2011 IBR - The Inside View

[BwanaDik]

Jim is just passing through Port St. Lucie. He has about 220 miles to the checkpoint. Which would put him in there at approximately 5:30 pm. Bob St. G

To add to the drama, there are a lot of thunderstorms boiling up right now on the I-95 corridor south of JAX.

Yep. Here's a good link to keep track of the overall rain situation

Weather Radar

 

[heynowref]

those folks in SC are still a ways away as well

 

[Warchild]

Early arrivals:

Cletha is among this group!

 

[SkooterG]

Forgive me, I am about to enjoy some whine with my cheese.......

This is an intersting rally format this year - my hat is off to the IBR staff for their creativity. I will be disappointed if the Leg 1 Hyder bonus was a huge factor, but I am expecting Leg 3 to somewhat nullify that.

Going back to their 'roots' and riding big miles and hitting all 4 corners of the country is very cool. I really wish I would have rode in this rally with this format. It's tough being on the sidelines.

Except.......

After speaking with one of the riders last night and asking him how he was enjoying his IBR experience, he said some things that I hadn't yet considered. He told me that while he was glad he was doing it, so far it was a fairly boring rally. At first I was like, huh?

This first time IBR rider, while not a slouch, is not trying to 'win' the IBR (as most riders are not) but is definitely in it for the experience. He told me that so far all he has really seen are interstates, gas stations, and a few capitals. He was lamenting that he was riding in a lot of places he had never been before but not seeing much of anything. In other words, his 'IBR experience' was not what he had hoped in terms of the adventure of going to new places. That really made me think.

It made me realize how lucky I am having ridden in '07 and '09. I saw some really cool things and rode some really cool (non-interstate) roads. Granted, I was not able to dally and spend any significant time at these places, but these were places that I either didn't know about or never would have gone to on my own. I am very thankful for the IBR having taken me to these interesting locations. Off the top of my head: Perce Rock, Mono Hot Springs, Marth's Vineyard, downtown Manhattan during evening rush hour, the Lick Observatory, the General Sherman tree, riding awesome roads in Colorado like Independece Pass, Devil's Tower, Deadwood, SD, and a whole lot more if I really spend some time thinking about it.

Riders in the current IBR aren't really getting that experience and I can understand my friend's disappointment. I feel for him.

That's just one perspective. No doubt he will still treasure the experience when he is through. While the IBR may not be fun while riding in it, it is a great feeling of accomplishment afterwards to have ridden in it.

Feel free to flame.........

 

[RideToEat]

Bagging Key West on leg 2 puts the rider on close to equal footing with the Hyder guys.

I'm betting on that as the winning route (4 corners w/KW on leg 2).

Wouldn't it be fun if there were a sports book that took those sorts of bets?

 

[Twigg]

Forgive me, I am about to enjoy some whine with my cheese.......

This is an intersting rally format this year - my hat is off to the IBR staff for their creativity. I will be disappointed if the Leg 1 Hyder bonus was a huge factor, but I am expecting Leg 3 to somewhat nullify that.

*snip Wine and Chees*

Feel free to flame.........

Those are excellent points and ones well worth being reflected back to the IBA to add to the melting pot of views.

I can well see how the "Scavenger Hunt" aspect, and well chosen locations adds much to the interest, for any rider.

 

[mdisher]

<snip>

This first time IBR rider, while not a slouch, is not trying to 'win' the IBR (as most riders are not) but is definitely in it for the experience. He told me that so far all he has really seen are interstates, gas stations, and a few capitals. He was lamenting that he was riding in a lot of places he had never been before but not seeing much of anything. In other words, his 'IBR experience' was not what he had hoped in terms of the adventure of going to new places. That really made me think.

It made me realize how lucky I am having ridden in '07 and '09. I saw some really cool things and rode some really cool (non-interstate) roads. Granted, I was not able to dally and spend any significant time at these places, but these were places that I either didn't know about or never would have gone to on my own. I am very thankful for the IBR having taken me to these interesting locations. Off the top of my head: Perce Rock, Mono Hot Springs, Marth's Vineyard, downtown Manhattan during evening rush hour, the Lick Observatory, the General Sherman tree, riding awesome roads in Colorado like Independece Pass, Devil's Tower, Deadwood, SD, and a whole lot more if I really spend some time thinking about it.

Riders in the current IBR aren't really getting that experience and I can understand my friend's disappointment. I feel for him.

That's just one perspective. No doubt he will still treasure the experience when he is through. While the IBR may not be fun while riding in it, it is a great feeling of accomplishment afterwards to have ridden in it.

<snip>

I can relate and certainly appreciate that viewpoint. I'd hate to have ridden 12k+ miles around this great country of ours and to have rarely gotten off the interstate.

