Long Distance Riding - Part Two: "know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em"

[twigg]

Part One: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73786

 

In part one, linked above, we looked briefly at the motivation one might have for getting involved in "longer than your average ride". Self-satisfaction, friendly rivalry, exploring your own limits ... fun!

 

They all play a part.

 

However, remember back when you learned to ride? If it went smoothly for you, it is likely that before you learned how to make a motorcycle go forwards, you were first shown how to stop it. Logical really. Cover the clutch at all times. The minute you are unsure, pull in the clutch and start to brake. Sure you develop from that with experience, but knowing when to stop is just as important to LD Riders as it is to those taking their first tentative steps on two wheels.

 

There is no shame in abandoning an attempted ride. There is nothing wrong with realising that what you might be attempting is not within your grasp this time. Your wife and family want you home, safe and sound and in a position to try again at some future time.

 

When you abandon a ride, you do not "fail" ... you simply learn one way that it cannot be completed. More than that, you demonstrate a maturity of judgement that you can be rightly proud of because you just demonstrated your ability to ride safely, even when every instinct was screaming disappointment.

 

I am not speaking theoretically. This year I have failed to finish a rally (DNF) when I simply considered it unsafe to continue. I tried ... I even tried to get two hours sleep and maybe that would help. It didn't help, but six hours sleep helped enormously and I safely rode the 500 miles home next day.

 

Equally, I abandoned an BBG attempt (1500 miles in 24 hours) when the time slipped so badly that completing the ride would have required speeds I was simply not prepared to ride at ... even on the Interstate. I did complete 1700+ miles in 32 hours, which is a different Certificate.

 

Sure I was disappointed yet I am still alive, still happy and I am now better placed to make future attempts because I know what I have to do, and how to accomplish it. These things are not easy. If they were easy no one would bother. We do it because it is a very hard thing to do. That is the point.

 

Knowing when to stop is not easy. It is very easy to stop because you want to stop. I always want to stop My hips cramp up after about 700 miles. My back and shoulders sometimes ache a bit (I'm working on that). I want to chat to my wife, have a meal, a drink, a cigarette. I'd give anything to stop.

 

That isn't the "stopping" I am talking about. I am talking about knowing when to stop because to continue would be unsafe. You have reached the threshold below which you are not comfortable continuing. This differs for all of us. Our thresholds vary and what we must do is work out when our bodies, or riding is telling us that fatigue is beginning to negatively affect performance. Remember this is an endurance event, so you do actually have to "endure". That is a hard thing to do but it only becomes an unsafe thing to do if we ignore the signs.

 

So what are they?

 

Well the Iron Butt Association has a very handy "Archive of Wisdom" which lists 28 tips from Iron Butt Rally finishers. Number 12 says:

 

"As soon as you are tempted to close an eye, even "for just a second", find the nearest safe place to pull over and take nap!

Other symptoms to watch for:

Inability to maintain a desired speed. If you find yourself slowing down and constantly having to speed back up, you are ready to fall asleep!

Forgetting to turn high beams down for oncoming traffic.

Indecision. Can't decide to stop for gas or continue? Can't decide what turn to take? These are all a result of fatigue."

 

You generally wouldn't start with a BBG attempt, or any of the other extreme rides. Indeed the IBA will not ratify such a ride unless you have first completed one of the easier ones. I use the term "easier" advisedly.

 

So start shorter. Develop the techniques and self-knowledge that will stand you in good stead when the pressure is really on. Learn for yourself the signs you should NEVER ignore. Don't think that because you are fatigued and need to stop that you cannot complete the task. Sometimes pulling into a rest area and grabbing 30 minutes sleep on a park bench, or even on your motorcycle is quite sufficient for you to safely continue. But if you must stop, then you owe it to yourself, your loved ones and other road users to stop immediately. You will gain a great deal from taking this point on board.

