The '15 IBR was so different for me than the '13. In '13 I was a miserable rider just trying to endure to get enough points for a 3 Digit IBA #.
Applying for the '15 was difficult. I had doubts right up until the actual start when I pulled out of the parking lot. In '13 I had very few issues
with equipment, and relatively few rider errors. I placed 20th (Gold), but did not enjoy myself. My goals were different for the '15. I have this "Goal"
to do 10 10/10ths on my '05 FJR.
On the way out to Albuquerque, NM I stopped at a friends in Monroe, LA. I was having a good time and actually considered skipping the rally.
I dreaded the event. Sometime in the night on a Texas highway, I began to notice a shaking of Aux. light beams. I have experienced this far too
many times not to know that I had broken a subframe flange which held on the mirrors and the aux. lights. I pulled into the New Mexico welcome
center and confirmed my initial thoughts. HRZ went to work on my issues and lined up a welder in Albuquerque. The bike was welded and reassembled
with relative ease. It was then taken to HRZ's home where AJ basically changed my rear tire while I watched (I was tired) AJ ordered pizza and opened
his house up to Da Juice and I. Back on track thanks to AJ.
The poster encouraged me once back at the motel. National parks? This seemed too good to be true. When the format was announced, a grin came
across my face. What a beautiful concept and format for a rally. Rally packs were issued and up to the room I went with full confidence of finishers status.
I fired up the laptop and within a minute I watched it die. I had just put a brand new battery in it less than one week prior. Turns out the battery was not the issue.
The laptop is still in route, so I still am unsure of the problem. (Adapter or Charging port… maybe) Any how, I looked up Lisa and let her know that I was Dropping
out. She gave me great encouragement to find a solution and press on. There seemed no solution until Jgreen texted me that he had a spare laptop. WOW !!!
Bailed out again!
The 1st leg was just pure fun, the sights, smells and riding was unimaginable. I kind of under estimated my riding on the first leg and routed too small.
I lost 3 bonus' due to darkness, but picked up 3 to extra time. I screwed myself again with following GPS over common sense. I think it was a Nebraska (?)
bonus that put me down the worst road I have ever ridden. (That includes the Haul) 20 some miles of gravel/deep sand at a hopeless 20 mph pace. Tom
Austin had to have been shaking his head at the ***** (Me). Two IBRs and Two bad road choices… LOL. Anyway… a wiser rider would not have continued-
I did. Once I arrived at the Bonus location, I found paved roads were available. The delay cost me Rocky Mountain NP.
I also lost my rear brakes for the
rest of the rally.
Leg 2 started off really well. I had already determined at the start of the rally to do the SE on the 2nd leg. I hit states (TX, OK, AR) on a rapid ride east. Hit a heavy
night rain and staged in western LA for a sunrise assault of the bonus rich state. Great 2nd day! Did my rest bonus east of Birmingham. I woke up ready to go,
but my brand new 590 garmin did not. I lost its use for the whole last day. I tried a restart, but found the battery to be wired (Unlike the 550s that I was familiar with)
I fumbled my way back to the CP2 location. I lost 3 states and at least 5 parks with slow manual location entry and searching for bonus locations. 11 miles from CP2
I tried a hard start (10 seconds of pushing the "On" button) - It worked! Too late to save my 2nd leg, but in time for a fresh start on Leg 3.
Leg 3 had me back tracking to the Carolinas. Right off the start I had to wait on a back road for a large manhunt for a missing child. When I reached Fort Sumter,
Little did I know I would meet my demise. I could not get the photo needed (I got it but was not satisfied) A couple approached me and I broke into a conversation.
Somewhere in the shuffle I departed in a hurry WITHOUT my rally book. A 4 plus hour ride to a Tenn. bonus (Racing the sunset) found me on time for a photo…
but what of?
Here was park number 50 and I had NO rally book! I rode back to South Carolina to begin a dark and lonely search for the missing rally book… nothing found.
I begun to use the on-line rally book. It took forever… I dumped the high point east coast and opted for a day long twisty roads ride through Tenn. I was in need of enjoyment
and not urban frustration. As the 2nd day was coming to a close, it dawned on me that I still needed 4 states. I skipped my last Tenn. bonus and hit Kentucky & Indiana before
darkness. I pulled off the side of the road into an abandon gas station and planned out my final 2 days. My quest for points was done- finishers status and a 10/10ths became
my priorities. I was behind a 10/10ths pace by about 400 miles. So I would stage in Springfield for an Illinois bonus then hit bonus #25 in my home state of Iowa, finish it
off with a Minn. bonus for security and head west during the night.
I punched in Springfield into the GPS in the darkness and hit "Go". It routed me south to I-64… hmmm? a little south from what I expected, but an interstate at night
sounded good. When I went across the river into St. Louis I began to wonder about the routing. When it put me on I-44 to Tulsa, I pulled over to discover a rather funny
occurrence. The GPS was taking me to Springfield, MO… a slight misunderstanding of my intentions.
I turned around and rode to Springfield, IL. Rest bonus completed, I now needed 2400 miles the last 2 days. I nabbed IL, IA and MN (Going through my home town)
I begun my ride west through N. Dakota. In the morning I hit the 2 high point bonus' for good measure (And good riding) Little Big Horn and Devil's tower. Now it was
back to Albuquerque for a finish. Denver to the barn had nasty weather, but I had a ton of time on my hands. I rode past all bonus' and settled for a uneventful finish.
