50CC (east to west) and BBG questions

[John Z]

A riding buddy (Dave) and I are attempting a 50CC, leaving Jacksonville on June 22nd. He wants to also log a BBG on the first leg. For anyone that's done that, is Van Horn where you "finished" the BBG?
According to my routes on Basecamp, it's 1524 miles from Jax via I-10/I-12, and it's 1528 miles via I-10/US-98/US-49/I-20. Both routes are pretty direct, so it's looks good to me.
I like the I-20 route because it trades Baton Rouge, Houston, and San Antonio for Dallas. I think it will be less of a heavy traffic issue.
Secondly, in my experience locally, Love's Truck Stops don't list their location on the fuel receipts. Is that a nationwide issue with them? If so, I'd like to avoid them.

Thanks,
John Zabelle IBA#57193

 

[Ira]

A riding buddy (Dave) and I are attempting a 50CC, leaving Jacksonville on June 22nd. He wants to also log a BBG on the first leg. For anyone that's done that, is Van Horn where you "finished" the BBG?
According to my routes on Basecamp, it's 1524 miles from Jax via I-10/I-12, and it's 1528 miles via I-10/US-98/US-49/I-20. Both routes are pretty direct, so it's looks good to me.
I like the I-20 route because it trades Baton Rouge, Houston, and San Antonio for Dallas. I think it will be less of a heavy traffic issue.
Secondly, in my experience locally, Love's Truck Stops don't list their location on the fuel receipts. Is that a nationwide issue with them? If so, I'd like to avoid them.

Thanks,
John Zabelle IBA#57193

I'm not sure about Love's specifically, but many stations list a station number, which can be cross-referenced to a station location. So you might want to take a closer look at one of their receipts.

Ira Agins
Iron Butt Association

 

[John Z]

I'm not sure about Love's specifically, but many stations list a station number, which can be cross-referenced to a station location. So you might want to take a closer look at one of their receipts.

Ira Agins
Iron Butt Association

Ira,
Thanks for the quick reply. Is the verification team going to cross reference the station number? I didn't want to make their job any more difficult...

John Zabelle IBA#57193

 

[RFlagg42]

Secondly, in my experience locally, Love's Truck Stops don't list their location on the fuel receipts. Is that a nationwide issue with them?

John, I've had the same impression for many years about the receipts from Loves and have tried my best to avoid them during rallies. However, I did a 50CC in April and the person who planned the gas stops had us stop at Loves a few times. Every one had a good receipt. Maybe they have changed their system at some point in the couple of years.

 

[Ira]

Ira,
Thanks for the quick reply. Is the verification team going to cross reference the station number? I didn't want to make their job any more difficult...

John Zabelle IBA#57193

Well, if you check and it turns out that they use station numbers, you could take a little load off the verification team by including a station listing or a link. The verification team will appreciate it. And that's a Good Thing[tm].

Ira

 

[Paul Knight]

I just checked my 50CC receipts from last year and the loves in Gila bend had an address on it.

 

[Jerry L. Stevens]

John Z, I considered the same route using I-20 for the same reasons that you listed plus I am very familiar with it. 49 and 98 are not limited access and at times they can me slowed down through some of the towns.

Also, on some late afternoons, especially Sunday, there is can be very heavy traffic from Shreveport to Dallas. They are returning to Dallas after winning their fortune at the casinos in Louisiana. Then I asked myself, how many were sober? Ridden that road several times.

I have decided to go I-10 and pick a time of day when the traffic should be reduced.

 

[kwthom]

Useless statistics on the 50CC completions listed in the finisher list:

Jan 7 1%
Feb 28 2%
Mar 191 17%
Apr 189 16%
May 222 19%
Jun 119 10%
Jul 69 6%
Aug 60 5%
Sep 135 12%
Oct 76 7%
Nov 31 3%
Dec 19 2%
Total 1146 100%​

Answered my own question - how frequent is an October 50CC run? Answer: Not very, but more than Jan, Feb, Jul, Aug, Nov & Dec!

Interesting, but maybe not surprising that Jul & Aug is a bit less. That temperature management thing and all...

 

[Paul Knight]

I have done one in April and one in July. Both were about the same if I recall correctly.

 

[John Z]

I'm three weeks away from the start! I've cobbled together a 1 gallon insulated cooler as a hydration system, that eases my dehydration worries.

 

[Steve Bracken]

WRT Loves receipts ...

I think the receipts at the gas pumps are generally okay ... at least I have never had an issue with them.