 

Inappropriate speed kills. All Iron Butt Rides can be completed within the posted speed limits. You just have to be savvy about route planning for some of them is all. Riding much quicker than the prevailing traffic is tiring; riding faster than the prevailing conditions permit is downright dangerous. When you are out trying for that first SS1000, or bonus hunting on a Rally, you are simply a road user. You are not special, nor are you doing anything that has a special dispensation to play fast and loose with the laws. Do it too often and the local Sheriff will no doubt remind you

 

The real key to covering the distance is to prepare your mind and body, to prepare your motorcycle and to plan an efficient route .... THEN KEEP THE WHEELS TURNING!

 

The example I gave the other day was to imagine you are out riding with a buddy. You are cruising the interstate at a steady 60 mph. You stop for 10 minutes and he continues. It will take you ONE HOUR at 70 mph to catch him. You can easily see how this can work against you and it is why I have struggled to develop a routine that means I can gas up the bike in 3 1/2 minutes, ramp to ramp, if I need to. Generally I don't actually need to, but I practised just in case.

 

Have at the safety aspects in the thread. Thjs stuff is important and we need to hammer it out before we move on to the mechanics of how we bring this all together for a successful ride.

 

Part Three: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=74050

Edited October 30, 2012 by twigg

[playboy]

Steven I really appreciate you taking the time to post this series and your writing style. I have enjoyed reading them but to be honest I have really been turned off of the long distance riding thing. Mainly because of a lot of the comments from others about there superior riding skills there inability to discuss riding speeds and other macho comments which caused me to stereo type LD riding in general and not in a very positive way. Will I ever try it out, I don't know but you have made me take a second look at it and I thank you for that.

 

Keep Up The Good Work

[twigg]

Steven I really appreciate you taking the time to post this series and your writing style. I have enjoyed reading them but to be honest I have really been turned off of the long distance riding thing. Mainly because of a lot of the comments from others about there superior riding skills there inability to discuss riding speeds and other macho comments which caused me to stereo type LD riding in general and not in a very positive way. Will I ever try it out, I don't know but you have made me take a second look at it and I thank you for that.

 

Keep Up The Good Work

 

I will talk about those things

 

I don't know about superior riding skills. I have a lot of miles in my 37 years riding, but I am aware that my reaction times are not what they were when I was thirty. I guess what I lost in speed of thought and action, I gained in experience which lets me ride more carefully, but make better decisions. There is nothing exclusive about that. This Forum has few members who have not been riding for many years.

 

Having said that ... LD Riding is a specialist skill, and it has to be learned. That is why 50% of first time BBG attempts fail. You learn from that and add it to your own bank of knowledge. Most of the LD Riders I meet are happy to share anything they know.

 

Speed is trickier. I meant what I said in the OP. Most would say something broadly similar. They are riding bikes well capable of safely handling three figure speeds for many hours, yet the law does not permit that. Generally people will ride at the quickest speed they can get away with, commensurate with traffic conditions. Usually that means going with the flow, maybe + a few miles per hour. It's a sweet spot.

 

However .... If it is 2 am and you are on Highway 50 and the nearest car, town or police cruiser is sixty miles away, then it is a matter for the rider but you still have to be safe.

 

The point is that you simply cannot ride ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED MILES, then go out and do it again the next day, if you are behaving like a hooligan. You will die if you do that, or at least end up in hospital or jail.

 

So whatever they say in the bar, the fact remains that they are alive and well, and must be doing something right

[djh3]

