Looking to do an Iron Butt 1,000 miles / 24 hours ride in late May from The Colony, Texas and would like any advice from the veterans that have done it. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Brent

 

Well some common sense things like make sure you get plenty of rest beforehand and your bike is in good working order. Also try to leave early enough in the morning so when you get tired near the end of the ride you won’t have to ride as long in darkness and cooler temps which make you sometimes wonder what the hell you did this ride for
Take along a few light snacks, don’t eat heavy it might make you sleepy. Take along something warm to wear and rain gear also. Don’t forget the sunblock!
Don’t forget all your paperwork and if you don’t have a touring bike with weather sealed bags then put your paperwork in a sealable baggy to protect it. Take along a couple pens in there too.
I like going longer miles inbetween gas stops to minimize the down time and get the ride done faster. If your butt can handle it on the seat try going longer miles at the beginning at least while you're fresh so if you do have to stop more often at the end you saved up some time at the beginning to make it possible.
Most importantly, have fun!

After you finish the ride you’ll see 1,000 miles isn’t really all that hard to do in 24 hours but beware you may grow to really like doing these rides like I did and a few other guys I ride with.
Doing my 4th one next month and looking forward to it.

 

Thank you for the pointers. We are allowed to start I believe at 5:00 or 5:30 AM, which I planned on taking full advantage of.... My original plan was to stop every 100 miles for no more than 20 minutes each time and incorporate any meals in those stops too, however, I really like the idea of making longer runs upfront and save the frequent stops for later if needed. Not to mention, over time, time would be shaved off as well.

I haven't decided on whether I will buy a GPS before the trip or not. I personally like being old school and rely on a map if I need it, but the idea of getting lost when time counts doesn't sound like much fun either. Normally getting lost on some back country road is half the fun part, lol....

I have figured that there will only be about 3-1/2 hours of real night riding at the end of the ride, which I would imagine is when you get pretty punch drunk and goofy too. The only down side I can think of here is, I haven't been on that stretch of the road from Little Rock, AR to Dallas, TX before on I-30, so I don't know about major construction or anything. I thought I might take a little ride in the next couple of weeks and ride at least to Texarkana and check on the roads so there are no surprises at a 11:00 PM when doing the ride.

Thanks again, PigInaBlanket.

 

+1 on the good pointers. I'm planning an ironbutt ride here as soon as it warms up a bit more.

I'm afraid to do my first one. I'm afraid I'll be hooked and want to do it again. And again. and again...

 

Be aware of construction - check ahead. Pack light. Chances are you won't be stopping much except for gas and a quick bite to eat. Unless you have a seriously comfortable seat, bring something you can stuff under your butt. I had a small blanket with me and ended up with it between my butt and my seat just to change positions a bit. Helped out towards the end.

I did my 1k last year on my Dyna. I was tired at the end, but I think it had more to do with the time of day that I was heading back home. I wish I had started out much earlier in the day or towards the end of the day. All in all, it was a great experience. This year, much to the dismay and concern of my girlfriend, I want to do the Great Lakes 100 (2500 miles around all 5 great lakes in 100 hours). I'm seriously looking forward to it.. Only this year I'll be doing it on a new Street Glide..

Be safe, enjoy the ride and enjoy the scenery.

 

don't forget to wear some underarmour or similiar type moisture wicking underwear, it really helps on long rides. It can be pricey but it's worth every penny when you've got some miles to ride.

 

If you are riding with friends...keep the group small. 2-3 bikes max.Any more and your fuel stops can be very time consuming.This ride is going to take 18+ hours..I like to leave early enough so that I am on familiar roads in the dark.I plan my gas stops ahead of time,so this breaks up your ride into say 5 little 200 mile rides..Be sure to add enough mileage at the end to compensate for any odometer error(40-50miles).
Be willing to quit if you feel at all uncomfortable about what you are doing..Be Safe.

 

Hey Brent,

Is this the ironbutt you're planning on? Or a different organization? I don't know if there are other, just wondering.

http://www.ironbutt.com/ridecerts/ge...nt.cfm?DocID=1

Kevin.

 

gatorade. power bars and no stopping for breaks . i stopped every 100 miles for gas(my co rider had a vtx with a range of 130) road last 200 in pouring rain .thankfully we packed rain gear.

 

Does anyone know if the Iron Butt Association is alive and well? My buddy and I were planning on doing a ride but he couldn't get a response from the association to an inquiry so he is now thinking that if he can't get a certificate and patch, he isn't going.