Almost an Iron Butt Saddle Sore...and I just don't get it.

[chickey191]

there is a t-shirt out there that was sold by the legenday Steve Lots-of-Sky (losofsky). The text was "Riding for the Buzz".

If 1k days don't float your boat - don't do 'em. Knowing that you can is one thing. Doing them for the hell of it is one and doing them just for the sake of racking up certificates is something else. I don't much ride rallies any more for various reasons though since I got the FJR I'm thinking I might be back on the circuit next year (yeah... no more volunteering) one of the reasons is because I've been there and done that. In some cases pretty well and in others pretty dismally. I don't have anything to prove to anyone any more. I don't really do 1k days any longer unless I need to. I'm more comfortable stopping at 800 - but I know I can do them pretty easily should the need arise. When I finally recovered from my '99 IBR I didn't ride for probably a month (a long time for me) - I actually was burned out on MC riding as those 11 days took a lot out of me. After a month off I realized that I wasn't happy unless I was on 2 wheels, even if just a short commute to work and home.

Stopping and enjoying the sunset or the roses or stopping at an interesting vista, hotel or restaurant all have a certain appeal and add to the enjoyment of riding. There was a day when I would just do big miles on the weekend just to say I went to Colorado or Washington or somewhere for the weekend. But now I seem to really enjoy a destination - even if it is just to look over the rim of the Grand Canyone - comment on the size of the hole and then head home.

But the real long distance stuff takes a certain mindset - at least it does for me. I usually question myself around hour 8 - what am I doing this for? After that I'm pretty good for the duration, but preparing myself for a long ride (over 800) requires getting in the right frame of mind for me. It isn't about pain or sleep or speed or anything like that - it is much more mental. Clearing the mind of home or office problems and concentrating on keeping those things away. Giving me 18 or 20 hours or more of nothing but motorcycling. Intense concentration on road, weather, traffic conditions - what my body is telling me and what the road and scenery is showing me. It is truly an active (very) meditative state and I typically return home rejuvinated. Butt might be a little sore or elbows or back and neck - but my mind will be clear and I'm ready to face whatever I left behind with a new energy and focus. To me - this is Zen and the art of Long distance Motorcycling.

there are all kinds of rides - commutes, business, chores, fun rides, ride to eats, rides to destinations - ride for kids - Sunday rides - travel, vacation, short long and everything in between plus long distance endurance rides. Each have their appeal and place. Each offer a different benefit. Each offer their own reward.

Ride for the Buzz

 

[Toecutter]

Great offering, Chuck :clapping:

Myself, I'm looking forward to an SS1k on my way to Colorado next July! Woot! :yahoo:

 

[mdisher]

Great offering, Chuck :clapping:

+1

Chuck seems like you can use LD to get in the [Zone] better than I.

For me, I'd rather find a perfectly good twisty roads that are challenging and ride them _all_ day. Thats where I find IT, more often in the twisties, not necessarilly on the interstate doing LD. When work and home and **** goes away...

But I'll work on that Thursday on the way to EOM

 

[Bounce]

MCN did a great multi-part piece on "Flow". I didn't call it that before their article, but LD riding does help me reach a state of "flow" that I don't get any other way.

 

[SoCalFJR]

Great offering, Chuck :clapping:

+1

Chuck seems like you can use LD to get in the [Zone] better than I.

For me, I'd rather find a perfectly good twisty roads that are challenging and ride them _all_ day. Thats where I find IT, more often in the twisties, not necessarilly on the interstate doing LD. When work and home and **** goes away...

But I'll work on that Thursday on the way to EOM

+Another 1 for Chucks imput. Thanks for that Chuck.

+1 Renedage for riding the twisties all day. To me its similar to off road riding. I would rather spend all day in the single track than cover alot of ground on fire roads.

 

[squeezer]

For me, I'd rather find a perfectly good twisty roads that are challenging and ride them _all_ day. Thats where I find IT, more often in the twisties, not necessarilly on the interstate doing LD. When work and home and **** goes away...
But I'll work on that Thursday on the way to EOM

Well, I'm with you there. On any given day, give me a choice between 1K on the slab and 300 miles on twisties, and I'll take the twisties. The occasional LD ride is a little spice in the mix for me, not the main course. In the long run (now THERE'S a bad pun), doing all those miles on an interstate is a waste of good bike. But I like the challenge now and again.

+1 on Chuck, too. And I suppose if I ever did the IBR, I'd have had my fill. I'm planning my first 5 day rally this summer, and we'll see if that's enough for me.