I have made several long distance rides. Only recently did I take the time to collect the documents and turn them in the the Lond Distance Riders for a Bad to the Bone 500+ mile event. I actually rode something like 625 miles in less than 12hr. Not a huge feet but here are some of the particulars. Over half of the ride 300 miles or so were in medium to heavey rain from an impending hurricane. Temps were in the mid 90's. Not a big del but it all wears on you. I finnished that ride that day and then rode 525 the next day in less than 12 hr. Actually that was all back roads up thru NC, KY and was pleasent. Not braging, but pointing out you have to be prepaired mentaly and physicaly for being in the saddle that long. I dont mind, to me the 600+ mile day was a bit long but OK. Mostly all interstate and boring as heck. I'm not a speed demon, pretty much the speed limit. The rain makes you slow down. If you run a GPS you can see how the time fly's by when your stopped and it seems like you cant recover it while moving. For me its more a I did it thing than anything. LDR isnt for everyone. I've got friends that if they make 300-350 a day. My trouble with that is I dont have alot of vacation days and shoot its a days travel on the slab to even strat to get somewhere from here in Ctrl Fl.

[AKRefugee]

I almost had to learn the hard way that knowing when to stop is probably the most important part of ANY ride.

 

I have ridden my Venture cross country between San Diego CA and Charlotte NC several times. It usually has taken me 4 days. That is averages out to about 630 miles a day. Some days I did 750 miles and some day I only did 450 miles I have had no problem doing that ride in that time because I always made sure I was eating properly, staying hydrated and getting a good nights sleep of at least 8 hours or more every night. I never felt stressed or fatigued.

 

Now lets take a different trip I made of 500 miles. I did not sleep well at all the night before (maybe 4 hrs), wasn't eating right (fast food for several days) and was not properly hydrating. . I had been gone from home for 5 days so I had the "gethomeittis" disease, there were Thunder Storms approaching my route I wanted to beat and my ego said "you've done 750 mile days so you can do this measly amount". (can anyone say three strikes).

 

At about the 400 mile mark I "woke up" while riding and realized that I could not recall the last ten miles. None of it! Let me tell you when that happened it scared the crap out of me. I realized that while I was still functioning I was not "awake" during that ten miles. I knew I was tired before hand but had put pressure on myself to keep going. It could have easily cost me my life, but even more important it could have cost my family the lose of a husband and father. When I realized all this (which was amazingly fast considering my condition) I got off the highway at the next exit and went looking for a place to take a good nap. It was in the middle of nowhere and there were no stores, restaurants or motels. I finally found an old church with a covered porch area, threw my sleeping bag in the corner, called the wife to tell her I would be much later getting home and got a few hours of sleep. When I finally woke up the Thunder Storms had moved through, the traffic was lighter and I figured out I was only 50 miles from home. I was well rested and easily able to make the remaining miles quite safely.

 

Let me tell you I learned a lot of lessons from that trip.

 

1 - "Better late than never". I am 100% convinced that had I continued riding that day I probable would have run off the road or into someone else and seriously hurt, if not killed myself. My family might get irritated if I am late but what would they feel if I never got home.

 

2 - "Just because I did it before doesn't mean I can do it today". The conditions were vastly different. The weather was different, my physical and mental condition were different and my pre-ride planning was different.

 

3 - Make darn sure you are taking care of yourself, both before and during the ride. You are the weakest link here. Get enough rest before the ride, if you can't or don't then plan a rest stop for a nap. Eat properly before and during the ride. Your body and mind need those all important nutrients to operate at their best capability. Hydrate well before the ride and make sure you are properly hydrating during the ride. The wind around your body is removing a lot of fluids from you and you have to assure you are replenishing them or you will get fatigued much quicker if you do not.

 

4 - Whether the distance is 2500 miles or 500 miles before you throw your leg over that bike take a moment to pre-plan your ride. Think about all the things mentioned above. Just because it is a "short" trip doesn't mean it is not creating a demand on your mind and body.

 

5- I think this one was the most important lesson. "a plan is just that a plan" and "always be ready to change your plan". A plan is the place from which you start, it is not the end all. If you find yourself not meeting the goals of your plan because your not making the speed you expected or maybe you didn't plan for bad weather and you are trying to get ahead of your plan to beat incoming weather or maybe you are finding out you are more tired than you planned then it is time for a new plan. Think of it this way, if you change the end time for your plan and decide to slow down or stop for that extra meal or find a place to rest for a while you will have actually completed your planned ride because your "new" plan is now your ride plan. The "old" plan is just that the old plan. You didn't fail to meet your "old" plan you just used it to start your "new" plan.

