'15 IBR Reflections

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101stpathfinder

Trading miles for memories
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The '15 IBR was so different for me than the '13. In '13 I was a miserable rider just trying to endure to get enough points for a 3 Digit IBA #.

Applying for the '15 was difficult. I had doubts right up until the actual start when I pulled out of the parking lot. In '13 I had very few issues

with equipment, and relatively few rider errors. I placed 20th (Gold), but did not enjoy myself. My goals were different for the '15. I have this "Goal"

to do 10 10/10ths on my '05 FJR.

On the way out to Albuquerque, NM I stopped at a friends in Monroe, LA. I was having a good time and actually considered skipping the rally.

I dreaded the event. Sometime in the night on a Texas highway, I began to notice a shaking of Aux. light beams. I have experienced this far too

many times not to know that I had broken a subframe flange which held on the mirrors and the aux. lights. I pulled into the New Mexico welcome

center and confirmed my initial thoughts. HRZ went to work on my issues and lined up a welder in Albuquerque. The bike was welded and reassembled

with relative ease. It was then taken to HRZ's home where AJ basically changed my rear tire while I watched (I was tired) AJ ordered pizza and opened

his house up to Da Juice and I. Back on track thanks to AJ.

The poster encouraged me once back at the motel. National parks? This seemed too good to be true. When the format was announced, a grin came

across my face. What a beautiful concept and format for a rally. Rally packs were issued and up to the room I went with full confidence of finishers status.

I fired up the laptop and within a minute I watched it die. I had just put a brand new battery in it less than one week prior. Turns out the battery was not the issue.

The laptop is still in route, so I still am unsure of the problem. (Adapter or Charging port… maybe) Any how, I looked up Lisa and let her know that I was Dropping

out. She gave me great encouragement to find a solution and press on. There seemed no solution until Jgreen texted me that he had a spare laptop. WOW !!!

Bailed out again!

The 1st leg was just pure fun, the sights, smells and riding was unimaginable. I kind of under estimated my riding on the first leg and routed too small.

I lost 3 bonus' due to darkness, but picked up 3 to extra time. I screwed myself again with following GPS over common sense. I think it was a Nebraska (?)

bonus that put me down the worst road I have ever ridden. (That includes the Haul) 20 some miles of gravel/deep sand at a hopeless 20 mph pace. Tom

Austin had to have been shaking his head at the idiot (Me). Two IBRs and Two bad road choices… LOL. Anyway… a wiser rider would not have continued-

I did. Once I arrived at the Bonus location, I found paved roads were available. The delay cost me Rocky Mountain NP.
fool.gif
I also lost my rear brakes for the

rest of the rally.

Leg 2 started off really well. I had already determined at the start of the rally to do the SE on the 2nd leg. I hit states (TX, OK, AR) on a rapid ride east. Hit a heavy

night rain and staged in western LA for a sunrise assault of the bonus rich state. Great 2nd day! Did my rest bonus east of Birmingham. I woke up ready to go,

but my brand new 590 garmin did not. I lost its use for the whole last day. I tried a restart, but found the battery to be wired (Unlike the 550s that I was familiar with)

I fumbled my way back to the CP2 location. I lost 3 states and at least 5 parks with slow manual location entry and searching for bonus locations. 11 miles from CP2

I tried a hard start (10 seconds of pushing the "On" button) - It worked! Too late to save my 2nd leg, but in time for a fresh start on Leg 3.

Leg 3 had me back tracking to the Carolinas. Right off the start I had to wait on a back road for a large manhunt for a missing child. When I reached Fort Sumter,

Little did I know I would meet my demise. I could not get the photo needed (I got it but was not satisfied) A couple approached me and I broke into a conversation.

Somewhere in the shuffle I departed in a hurry WITHOUT my rally book. A 4 plus hour ride to a Tenn. bonus (Racing the sunset) found me on time for a photo…

but what of?
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Here was park number 50 and I had NO rally book! I rode back to South Carolina to begin a dark and lonely search for the missing rally book… nothing found.

I begun to use the on-line rally book. It took forever… I dumped the high point east coast and opted for a day long twisty roads ride through Tenn. I was in need of enjoyment

and not urban frustration. As the 2nd day was coming to a close, it dawned on me that I still needed 4 states. I skipped my last Tenn. bonus and hit Kentucky & Indiana before

darkness. I pulled off the side of the road into an abandon gas station and planned out my final 2 days. My quest for points was done- finishers status and a 10/10ths became

my priorities. I was behind a 10/10ths pace by about 400 miles. So I would stage in Springfield for an Illinois bonus then hit bonus #25 in my home state of Iowa, finish it

off with a Minn. bonus for security and head west during the night.

