IBA Certified Rides Are Not Races

[tj189]

With permission from Barb Smith- Admin - IBA Motorcycle Riders Facebook page​

Barb Smith
Admin · 8tu1puo6nh9g91i5gof403hf53d59 ·
Folks, this group page had an administrative post that languished unread for many years in the "pinned posts" section of this page, which then became "announcements" and which is now called "Featured."

That post warned our group members not to post certificate ride finish times, since "finish time" is irrelevant. What is relevant is only that the ride was completed within the allowed time for that particular ride. The reasons for this are sometimes not so obvious. But I'll state them here:

1. Certificate rides are not races. There is no award for completing a particular ride in the fastest time. And with only a very few exceptions, finish times are not published on the certificates themselves.​

2. Many new-to-IBA riders join this group every week. When they see someone post that they completed, say, a BBG in 20 hours, or a SS1K in 15 hours, they might construe that to mean that those times are the "benchmark" or the time to beat. Over the years moderating this group page, I've seen many first-time finishers lament what they felt was a too slow completion time, when in fact their finish time is not relevant. This attitude only serves to demoralize the rider.​

3. IBA has worked hard over all these years to maintain the posture that IBA events (rallies, rides) are not races and that its members do not do things that put the rider or the public at risk, or do or say anything that draws unwanted attention to possible risky behavior. And if they discover after-the-fact that the rider was bragging about any risky behavior while completing a certificate ride, including excessive speeding, they will rescind the certificate.​

4. If IBA feels that a ride was completed in a time that indicates excessive speed, based on prevailing conditions, and the roads and highways taken to compete that ride, they will not certify that ride.​

​

So please refrain from posting your finish time. If it met the ride requirements, that's all that matters; it's irrelevant as far as the IBA certificate is concerned. Maybe it's important to you personally, as part of your accomplishment, but keep that info to yourself and your buddies. We've become lax recently about this, but moving forward, this group warning will be enforced more vigorously.​

 

[Shawn K]

Seems like a good time for that reminder. I've seen a lot of posts in other locations that are heavily time-focused like this post describes.

There seems to be a growing underground mentality among the newcomers that IBA rides are all about bravado, hauling ass, showing off... all the things that will give the sport of endurance riding a bad name. I see it too many times, and it really bothers me.

I once saw another hobby that I used to love fall victim to its participants acting like fools and doing things that endangered the general public. I warned people at the time that "we can either govern ourselves, or the Federal government will govern us". I was branded as foolish, reactionary, and alarmist, and the troublemakers went on doing what they were doing. And now, nearly 20 years later, that hobby industry as I once knew it is all but dead, due in large part to the stupidity of the troublemakers.

I'd hate to see bad seeds cast a bad light on the rest of the IBA and the values that I know it holds.

 

[Olaf Moon]

Indeed.

 

[Gatey]

Very well timed as Im sure many of us are out of shape with this long game ride.
Temptation anxiety and ride fitness... three little tricksters.

 

[Brookester]

She is a very wise, genourous and experienced IBA rider our Barb Smith

 

[Firstpeke]

A very appropriate reminder of what IBA rides are about.