...very brief. The next day, I'll begin the IBA 50CC ride from San Diego to Jacksonville, FL. This is a timed ride and 50 hours is the limit.

After a day at home, it's off to the Florida Coast2Coast ride!

Now that's how to get back into the swing of things. More to come.....

Cape Fear Rally - Ride report

The ride is over and I am a finisher! That sounds much easier than the ride so....

how did I get to that finish? With some good planning and some not so good execution! Add some luck and a dose of stupidity and you have the basis for the story to be told. My start was in Lake Placid, FL. Most of the riders stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and the ads must tell the truth. Many of those that stayed there did VERY well! Maybe I should stay there more often. Screw Hilton! I had dinner with some riders and after we debated our routes... changed it again, and again. Not until I left the hotel room was I sure of the route I was going to ride!

Friday morning found riders with a great deal of nervous energy...it is time go get going. Tick...tick...tick... the minutes went by VERY slowly. But soon it was closing in on 11:00am. I went to the bank and got a starting receipt, called in as rider 241 (more on that later) with a departure of 10:51am, and was off to my first destination...Gainesville, FL. A small bonus but I need gas and I might as well get point for fueling!

The ride was up route 27.... the first small dose of stupidity. Traffic was heavy at times and this was not in the plan. I was supposed to gain some time by riding hard while I was fresh. I spent more time sitting in traffic than I did riding for the first 30 minutes. Now...where was I?

The nice thing about this first stop is that I know it very well. I pulled off of I-75, into the Mobil station, and was back on I-75 in less than 5 minutes! Quick and easy...fuel and points!

The next scheduled stop was Valdosta, GA. The Void Rally was cancelled and this would have been one of the starting places. We had to spend 30 minutes at this mandatory stop. These 30 minutes went by very fast and soon I was heading for Macon, GA. The construction Gods were playing with any of us who chose to head north on I-75. A wee 1/2 mile back up equaled another lost 10 minutes.

Macon was another "receipt" stop and at more than 1300 points, it was very appealing. I expected another quick turnaround however the pump decided not to spit out a receipt. Prior to this stop, I was 45 minutes behind schedule, most of the loss coming as I rode up route 27 in Florida. After getting the receipt, I was a negative 55 minutes. Well, so what! It was early in the rally and just past 6:00pm. It wasn't all that bad and I had many hours in front of me.

Now I was off to Alabama and the Horseshoe Bend National Military Park. Obviously, the picture is from the website. It was not cold enough for snow....yet! About 12 miles from my destination, I decided to fuel up and be able to make it to Atlanta without additional fuel. The bank decided that my time was too good...."Call Bank". Seems that they didn't like my repetitive transactions every 2-3 hours in four different states. It took 40 minutes to get that cleared up. I had arrived at twilight. Now it was dark. And I was almost 1.5 hours behind.

I parked the bike in front of the sign, took the rally flag and placed it on the sign...click!.. One down. Off to the next bonus location... after a short jaunt on Alabama 49. As many know, my night vision is fair at best. Back roads don't help. And low and behold, a little deer darted across the road a 100 feet in front of me. Great. Forrest Rats. OK...where are the parents? I was suddenly looking at the bushes more than the road! Lets just say I was NOT going to be making up time. I was quite happy to finally arrive at I-85 and head back to Georgia!

The next bonus was the Susan Hayward burial site. I had looked up the location on Google the previous evening and knew exactly what to look for (other than the obvious cemetery). I made good time and was close to the revised arrival time.

Other than darkness, it is exactly as it appears above. While I and another rider were there, the pastor of the church on the cemetery grounds came to inquire about the number of motorcycles suddenly appearing on the grounds. A quick explanation and all was good.

Now off to the Varsity, a drive in restaurant in downtown Atlanta on the campus of Georgia Tech. Estimated time of arrival...12:20am. Closing time....12:30am. Oops. This was going to be close. The GPS took me to an access road that was closed for construction. GREAT! I knew how to get back onto I-75, made a quick U-turn and arrived. I got my receipt and hat and the time...12:24am. Add the hat to the list of things to discuss further!

Soon I was off to Babyland.., the home of the Cabbage Patch kids in Cleveland, GA. Another mountain road in the dark. What fun. And the comment about snow was applicable here. It was COLD. Regardless. it was the largest bonus point location in the rally book. It had to be taken. I had picked up some time and was only an hour behind so I made the decision that the mandatory 3 hour rest stop might as well come before the visit. There was a Day's Inn in Cleveland, GA, a mere 2 miles from Babyland. So it would be. After waking up the night desk clerk and repeatedly explaining that I needed some type of receipt with a date and time stamp on it, I had one in hand along with a room key. It shouldn't take 20 minutes to check in at 2:00am...uggh. Did I say I HAD picked up some of the deficit? I went to the room and after 30 minutes of catching up on paperwork, it was off to sleep for 90 minutes. I remained fully clothed with the exception of taking off the jacket. In case you ever visit the area and want to find a hotel....if you stay at the Day's Inn...you will want to remain fully clothed. Lets just say it wasn't clean.