Edit: In fact, that alone might have driven me to Hyder. To see something different.

 

[DeweyIsgod]

Given Tom's daily report comments, I can't help but think there will be a bonus introduced in the leg 3 pack that will be at least as valuable if not more valuable than Hyder.

I don't think it'll be a capital based bonus, buy by his KW on leg 2 comment. I would think it would advantage riders who were already planning on doing the 4th corner. Any speculation as to where if that turns out to be the case? Could there be a Baja trip? Personally, I'd love a 4 corners of Texas bonus as a way to double up the 4 corners points.

 

[Uncle Lumpy]

Given Tom's daily report comments, I can't help but think there will be a bonus introduced in the leg 3 pack that will be at least as valuable if not more valuable than Hyder.

I don't think it'll be a capital based bonus, buy by his KW on leg 2 comment. I would think it would advantage riders who were already planning on doing the 4th corner. Any speculation as to where if that turns out to be the case? Could there be a Baja trip? Personally, I'd love a 4 corners of Texas bonus as a way to double up the 4 corners points.

Or possibly add in a stop at the other "4 Corners" (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona) timed such that it would be difficult to get Key West on Leg 3 as well?

Just tossing out ideas,

Uncle Lumpy

 

[twistedcricket]

<snip>

This first time IBR rider, while not a slouch, is not trying to 'win' the IBR (as most riders are not) but is definitely in it for the experience. He told me that so far all he has really seen are interstates, gas stations, and a few capitals. He was lamenting that he was riding in a lot of places he had never been before but not seeing much of anything. In other words, his 'IBR experience' was not what he had hoped in terms of the adventure of going to new places. That really made me think.

It made me realize how lucky I am having ridden in '07 and '09. I saw some really cool things and rode some really cool (non-interstate) roads. Granted, I was not able to dally and spend any significant time at these places, but these were places that I either didn't know about or never would have gone to on my own. I am very thankful for the IBR having taken me to these interesting locations. Off the top of my head: Perce Rock, Mono Hot Springs, Marth's Vineyard, downtown Manhattan during evening rush hour, the Lick Observatory, the General Sherman tree, riding awesome roads in Colorado like Independece Pass, Devil's Tower, Deadwood, SD, and a whole lot more if I really spend some time thinking about it.

Riders in the current IBR aren't really getting that experience and I can understand my friend's disappointment. I feel for him.

That's just one perspective. No doubt he will still treasure the experience when he is through. While the IBR may not be fun while riding in it, it is a great feeling of accomplishment afterwards to have ridden in it.

<snip>

I can relate and certainly appreciate that viewpoint. I'd hate to have ridden 12k+ miles around this great country of ours and to have rarely gotten off the interstate.

Edit: In fact, that alone might have driven me to Hyder. To see something different.

I didn't realize the IBR was for sightseers. I thought that's what the various FO events were for...

Had I ridden this year it would have been fun for me. I've never ridden east of Iowa. Sure, I've ridden into Wisconsin, but that barely counts. This would have given me the opportunity to see a LOT of the country I hadn't seen before. If I were trying for the 4-Corners, I could have seen a LOT of the country

 

[Warchild]

Snapshot taken roughly 90 minutes before Penalty points begin.....

 

[BwanaDik]

Photo updates from Jacksonville from my iReporters Sparky and Pebbles. Everybody seems in good spirits, most major maintenance completed and folks off for some well deserved rest until tonight

 

[Paul Allison]

Forgive me, I am about to enjoy some whine with my cheese.......

This is an intersting rally format this year - my hat is off to the IBR staff for their creativity. I will be disappointed if the Leg 1 Hyder bonus was a huge factor, but I am expecting Leg 3 to somewhat nullify that.

Going back to their 'roots' and riding big miles and hitting all 4 corners of the country is very cool. I really wish I would have rode in this rally with this format. It's tough being on the sidelines.

Except.......

After speaking with one of the riders last night and asking him how he was enjoying his IBR experience, he said some things that I hadn't yet considered. He told me that while he was glad he was doing it, so far it was fairly boring rally. At first I was like, huh?

This first time IBR rider, while not a slouch, is not trying to 'win' the IBR (as most riders are not) but is definitely in it for the experience. He told me that so far all he has really seen are interstates, gas stations, and a few capitals. He was lamenting that he was riding in a lot of places he had never been before but not seeing much of anything. In other words, his 'IBR experience' was not what he had hoped in terms of the adventure of going to new places. That really made me think.