 

[Groo]

I agree with a lot of what's written above. IB type rides for me are a way to challenge myself... if I'm looking for enjoyable, it's cruising and stopping through scenery like in Colorado, or Big Bend, or flowing through twisty stuff that doesn't end in southern Utah. Long distance rides are more functionality for me... can I get to KC from Reno in a day? YES! Coolio... now what if I wanted to get from Mexico to Canada in a day or two??? Or ride around the border of Texas in a couple of days??? Those are more challenges to test myself... the enjoyment comes when it's over and I've seen that I can do it, not that I'm not enjoying being on the bike, just that the "being on the bike" part of LD rides for me isn't the primary objective.

 

[Warchild]

There seems to be some inference that LDRiding is mostly a lot of slab work. Um, no.... not by a long shot.

While true, during the larger multi-day rallies, participants may use the interstate to quickly travel from one region of the country to another, once they arrive, they are off the slab and into the hinterland looking for that elusive bonus location.

Ask any of the Cal 24 veterans how much slab work they saw during the event.... it was next to none!

During our 48-hour BLISTER rally in 2003, within the entire 3,147 mile base route, there was less than 50 miles of interstate.

You generally don't see much slab work in the Utah 1088, I can tell you that.

Sure, if you're strictly interested in getting somewhere within a short timeframe, the slab is certainly a good option. Too, there is so much congestion east of the Mississippi that you pretty much need to run the interstate if you want to maintain a decently high average speed. But certainly out here in the Desert West, we don't need the interstate to make some serious mileage in a relatively short period of time

So please don't think LD Riding equates to a lot of boring slab, because it most definitely does not. It's just that newcomers to the LD community tend to gravitate to the interstate at first, simply because it lends itself to an almost guaranteed successful SaddleSore 1000 or BunBurner 1500, etc.

 

[SoCalFJR]

There seems to be some inference that LDRiding is mostly a lot of slab work. Um, no.... not by a long shot.
While true, during the larger multi-day rallies, participants may use the interstate to quickly travel from one region of the country to another, once they arrive, they are off the slab and into the hinterland looking for that elusive bonus location.

Ask any of the Cal 24 veterans how much slab work they saw during the event.... it was next to none!

During our 48-hour BLISTER rally in 2003, within the entire 3,147 mile base route, there was less than 50 miles of interstate.

You generally don't see much slab work in the Utah 1088, I can tell you that.

Sure, if you're strictly interested in getting somewhere within a short timeframe, the slab is certainly a good option. Too, there is so much congestion east of the Mississippi that you pretty much need to run the interstate if you want to maintain a decently high average speed. But certainly out here in the Desert West, we don't need the interstate to make some serious mileage in a relatively short period of time

So please don't think LD Riding equates to a lot of boring slab, because it most definitely does not. It's just that newcomers to the LD community tend to gravitate to the interstate at first, simply because it lends itself to an almost guaranteed successful SaddleSore 1000 or BunBurner 1500, etc.

Thanks for clearing that up. I didn't mean to imply that you IB guys only rode slab. Man, 1000+ miles of slab only would REALLY suck! :blink:

 

[chickey191]

Great offering, Chuck :clapping:

+1

Chuck seems like you can use LD to get in the [Zone] better than I.

For me, I'd rather find a perfectly good twisty roads that are challenging and ride them _all_ day. Thats where I find IT, more often in the twisties, not necessarilly on the interstate doing LD. When work and home and **** goes away...

But I'll work on that Thursday on the way to EOM

+Another 1 for Chucks imput. Thanks for that Chuck.

+1 Renedage for riding the twisties all day. To me its similar to off road riding. I would rather spend all day in the single track than cover alot of ground on fire roads.

I pretty much gave up road riding for a couple of years. I still commuted to work, but I spent all my available weekend seat time on a dirt bike. While I enjoyed the fire roads - my bike was an XR650 so it wasn't great for single track (or at least real tight stuff), but I enjoyed blasting around in the mountains on trails far more than I did on the pavement - at least for awhile. On the road - I would prefer twisty mountain roads rather than slabbing anywhere. I'm not crazy about lazy sweepers, but I LOVE very tight technical stuff. I'd much rather stay off the interstate and enjoy back roads - less traffic, less hassle, Mom&Pop places to eat, usually nicer people who are willing to talk. All those things make for a lousy endurance ride, but a pleasant day(s) on the road.

I guess the point is to ride your ride. enjoy what you are doing. If a saddle sore doesn't sound like fun... then don't do it. If 20 days of 1k days floats your boat - go for it. If 20 days of single track gives you a woody... be my guest. If riding to Joe's for Burritos is what makes your day - have at it. Hell, if riding to the mailbox is what you like, then enjoy.

