Yearly Goal met, and re-set

[Ulvetanna_imp]

58 miles on this afternoons ride makes it official 22,013. If weather will hold I think I can get in another 1500

So new goal is 23,500

By the time we get to New Year's Eve he'll be out trying to squeeze in a few more miles to make it an even 30,000.

[emptysea]

I feel compelled to interject my own thoughts on Ulvetanna's comments about goals in general and Ferret's reply mentioning Iron Butt riders...

I know dozens of Iron Butt riders, including the IBA treasurer. Their personal safety is always more important than the mileage/time goal. Always. Do some riders "push themselves" into unsafe situations? Yes, all the time, but I have not met an IB rider who does. Almost all of them have bagged a ride because it became obvious that they would have had to push themselves beyond safety (or sometimes speed) limits. Those who have been 100% successful, admit that they have been lucky with weather and road conditions. I know this because I am planning my own attempt at an IBA-certified distance ride next year and have been in conversation with IB riders about this very thing.

I don't believe that mileage or days ridden goals encourage a rider to act imprudently. For example, I have a goal of riding at least once in each month. If Chicago is under 3 feet of snow and it never gets above 0 next February, my current streak would be broken. If I get sick or injured in December to the point where I shouldn't ride, I won't.

Setting goals like this can be fun. They may not be for those with temperaments that might lead them to push too hard to meet a goal, but that doesn't make goal-setting an inherently bad or dangerous thing.
Also.... Ferret has almost as many riding miles this year as I have in 4 years on my CB1100

[Ulvetanna_imp]

I feel compelled to interject my own thoughts on Ulvetanna's comments about goals in general and Ferret's reply mentioning Iron Butt riders...

I know dozens of Iron Butt riders, including the IBA treasurer. Their personal safety is always more important than the mileage/time goal. Always. Do some riders "push themselves" into unsafe situations? Yes, all the time, but I have not met an IB rider who does. Almost all of them have bagged a ride because it became obvious that they would have had to push themselves beyond safety (or sometimes speed) limits. Those who have been 100% successful, admit that they have been lucky with weather and road conditions. I know this because I am planning my own attempt at an IBA-certified distance ride next year and have been in conversation with IB riders about this very thing.

I don't believe that mileage or days ridden goals encourage a rider to act imprudently. For example, I have a goal of riding at least once in each month. If Chicago is under 3 feet of snow and it never gets above 0 next February, my current streak would be broken. If I get sick or injured in December to the point where I shouldn't ride, I won't.

Setting goals like this can be fun. They may not be for those with temperaments that might lead them to push too hard to meet a goal, but that doesn't make goal-setting an inherently bad or dangerous thing.
Also.... Ferret has almost as many riding miles this year as I have in 4 years on my CB1100

We only live once, everybody has to to what they like. LD riders are into saddle time, watching the world fly by. It's a different thing but still motorcycling.

Bottom line, thinking this stuff through too much just ends up being circular, it's an addiction for those guys and gals just like modding, or track days, or whatever turns your crank.

My goal is to get up in the morning and not be dead. Then I figure out what's next.

Sure this time it was a hernia, next time it could be something else. For sure I ain't gonna live forever. Today's ride was about the best ride I ever had.

[the Ferret]

Sea, perhaps I should clarify, just doing a simple 1000 miles in 24 hours (Saddlesore... which can be done in about 18 hours), or 1500 in 36 (a Bunburner ...can be done in about 30 hours) although daunting, is not the type of thing that will generally push a rider into dangerous conditions. 1000 miles can be ridden in about 18 hours (I did 942 in 17 1/2 hours in 1977 with my wife riding pillion).