 

Just a few things I learned the hard way. Hope this helps someone else.

[RedRider]

Steve, As expected, your posts are well written, well thought out, and accurate.

 

I find LD riding both fun and useful. It allows me to get anywhere in the continental US in a maximum of 3 days - usually 2. This means I can get to my vacation riding quicker and spend more time at my destination. The LD rallies are also immensely fun, but Twigg will cover this better than my feeble writing skills can describe.

 

If you don't mind, I will throw my $0.02 in here concerning resting. As you pointed out in the beginning of this thread, knowing when to stop is important in all aspects of life. Riding, driving, drinking, spending, eating, .....

 

Among the LDRs of the Iron Butt Association, discussions are often held about the most interesting sleeping locations - commonly referred to as the Iron Butt Motel. The reason this is discussed is that LDRs sleep like a dog pees. Wherever and whenever the need arises. This was even an article topic in the Iron Butt Magazine a couple of issues ago.

 

Just a few examples from my experiences:

 

1) Rest areas - obvious. Full ATTGATT sleeping on a picnic bench.

2) Church yards. Usually quite, well kept, and in decent areas (safety).

3) School yards. Certainly not while school/activities are going on.

4) Drive thru bank/restaurant/liquor store. After business hours of course. Covered and out of the rain (Watford City, ND during the MN2010 rally - liquor store drive thru in pouring rain).

5) Self serve car wash. Another great place to get out of the rain - or the snow (Salt Lake City, April, 2011).

6) Cemetery. Generally pretty quite and no one is going to bother you there.

7) Industrial parking lot. Usually safe since they are often monitored with cameras.

8) Sitting on the bike - you need a center stand or you get a crik in your back. I don't have a center stand and paid for it when I awoke.

 

Couple of the funniest I remember from the article and discussions with other LD riders -

 

1) Demo Storage buildings in front of a hardware store (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.)

2) Slipping a hotel maid $20 to sleep for a couple of hours in a room that has already been checked out of, but not cleaned yet. Get a fairly clean bathroom out of it too.

 

The rule of thumb is if you are going to sleep for more than 3 hours, get a room. The above examples are for quick recharge naps of 20 minutes to 2 hours.

 

Twigg, carry on.

 

RR

[twigg]

Thank you Sir ....

 

About that article in the Iron Butt Magazine .... I wrote it

 

So I was on a rally a couple of weeks ago. It was only 28 hours, but had a compulsory rest stop of at least four hours.

 

Loves, in Denton, TX is where I got three hours solid sleep:

 

http://twigg.smugmug.com/Motorcyling/Rallies/Autumn-Equinox-2012/i-mFQ4V42/0/M/DSCN0893-M.jpg

[twigg]

Just a note ....

 

If you sleep on the ground next to your bike on the sidestand, please sleep with it leaning away from you.

 

The Lowes/Homedepot idea was mine ... If anyone has seen that article, the VR peeping around the side of the sheds is mine too Those stores close at 10, and you will be gone before they re-open. The sheds are warm and dry. Much cheaper, and faster to set up home than a Motel 6

[RedRider]

The other one I thought of after posting was the Truck Stop shower. Apparently, they can be rented for a period of time and you won't be bothered.

 

I didn't realize you wrote that article. It was great.

 

RR

[twigg]

The other one I thought of after posting was the Truck Stop shower. Apparently, they can be rented for a period of time and you won't be bothered.

 

I didn't realize you wrote that article. It was great.

 

RR

 

Thanks

 

Truck Stop showers tend to run about $12 .... That's a lot unless you can reduce the bill somehow. The washrooms are free.

 

On a multi-day rally I would try for a motel every other night, with the option to take one any night if I felt I needed it.