The alarm rang way too soon and I proceeded to get gas (showing that the elapsed time from check-in to departure was indeed over 3 hours) and then to Babyland. I had dawned the heated gear and was very happy that I did. It took only 15 minutes to complete the stop and be back on the road. Current time...5:15am.

The Nancy Hart Memorial in Hartwell, GA was next on the list. It was about 70 minutes away and it was a nice, but cold ride. The coordinates were slightly off but the delay was minimal. I arrived at 6:30am. For the first time since the cemetery, I met up with another rider. We said a quick hello, both took our pictures, and we were off. Before continuing....

While this was my first true rally, I had participated in the MTF mini rally at the Founder's Feast in 2008. I had collected a large number of points, in fact, enough to win. However the clock beat me and I was a DNF. I was not going to fall into this trap again so I skipped the next bonus, which was worth 1700 points and headed for Forty Acre Rock in South Carolina. This was another 4000 plus point location. In other words, a must have.

It was a little over three hours away and I should arrive at 10:15am. Plenty of time to capture the bonus and be in Wilmington at my planned arrival time. Little did I know....

I arrived at the "bonus location"... the GPS wanted me to ride through a field. Huh? It was off before. The ACTUAL location must be just up the road. Nope. I looked for 30 minutes. The GPS, based on my direction of arrival brought me to the back side and there is no entry. I had no idea on where to find the actual parking area (even though it was a 10 minute ride had I had a CLUE as to where I was), so I made the tough decision to not stay and try to find it. I would risk a DNF. More on this one too.

Slightly aggravated, I made headway to the Water Tower location in the same town. Easy to find, I took the picture and headed out again.

Time was getting short but I was still OK. I knew it would be close as I had to stop and get the 1000 point "beverage" bonus. I chose to ride right past the Dizzy Gillespie statue. I should have stopped and taken the picture. I could have draped the rally flag on the handlebars and taken the shot without even getting off the bike. 20-20 hindsight!

I headed for Wilmington, picked up the liquid refreshment, and made the final push to the Greentree Inn. I pulled into the parking lot, circled the building, found the check-in and stopped. Final time....1:50pm. I kept insisting that I was rider 241. Hmmm... flag says 421; sticker says 421. But I was insisting 241. I had even set up my tracker in Spotwalla with 241! Dyslexia at its finest. Now I was still yet to realize that I was EARLY. I had finished with 1 minute to spare before I was in the penalty phase!!! Or did I? Nope. I had another hour to go.

Can you say oops.... I had enough time to get the Rock and a couple more. Simple math gone astray. I was on a 27 hour clock while the rest of the world was on 28. Oh well.

I went in and collected all the documents, finalized my paperwork and headed for the scorers table. It was there that I found out that the "hat" from the Varsity was the paper hat and it was free. I spent $20 on the nice baseball type. Fortunately, the rally book said "hat" and I had one! And the very nice RB let me keep it in spite of the rules. The rest of the scoring went well and I had zero penalties. I would be a finisher!!!

I never thought I'd get a podium finish so that was not my intent. I did not want a DNF and I avoided that. I wanted to maximize my points and minimize errors. No lost points but errors... oh yeah.

So what would I do differently in order to finish higher?

First, make sure that my time coincides with the official rally time. I lost 7,000 points to the lost hour, maybe more. Those points would have changed the scoring quite a bit.

Second, check every location with Google if you can. I would have found Forty Acre Rock had I done so. I looked at every other bonus that I had selected and this was the only one I did not verify with Google. Don't ask because any reason that I would give would be first class Bullsh*t. I just forgot! This was a large dose of stupidity.

Third, I should have continued to the Hart Memorial and maybe to Ninety Six Park (a location that I skipped) and then taken the 3 hour break I would have had much more time to spare had I done so by being only an hour from the big bonus location. I wasn't tired while at Babyland and the rest stop was not as beneficial. Not really an error; more so a change that I would consider if faced with a similar situation.

Fourth, use notepads to record the necessary information. Completing the log at each stop added 1 minute each. I could have saved 15 minutes or more.

Fifth, call the credit card bank before departure. I had read about others having these problems but I had never personally experienced it before. I have now. In ordinary circumstances, it is a inconvenience. While on the clock in a rally, it is a disaster in the making.

Out of the Lake Placid starting group, I finished 15th. While the rally does not rank riders by overall score (except from starting point), my 34, 141 points placed me 24th out of 77 in points earned.

