tenex
Active member
I did my first Saddle Sore 1000 on Saturday. It was a 1042 mile charity ride (https://www.freewebs.com/rideforchildren08/) that was pre-qualified by the IBA. I had been thinking about doing a SS1000 for a while but I never seemed to find the time to get it planned. When I saw this ride on the IBA website I figured that if I pre-registered, the date would be set and I (and/or my wife) wouldn’t be able to find a last-minute excuse to postpone it, and as a bonus someone else would be taking care of the paperwork, and I’d be helping to raise money for a good cause. The weather was clear and sunny, ranging from a low of 55 degrees to a high of 91 degrees. In general I was pretty well prepared, thanks in large part to advice from this forum. Finished in just under 15 hours, and learned a few things along the way:
1. I’ll be saving up my money for a new seat. The stock cinder-block-like unit was the limiting factor; only once was I able to get through a whole tank of gas without stopping to get the circulation back in my butt and thighs. No matter how much I move around or use my legs, the seat creates a hot spot right where my glutes meet my upper thighs, and I actually had a rash just below the cheeks when I was done (sorry, no pics available). I’m leaning toward the Russell, but I’ll have to go the mail-order route. Has anyone done this and had the seat turn out okay on the first try?
2. The flanged ear buds on the Etymotic ER6i’s were great when I tested them at 65-75 mph. At higher speeds they were overwhelmed by the wind noise. I think it was just a matter of the flanges not sealing real well. I stupidly left the foam bits at home; I need to try them and/or drill holes in disposable foam plugs like others have done. Overall it really helped to have a lot of music to pass the time.
3. There are some places in west Texas where it’s a long way between gas stations. You need to start looking for gas as soon as you get to one bar. I didn’t run out, but I went further into the reserve than I would like. Overall mileage for the day was 40.6 mpg.
4. I really like this bike.
The ride was organized by folks from the local Harley dealer, but it was “all makes welcome”. There were several Gold Wings, a Kawasaki Voyager XII, four or five BMW’s, a Honda Sabre, one ST1300, about ninety or a hundred Harley’s, and two FJR’s – myself and Whitehorse, who rode down from Topeka, Kansas to do the ride.
Including the ride to and from the starting point, I did 1107.7 miles. All in all, a great day.
1. I’ll be saving up my money for a new seat. The stock cinder-block-like unit was the limiting factor; only once was I able to get through a whole tank of gas without stopping to get the circulation back in my butt and thighs. No matter how much I move around or use my legs, the seat creates a hot spot right where my glutes meet my upper thighs, and I actually had a rash just below the cheeks when I was done (sorry, no pics available). I’m leaning toward the Russell, but I’ll have to go the mail-order route. Has anyone done this and had the seat turn out okay on the first try?
2. The flanged ear buds on the Etymotic ER6i’s were great when I tested them at 65-75 mph. At higher speeds they were overwhelmed by the wind noise. I think it was just a matter of the flanges not sealing real well. I stupidly left the foam bits at home; I need to try them and/or drill holes in disposable foam plugs like others have done. Overall it really helped to have a lot of music to pass the time.
3. There are some places in west Texas where it’s a long way between gas stations. You need to start looking for gas as soon as you get to one bar. I didn’t run out, but I went further into the reserve than I would like. Overall mileage for the day was 40.6 mpg.
4. I really like this bike.
The ride was organized by folks from the local Harley dealer, but it was “all makes welcome”. There were several Gold Wings, a Kawasaki Voyager XII, four or five BMW’s, a Honda Sabre, one ST1300, about ninety or a hundred Harley’s, and two FJR’s – myself and Whitehorse, who rode down from Topeka, Kansas to do the ride.
Including the ride to and from the starting point, I did 1107.7 miles. All in all, a great day.
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