Post by: Patmo on September 19, 2016, 12:21:45 PM
Now that this year's riding events are starting to wind down, I'm beginning to think about what kind of things might be fun to do next year. In addition I'm wondering what we might add to an event to make it appealing to members that haven't attended before.
Pat M
Post by: TN2Wheeler on September 19, 2016, 06:19:47 PM
Oh wait that's a different group... But it would attract some people who haven't attended before.
Post by: HawkGTRider on September 20, 2016, 08:30:00 AM
I think these type events are a LOT of fun. But they require a HUGE investment of time, money and effort to be set up properly. If some in our membership are interested, I would encourage them to participate in one of the IBA events first to see how they do it. Be prepared for a lot of friendly, intense, competition.
Post by: qman8 on September 20, 2016, 01:56:29 PM
Post by: HawkGTRider on September 20, 2016, 09:09:07 PM
Scavenger hunts with on-road vehicles are illegal in some states, especially if there is any time requirements. Check local laws.
I don't doubt what you are saying. The IBA events may be sort of like "Fight Club" with both rule #1 and rule #2 being "You don't talk about Fight Club." Everyone who participates in an IBA event knows they may be doing something contrary to the law. So if you happen to get stopped or are involved in an accident or whatever, you don't talk about the event. You're on vacation, you're traveling, etc. And all of that is likely true too. If you share too much, you're very likely to find yourself being busted for a LOT more than whatever initiated the original stop.
The IBA may skirt most issues by having rules against speeding. If it's obvious that you got from point A to point B in a time that would necessitate stupid speeds, you may find yourself invited to leave the event. The correct emphasis is on time and resource management...not speed.
Post by: stevegrab on September 21, 2016, 04:15:47 PM
Scavenger hunts with on-road vehicles are illegal in some states, especially if there is any time requirements. Check local laws.When did you grow up and get so responsible? That is usually something I'd point out ;)
Post by: Patmo on September 21, 2016, 05:22:02 PM
Post by: HawkGTRider on September 21, 2016, 08:20:39 PM
Post by: qman8 on September 22, 2016, 09:22:59 AM
From what I have been able to gather from those that have participated in events like these, and from what I have read, the emphasis is far from being on speed. It is more a challenge of routing and proper time management than anything else. In the case of an 8-12 hour event it is not even on stamina or the riders ability spend long hours in the saddle. Since, in most cases the point bonus locations are released the night before the event, it puts a premium on the riders ability to research and plan v. their ability to just pump out mileage or speed. It's certainly not a contest to see who can ride the most mileage within a certain period, or who can go the fastest for the longest.I'll give you my 2 cents...I "research and plan" all day, every day at work. And i ride to get away from that!
Post by: Patmo on September 22, 2016, 01:21:31 PM
q.....compeletely understand. It's certainly not for everyone. Heck, I'm not even sure it's something I want to do a lot of. But I think it's something I want to try at least once.
Post by: Landon on September 22, 2016, 04:02:15 PM
Pat- if you organized one I'd definitely be interested in participating.
Post by: HawkGTRider on September 22, 2016, 06:06:03 PM
Pat- if you organized one I'd definitely be interested in participating.
It sounds like we've got several people who have done some LD rallies or are interested in trying it. Before we go off half cocked and try to do something on our own, I'd propose we pick one of the IBA rallies and all sign up, and then go do it. I'd be up for something like that.
Post by: Patmo on September 22, 2016, 06:56:44 PM
Post by: HawkGTRider on September 22, 2016, 10:04:23 PM
Geoffrey....that's not a bad idea. Would be fun to do one with friends.There are just a couple of events remaining on the IBA calendar this year, and I'm already booked for those dates. I agree that it would be fun to launch into one of the rallies with some friends if for no more reason than to compare notes afterwards.
It's not completely unusual for good riding friends to ride together during some of the events. They'd need to be good friends as these events, while being fun, can also be a bit stressful. It's not the easiest thing to ride for ~24 hours with someone by your side every step of the way. Rest stops, gas stops, time taken at bonuses, all have to be coordinated between each rider, and that adds additional issues to consider. But at the end of the day, it can be a real hoot!
Here's a link to the IBA calendar of events for this year...
http://www.ironbutt.com/eventcal/
Take a look at see if anything intrigues you. Many of these events are like our MSTA events...the good ones are repeated year after year in about the same place at about the same time of year.
Post by: Brick on September 30, 2016, 11:01:02 AM
Anyway this months newsletter talks about many of the rallies they put on or are very involved with. One is what they call the Park & Ride which is a Scavenger hunt rally. The list the rules and the classes. It's worth checking out if you might want to plan this event.