The points were not equal nor were the route selections so it is not a true measure. In any case, I did better than expected and was able to outpoint some more experienced riders. Not too bad for my first true rally experience.

These are all lessons learned but I must say, that I am still quite happy with the results. . I finished the ride safely. I enjoyed the challenge. I arrived home the following evening. And I get to do it again.

Is it 2011 yet?

One Week Away

The Cape Fear 1000 Rally is only a week away, April 16th, 2010!!!
The first rally package came in the mail including the log sheet, a nice sticker for the bike, and the necessary rally flag. Rider 421. It that a rider number or the odds of me finishing (or not finishing).

The journey will begin in Lake Placid, Florida and finish 28 hours later in Wilmington, NC. I expect to cover a bit over 1000 miles as I collect bonus points all throughout the Southeastern U.S.

The preparation is well under way. I have new riding gear including the florescent yellow jacket which hopefully will keep me visible to the car drivers who seem to pay more attention to their cell phone than the road. I'll be carrying the heated gear and hoping that I will not have to use it!

The bike is in good shape and a complete wash job should be all that is needed. All of the lights are in working order and the tires are good for another 3000-4000 miles.

The next piece of the puzzle to address will be the route planning. Can't even begin that until the bonus locations are emailed on Wednesday evening. I will have some of the evening and part of Thursday to enter and review the points, distances, and time requirements in order to come up with a route than maximizes points.

The camera and GPS are both ready for their part in this exercise. I do need to get another SD card and fresh batteries. I'll also replace the Spot batteries so that those who wish can follow this little adventure.

This will be my second rally and the first of 24 hours or longer. My first experience illustrated just how easy it is to screw up! I had accumulated enough points to win the rally however a small but critical mistake on route timing made it all moot. Arrival at the finish 18 minutes late resulted in a Did Not Finish (DNF). A rookie mistake.

My goals are to finish safely. In fact, a safe ride takes precedence over finishing. There will be more rallies to participate in as long as I follow the safety first principle. The other goal is to minimize error. I'm quite sure that I will not eliminate them but keeping major mistakes out of the process will be an asset if I intent to finish!

More later.....

The IBA Winter Party....Friday/Saturday

Would you believe that 4 hours after I got to the hotel, I was up and at the email? Duty called and I took care of business before heading over to the Ramada. I was going to spend the night there so I packed up everything and loaded up the bike for the short 5 mile ride.

I made the decision to not attend the lunch at Cactus Jack's in Daytona. I had work to do and I wanted to have a semi-pleasant afternoon. So afer work was done, I managed to spend time in the lobby socializing with my fellow crazies! Only those who do IBA rides get the why! I had Tom Austin check out the aux fuel tank. I need to secure it better to reduce the movement and also run a line from the puke can to the end of the rear fender so that the fuel will vent behind the rear tire.

Dinner was fun and I saw lots of friends. I received my Legends SS1000 certificate, posed for the group picture, and hung out for a couple of hours. Then off to bed...fully clothed. Tired? Sure was.

Greg Rice had asked if I was eating breakfast, and if so...7:00am in the restaurant for a MTF get together. A few appeared, some were still sleeping, and some had departed already. Breakfast done, I loaded up and took off for home.

12:00 noon arrival in the garage. The 2010 IBA Party is history. Can't wait for next year!

IBA Winter Party.. The Legends SS1000

The annual event is now in the books and the only remaining duty is the three hour ride home. It began Wednesday afternoon with a departure from Miami. The sky was clear and quite blue. It was very windy as a cold front was approaching...more on that later.

After checking in to the Day's Inn, I made the five minute ride to the Ramada Inn to meet and greet and attend the mandatory rider's meeting for the Legends ride the next day. Over 90 riders had signed up for the event. The IBA made this SS1000 easy for the new riders. Witnesses at each of seven checkpoints would eliminate the need for gas receipts. Ride, get signed off, and ride to the next stop.

I was assigned the 7:00am departure grouping. Cool. I get to sleep an extra hour! After a brief sign in, I was ready for departure. Based on previous rides, I expected to maintain the BBG time frame which would return me to Jacksonville by 11:30pm. Let's go!

Getting back to the cold front... it was here and the temps at departure were a brisk 42 degrees. If I was able to stay on my timetable, I would miss the coldest of forecast weather that was to occur after midnight. Mid 20's were forecast for after midnight.

The first stop was Daytona Beach, a short 80 mile leg. Arrival was at 8:05am and the witness/legend was Bob Higdon. A quick signature and off I go. No, wait. I have to make a call or two. Today is a work day after all. The two calls turn into an hour and I leave Daytona at 9:00am.

