LTP Is back in the saddle!
Memorial Ride SS1600km/24HR
I haven’t been on the bike for an IBA ride since the IBA memorial unveiling at Netallie Hills in September 2019 due to health! And I have only just started doing small rides in the last 6-8 months trying to build myself back up to do IBA ride distances once again. So our plan was to attempt to do an IBA Memorial ride – SS1600km/24hrs. We have recently had major floods and devastation in Vic and NSW and this made it a challenge to find a route that wasn’t closed due to flooding. At one stage we couldn’t get out of our estate! Anyway, a plan was hatched, we were unsure if I’d be able to complete the ride but we had discussed that we would just take our time. We didn’t care if it took us 23hrs, 59 minutes and 59 seconds as long as we finished within 24hrs and if we needed to pull the pin on the ride that was ok also.
It’s funny how you forget your routine after not being on the bike for so long. After checking the weather, we decided that we would attempt the ride on Wednesday 26th October, 2022 as this was the day that had the least amount of rain.
Our plan was to start the ride at 4am however we were ready earlier than expected so we (Fatman, my chauffer) headed off to get our start docket at Epsom VIC 24 hour service station.
Our Start time was 3.34am, ok here we go, with a positive outlook and only looking at the kms to next stop we were off.It was a little cool so I had my ‘warm n safe’ electric gear on just to take the nip out of the air. We travelled down the Calder highway keeping our eyes ever so vigilant looking for any animals and not to mention potholes and roadworks along the way. It was a pretty good ride down and I was starting to feel comfortable on the bike only to arrive at Calder Park VIC BP 24hr service station (129kms), buggar. We didn’t need fuel so we just had a 10 minute off the bike including getting our corner docket.
Off we went heading around the ring road to the Hume Highway, now we’re heading north, the weather was still cool and we had a lite mist in the air. As we travelled up the Hume Highway you could see water on the edges of the road which was from the previous rains and floods Victoria had a couple of weeks earlier. Our next stop was Glenrowan, VIC 24 hour service station (237kms), here we refueled and had a 30 minute break.
We geared up and continued to head north up the Hume Highway. The sun had risen by this stage and we started to see the amount of water in what use to be farm paddocks but we now lakes. Not long after leaving Glenrowan the skies decided to open up and dump some rain on us, it didn’t last that long but enough to be annoying. I was taking in the scenery and taking a note of the road signs and distances as we passed them. I got the whiff of a cattle truck, gotta love the smell of cattle trucks which made me feel like I was back sitting in the saddle enjoying the smells of my surrounds. Our next planned stop was Gundagai, NSW Shell 24 hour service station at the “dog on the tuckerbox” (270kms). Well we arrived however as we proceeded to turn left and started entering the service station there was fencing right around all of the fuel bowsers, looks like they were doing renovations so we went to plan B. Which was continue onto the new Ampol 24 hour service station at Coolac, NSW not far up the road. We arrived at Coolac service station, as we approached the fuel bowsers we noticed that there were ‘no fuel tags’ on some of the bowsers and then the lady came running out yelling we have no fuel.
By this stage I was already off the bike and had my helmet off. Well we hadn’t planned this, we decided that we would stop and have bite to eat and look at our options for fuel. How unlucky is it that the Shell service station at Gundagai, NSW had fuel but the bowsers weren’t working and the Ampol service station at Coolac, NSW had no fuel but the bowsers were working. The attendant told us the truck was due the night before and still hadn’t arrived and the police were trying to locate him, not that really helped us. After a 30 minute break we geared up and continued to head north, Fatman said we should be able to get fuel at Goulburn, NSW however we had a tail wind and we were getting good fuel consumption. Being that we do not have intercom I used sign language advising Fatman that if we ran out of fuel I was not walking to obtain fuel! In saying that we actually made it to Marulan, NSW BP 24 hour service station (471kms), and when Fatman refueled the bike (it has a 25 litre tank) it took 25.08 litres!!
I obtained a turn around docket and we had a 25 minute break, as I was starting to feel a little bit of pain, Ok come on I need to get back on the bike or my body is not going to get back on. By now the sun was shining and it was a nice 21 degrees, back on the bike and start heading south back along the same route. So we head out of the service station and get back on the Hume Highway and start heading south back to Gundagai NSW (213kms) for a refuel.
Here we had a 20 minute break, my body is starting to buzz all over. I’m trying to stay positive at this stage that I can complete this ride and with that in mind we headed off to Glenrowan, VIC service station (270kms).
Upon arriving Fatman refueled the bike and I said I needed time off the bike as my body was starting to feel pain. It was around dinner time so we decided to get a bite to eat and have a longer rest, which we did, we had a 50 minute break. Whilst having time off the bike I noticed a guy on his phone a looking over our bike, next thing you know he was asking us where we’d been and where were we going. Oh dear here we go, Fatman said to the guy ‘you wouldn’t believe us if we told you’, try me he said so he explained what we were doing. The guy was intrigued and Fatman advised him to look up Iron Butt Association. Then another guy appeared, he had a look on his face that a kid in a lolly shop would have, he was all excited and wanted to know about the bike and where we were going and where we’d been, again Fatman explained. This guy said good on you both, I’m stuck in a truck moving my daughter to Melbourne but I do have a bike at home, I responded with well there you go you’ve got accommodation in Melbourne when you go for a ride to visit. Finally after 50 minutes we decided we needed to get back on the road where we wont get people asking us questions. Ok next stop is Calder Park, VIC (238kms) it’s not raining but the air was starting to get cool, so I turn on my heated gear again. As we travelled back down the Hume Highway we had some roadworks and still being vigilant of animals and potholes. My body is starting to ache and I’m looking forward to this stop as after this there was only one more to go to the finish back at Epsom VIC. As we pulled into the service station at Calder Park, (VIC) we only need a corner docket so Fatman rode straight through to a car park. I was getting off the bike and I noticed a bike pull up out the corner of my eye, well buggar me, I yelled out ‘It’s Derrick’, Fatman thought I’d lost the plot, and I repeated myself and then he saw Derrick. With that Derrick started laughing and proceeded to go to his top box where he pulled out a sign saying, ‘Congratulations Lynne’ and another one with a pic on it and a message saying ‘hold on we’re almost there’.
This certainly lifted both of our spirits, we had a 30 minute break here and I was starting to not want to get back on the bike. Derrick said ‘just think of having a good sleep in your own bed’ now that I was looking forward so we said our goodbyes and thanked him for coming out.
Ok this is the last leg back to Epsom, VIC (129kms) to complete this ride. So off we go heading up the Calder Highway to Epsom, VIC where we pulled into the BP 24hour service station, Fatman refueled and I then proceeded to obtain our finish docket. Mick took a pic of me with Derrick’s sign then we headed home.
Now I was a little excited that I had once again completed an IBA SS1600/24HR ride and didn’t want to go to sleep.
It was a great achievement to complete this ride and I thank my ‘chauffer, Fatman’ for making this happen.
Looking back at the thought of doing this ride I was hesitant not knowing if I could actually complete the 1600kms/24hrs. However knowing that I had previously completed IBA rides I knew I could do it but just didn’t know if my body could cope. It reminded me of my first IBA SS1600km/24hr, I remember saying to Derrick ‘I couldn’t do it’, now he reminds me of what I’ve achieved. I also reminded myself of what Ox advised me years ago, ‘don’t look at the big picture break it down and only look at the next stop’ and this I did as it helps you to stay positive.
Final kms = GPS : 1,681 kms
So there’s my story, now all I have to do is send off my ride for certification.
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