What are not okay are the receipts from the cash registers inside the store. They do not carry the date and time stamps. Do not be like Steve. Steve relied on one of those receipts to stop the clock for a Rest Bonus. Steve did not check the receipt in a timely manner. Steve lost 45 mins of Rest Bonus points, and was 4 minutes from a DNF when he realized the error and grabbed an ATM receipt. Be better than Steve

 

[Erin Colombo]

Jacksonville to Anthony, TX to bag the BBG. 1,615 miles, 23:40. Left Jacksonville on a September - Thursday morning @12:41 a.m. smooth sailing almost all the way...mother nature interfered in Houston, torrential rain but other than that a breeze the whole way thru. Arrived San Diego 2:30 pacific Coast Time Friday. Eat at Robert's Taco place next to gas station on Voltaire where you should get your gas receipt. Great way to end 50CC. Good luck and safe ride!

 

[John Z]

One week out, getting a fresh front tire Friday, otherwise the bike is ready.
On the advice of another LD rider, I'm probably going to attempt the BBG on day 2. A few advantages that I see with that plan are, higher speed limits and less traffic from Winnie, TX to San Diego, traveling through west Texas in daylight and well rested, and passing through Houston in the wee hours of the morning.
I also expect to get good, long sleep in Winnie after a relatively short day 1.
The plan is to arrive in Winnie at approx. 1700 and be sleeping by 1900. On the road for day 2 (and start the BBG) by 0230 or so. That puts me in San Diego by midnight and still leaves 4 hours of cushion to salvage the 50CC, even if problems arise in the BBG.

 

[Paul Knight]

John Z, some would advise to be careful riding cross 10 in TX at night due to deer and other animals in the road. Your plan to be on the road at 0230 on day two is reasonable but that is a significant amount of time at night in west TX...

Just my .02 cents

 

[Steve Bracken]

John Z, some would advise to be careful riding cross 10 in TX at night due to deer and other animals in the road. Your plan to be on the road at 0230 on day two is reasonable but that is a significant amount of time at night in west TX...

Just my .02 cents

You can mitigate this risk somewhat, by drafting large trucks. Plenty of them on I-10 at night, running 80mph. I sometimes follow one for 20 or 30 minutes, then hop ahead to the next. The risk doesn't entirely go away, but it is reduced a lot.

 

[kwthom]

This weather will be this way from probably the central New Mexico area to the foothills leading into San Diego this weekend - HOT! Ten to 15 degrees above normal

Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ
832 AM MST WED JUN 15 2016

.SYNOPSIS...Record heat this weekend and early next week. High temperatures will be near normal today and Wednesday, then hotter each day until we approach the hottest temperatures in over two decades Sunday and Monday.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/climate/heat/June2016/June2016_heatwave.php

 

[John Z]

John Z, some would advise to be careful riding cross 10 in TX at night due to deer and other animals in the road. Your plan to be on the road at 0230 on day two is reasonable but that is a significant amount of time at night in west TX...

Just my .02 cents

I'm not an authority on the matter, but I'm under the impression that "west" Texas is west of San Antonio. I'll hit daylight between Houston and San Antonio.
My original plan had me leaving Jax at 0500 and arriving in Van Horn at 0230.

This weather will be this way from probably the central New Mexico area to the foothills leading into San Diego this weekend - HOT! Ten to 15 degrees above normal

Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ
832 AM MST WED JUN 15 2016

.SYNOPSIS...Record heat this weekend and early next week. High temperatures will be near normal today and Wednesday, then hotter each day until we approach the hottest temperatures in over two decades Sunday and Monday.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/climate/heat/June2016/June2016_heatwave.php

Yeah, but it's a DRY heat!!! Lol! That's precisely why I mounted the insulated cooler with a drinking tube.

 

[kwthom]

<...>Yeah, but it's a DRY heat!!! Lol! That's precisely why I mounted the insulated cooler with a drinking tube.

Take more than just that insulated cooler if at all possible...

When those of us that live in this desert toss out a warning, you know, it *might* be a problem.

Best of luck to you on your ride, John!

 

[Matt Wise]

I just finished a 50CC from San Francisco to New York City a couple weeks ago for the Wyman Memorial challenge. I stopped at one Love's in Nebraska and the pump receipt only had a store number listed on it, no city. I went inside and purchased a water and the inside receipt had both the store number and the city listed together. I don't understand the reasoning for the difference between the two receipts but I submitted both as proof.

 

[John Z]

Take more than just that insulated cooler if at all possible...

When those of us that live in this desert toss out a warning, you know, it *might* be a problem.

Best of luck to you on your ride, John!

Oh I'm heeding the warning all right. Right now, desert heat is my biggest concern for the entire 50CC. In addition to both of our bikes having the coolers hard mounted, we'll both have as many cold drinks as the tank bags will hold.