The next stop was Tampa. Many had discussed how to get through Orlando and all the rush hour traffic. I had made the decision to avoid downtown Orlando and while 417 adds 18 miles to the leg and makes one pay, i.e. toll road, it is generally worth the extra mileage. Today was no different. Putting the Sunpass to work, I rode the circle and pulled into the Tampa checkpoint at 11:00am. Dave McQueeney was there to sign the witness form. Of course, another couple of calls before I departed. This is getting annoying!

I left at 11:30 for Ocala, the next checkpoint. I made good time and arrivede less than 90 minutes after leaving Tampa. Ardys Kellerman was waiting to sign my form. One quick phone call and I'd be on my way. That was the plan byt Ardys was ready to chat and I had 24 hours to complete the ride. No worries. The next checkpoint is 46 miles away!

Chiefland, Florida was next and I arrived at 2:45pm. Jim Owen, winner of the 2009 Iron Butt Rally was the witness. We chatted for a bit. My phone rang (what else is new). I cleared up a couple of issues and.... what do you mean, a conference call? Are you kidding? Well, if I have to wait, I might as well eat. McDonald's was not the lunch of choice but under the circumstances... eat and listen to the call. Seemed the call was going to be brief and I was out of Chiefland at 3:30pm and on my way to Tallahassee.

The Waffle House at exit 209 on I-10 was the destination and Shane Smith, another IBR winner was waiting. Seems I was the last to show up. 480 miles and 11 hours... trust me, I was not happy. Shane was a great witness and he also was a giver of gifts. Everyone at his stop received a bandana in memory of Frane Crane. A nice touch! I sat for a few minutes and headed out to the bike. RING...RING. What else but the phone. Another 35 minutes passed before I was able to depart.

I had made the decision to make up some time. As long as the phone was not interrupting me, I'd be able to eat away at the time deficit (mine and not the SS1000 limites). Of course, not getting a call was not to be. Fortunately, it was a 10 minute call and I immediately got back on the road, arriving in Pensacola at 8:00pm CST. Marty Lier, the third IBR winner in a row signed me off while laughing at my demise (the BlackBerry). I had to get back to Tallahassee so the visit was brief. Fuel up and head out.

Another 2.5 hours later and I was back at the Waffle House to be signed off by Ross (IBR winner - 1986) and Jean Copas. Upon arrival, I found a fellow rider! He was warming up as the temps were now close to 35 degrees. Such lovely Florida weather. I had the witness form completed and made the decision to get something to eat. I had 7 hours left and 185 miles to go. At the same time, I couldn't get the fact out of my mind that I should have been in Jacksonville already. Oh well.

A quick feed for both myself and the scoot and back at it. It was an ugly type of cold and even the heated gear was struggling. I was warm but surely not close to being hot. Based on previous experience, I knew that staying out and playing in 30 degree temps is not much fun. So I made a slighgt adjustment to the right wrist and moved on down the road.

I pulled of the exit and headed to the Ramada Inn where I had left a mere 19 and a half hours ago. John Ryan was there to check me in, record my mileage, review the witness form and tell me to go to bed! Very sound advice and I eagerly took it!

It was a fun ride in spite of the phone calls.

Bike Week Prep - Time for a real ride!!

Seems the riding continues to increase as I travel for work. Time spent enjoying the sights and sounds of other than the slab.... non existent.
Averaging 3000 per month with the majority of those miles being between Tampa and Miami, I-75 is becoming quite boring! It's time to go for a ride instead of the routine point A to point B that seems to be the norm.

The Iron Butt Association, in conjunction with the annual Winter Party, is hosting a SS1000 as part of the festivities. The preplanned route is an all-Florida ride with the start/finish at the host hotel in Jacksonville. Required stops are in Daytona Beach, Tampa, Ocala, Chiefland, Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Tallahassee (again). The route covers 1043 miles with about 20% being on SR19, a four lane non slab route through a few of the small towns and cities of western Florida.

To make this ride unique, the IBA has selected a few "legends" of the IBA and long distance endurance riding. The log sheet will have bio's of the riders. Upon reaching the checkpoints, the log will be signed by the IBA legend next to their bio. Hmmm..more like an autograph, don't you think?

This ride has so many registrants that the IBA staff will stagger the start and release 20 riders at a time. There are time windows at each checkpoint which gives this ride the look and feel of a rally.

Today was day one of bike prep. Oil and filter change; spark plug change; air filter cleaned; overall inspection too. So far so good. Heated gear is working just fine and it looks like it will be needed.

Tonight, I'll load the route into the GPS and then it's just a countdown until the start. I'll get a little warm up as I need to travel to Miami for work on Monday and will depart for Jacksonville late Wednesday. That will put 750 miles on the bike before I even arrive for the Legends ride.

My goal this time is to take a few pictures and enjoy the SS1000 and not just eat up the miles in record time. Of course, I say that every time. Maybe this one will be different!!

More to come....