Competitive Advantages
Each rider tries to determine their competitive advantage
for the IBR, where a few minutes can mean the difference between 12th
place and 10th. For example, I worked on two competitive advantages
1.
In general, I can ride on winding roads far
faster than the majority of American Riders, having had plenty of practice in
Australia.
2.
I have visualization skills that allow me to
“see” multiple route options when the waypoints are all in Base Camp, that is,
early in the planning cycle
I had a number of relative disadvantages;
1.
I need more sleep than most people, or at least
the top riders
2.
I need to eat real food to be at the top of my
game.
3.
My lack of “in the heat of the battle” rally
practice.
Riding Time and Miles Calculation
“The ability to plot a
suitable route for the really, is a key skill that is essential in the IBR”
– badly misquoting the Rally Master. Never a truer word was said.
The starting point is to understand exactly what you are
capable of, in terms of riding speeds and distances for certain time. Add to
this your required time for stops both for Bonus photos and for re-fueling.
This can be summarized in a spreadsheet (such as EZBake). Here are some sample
figures (noting that Sam Lisles has the EXACT figures for every rider in the
last 10 rallies for you to compare yourself to!):
1.
Overall average speed while the bike is moving –
62 mph
2.
Overall rally average speed – 46 mph
3.
Average time for a bonus stop – 7 minutes
4.
Average time for a fuel/food/comfort stop – 10
minutes.
5.
Average sleep time including preparation to go –
4 hours.
With these, and the known checkpoints, start times and
finish times, it is possible to work out with a high degree of accuracy how
many riding hours you will have and how many miles per leg you can manage. I
have this process well prepared and worked directly to it for all legs, with 1
and 3 being more conservative.
Organization and the Check-in Process
The organization for this really is superb, and well oiled.
There are almost as many volunteers as riders overall. In the two days prior to
the start, there are nine “stations” for each rider to pass. They are
1.
Check-in
and Registration and have your name confirmed. At this point each rider is
given a name badge, identification card on a lanyard (to be kept on them at all
times as it carries the emergency number), a T-shirt and cap.
2.
Technical
inspection of the Bike – which includes
a.
Overall road worthiness (e.g. tires, baggage
attachment etc)
b.
Auxiliary tank, attachment and volume
c.
Exhaust system and sound level
d.
DOT approved helmet
e.
SPOT tracker works
3.
Odometer
checks where you ride over a pre-determined 20-mile course. Strangely some
riders took up to four attempts to get this right. It allows the Rally Master
to directly compare each rider’s actual riding distance precisely.
4.
Documentation
Check Each rider must show complete and accurate documentation including:
a.
Driver’s license with the correct annotation
b.
Motorcycle registration, current, with a
matching VIN number (some did not!)
c.
A high level of insurance for the bike and self
- defined as $500k CSL.
d.
MedJet type evacuation cover or insurance.
5.
Waiver
Video – where each rider sits in front of a camera and is interviewed with
12 questions such as:
a.
Have you prepared fully for this rally?
b.
Do you understand the increased risks of riding
in the rally?
c.
Do you waive all rights to suing the Iron Butt
Association?
6.
Rider
Photograph
7.
Camera
and SD Card Check, where the Rally executive take a photo of you with your
own camera (for ID and guarantee) then ask you to set a number of features on
the camera to prove you can use it! They view each of the three required
storage cards (SD for example) to see that they are clear, working and
formatted. Each is marked with the rider number.
8.
Rookie
Briefing on Sunday afternoon, where Jeff Earls, previous winner of the IBR
gave some sage advice on all manner of things such as heat management, food and
sleep.
9.
Riders
Meeting where the rules of play were re-enunciated, and questions were
answered including the perennial ones including:
a.
What is the definition of daylight
b.
How fast is “Too fast” (never three-digit speeds
and always under “twenty over” the posted limit)
c.
Use of “The Red Book” and how not to tee-off the
RM by having an accident and requiring her to call your next-of-kin (details in
the Red Book).
The Start Process for the Rally
As noted before, at the commencement dinner of the rally
(Starting 6pm with hand-outs about 8pm), riders receive their flag, USB key,
Rally Book and Score Sheet.
Riders then retire to their room to plot their route and
load the waypoints to their GPS’s.
At 8am the next morning, the bikes are locked-down in the
car park – make sure you have gas before this! The rally starts at 10am the
next morning with a send-off by “Warchild” one bike at a time. Those who were
prepared to have their hair colored or shaved started first. A video of this
procedure on U-Tube is worth watching.
Miscellaneous Thoughts on Random Topics
1.
Food:
Despite careful planning and purchases of high-energy bars, I did not have the
ideal food intake. Almost every
rider carries high protein food bars and energy supplements including drinks
and gels (such as are available from REI and other outdoor shops for Marathon
runners). While these work well for riding during the day, they are
insufficient in terms of calories for the hard work of riding 20 hours per day.