I'm talking about an Iron Butt Rally where competitors try and complete 11,000 miles in 11 days, that's 1000 miles a day, 11 days in a row. I know a couple riders who attempt these every other year when the rally is held (one is 79 years old, the other is 65 I think, both retired), have shared a hotel room with the younger one twice, and discussed this with them and they tell me you can't believe how mind numbing tedious that rally is and the fact that it pushes you beyond what one would think is humanly possible. How after the first day or two you are still so excited, but by the 4th or 5th day you can't believe you are doing it, by the 6th or 7th day you are regretting you ever signed up to do it, and regretting climbing on the bike, that at this point you are just determined to finish what you started, and by the 9th day you are excited again, this time about maybe finishing. 18 hours a day in the saddle, each day for a week and a half. Going on 3 or 4 hours a sleep a day (takes time to eat, take a shower, repair the bike). No consideration is given for weather conditions or temperature swings, road conditions, traffic etc. Regardless of what they tell you about safety, and I'm sure the organization stresses safety to the riders, the riders I know say they run supra illegal speeds when they can to gain a few extra minutes so that they can maybe lay down on a bench in a rest area later, or gain a few extra minutes for bike repair. The one I shared a room with ran off the road one year and crashed totaling his bike and had no idea why. Another year he hit a deer running at high speed and crashed totaling his bike (how would you like to be his insurance agent?). He has never finished the rally but is determined to do so. Exhaustion, fatigue and frustration take a terrible toll on these riders and many who attempt fail. The body and brain can only take so much. If it were easy, lots of people would do it.

I love to ride, but would not even consider attempting one of these rally's. I'm sure it would take all the fun out of motorcycling for me.

But 1000 in 24? I could do that. Easy peasy. lol

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Sea, perhaps I should clarify, just doing a simple 1000 miles in 24 hours (Saddlesore... which can be done in about 18 hours), or 1500 in 36 (a Bunburner ...can be done in about 30 hours) although daunting, is not the type of thing that will generally push a rider into dangerous conditions. 1000 miles can be ridden in about 18 hours (I did 942 in 17 1/2 hours in 1977 with my wife riding pillion).

I'm talking about an Iron Butt Rally where competitors try and complete 11,000 miles in 11 days, that's 1000 miles a day, 11 days in a row. I know a couple riders who attempt these every other year when the rally is held (one is 79 years old, the other is 65 I think, both retired), have shared a hotel room with the younger one twice, and discussed this with them and they tell me you can't believe how mind numbing tedious that rally is and the fact that it pushes you beyond what one would think is humanly possible. How after the first day or two you are still so excited, but by the 4th or 5th day you can't believe you are doing it, by the 6th or 7th day you are regretting you ever signed up to do it, and regretting climbing on the bike, that at this point you are just determined to finish what you started, and by the 9th day you are excited again, this time about maybe finishing. 18 hours a day in the saddle, each day for a week and a half. Going on 3 or 4 hours a sleep a day (takes time to eat, take a shower, repair the bike). No consideration is given for weather conditions or temperature swings, road conditions, traffic etc. Regardless of what they tell you about safety, and I'm sure the organization stresses safety to the riders, the riders I know say they run supra illegal speeds when they can to gain a few extra minutes so that they can maybe lay down on a bench in a rest area later, or gain a few extra minutes for bike repair. The one I shared a room with ran off the road one year and crashed totaling his bike and had no idea why. Another year he hit a deer running at high speed and crashed totaling his bike (how would you like to be his insurance agent?). He has never finished the rally but is determined to do so. Exhaustion, fatigue and frustration take a terrible toll on these riders and many who attempt fail. The body and brain can only take so much. If it were easy, lots of people would do it.

I love to ride, but would not even consider attempting one of these rally's. I'm sure it would take all the fun out of motorcycling for me.

But 1000 in 24? I could do that. Easy peasy. lol

Everything The ferret wrote is 100 percent correct. These Iron Butt rallies are way over the top. Yes, the IBA will protest long and loud about all the safety precautions they take but it's as The ferret said: these riders are all about getting bragging rights by pushing themselves way beyond any reasonable limit of sanity. I've been in this game a long time and I know a lot of these folks. Speeding, taking chances, riding without sleep and into hazardous weather and conditions...The ferret gave but a few examples.

And The ferret jests. Doing a Saddlesore is not easy peasy. You're going to be awake 24 straight hours and be riding at night for a good deal of that. I'm sure I mentioned I did one just to see what it was like. 1100 miles in 21 hours. I drank a lot of coffee and struggled with the body's natural fatigue. It's just plain dangerous to ride without sufficient rest. I'm sure many of us have done it, pushing ourselves, but it's not a good plan.

