Goodman4
Pressing on
I just finished my attempt for IBA certification with a Saddlesore 1000 ride to Mobile AL and back. I rode it on the Wing since it would be all interstate and the cruise helps a lot.
I was pleasantly surprised to find it was easier than I expected. Tam and I have done several long trips on the Wing but even on the Interstate we've been pretty much toast after 500 miles, and 600 was the furthest I'd done in a day. I planned to drive to Mobile AL, take an hour to eat and see the bay before heading back and take a few hour rest stop 1/4 of the way back so it would feel like a 600 and a 400 mile trip to my body, which I hoped I could handle.
When I got to Mobile, I pulled in at the USS Alabama (we toured it 12 years ago) and took a pic
and then snapped one of the bay
...then stopped for gas at the turnaround point.
But I wasn't too hungry and felt like riding more than taking a break. I looked for something to munch on at the gas station and didn't like the look of the $4.50 turkey sandwich in the case, so I asked how much a slice of pizza was. She said it had been there a long time so she'd sell it to me cheap for $1.25. A bit dry, but it hit the spot.
Instead of taking a break I kept riding and called my daughter who is in college in Birmingham and told her I'd be coming through for a late snack instead of an early breakfast, so she met me for a nice visit. I still was in the mood for riding so I kept going and finished the 1000 miles without any real rest breaks other than the visit in B-ham. I even started calculating as I approached the end whether I had enough time to go another 450 miles and get a Bun Burner Gold. But I didn't and I probably would have hit my limit somewhere in there. Still I was shocked how much better I felt than expected.
I am still thinking about why it was so much easier than our other trips, and I think the biggest factor is weather. Thinking back, every trip we have ever taken has either started with 90-95 degree heat or heavy rain on the first day. It was perfect 65 to 79 degree weather this ride. We are good at handling riding in the heat, but it must make us more tired than we realized. We've usually had great weather in the middle when we needed it most, so I'm not complaining. But now I think we can push the slab a lot farther at the beginning of our next trip if we can leave in good weather.
As far as the Saddlesore, I'll get everything submitted this week and hopefully can be an official IBA member in a month or two. Otherwise, that $1.25 slice of pizza was NOT worth the 500 mile drive.
I was pleasantly surprised to find it was easier than I expected. Tam and I have done several long trips on the Wing but even on the Interstate we've been pretty much toast after 500 miles, and 600 was the furthest I'd done in a day. I planned to drive to Mobile AL, take an hour to eat and see the bay before heading back and take a few hour rest stop 1/4 of the way back so it would feel like a 600 and a 400 mile trip to my body, which I hoped I could handle.
When I got to Mobile, I pulled in at the USS Alabama (we toured it 12 years ago) and took a pic
and then snapped one of the bay
...then stopped for gas at the turnaround point.
But I wasn't too hungry and felt like riding more than taking a break. I looked for something to munch on at the gas station and didn't like the look of the $4.50 turkey sandwich in the case, so I asked how much a slice of pizza was. She said it had been there a long time so she'd sell it to me cheap for $1.25. A bit dry, but it hit the spot.
Instead of taking a break I kept riding and called my daughter who is in college in Birmingham and told her I'd be coming through for a late snack instead of an early breakfast, so she met me for a nice visit. I still was in the mood for riding so I kept going and finished the 1000 miles without any real rest breaks other than the visit in B-ham. I even started calculating as I approached the end whether I had enough time to go another 450 miles and get a Bun Burner Gold. But I didn't and I probably would have hit my limit somewhere in there. Still I was shocked how much better I felt than expected.
I am still thinking about why it was so much easier than our other trips, and I think the biggest factor is weather. Thinking back, every trip we have ever taken has either started with 90-95 degree heat or heavy rain on the first day. It was perfect 65 to 79 degree weather this ride. We are good at handling riding in the heat, but it must make us more tired than we realized. We've usually had great weather in the middle when we needed it most, so I'm not complaining. But now I think we can push the slab a lot farther at the beginning of our next trip if we can leave in good weather.
As far as the Saddlesore, I'll get everything submitted this week and hopefully can be an official IBA member in a month or two. Otherwise, that $1.25 slice of pizza was NOT worth the 500 mile drive.