Ideally I needed at least 3000 calories
for each day and preferably 4000. At some point, riders need to have a serious
meal, but this takes time. This explains why so many “carb-up” at the final
Rally Banquet and at the breakfasts and dinners for each Check Point. Clearly
these checkpoint meals are part of the overall plan. I also ate McDonald’s egg
burgers, as these were always available, already prepared, convenient size and
shape and high calorie. I carried extras of these in my tank bag.
2.
Hydration:
each rider had a water bladder or tank from which to take a drink. I
started with two bladders, then moved to two one-gallon “Bubba Kegs” then
reduced this to one Bubba Keg (on the right pillion peg) and one bladder. At
the last minute I plumbed an electric pump to the feed from my one-gallon keg,
which was a real boon. I also tried using commercial electrolytes and found
that they went “off” very quickly in heat. Simple salt added to the water (e.g.
from a MacDonald’s restaurant sachet) was far more useful. Next time I will
take salt tablets. I also drank Gatorade type drinks, which provided a high
sugar AND salt level quite effectively.
3.
Weather:
I should have considered the weather pattern each day, rather than at the
start of each leg, using the Greg Rice summary page online (www.gregrice.com).
I believed I could ride through anything (which in the end I did from 107
degrees to driving rain and hail) but I could have made some small alterations
to my route that would have made life both safer and more enjoyable. On one
section in midnight dark in Louisiana, there was standing water more than an
inch deep on the road, and this resulted in the front wheel aquaplaning and the
rear spinning up – which is highly exciting and challenging riding conditions,
especially in the dark, as the bike is “flying”.
4.
Gear
to Carry: Everyone carries too much stuff to start. I learnt this from some
training runs and reduced my load by more than two-thirds. I had one change of
clothes, one set of heated gear, and half the tools – this was a major break-through
for me especially after I removed my two larger panniers. It made the bike lighter and more maneuverable
and far easier to get onto the center stand (e.g. to sleep on the tank). In
general, the experienced riders have tried a lot of gear, and then move to
“simplification” in later rallies, knowing there is less to break and lose.
5.
Sleep
Patterns and Timing: I had more sleep than I needed. This was in part due
to the fact that there were only two Bonuses on the rally available 24 hours,
which is un-usual. However, I should have done staged rides at night to get to
better locations, particularly in Leg 3, where I could have travelled a lot
further and obtained more points. The counter was that some of the night runs
would have been in very heavy rain e.g. in LA. I found that four hours sleep
was plenty, but some of the “REST” Bonuses allowed up to 8 hours with very good
points. Only a top rider would out-ride the sleep bonus points. The RM does this for safety, and I approve.
6.
Bathroom
Stops: At my second bonus stop, one rider was seen to be clearly peeing
from a catheter type tube inserted down his trouser leg. I believe there was
one other too. I did not find the need to use such a device and managed my
water intake perfectly to match my stops. The pain of standing at a gas stop, trying not
to wet your pants at the same time as fueling up, is something only an IB rider
truly understands!
7.
Iron Butt
Hotels and Real Motels: I chose to stay in real motels. I deliberately
chose those of one story (So I could park at the door), which were usually NOT
chain motels and rarely paid more than $45 per night. Some were truly dodgy and
I locked my bike carefully. But I only needed a bed and a shower. My personal
interest is to have a shave and change my underwear once per day– and some will
laugh at that (despite the fact that it takes less than 6 minutes)! I did not
have to deal with bed bugs like one rider. In retrospect, I would have quite
happily slept out in the grass at a truck stop (for example) given fine
weather. At the Custer Monument we woke one rider who was fast asleep by the
entrance gate.
8.
Accidents
and Breakdowns: It is incumbent on each rider to believe with fervor that
their bike will not break down. But many did, and one failed less than 100
miles from the finish – a mentally devastating situation. On every long
ride I have done in the last five years, I have used my tools for
something. A friend, Troy Martin ran
into a deer early in the ride, destroying the left side of his bike, then
dropped it on the other side at a road-sealing, and thirdly ran into the back
of a trailer – ALL in the first Leg! Despite finishing the leg in fourth place,
he decided not to continue. In the same
leg, I parked my bike on its center stand, and the sand under it gave way,
dropping the bike on the side of the road (a common occurrence apparently). A
Harley rider and a sheriff helped me pick it up – the former making no comment
at all and the latter deciding it was “not a wreck” and laughing it off! It
never ceases to amaze me how helpful people in the country can be.
9.
Speed
and LEO’s: Speed does not win this
rally – keeping the wheels turning does. (You do the math). For the first time ever the RM made it
clear that riders who sped, would be penalized points and they were. They
watched the satellite spots carefully for monitoring. The guidance was very
clear:
a.
Never ever speed into triple digits (over 100
miles per hour)
b.
Never exceed the posted limit by more than 20
mph.