Most co-workers comment how I must be disappointed with my 34th place Bronze finish. A let down? NO way!!
10/10ths #9 completed- Finisher status… I am OK with that.
Heck, I am considering applying for '17.
Applying for the '15 was difficult. I had doubts right up until the actual start when I pulled out of the parking lot. In '13 I had very few issues
with equipment, and relatively few rider errors. I placed 20th (Gold), but did not enjoy myself. My goals were different for the '15. I have this "Goal"
to do 10 10/10ths on my '05 FJR.
On the way out to Albuquerque, NM I stopped at a friends in Monroe, LA. I was having a good time and actually considered skipping the rally.
I dreaded the event. Sometime in the night on a Texas highway, I began to notice a shaking of Aux. light beams. I have experienced this far too
many times not to know that I had broken a subframe flange which held on the mirrors and the aux. lights. I pulled into the New Mexico welcome
center and confirmed my initial thoughts. HRZ went to work on my issues and lined up a welder in Albuquerque. The bike was welded and reassembled
with relative ease. It was then taken to HRZ's home where AJ basically changed my rear tire while I watched (I was tired) AJ ordered pizza and opened
his house up to Da Juice and I. Back on track thanks to AJ.
The poster encouraged me once back at the motel. National parks? This seemed too good to be true. When the format was announced, a grin came
across my face. What a beautiful concept and format for a rally. Rally packs were issued and up to the room I went with full confidence of finishers status.
I fired up the laptop and within a minute I watched it die. I had just put a brand new battery in it less than one week prior. Turns out the battery was not the issue.
The laptop is still in route, so I still am unsure of the problem. (Adapter or Charging port… maybe) Any how, I looked up Lisa and let her know that I was Dropping
out. She gave me great encouragement to find a solution and press on. There seemed no solution until Jgreen texted me that he had a spare laptop. WOW !!!
Bailed out again!
The 1st leg was just pure fun, the sights, smells and riding was unimaginable. I kind of under estimated my riding on the first leg and routed too small.
I lost 3 bonus' due to darkness, but picked up 3 to extra time. I screwed myself again with following GPS over common sense. I think it was a Nebraska (?)
bonus that put me down the worst road I have ever ridden. (That includes the Haul) 20 some miles of gravel/deep sand at a hopeless 20 mph pace. Tom
Austin had to have been shaking his head at the ***** (Me). Two IBRs and Two bad road choices… LOL. Anyway… a wiser rider would not have continued-
I did. Once I arrived at the Bonus location, I found paved roads were available. The delay cost me Rocky Mountain NP.
rest of the rally.
Leg 2 started off really well. I had already determined at the start of the rally to do the SE on the 2nd leg. I hit states (TX, OK, AR) on a rapid ride east. Hit a heavy
night rain and staged in western LA for a sunrise assault of the bonus rich state. Great 2nd day! Did my rest bonus east of Birmingham. I woke up ready to go,
but my brand new 590 garmin did not. I lost its use for the whole last day. I tried a restart, but found the battery to be wired (Unlike the 550s that I was familiar with)
I fumbled my way back to the CP2 location. I lost 3 states and at least 5 parks with slow manual location entry and searching for bonus locations. 11 miles from CP2
I tried a hard start (10 seconds of pushing the "On" button) - It worked! Too late to save my 2nd leg, but in time for a fresh start on Leg 3.
Leg 3 had me back tracking to the Carolinas. Right off the start I had to wait on a back road for a large manhunt for a missing child. When I reached Fort Sumter,
Little did I know I would meet my demise. I could not get the photo needed (I got it but was not satisfied) A couple approached me and I broke into a conversation.
Somewhere in the shuffle I departed in a hurry WITHOUT my rally book. A 4 plus hour ride to a Tenn. bonus (Racing the sunset) found me on time for a photo…
but what of?
I begun to use the on-line rally book. It took forever… I dumped the high point east coast and opted for a day long twisty roads ride through Tenn. I was in need of enjoyment
and not urban frustration. As the 2nd day was coming to a close, it dawned on me that I still needed 4 states. I skipped my last Tenn. bonus and hit Kentucky & Indiana before
darkness. I pulled off the side of the road into an abandon gas station and planned out my final 2 days. My quest for points was done- finishers status and a 10/10ths became
my priorities. I was behind a 10/10ths pace by about 400 miles. So I would stage in Springfield for an Illinois bonus then hit bonus #25 in my home state of Iowa, finish it
off with a Minn. bonus for security and head west during the night.
I punched in Springfield into the GPS in the darkness and hit "Go". It routed me south to I-64… hmmm? a little south from what I expected, but an interstate at night
sounded good. When I went across the river into St. Louis I began to wonder about the routing. When it put me on I-44 to Tulsa, I pulled over to discover a rather funny
occurrence. The GPS was taking me to Springfield, MO… a slight misunderstanding of my intentions.
I turned around and rode to Springfield, IL. Rest bonus completed, I now needed 2400 miles the last 2 days. I nabbed IL, IA and MN (Going through my home town)
I begun my ride west through N. Dakota. In the morning I hit the 2 high point bonus' for good measure (And good riding) Little Big Horn and Devil's tower. Now it was
back to Albuquerque for a finish. Denver to the barn had nasty weather, but I had a ton of time on my hands. I rode past all bonus' and settled for a uneventful finish.
Most co-workers comment how I must be disappointed with my 34th place Bronze finish. A let down? NO way!!
10/10ths #9 completed- Finisher status… I am OK with that.
Heck, I am considering applying for '17.
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