The only place I draw a line is riding Bar to Bar. Several folks on this list have seen me in an alcoholic fog - NO ONE on this list has ever seen me have a single drink and ride within 12 hours of the drink.

Gotta draw a line somewhere.

 

[Rogue]

I guess the point is to ride your ride. enjoy what you are doing. If a saddle sore doesn't sound like fun... then don't do it. If 20 days of 1k days floats your boat - go for it. If 20 days of single track gives you a woody... be my guest. If riding to Joe's for Burritos is what makes your day - have at it. Hell, if riding to the mailbox is what you like, then enjoy.The only place I draw a line is riding Bar to Bar. Several folks on this list have seen me in an alcoholic fog - NO ONE on this list has ever seen me have a single drink and ride within 12 hours of the drink.

Gotta draw a line somewhere.

:thumbsup:

 

[zorkler]

nice stuff chickey ..

 

[Toecutter]

Almost an Iron Butt Saddle Sore...and I just don't get it.

The part I don't get it why I need to get officially certified and recognized for the accomplishment. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the last SS1K. But I know I was successful and I even have some witnesses. I just can't seem to get fired up enough to send in the paperwork and money so I have a certificate. Most people I tell about what I did question the sanity of it. If I whipped out my cert, that would probably remove all doubt in their minds.
That said, I'm looking forward to SS1KII on the way to Colorado next summer for WFO! :yahoo: :yahoo:

Or is it IFO?

 

[Bounce]

Well, I'm with you there. On any given day, give me a choice between 1K on the slab and 300 miles on twisties, and I'll take the twisties.

Whaaaa? You never heard of 1k on the twisties?

 

[zzkenoman]

When I came back from my oregon trip from SoCal and attending the WFO, I compared the miles we traveled with DocDanDC who traveled part of the way and left together on the same day to Reno. He had a round trip mile of 2400 miles over 3 days. My buddy and I went thru tons of scenic national parks and coastal twistys between yosemite, reno, craterlake and down the coast traveling 2500 miles over 10 days. Even though he was riding many more miles per day, we took our time smelling the roses, taking pictures, and exploring towns. We agree that no matter what direction or how short or long the destination, we were extremely happy with the freedom motorcycling offers. Motorcycling is like golf, you only ride to improve your game, or ride because you love it.

 

[Fencer]

Having just done my first SS1k on the way to EOM, I was a little un-comfy in the seat by the end of the ride, but really no more than a 300 mile trip to the beach in a car. I often find myself ready to sack out after 2 hours in the cage while I was just completing my first leg and the sun was comming up. I was ready to rock on. I get bored in the cage even with the stereo, a/c, folks to talk to. I was really afraid I would not be able to do the SS1k because I know how I feel after just a short time in the car.

Having now done it, I would rather do a 1000 mile day on the bike than in a cage (unless the weather is awful).

 

[Go Far]

The ability to do big miles is mostly mental, less physical, and a little on the equipment side. Some of my rides seem to average 50 mph and others are 70+. The low averages mean that I'm distracted by the setup on the bike, some distraction from home or work, that add up to long stops.

When I'm distracted, the stops are long, gotta make a call, gotta get a cup of coffee, need that thing out of the saddlebag, helmet itches, did I check the tire pressure, yada, yada, yaaddaa... :glare:

When I'm motivated, my stops are quick, my average stays up, and the miles are easy. :assassin:

 

[PTP]

Almost an Iron Butt Saddle Sore...and I just don't get it.

The part I don't get it why I need to get officially certified and recognized for the accomplishment. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the last SS1K. But I know I was successful and I even have some witnesses. I just can't seem to get fired up enough to send in the paperwork and money so I have a certificate. Most people I tell about what I did question the sanity of it. If I whipped out my cert, that would probably remove all doubt in their minds.
That said, I'm looking forward to SS1KII on the way to Colorado next summer for WFO! :yahoo: :yahoo:

Or is it IFO?

Who said you *need* to get certified?

PTP

 

[bmwhd]

For me, it's ALL about the equipment. I've done at least the following that I can remember, some of which were during rallys:

SS1K - HD Ultra Classic

SS1K - BMW K1200LT (X3)

BBG - BMW K1200LT

SS1K - KLR650

SS1K - Triumph Bonneville America

I couldn't walk right for a week after that last on :dribble: while the BBG was like playing a video game for 24 hours :lol:

 

[boogahboogah]

Hey Toe,

According to the shiny pate person, our own favorite farklemaster & Man **** MC, it's NFO...