[Miles]

Thanks

 

Truck Stop showers tend to run about $12 .... That's a lot unless you can reduce the bill somehow. The washrooms are free.

 

On a multi-day rally I would try for a motel every other night, with the option to take one any night if I felt I needed it.

 

Twigg...aha...so it was you that wrote that article in the IronButt magazine about the IB motels. Well written, and enjoyable. Now I know to go rattle all the sheds at my local Home Depot in the middle of the night, if a rally is coming through my area.

 

My experience over the past 42 years of riding, 28 years as an IBA member, is as varied as the choices in your article. Finally...I settled on a way to do it that is safe, sane, and costs very little. Now I only stop at very large truck stops. I park my bike in the car parking spot located right next to the truck drivers entryway to the store. I get what I need off the bike, then cover the bike. I walk into the truck stop, with my ditty bag tucked under my arm, and tell the workers behind the counter that I need a shower room. They ask me, "are you all fueled up?", and I say, "yes ma'am, I am." Then...they assuming I am a trucker, either give me a shower room for free, or the most it has cost me is $ 5.00. They hand me a brand new bar of soap, some clean towels, and hand me the key to my own private shower room. Fot those of you that have ever used a shower room in a very large truck stop, they are clean, quite large, and have everything in it that I need to do all my business. After I am done with all I need to do in there, including fresh clothes, I then head to the truckers TV lounge, find a large comfy chair in a back corner, in the dark room, and I fall asleep in the lounge chair. When I wake up...2...3...or 4 hours later, I am well rested, and ready to get a small bite to eat at the same truck stop, then get on the road.

 

I agree with you Twigg on getting a real motel room every other night. MOst times I do that. Some times not. But it is a good idea.

 

BTW, I do actualy get my bike all fueled up before getting that free or cheap shower room, so I do not feel like I am lying or cheating them. My bikes carry a lot of fuel.

[twigg]

Sounds like a plan ....

 

I always somewhat resent paying for a motel room for four or five hours. Especially when all I want to do is sleep, and I am pretty good at sleeping most anywhere

[Brake Pad]

traveling, I find I like to stop after 300 miles, I pull off in a rest area, away from all the cars, and pull out the folding beach chair, and take a nap next to the bike for an hour or two, then finish my days ride. I travel slow with the trailer on, 60-65, But I ride as long as there is daylight. I carry and small tent & Tarp, for rainy days. more food than I need, and a small camp stove & sterno's for cooking fuel

Edited October 12, 2012 by Brake Pad

[bongobobny]

Although I'm not quite the LD rider some of you are, I am a rider that will travel cross country in my own time, usually with a passenger. I totally agree with the content of this thread and can't stress enough about the importance of knowing when to hang it up for the day!!! There are sooo many variables to consider, weather, traffic, air quality, and personal condition for the day. Indeed it is not abnormal to make 600 miles in one day and the next maybe only 150! The last thing anybody should do, especially on 2 wheels, is to drive tired! It is dangerous enough in a cage much less on a motorcycle! The main concern is when you're tired, your judgement is impared and your reaction time is diminished almost as if you had been drinking.

 

Carry on with your excellent write up Twigg!

[Pegasus1300]

This is all good stuff.I have slept in culverts,under bridges,on picnic benches in road side parks. I never thought of demo storage sheds and I didn't know about the truck stops.Thanks Twigg I knew I was going to enjoy this series.When this is done I hope that the people who can do this will combine it all into an article for the tech section.

[twigg]

This is all good stuff.I have slept in culverts,under bridges,on picnic benches in road side parks. I never thought of demo storage sheds and I didn't know about the truck stops.Thanks Twigg I knew I was going to enjoy this series.When this is done I hope that the people who can do this will combine it all into an article for the tech section.

 

I have to thank everyone for their terrific replies.

 

When I started the series I was aware that all I can do is write down the conventional wisdom, and how it is for me.

 

When y'all contribute you make the information so much more valuable for all those reading.