EmptySea's SS1000 attempt

[emptysea]

Hi folks!

On June 27th (we hope), my brother-in-law on his BMW and I on my CB1100 (no windscreen and stock seat, by the way) will be attempting to complete a Saddle Sore/Lake Michigan 1000. We will be doing this ride to raise awareness and funds for an organization that assists adults with developmental disabilities. I have created a FB page on which you can follow our preparations for our trip as well as the trip itself, which will include GPS tracking, photos, and (hopefully) a few live FB feeds from the road. The plan will be to head out at about 3:00am on Tuesday, 6/27 and round the lake counter-clockwise. This should keep us out of Chicago traffic and get us out of the U.P. during daylight hours, drastically limiting our exposure to darkened roads.

Many, if not most, of the regular forum followers do not use Facebook. For them, I believe I will have a link to a site where you can follow my travels on that day. I will post that link on this thread once that page is set up and ready to go.

I will post updates on our trip preparation here in advance of the trip and I will also attempt (repeat, attempt) to post here during the trip.

For those of you on Facebook, you can "Like" this page Facebook

Thanks!

Matt

 

[decarmine_imp]

Hi folks!

On June 27th (we hope), my brother-in-law on his BMW and I on my CB1100 (no windscreen and stock seat, by the way) will be attempting to complete a Saddle Sore/Lake Michigan 1000. We will be doing this ride to raise awareness and funds for an organization that assists adults with developmental disabilities. I have created a FB page on which you can follow our preparations for our trip as well as the trip itself, which will include GPS tracking, photos, and (hopefully) a few live FB feeds from the road. The plan will be to head out at about 3:00am on Tuesday, 6/27 and round the lake counter-clockwise. This should keep us out of Chicago traffic and get us out of the U.P. during daylight hours, drastically limiting our exposure to darkened roads.

Many, if not most, of the regular forum followers do not use Facebook. For them, I believe I will have a link to a site where you can follow my travels on that day. I will post that link on this thread once that page is set up and ready to go.

I will post updates on our trip preparation here in advance of the trip and I will also attempt (repeat, attempt) to post here during the trip.

For those of you on Facebook, you can "Like" this page Facebook

Thanks!

Matt

I did the saddle sore 1000 (iron butt) around Florida about a year ago. Did 1100 miles in 19 hours. Nothing as altruistic as you are doing, just wanted it off my bucket list. I did it on a Harley Wide Glide at the age of 71. Next time (maybe with my son) it'll have to be on the CB1100...

 

[DAC]

Have a good trip, sir! Sounds like a good cause and you're being smart to use a day close to the solstice.

 

[the Ferret]

You can do it Sea! The U.P. Has a strange type of beauty that should help you stay awake. Only a couple more miles than the return trip from Ark.

 

[Cormanus]

You can do it, EmptySea. Your mates here will ride with you, in spirit at least.

 

[Pete Erickson_imp]

OMG Empty

If you are going to do that ride with the stock seat, you might want to have an AirHawk or something similar handy.

 

[the Ferret]

OMG Empty

If you are going to do that ride with the stock seat, you might want to have an AirHawk or something similar handy.

why do you think they named it saddle sore? :excited:

 

[emptysea]

I may buy an airhawk, but I just rode 600 miles in twelve hours without much trouble so we will just have to see if I have time, money and inclination to get an airhawk before the ride.

Good one, Ferret! Lol.

 

[Hondahawkrider_imp]

I may buy an airhawk, but I just rode 600 miles in twelve hours without much trouble so we will just have to see if I have time, money and inclination to get an airhawk before the ride.

Good one, Ferret! Lol.

If you've never done really long days, its the last 100 or so that gets you, and there is a big dif between 600 vs 1000...I've never officially done the SS..However, I've done several 800-900 mile days.. There was one ride that if I took a detour for an extra 85 miles I could have gotten it (folks watched us leave and we recorded our start and kept gas receipts for start time just in case). We were riding cross Ohio and 33 in Wva. I swear to god that my a** vetoed the extra leg..

I have a bud who did the 50cc.. That's coast to coast in 50 hours.. same thing it's the last 100 miles that gets you... There were some riders who were waiting for her so she followed em in for the last hour into ca....

It's a great cause, and good luck..

 

[emptysea]

Of course, you are correct Hondahawkrider; 600 miles is not a true test of one's ability to complete 1000 miles. I have several fairly serious LD riders who have told me exactly that and I know from other endurance tests, that the final leg (my LD riders tell me the last 25%) is almost always the most difficult.