I have no idea how SC-MA gets so many members to volunteer to work so hard to put on all the events they do. Perhaps the MSTA could learn a thing or two from them???
8)
Post by: HawkGTRider on September 30, 2016, 06:37:46 PM
One interesting aspect of rallies is that the shorter ones may actually be the more challenging in some ways. Consider a 24-hour rally vs a multi-day event.
If you're in the 24 hour rally, you'd best understand that you're going to have to ride for 24 hours to get your best score (I say "your" score, because it really comes down to competing with yourself). If you break down for even a few minutes, you're not going to get your best score. Every minute you spend feeding your face or taking care of those other pesky personal issues is going to contribute to you not getting your best score. If you average more than about 7-9 minutes for a gas stop from the time you exit a road until you're rolling again, you're doing something wrong and you're not going to get your best score. If you don't have aux lights on the bike to help you see better and help avoid nocturnal collisions, you're going to have to slow down...another contributor to not getting your best score.
In a multi-day event, everyone knows that you're going to have to sleep, eat, take care of bodily processes, etc., and everyone does. You can't avoid it in the multi-day rallies.
The 24 hour events may be the very worst for that issue because some people will do whatever they need to do to stay on the bike for the full event length. Events <24 hours are not quite the killers that the 24 hour events are because most everyone can stay in the saddle for 8-12 hours without taking excessive breaks. But whatever you do that doesn't include riding and bagging a bonus, every single minute, is contributing to not getting your best score.
Those are just some thoughts that have gone through my head...what do you think?
Post by: RichGrab on October 05, 2016, 09:55:45 AM
I think it's starting to sound more like work than riding - which is supposed to be fun I thought. For those interested, enjoy. Not my cup of tea, milk, coffee - you name the drink. By the way, FCR was a blast.
Those are just some thoughts that have gone through my head...what do you think?
Post by: Patmo on October 05, 2016, 11:29:46 AM
Let's say that the bonus points were earned by visiting and taking pictures of covered bridges....there is A LOT of them in Ohio.....and the challenge was to make the route to see them as efficient as possible so as to give you the max amount of visits during the time frame allowed. It's then up to each individual to decide how serious they want to be and how much time they want to spend at each one or how much preplaning they want to do. it would also allow each individual to decide just how much riding they wanted to do in a day, AND, in either case you can be sure that the majority of riding is probably going to be pretty enjoyable...as most covered bridges are out in the country on little back roads.
You can substitute river/lake ferries, state and national parks or historical sites, BBQ restaurants, country stores, courthouses, museums, railroad stations, etc. etc. etc. The possibilities are endless. A well planned event should have the intention of making the riding as pleasurable as possible, while still providing more of a challenge then just follow the leader.
Post by: HawkGTRider on October 05, 2016, 02:46:28 PM
Rich....they are just a game, a game that tests one ability to strategize and plan. How much "work" it is depends on each persons abilities and their desire to take it seriously. <snip>
After my 3rd Iron Butt Rally in 2005, my long suffering wife informed me that, with my gold medal finish that year, she felt like I had nothing left to prove and that I was done doing the IBR. I tried to explain to her that these events are, as you say, just a game, but she wasn't buying it.
By the way, I STILL say they are just a game. And even if you win a game of cards, a golf round, a tennis match, etc., that doesn't mean you don't even play again. If I found myself with the opportunity to go to the big dance again, I'd think long and hard about it.
Post by: stevegrab on October 06, 2016, 04:49:29 PM
I had a friend that golfed and told me if he ever hit a hole in one he'd toss his clubs in the nearest water hazard, go to the clubhouse for drinks and never play the game again.
Post by: HawkGTRider on October 07, 2016, 12:24:06 AM
Goeffrey,
I had a friend that golfed and told me if he ever hit a hole in one he'd toss his clubs in the nearest water hazard, go to the clubhouse for drinks and never play the game again.
Really? If I lucked into a hole in one, I'd be energized to keep playing. If lightning strikes once, it might strike again.
Post by: BMWKeith on October 25, 2016, 11:06:17 PM
Along similar lines, but on a bigger scale, if it is done outside of a rally, there is the Grand Tour, where a number of checkpoints scattered around the area are chosen, and participants visit the checkpoints on their own schedule at any time while the event is open, usually for a season. I've organized several of these in Michigan, and had great feedback from those who have participated. Generally I'll have 50 or 60 people sign up, then only about 12 to 20 who actually do it. Many have signed up every year but never visited any of the checkpoints. The AMA lists several of these that I think cover much of the country, while mine have stayed within the state of Michigan.
As was stated earlier, it's not for everyone, and it's not mandatory. However, it's an option. Those who do participate have a good excuse to go for a ride and see things they wouldn't have thought to go see or do otherwise.