I punched in Springfield into the GPS in the darkness and hit "Go". It routed me south to I-64… hmmm? a little south from what I expected, but an interstate at night

sounded good. When I went across the river into St. Louis I began to wonder about the routing. When it put me on I-44 to Tulsa, I pulled over to discover a rather funny

occurrence. The GPS was taking me to Springfield, MO… a slight misunderstanding of my intentions.
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I turned around and rode to Springfield, IL. Rest bonus completed, I now needed 2400 miles the last 2 days. I nabbed IL, IA and MN (Going through my home town)

I begun my ride west through N. Dakota. In the morning I hit the 2 high point bonus' for good measure (And good riding) Little Big Horn and Devil's tower. Now it was

back to Albuquerque for a finish. Denver to the barn had nasty weather, but I had a ton of time on my hands. I rode past all bonus' and settled for a uneventful finish.

Most co-workers comment how I must be disappointed with my 34th place Bronze finish. A let down? NO way!!

10/10ths #9 completed- Finisher status… I am OK with that.
Heck, I am considering applying for '17.
 
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Awesome. Stubbornness on that road shows for sure, and a stubbornness to find the fun despite the adversity is amazing. Thanks for the followup, always nice to see what goes on while out on the road, good and bad.

That sucks about the rally book. That would have been nice to have.

 
Great write-up Tony. I wonder just how many riders dreaded doing the IBR prior to the start? I can easily imagine just how easy it would be to pull out before it even begins. Glad you had a lot more fun this time around. And just think of the lost rally book, and your going back to look for it, as a way for you to have been able to hit that 10/10ths goal.

I may just have to ride out and meet you again at the finish in '17.
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Congratulations Tony!

I know words pale in comparison of the real thing, but you succeeded in describing your trials and tribulations. I'm glad that you went through with it, and came out the other side unscathed, and rewarded with the greatest of memories.

Kudos to you,

Rob

 
Congratulations Tony!
I know words pale in comparison of the real thing, but you succeeded in describing your trials and tribulations. I'm glad that you went through with it, and came out the other side unscathed, and rewarded with the greatest of memories.

Kudos to you,

Rob

Yeah... what he said!!
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It never ceases to amaze me that simply following a rally tells you so little about what is actually happening to the riders taking part.

The problems they have to solve, the struggles overcome ... the willingness to continue when anyone with a modicum of sanity would just go home :)

Great ride Tony ... Well Done!

 
It never ceases to amaze me that simply following a rally tells you so little about what is actually happening to the riders taking part.
The problems they have to solve, the struggles overcome ... the willingness to continue when anyone with a modicum of sanity would just go home
smile.png


Great ride Tony ... Well Done!
+1

 
Thanks for the comments, perhaps when #10 is done next summer I can do more social events. SWFOG comes to mind…

Great write-up Tony. I wonder just how many riders dreaded doing the IBR prior to the start? I can easily imagine just how easy it would be to pull out before it even begins. Glad you had a lot more fun this time around. And just think of the lost rally book, and your going back to look for it, as a way for you to have been able to hit that 10/10ths goal.
I may just have to ride out and meet you again at the finish in '17.
winksmiley02.gif
Most riders are chomping at the bit. Many are rally experienced and actually know what they are doing. I do not consider myself a "Rally" type of rider. I have only completed 3

rallies thus far (2 just happen to be IBRs) '17 would most likely be my last shot at doing another IBR as I plan to retire from work in '18. The funds just would not be there.

AND Mike… If I do not compete in '17, I will be watching YOU finish up your 3 digit ride!

Going through all that just proves how freakin' tough you are Tony.
You ARE what some rider's can only dream to be...

Congrats.
Not really… finishing #7 in miles and #34 in points kinda shows how SCATTER-BRAINED I am!
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But I had fun this time! I think the key was learning to laugh at myself and my dumb luck.

I had one down time in SC when I could not find the rally book and realized the round trip had cost me 500 miles for nothing.

I got back on the bike and thought things out and realized just how "Funny" it really was. Then fun took over !!!

 
Tony, thanks for the IBR story, I've wanted to read someone's trials and tribulations of running the toughest ride. You are the only rider that I have met (EOM 2014). So many issues to deal with, mental, mechanical, traffic, health, safety,weather to name a few. I am in awe of everyone who competes at that level.

Glad you had a good time, that makes all the difference.

Thanks

John

 
Tony, when you told me you were done because you had lost your rally book, my heart sank. Then I didn't hear from you at all, so I figured you got pissed off and decided you were going to finish no matter what. That was what I was hoping for!!

Sorry you had equipment issues. Brand new stuff taking a shit would piss me off. You seem to deal with it better than most. Haha...I also don't think your scatter brained, I think you lack rally experience. You summed it up well in my garage when you said you can "ride the Hell out of the bike and put on miles, but routing all the bonuses causes issues." You'll get better at that with experience.

Glad you had a good time, and I see nothing to be disappointed about. I'm sure you wanted to finish higher, but with your mishaps, many would not have finished at all. Congratulations!!

See you soon!!

 
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