It made me realize how lucky I am having ridden in '07 and '09. I saw some really cool things and rode some really cool (non-interstate) roads. Granted, I was not able to dally and spend any significant time at these places, but these were places that I either didn't know about or never would have gone to on my own. I am very thankful for the IBR having taken me to these interesting locations. Off the top of my head: Perce Rock, Mono Hot Springs, Marth's Vineyard, downtown Manhattan during evening rush hour, the Lick Observatory, the General Sherman tree, riding awesome roads in Colorado like Independece Pass, Devil's Tower, Deadwood, SD, and a whole lot more if I really spend some time thinking about it.

Riders in the current IBR aren't really getting that experience and I can understand my friend's disappointment. I feel for him.

That's just one perspective. No doubt he will still treasure the experience when he is through. While the IBR may not be fun while riding in it, it is a great feeling of accomplishment afterwards to have ridden in it.

Feel free to flame.........

'09 turning the leg around hauling ass on beautiful roads heading north through eastern Montana and ACROSS THE BORDER partnered up with a known felon on an FJR held together by duct tape; '07 with Big-Man-Afraid-of-Moose watching an eclipse of the moon whilst trying to keep it on the road through 100 miles of construction on the Cassiar somewhere between Watson Lake and Hyder; '05 first light at a lighthouse in the WA fog seeing Frens and St G. had got there first, but knowing that I had Old Faithful in the bag; or '03 riding on to the Playa at dawn.

SIGH.

 

[puppychow]

I didn't realize the IBR was for sightseers. I thought that's what the various FO events were for...

Had I ridden this year it would have been fun for me. I've never ridden east of Iowa. Sure, I've ridden into Wisconsin, but that barely counts. This would have given me the opportunity to see a LOT of the country I hadn't seen before. If I were trying for the 4-Corners, I could have seen a LOT of the country

Nope, the IBR isn't for the CBA inclined, so it is not to sight-see, but rather to "see" the limits of your endurance.

However, if you wanted to actually "see" a LOT of the country you hadn't seen before, the inter-state system is a very poor way of doing that. I forget who it was that quoted something to the effect of "The interstate is a great way to travel, without actually seeing anything".

Gas stations look pretty much the same everywhere in the country (more or less).

 

[gixxerjasen]

Granted all rider knew the leg 2 & leg 3 capitol values could go up, but if they went up THAT much I'd be a bit annoyed if I'd gone to Hyder. A competitive rider should be able to use some form of logic to plan leg 1. Massive changes to the bonus structure in later legs tilts the scales more towards a gambling exercise than logical exercise. Doesn't seem as elegant to me. I hope no such mega-change comes up.

I would be annoyed if they DIDN'T go up. Traditionally, they always have gone up in an exponential manner. So without some very strong hints prior to the rally, I would expect point values on leg 3 to be significantly higher. And that won't hurt the Hyder Riders. They still a fairly significant points lead, and will have the same opportunity as any other rider on leg 3 to get whatever points are available.

If I am annoyed about anythning, it's that in this rally we have what *may* be a 'knock-out' punch on leg 1 with Hyder. I'm not certain, but fairly confident that that has NEVER occurred before in an IBR. Nor do I like it. Past IBRs have always been about a strong finish when the going really gets tough. Who can excel on days 7-11 when a rider is at their limits? What fun is it to have the final top positions of the rally determined on leg 1?

The IBR is a marathon, not a sprint. A rider should NOT be able to go hard in the beginning and 'cruise' the rest of the rally and be able to do well. IMO, the rally should be run so that it rewards a rider who paces themself and finishes strong. In the past, that has always been the case that I am aware of.

This is an interesting viewpoint. However, I don't really see this as any kind of knockout punch in the first leg. Not being a rally rider, but having done some distance running, I can tell you that it was always easier to push myself at the end of a run/race and kick it into high gear than it ever would have been if I'd tried to get ahead in the beginning. Looking at this rally it seems that this is the way it is going. The Hyder guys worked really hard on the first leg and should be feeling it on the second leg, and then there's the third leg which looks to be big mileage regardless.
Then looking at the distances from the base route I'd bet even without the capitals going up in general, there'll be some big points on this leg as well. To have bagged Hyder, you can't sit back and cruise while other folks gobble up the big points at the end, you'll still have to push through and fight the others to stay on top, especially any 4 corners folks out there.

In the middle of the first leg I was inclined to agree that maybe Hyder and 4 corners was the red herring, however seeing what amazing feats these folks have accomplished I have to agree with the sentiment that big miles equals a win perhaps and only those who risked it and went for those bonuses will be at the top.

 

[mdisher]

I didn't realize the IBR was for sightseers. I thought that's what the various FO events were for...

