I think the Iron Butt Assocation ought to remove the Saddle Sore 1000 from its list of certified rides.

Or, at least reduce it from 1,000 miles in 24 hours to 1,000 miles in 18 hours.

I just ripped off another SS1K ride yesterday, riding the same route I did last fall. See, "Iron Butt Ride - Finished", describing the previous ride.

The important aspect of the previous ride is that I rode above the speed limit, riding between 80-100mph for much of the ride. A commenter on the article linked above mentioned that excessive speeds will disqualify me.

I came to realize that he was right. Think about it. All IBA rides are supposed to be tests of great planning and discipline. If you have to ride above the speed limit, it's because you failed in planning, or because you're a wuss.

Riding above the speed limit in a IBA ride is cheating. Plain and simple. Cheating.

So, I did the same ride again yesterday, same exact route. Except this time, I kept it at the posted speed limit. It's tough to refrain from riding above the speed limit. You really want to crack that throttle and at least go 80mph. When your butt is hurting, you want to get to your next gas stop much more quickly. That's where the discipline comes in. That's why they call it an "iron butt" ride. If you have to speed it up to 85 or 90, it's because you don't have an iron butt.

The first time I did this ride, I completed it in 20 hours exactly. That time, I stopped twice for breakfast and lunch (I was with 3 other riders), and we burned two hours total. We also burned another 30 minutes at a gas stop in Yuma, AZ.

But this time, riding at a much slower pace, I chose to skip the breakfast and lunch stops, and pack my food and drink with me. I also took just one riding partner instead of three, to help expedite the gas stops. We also made one fewer gas stop than before. We ended up completing the ride in 17 hours, 40 minutes.

I never submitted the first ride to the IBA for the simple fact that I rode well above speed limit.

But, I don't plan on submitting yesterday's ride either. Even though I feel much better about the second ride, these Saddle Sore 1000 rides are way too easy. Even after doing a better job of planning and being more disciplined in keeping to the posted speed limit, this ride is NO TEST OF ENDURANCE.

Basically, ANYONE can do a Saddle Sore 1000 ride. If anyone can do it, then it's no test of endurance. Being an IBA certified member ought to be a testament to your riding capabilities. It ought to separate the wheat from the chaff.

In fact, I think the IBA is taking way too long to process applications for certifications. And it's probably because there are way too many people submitting applications for SS1K rides.

Either change the SS1K to 18 hours, or remove it from certification. Likewise, the same for the Bun Burner (1500 in 36 hours).

I'll wait to submit paperwork for an IBA ride when I do a Border-to-Border or a Coast-to-Coast. The other IBA certifications are not much to be proud of. All you SS1K riders may now sling mud at me...

Labels: Iron Butt Assocation

The first ever Los Angeles Saddle Sore 1000 ride was completed over this past weekend.

11 riders rode along the freeways of Los Angeles, enduring 1,021 miles of congested slab, weaving in and out of trucks, crazy drivers, lane splitting, and bumper-to-bumper traffic, all within 19 hours.

The ride dubbed, "17 Laps of Hell A" went without incident, no accidents, and no traffic tickets. It was 17 trips around a loop that comprised of the 210, 118, 5, 107, 110, 101 and 405 freeways.

The bikes ridden were...

• Honda GL1800 (2)


• Suzuki DL1000 (1)


• BMW K1200LT (2)


• Yamaha FJR1300 (6)

Labels: Iron Butt Assocation

This morning I returned back home from my first Iron Butt ride. It was the Saddle Sore 1,000. See my original article announcing the ride and route.

We completed the ride in 20 hours, which is probably too much time considering the route was all slab. We left at 6:00am Saturday morning, and hoped to return home around 11:00pm that night. But we got back home 2:00am instead.

There were four of us in all that rode together. We started out with a modest speed, between 70-75mph. But as the day went on, our speed increased. In the last 50 miles we were going 100mph steady.

Our problem was spending too much time not riding. We spent about an hour for breakfast at IHOP in Victorville, and about 45 minutes for lunch at Quizno's in Flagstaff. Most of the gas stops went about 20 minutes, while another went about 30 minutes. If anything, we didn't have any problems staying awake, perhaps due to spending plenty of time resting.

But we got lucky! Everything I read on the weather forecast said we would encounter thunder storms and heavy downpours along I-40 through California and Arizona. But we didn't hit any rain. There was certainly rain all around us, just not on the Interstate, while we were on it. The traffic in Phoenix wasn't that bad at all.

One weird thing though. Somewhere after the half-way point of the ride, my arms felt like they were on backwards, as if my hands and arms were reversed. I think it was having them anchored to the handle bars for so long, not moving them around, that caused my brain to lose its bearings on where my arms were. I kept wiggling my fingers to reorient myself.

Still tired right now, even after sleeping until 11:00am.

Labels: Iron Butt Assocation, Ride Reports

This Saturday (Oct 14) I'll be heading out on my first Iron Butt ride, the Saddle Sore 1000. To those who are not familiar, you ride 1,000 miles in less than 24 hours. The Iron Butt Assocation has all the details if you want more.

Right now, I've two other friends riding with me.


We're starting in Temecula, CA, riding north on I-15 to Barstow, then I-40 east to Flagstaff, AZ, then I-17 south to Casa Grande, AZ, then I-8 west to San Diego, CA, and finally I-15 back north to Temecula. 1,026 miles approximately.

TurboDave, who has done several Iron Butt rides, gave me some good pointers.

The idea for doing this ride got started with one of the guys riding with me, Ledhed. He's been wanting to do this for quite awhile, but hasn't been able to get one organized. So, I asked him about it, and we just decided to do it, and picked Oct 14 as the date. Another buddy of mine, Drifter, wants to go too. That makes three of us.

From what I gather, the Saddle Sore 1000 is not a tough ride, considering you've done several long-distance rides. TurboDave says the route we've picked can be done in 16.5 hours, with several breaks and gas stops, and riding no faster than the posted speed limit.

All three of us will be riding Harleys, so I figure keeping it 70-75mph should prevent the engines from burning up. I probably ought to ride my Yamaha Road Star, being it's a lot tougher. But then again, the Ultra Classic is supposed to be for touring, and isn't that what long-distance rides are, touring? That's what an Ultra Classic is for, right?

Checking the weather forecast for this weekend, looks like possibility of rain. Great. So much for that Phoenix heat.

Wish me luck everyone!

Labels: Iron Butt Assocation