I Did It, SS 1000

lti_57 said:

Damm son you are a walking Miracle
grew up in EL Paso and the surrounding area you are talking about,
brings back some memories.

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Great. You being from that area, am I off base in my thinking of what happened to 40 minutes of my life in the Marfa region? Them stinking aliens!

Congrat's on your ride !! I know how you are feeling,, both the good and bad,,, as I just did my ss1000 on Sept. 9/10. It is cool that you get to plan out the logistics, and chart the course of your ride. That makes it a very personal challenge. For me,, I planned a 10:30am start, and a 5 hour nap in the middle of it all. Things did not go exactly as planned,, because my already small gas tank experienced some kind of contamination issue which limited me to only 160kms between refuelings. But with 14 fuel stops,,, and a shortened nap period,,, I printed my final gas receipt with 10 minutes to spare,, and 25 extra kms on the clock. After celebratory brunch,, and treating my trusty 1983 CB1000c Interstate to another litre of Rotella, I carried on for another 3000+ kms, including 4 provinces, 3 states, 2 ferry rides and 1 Cabot Trail. Yes, the paperwork is formidable, but get it done and enjoy the memories !! Well done,,, Cat' IBA# 62628 btw,, to celebrate my epic journey,,, upon return I purchased my '04 ST !!

Really awesome SS1000 ride Tim!
Great write up of your adventure . . . felt like I was along for the ride!

Shuey
#423

Nice ride. Up looks like unless I want to do a lot of riding in the dark in deer season here in NC I have missed the chance at the SS1000 for this year. But am itching to do one. Being in the state with the highest actually speed limits would help but looks like you still hit some snags. I also don't think I would have finished after the deer incident.

Congratulations ! Thanks for the write up, STing. I'm just starting to get the bug myself.

Congrats!!! Good write up as well. A little adversity makes for way better stories and memories.

Congrats STing! That first one is pretty special but to be honest the next one feels darn good too. I did a BB1500 in Sept and just got my paperwork for it and I'm already thinking about what's next.

Skip

Well done Tim, congrats! Great write-up too... very much enjoyed reading it.

I too am considering an SS1000 from north of Dallas, either down to Big Bend or over to Roswell. Nice to hear the experience of others.

I just got my SS1600 pin in the mail. Nice pin,,, and yes it seems the IBA has gone metric with 1600kms instead of 1000miles. It was quite an adventure for me, and I enjoyed both the planning and execution. My approach included a later start time and a planned 5 hour sleep,, a bit past the halfway point. Kind of trying to listen to my body clock and avoid a personal un-rested flat zone around 4am. This kept the energy levels high,, but removed most extra time margin. The drama came right at the end as when I had to refuel, and I knew I was still about 10kms short of the distance target. So,,, back on the road and hustling toward the next refueling opportunity in a seemingly desolate area of New Brunswick, the clock rapidly ticking down. 35kms later,,, I found the next gas pump with about 10 minutes to spare. In my now fuzzy mental state,,, that was the most exciting tank of gas I ever pumped. Do I just throw in a liter too get my time stamp ?? Nah,,, I spent the extra couple minutes and filled it up. Alright,, I made it, and got the paper to prove it !! I suppose the next step would be the BB1500, or it's metric equivalent,, the IBA even suggests that it is more easily managed because you have a longer "mid-flight stop time" option available. Could I do it,,, sure. Will I do it ?? Maybe,, if I can combine it with some other larger adventure. Because planning and executing your ride is a very personalized experience,,, I think I would try to find ways to make it as enjoyable as possible, allowing for more experiences along the way, while still achieving the goal. That makes it a bigger and more rewarding challenge. Simply racing against the clock,, seems kind of surgical,,, and I can't help think of everything I missed seeing along the way. Mind you,,, I really enjoyed the next 3,714kms of my trip in the days that followed. Cat'

Congrats on a great trip & story.

Thanks guys. I sent the paperwork in, now nervously waiting, hoping I didn't mess something up. The Bug continues to bite. I have already mapped a route for a BB1500. I will wait until late next spring so I can have fewer night miles.

I really did it. I just received an email stating my ride has been accepted and I'm a newly minted IBA Member, #62836. It's a great feeling, my resolve to attempt the 1500 mile ride is heighten.

Congrats!

STing said:

I really did it. I just received an email stating my ride has been accepted and I'm a newly minted IBA Member, #62836. It's a great feeling, my resolve to attempt the 1500 mile ride is heighten.

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Looking forward to the report on the 1500 miler. Will it be a Bunburner or Bunburner Gold? Either way, both challenging rides, Good Luck!!

Well done both Tim and Cat! Going that far that fast is both challenging and fun and you did it!

Pete

Way to go .You had time to take pictures of the chupacabras and stop and talk to the aliens. You must have stopped and talked. And much thanks for your service. Sounds like you came close to paying the ultimate price. Thanks.

Congrats! Something to be proud of.

Please keep chatting about this- I seem to be developing an interest in trying one someday just to see what it's like, and I can use all of the encouragement and inspiration I can get... Threads such as this help in the process.

STing said:

I really did it. I just received an email stating my ride has been accepted and I'm a newly minted IBA Member, #62836. It's a great feeling, my resolve to attempt the 1500 mile ride is heighten.

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Conga rats on making your SS 1000
Best thing for me is, having met you, I get the read that story with your voice narrating it for me
I almost did the 1500 (might have, I traveled over 1600) miles but as I had initially planned to camp for the night in KC, I had stopped for a few pictures off old US71, ate lunch in Fayetteville, and stopped for a bit looking at the campsite I never used, then again for breakfast in Superior, WI, and again to kill a bit of time in Marquette, MI so I could get to the campsite when the bar were actually open, so the trip took me 26 hours.
Neat thing for you though, is hey, Texas ... You could do the 1500 and still not leave the state.
I am finding my phone with Google Maps if far better at avoiding traffic than my Garmin with Traffic ... when the Traffic cord works (get two months use on the bike, not buying another one), and Garmin only helps in the City. Google has routed me off in BFE because the interstate was blocked ... though I was glad to be in my truck, as the mile of gravel road it used was a bit soaked to have been on the bike.
I also find that the new phone runs maps and a speedo app without getting screaming hot like my old one did.
Tip for your next attempt. get one of those cans of gas for lawnmowers and weed eaters and stash it in a saddle bag or make a carrier. a half gallon more can be a life saver (or keep you from walking when you zone out and pass your gas stop and run dry a mile later before you can turn back or get to the next station .... Um, oops) I too pulled off to get gas at a place now closed, and 4 weeks earlier it was still open, and the interstate signs still show gas service too.

Y'all are such great folks, so many kind responses. Thank all of you for going along on the adventure with me. Someone responded early on that when I received notice I had succeeded I would relive my journey, they were dead on, I've been almost giddy. However, part of might be the cheap VFR750 I picked up Saturday, what a rush for an old man.

JP, be careful, that voice you hear could cause nightmares. When I think of you, I think about your little roll of wire and me down on my knees with it fishing my keys out of that dang storm drain. LMAO.

Ibike2havefun, look at my STOC#, I'm right there with you. Think about this, I had, and may still have the highest IBA # issued.