Had I ridden this year it would have been fun for me. I've never ridden east of Iowa. Sure, I've ridden into Wisconsin, but that barely counts. This would have given me the opportunity to see a LOT of the country I hadn't seen before. If I were trying for the 4-Corners, I could have seen a LOT of the country

Nope, the IBR isn't for the CBA inclined, so it is not to sight-see, but rather to "see" the limits of your endurance.

However, if you wanted to actually "see" a LOT of the country you hadn't seen before, the inter-state system is a very poor way of doing that. I forget who it was that quoted something to the effect of "The interstate is a great way to travel, without actually seeing anything".

Gas stations look pretty much the same everywhere in the country (more or less).

Exactly.

The interstate here, Maine, Michigan, Florida, just aint that different than Nebraska so you aint missing much.

 

[SinNYC]

Forgive me, I am about to enjoy some whine with my cheese.......

This is an intersting rally format this year - my hat is off to the IBR staff for their creativity. I will be disappointed if the Leg 1 Hyder bonus was a huge factor, but I am expecting Leg 3 to somewhat nullify that.

Going back to their 'roots' and riding big miles and hitting all 4 corners of the country is very cool. I really wish I would have rode in this rally with this format. It's tough being on the sidelines.

Except.......

After speaking with one of the riders last night and asking him how he was enjoying his IBR experience, he said some things that I hadn't yet considered. He told me that while he was glad he was doing it, so far it was a fairly boring rally. At first I was like, huh?

This first time IBR rider, while not a slouch, is not trying to 'win' the IBR (as most riders are not) but is definitely in it for the experience. He told me that so far all he has really seen are interstates, gas stations, and a few capitals. He was lamenting that he was riding in a lot of places he had never been before but not seeing much of anything. In other words, his 'IBR experience' was not what he had hoped in terms of the adventure of going to new places. That really made me think.

It made me realize how lucky I am having ridden in '07 and '09. I saw some really cool things and rode some really cool (non-interstate) roads. Granted, I was not able to dally and spend any significant time at these places, but these were places that I either didn't know about or never would have gone to on my own. I am very thankful for the IBR having taken me to these interesting locations. Off the top of my head: Perce Rock, Mono Hot Springs, Marth's Vineyard, downtown Manhattan during evening rush hour, the Lick Observatory, the General Sherman tree, riding awesome roads in Colorado like Independece Pass, Devil's Tower, Deadwood, SD, and a whole lot more if I really spend some time thinking about it.

Riders in the current IBR aren't really getting that experience and I can understand my friend's disappointment. I feel for him.

That's just one perspective. No doubt he will still treasure the experience when he is through. While the IBR may not be fun while riding in it, it is a great feeling of accomplishment afterwards to have ridden in it.

Feel free to flame.........

While I understand your points intellectually, I don't understand them at all on an emotional/competitive level. I don't remember much of any of the places I've been on the IBRs and other rallies I've been in. That's not why I run in these events. My intent has always been to challenge myself as hard as I could to win or at least place well. I can't imagine a more expensive and less pleasant way to sight see around the country than the IBR. Hell, anyone can plan a beautiful ride anytime they want; the IBR happens once every 2 years for about 100 people. Compete now, go sightseeing later.

This isn't meant to be a flame at all - just my own motivation and opinion.

- Tim

 

[Willie]

OK you stategists. I just reviewed the capitals that the top 10 Leg 1 people got. Almost everyone grabbed Cheyene, WY. Would it have made sense to drop into Colorado, get a receipt while they were there, just to give them an option on Leg 3. The only ones that got Helena, MT were the Alaska folks. Some how Meese made it Wyoming thou. Maybe, just maybe, while they were south,knock off UT as well. The Capitals only have a value on a leg, but if I understand it correctly the state can be gotten anytime.

Willie

 

[mdisher]

While I understand your points intellectually, I don't understand them at all on an emotional/competitive level. I don't remember much of any of the places I've been on the IBRs and other rallies I've been in. That's not why I run in these events. My intent has always been to challenge myself as hard as I could to win or at least place well. I can't imagine a more expensive and less pleasant way to sight see around the country than the IBR. Hell, anyone can plan a beautiful ride anytime they want; the IBR happens once every 2 years for about 100 people. Compete now, go sightseeing later.

This isn't meant to be a flame at all - just my own motivation and opinion.

- Tim

Just saying I'd rather challenge myself riding 1000's of miles to out of the way, off the beaten path places than to sit there and twist that for 1000's of miles on the interstate.

Others I'm sure would rather haul across the states on the interstate than get off and go visit Pithole, PA

It's not about sight seeing per-see.

But hey, you can't please everyone.

 

[Timmer]

What if on the way to Ontario there is a combo bonus to snag again capitols that one has already snagged? That would create some monster riding to snag the remaining states plus double up on previously snagged capitols.