I have taken a few pieces of advice from people who have done these rides in order to make the entire trip, especially the last leg, go as smoothly as possible:[ul] [li]I've been working out fairly regularly over the past 6 weeks and will be doing so very regularly over the next 3 weeks. A couple of pounds lighter, a little bit stronger and more flexible ought to make things go a little better.[/li] [li]Having a riding partner should increase safety, decrease monotony, and provide mutual encouragement when needed.[/li] [li]More frequent stops should keep me fresher longer and reduce the number of longer stops during the earlier legs of the trip. This, we hope, will save time in the long run which may come in handy if we are in need of an extended stop before tackling that last 100 miles.[/li] [li]Doing a loop route will put us on familiar roads for that last leg. This should reduce stress which should help reduce fatigue.[/li] [li]Heading out of Chicago at 3:00am should get us fairly far north by noon. The hope is that the heat of the day will not be quite as hot up there and I have heard that it is cooler butts, rather than cooler heads, that prevail in these rides.
[/li][/ul]
I will look into an Airhawk or the like, but I am fairly comfortable with the notion of riding with only the stock seat because I believe that the above-listed items will keep me fresh enough to complete the task at hand.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Completing a 1000/24 is a great accomplishment and makes for a long day, but it's not terribly difficult if your head is on straight. Sea, all of your tips are good ones. Here are a few more to consider: Avoid caffeine during the ride. No coffee, no soda. Drink plenty of water and keep hydrated. Consider taking an Advil or two before setting out, to mitigate discomfort before it sets in. Wear earplugs to reduce fatigue (and reduce hearing loss). Don't speed -- it's not a race. If the weather's threatening, put on your rain gear before it starts to rain. And for those of us in the western U.S., stop and get gas before you need it. A 40-mile detour in search of gas will kill any time savings you may have accrued by not stopping at the last gas station you passed.

 

[Ole]

take a brisk 5 minute walk at each gas stop
elevating your heart rate will pump more blood into your arse
works for me

 

[emptysea]

Great tips, all, LR. One thing I meant to include in my list above is that I have every gas stop mapped with a few alternates as well in case a station is closed or something. I have more of them than I really need, but that's part of my "Stop more, but Stop shorter" strategy.

I've added your other tips to my list of things to review with Tony before we ride.

take a brisk 5 minute walk at each gas stop
elevating your heart rate will pump more blood into your arse
works for me

Already on my list after watching you on our return trip from Arkansas.

 

[Cormanus]

I guess a 20 minute nap may help too, particularly in the final stages. I note LongRanger's sage advice about avoiding caffeine, but I remember reading this piece on The Bulletproof Nap. It may be total BS. Then again, it may not.

 

[emptysea]

I have read about coffee naps before, but I have not tried the technique out yet. Most of the LD riders with whom I have talked have said to consume food and drink in a way that is most normal to your typical day. So, if you drink a cup of coffee at 7:00 am most mornings, then do so on the ride. What they have recommended to avoid is drinking coffee, tea, or soda in order to stay awake. They also recommend not trying new gear, new food, new drink, or (I imagine) a new nap technique. I will try the coffee nap thing out, but probably not for this ride. interesting read, none the less.

 

[feralchimp_imp]

Solid advice from LongRanger above. Water water water. Have a great ride.

 

[Nortoon_imp]

Solid advice from LongRanger above. Water water water. Have a great ride.

I was the President of a 150 member Motorcycle Touring Club in the early 80s. A number of us went to the Price Is Right Rally (FREE) in Peterborough on a very hot weekend. On the way home we decided to take the northern route home through the bottom of Algonquin Park.

Although were we were all riding well equipped touring motorcycles, a couple of hours out my CB radio was busy with complaints from weary riders. It turns out we were dehydrated from the road heat.

Pulled into Pakenham just outside of Ottawa. Grabbed an ice cream cone and sat in the river clothes and all just down from the 5-arch stone bridge.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

In the desert southwest, where humidity levels are extremely low, we frequently see riders wearing nothing but shorts and a t-shirt, or perhaps mesh riding gear, out on the open road. They get completely dehydrated and cooked from the hot air blast. Because sweat doesn't come easily, out here it's best to wear full gear to insulate yourself from the heat, and to drink lots of water. On very hot rides (110+ degrees), I will douse my shirt in cold water and then zip up. The moisture from my soaked shirt will remain in my jacket and keep me comfortably chilled for 30-45 minutes as it evaporates, until it dries out. Stop, rinse, repeat!

 

[emptysea]

I implemented the "soaked t-shirt protocol" (not to be confused in any way with a 'wet t-shirt contest') on my return trip from Arkansas. I also used it on my trip a few summers' ago from Nashville to Chicago. Here's an interesting question about this, though: When you start talking about riding in heat, most people will suggest wearing a t-shirt made with a 'performance' fabric that has wicking capabilities and to avoid cotton. If you're going to soak the shirt with water, wouldn't a cotton shirt do a better job of holding the water and thus improve (or lengthen) the evaporative cooling situation that you are trying to create? Also, might it not be even more effective to wear a thin 'performance' t-shirt as a base layer and a soaked cotton t-shirt over it? If anyone has experimented with these variations, let me know what you have found.

It's 95 degrees outside here in Chicago, maybe a local rider could run a couple of trials for me this afternoon. LOL

 

[the Ferret]

Hot here too Sea...not Flynrider hot, but Ferret hot (about 90). I will be riding in about an hour, but not soaking my shirt for it lol