Just as in life, the Iron Butt Rally is all about making the best choices out of difficult and often conflicting circumstances. Scores of riders head out from the start location in search of their best ride, based on their own strengths and known limitations. Some riders will take an aggressive approach, chasing far-flung bonuses under difficult conditions for big points. Some will be more conservative, going after things they know they can achieve. And some will ride to Key West, despite all advice against it.
I planned a strong first leg, moving north from Provo UT, up through ID and across MT, ND, and MN, then dropping down through WI and IL. Once I reached the Great Lakes, I had choices. My main route gave me lots of sleep time and put me in Buffalo, NY on Thursday at sunrise to catch a big daylight-only bonus in Detroit. From there, I’d cross through PA, WV, and OH on my way to the checkpoint in Carmel, IN. It was a good plan, with good points.
It would also be the longest I’d spend on a bike since I beat cancer, so I was quite aware of my ongoing fatigue issues and personal limitations. I had the option of dropping Buffalo if I just wasn’t feeling up to the big miles. Having options often makes it easier to continue on the big path, and defer big decisions until later, once you have more information.
So I headed north, then east, then south, picking up every big and small bonus I could find. Quite a few Iron Butt riders had similar plans, as I saw many of them on the road and at various bonuses these first few hours and days. As one GPS remained focused on my big Buffalo bonus, the other just looked one or two bonuses ahead. The biggest meals are still eaten one bite at a time. Or in this case, one mile at a time.
The bike was performing well, I was feeling good, the bonuses were bagged, and the miles melted away. Being back in Rally mode was comfortable, like falling off a bicycle. So I pushed north on that first day, then carefully east across MT that first night (so many deer), then further east and south the second day until I ran out of daylight. And I realized that I was two bonuses ahead of where I’d planned to be for the first rest bonus on Wednesday. So I headed across WI to set myself up for the next daylight-only bonus in Waukesha, and to settle in for some much needed rest.
The classic entry level Iron Butt Association ride is the SaddleSore: 1,000 miles in 24 hours. At highway speeds on good roads, that can be done in 14-15 hours, plus whatever stops you make.
An extreme ride is the BunBurner Gold: 1,500 miles in 24 hours. And let me tell you, it’s much tougher than just a SaddleSore and a half. Basically, you have keep moving the entire 24 hours, and absolutely minimize any stopped time.
Some quick calculations at the rest stop hotel showed that I had covered 2,308 miles in 36 hours. That’s a full BunBurner Gold ride, then another half of one immediately afterwards. Even I know that’s just plan nuts…
My overall average was 64 mph for that section, including bonus stops (under a minute if I’m lucky and can see the bonus from the saddle), and fuel stops (3-4 minutes if I can see the gas station from the highway). Just keep the wheels moving, and keep moving forward.
It also meant that my big Buffalo daylight-only bonus was easily in reach. In fact, if things continued to go well, I might be able to get there Wednesday at sunset, rather than Thursday at sunrise. But that would leave a big hole in my schedule, as I’d be sitting at the WV daylight only bonus for 4-5 hours, waiting for the sun to rise. Time for another rest if I needed it.
But what if I didn’t need it? What else might I be able to claim with this extra few precious hours? Then I noticed three 24-hour bonuses sitting down near Washington D.C. A quick calculation showed that if I could bag Buffalo Wednesday evening, I’d be able to drop down into D.C. and then pop back up to my PA bonus and still be on schedule for the checkpoint, with an extra 10% added to my points total. That’s the difference between a good ride and a great ride.
I also realized that I might be able to do this and still get the full 8-hour rest bonus, maximizing my rest bonus points and more importantly, maximizing my sleep.
So I was in bed by midnight and up, packed, and out the door precisely at 8 am. I reached Buffalo exactly at sunset, then crossed PA, dropped into D.C. by sunrise and was back on schedule by the time I hit WV.
In fact, I was a bit early. Hmm, anything else I can grab? I knew there were two bonuses an hour north of the checkpoint hotel. My GPS said I could make those bonuses and still get into the checkpoint around 7:30 pm. That’s a bit close to the 8 pm penalty points window, but the extra points could also be the difference between a great ride and a podium-level ride. So north I went.
I managed to run into two-time IBR winner Jim Owen at one of the IN bonuses. He mentioned that he’d looked at going to Buffalo, but decided that it was just a bit too far. I casually replied “Yeah, going all the way to Buffalo, then going down to D.C. and back would be pretty dumb, right?” Hmm…
I pulled into the checkpoint right at 7:20, after having fueled up so I’d be ready to go first thing in the morning. I quickly cleaned up my bonus listing and had a huge salad, then went in to scoring.
No lost points for extraneous pictures, all bonuses checked out, maximum points for the rest bonus. Nice. And right at 4,505 miles. That’s three BunBurner Golds, interrupted by a single 8-hour sleep. Wow.
And now I needed sleep. As much as I could get. With scoring completed, the bike was prepped and I was in the room by 8:30. Much appreciation to the Rally volunteers for keeping check-in and scoring extremely efficient. Even at the checkpoints, minutes matter…