Now if a guy or gal really wanted to do a Saddlesore just because, I don't say "no, don't even try it" but plan it well and be very well-rested and prepared before you embark. Beyond that I can't endorse any kind of LD riding. It's worse than texting and driving, really, because it is riding impaired.

[Rocky_imp]

No goal setting for me.
I start riding in April and finish up by early November.
Whatever mileage I get in during that period is what I get and I'm happy with that.
to ferret and those who can ride all year (or try to) and get in some impressive numbers.

[emptysea]

Can't speak about guys that do 1,000 miles/day for 11 days straight and how hard they have to push themselves, so I'll have to take Ferret's word for it. Also agree that riding fatigued is riding impaired. Respectfully disagree that it is humanly impossible to ride multiple days covering very long distances without being fatigued (depends upon the individual) and that bragging rights enter into the decision making process for most riders. Lastly, I believe that there are LD riders who make poor decisions and are in it for bragging rights, but they are the minority.

This thread asked the question "does anyone set riding goals?" It was the response and counter that brought up distance riders. My issue is with the absolutism in the statements about them. No different than the absolutism in statements made here about sportbike riders or Harley riders or CB1100 riders. If YOU don't feel comfortable riding 1000 miles per day for multiple days, then don't. If you feel that setting a distance or other riding goal for yourself (similar to Ferret's) would "push you" to make imprudent decisions, then don't set them for yourself. Just don't assume that setting these goals, or the goals themselves, are inherently dangerous.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

One thing (if we can learn anything with experience) is the idea we don't have to prove anything to anyone. I'm all for the libertarian view but then again we do have what some like to call the "Darwin Awards". And I have certainly seen that principle in action a time or two.

[the Ferret]

Two years ago a buddy and I did what I jokingly call a " tin butt" ..... 5500 miles in 11 days. That's an average of 500 miles a day, although some days were shorter and some days were longer. I'd have to look it up but I think the longest was about 700 miles and the shortest a little over 300 or so. Lowest temp on the trip was 30 on Pikes Peak, highest was 105 between San Fran and Sacremento (stuck in horrrible traffic uggg). We were also stuck in bumper to bumper Denver traffic in a toad strangler rain that was not fun, and we got chased by tornados crossing south eastern Wyoming. It was pretty grueling. We rode all day every day. There wasn't much getting off and walking around site seeing lol. We saw everything from the saddle basically. It was ride, eat a quick lunch at a McDonalds, ride, get a hotel room and sleep. Repeat next day and every day. we rode about 10-12 hours a day. I was so bushed by the time I got home, I took the next day off from riding (but was back on two wheels the following day lol).

My goal is simple, ride every day I feel like riding and if I don't feel like riding don't. Setting a days riding goal or a mileage ridden goal is a personal incentive thing and something that helps me decide if I really feel like riding some days. You know, when it's a little chilly, and I don't like getting cold, so I question riding, and then I think if I don't ride I won't make that goal, so I get dressed and ride... And I always enjoy the ride. WHen I come home my wife will always ask " How was your ride?" And I always reply " it was good, they are all good"... And I mean it. When I get out on 2 wheels, all is right in my world, whether it's hot or cold, or wet doesn't matter.

Look there are people that are just tougher than other people. Extreme mountain climbers, Marathoners, Iron Man competitors, Iron Butt Rally riders, guys,and gals, who ride motorcycles around the world through third world countries come to mind, but they still suffer, a lot. It is never easy and it is never totally safe, but a challenge some feel the need to accept. I understand that. I am just not amongst them.

[emptysea]

One of the times that I did 500 miles in 12 hours and said that it was "1/2 of an Iron Butt", my friend said "So that would be what? a 'Tin Can'?" Made me chuckle.

Incidentally, my goals for 2017 are thus:
1.) Continue my streak of consecutive months riding (Currently at a paltry 45 months)
2.) Complete a SS1000 (probably on the Summer Solstice and probably as a fundraiser for a local charity)
3. Increase my annual miles from about 7600 (my 3.5 year average on the CB) to something closer to 10,000 which wouldn't be bad for a 9-5 guy who doesn't commute via bike.
4.) Put up a calendar in my garage to keep track of days and miles
5.) Be more diligent in writing my ride logs.

OK, so the last two are not really "riding goals", but they are riding-related.