On a clear day, overtaking a long
semi-trailer (tractor) this is hard to achieve all the time. Most of the bikes
were well capable of more than 120 mph.
The result was that MANY (if not
most) riders were pulled over by the law. On the last day, I was pulled over
three times, once for being 6 mph over the posted limit – the female sheriff
explained that there were many cattle on the road. I did not get a ticket
(Citation). The fact is, that at 90 mph, an accident will be very serious no
matter what.
10. “Objective Hazards” – Animals on the Road: There
are many wild animals in the USA, similar to Australia, and they pose an
un-expected risk at all times. In particular, deer were everywhere, and I saw
four close-up, the first within 30 minutes of the rally start when it jumped
across a car park (Parking lot) right in front of me. The second was on day one
of Leg 2, a huge 9 pointer buck in the far south of TX, standing right on the
side of the road. Hitting a large deer
or elk can be a fatal experience. Good counter-steering skills helps, but does
not allow you to avoid all accidents.
There were also snakes, bobcats,
bears, raccoons, prairie dogs and lots of other animals that I did not see this
ride. The biggest hazard, after great rains across most of the USA, was bird
strikes. Despite trying very hard not to hit birds, I managed to down four. One
struck the underside of my boot like a hammer and another zinged off my screen,
missing my helmet by inches.
11.
Day
Nine and the Mental Strain: there is
much talk of the “Day Nine Blues”, a time when the end is NOT near and the ride
pressure, lack of sleep and food really hit you. For me, Day 9 was a blast mainly because Dan
Simmonds had come out to meet me un-expectedly, but the last day was hell. Demons play in your head when you are that
tired, and each rider needs to find a way to deal with them. More than one rider has had a friend or loved
one say on this day – “You are kidding – drop out?! Half the frigging world is
watching you – get on your bike and ride – NOW!”
12. The IBR Culture and Camaraderie: One of
the most outstanding features of the IBR is the culture and teamwork of the IBA
members, staff and competitors. It is
not just good, but outstanding and such a pleasure to be part of, that people
come back for more, year after year.
Anyone who needed assistance for
anything received it. At any time or place. Prior to the rally experienced
riders gave away some of their most treasured information or data without a
qualm, despite their competitiveness in the rally itself. Once the start is
announced, they get their “rally face on” but are always there to help.
Typically, IBR males don’t shake
hands much, they hug instead– each knowing what the other has been
through. I love this. It is a rare but
true expression of one-ness with a friend in the trenches.
In Australian terms, this is real
“mate-ship” bought on by the rigor and demands of the rally – The Team Wins
every time. I could give many stories, but the one about Troy pulling out of
the rally, then personally transporting four bikes around the USA on a trailer,
after the rally is a good example. A second, from a previous rally, was when
Don Duck split his last cupful of gas with me; so we could both make the next
gas stop – hopefully.
13.
Apocryphal
Stories: I suspect that every rider
had some moment of nirvana on the ride. Some of us will know this as “Trail
Magic” a term coined by Bill Bryson for something wonderful that happens when
all seems down or doomed. I had a few of these magic moments:
a.
At Fort Union NM where we had to walk a ways in
the wind, to take a photo of a particular set of buildings in a very precise
layout. I was wondering how the hell I was going to find the right spot, when a
truly delightful lady ranger stepped out from behind the monument, offered to
hold my flag and stand in the precise spot where the photo would be perfect.
Serendipity. (PS the National Park staff was wonderful everywhere we went).
b.
In torrential rain of Tennessee, I had set my
GPS to take me via the quickest route to the Nemo Bridge, which included along
gravel roads but somehow I become lost on a Hill-Billy farm. I stopped at a
huge 200-year-old barn, where an old man and his adult son stood in the doorway
looking at this fool riding in the rain. I stopped the bike and walked up to
the gorgeous barn, waiting to hear the banjo strumming (I kid you not). There,
in the middle of the barn floor was an illegal still, making the best
moon-shine in the world (so I was informed). Naturally, they picked me as an
Australian and offered beer first then Tennessee Whiskey next! My rally almost
ceased at that point, with some fine hospitality.
c.
At another point, I was riding behind Ian
McPhee, and happened to look down at my second GPS, to see a “heart” appear,
then pass. I rode after him and said I think we have passed a waypoint that I
had not chosen on my route. We had. We rode back, took the photo, added the
points and rode on.
d.
I was heading for the Flight 93 Memorial in PA,
and as I rode to the turn-off road, I had this over-whelming feeling that someone
was nearby, despite being miles from anywhere. Sure enough, there was Dan
Simmonds standing by his bike, smiling that wide smile that makes the day and
saying, “let’s do this – and BTW do you want food, a coffee or an oil change
for the bike, lights cleaned?” – yes thanks – all of the above. That hour spent
six miles away, with a friend in the west of PA, who helped in every way, was
magic.
