What kind of IBA rider are you?

What's your IBA ride preference?

  • I like to play it safe! I know what I can handle and stick to those few rides.

    Votes: 4 7.0%
  • I ride on the wild side! There's no reason to do the same ride twice. Gotta ride em all!

    Votes: 7 12.3%
  • Once and done for me! I'm proud of my certified ride, but it was crazy hard. I'm not doing another.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I'll do certified rides when I can and it doesn't matter if I've done it before.

    Votes: 25 43.9%
  • I just like to ride to fun places or to good food and if an IBA cert happens then it happens.

    Votes: 12 21.1%
  • There is not any choice that is even close to what kind of IBA rider I am.

    Votes: 1 1.8%
  • Other, and I left a reply going into further detail about what I like to do.

    Votes: 3 5.3%
  • Other, and I didn't reply.

    Votes: 1 1.8%
  • None of the above.

    Votes: 2 3.5%
  • All of the above.

    Votes: 2 3.5%

  • Total voters
    57

CB650F

Premier Member
#21
You don't need my (or anyone else's) blessing
Then there you have it. I don't need more experience to post a poll here. I'll do what I what I like with or without your blessing. Respond to it, or don't. It matters not. If you're going to troll, at least do a better job of it.

As I pointed out in the original post, which you obviously didn't read, I know people don't fit into neat pigeonholes. That's not the something a poll requires in any way. Perhaps you'll understand that when you're older.

Enjoy the remainder of your day.
 
#23
I've been an IBA member only since 2018, but I've been a distance rider since 1982, - riding out of Lowry AFB in February of that year, with snow flurries, going south through New Mexico and Arizona to San Diego and then north to Oakland to ship my Yamaha XS650 Special II to Germany for my PCS move. A Young and dumb airman... Caught the bug and have enjoyed it since. I'm not a rally guy, just distance and most of my rides are not certified. I may have a destination in mind, but then something interesting on the road comes along and it's suddenly all about, "Dang! I wonder what that is, that way?"
 
Last edited:

Ira

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#25
The fact that a poll can't cover every possible response, along with the whole issue of even running a poll, leads me to believe that a poll is not the best way to obtain the information you seek. It may be better to simply ask a question, or a series of questions, to get the answers.

Ira Agins
Iron Butt Association
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#26
"What is your IBA ride preference?" is a fantastically open-ended question - one that has a myriad of answers. Like, a few thousand of them, I'd bet.

@Ira is right. Yet, there may actually be an even easier means to find the information that the OP - or anyone else - might be after.

Once you get past the basic SS and BB rides, you start stepping into 'rarefied air', as the types, styles, and lengths of rides becomes quite large. See here: https://forum.ironbutt.org/index.php?threads/different-named-ss1000-rides.1912/#post-25337

Before I did a 48 State ride, I really wanted to have an idea of the _best_ month to do that ride. Well, half-a-month, since it only takes 10 days - plus a couple more to get to my starting point and to get back home from my ending point.

A couple of hours of analysis gave me my answer, and with a little more effort, I was able to decide a good time to do the ride. Life got in the way, and all of my plans on when I was doing that ride got canned, and I got to do the ride a few weeks earlier.

Now, one of the points I'm really big on is the how in the hell did that ride get started? history of many of the themed rides have. Some of this history is captured in the ride documents listed on the IBA Ride List, and some are only known from this forum - and from the prior version of forum software that used to exist. There has been efforts to capture this history (great!) simply so the story behind the ride doesn't get lost.

Thus, once you know the history behind a ride like the Why? to Whynot!, the Atomic 1000 or any number of rides offered, it becomes a goal to tick that one off the list.

Might I also suggest a bit of reading thru the archives that the Motorcycle Tourer's Forum has to offer.
 

cacomly

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#27
Then there you have it. I don't need more experience to post a poll here. I'll do what I what I like with or without your blessing. Respond to it, or don't. It matters not. If you're going to troll, at least do a better job of it.

As I pointed out in the original post, which you obviously didn't read, I know people don't fit into neat pigeonholes. That's not the something a poll requires in any way. Perhaps you'll understand that when you're older.

Enjoy the remainder of your day.
You are more than welcome to create a poll. The point was it's hard to create a meaningful poll if you don't have a better understanding of what different riders do.

I think Ira said it best, a poll may not be the best way to go because there is a huge number of variations of Long Distance Riders. There are one and dones who will never do another 1,000 mile ride again, there are one and dones who will not do another cert ride BUT will regularly ride 1,000 miles or more in 24 hours, there are one and dones who will never do another cert ride but will regularly compete in rallies but want nothing to do with the Iron Butt Rally, there are one and dones who will never do another cert ride but will give the IBR a shot, etc. Others are certificate collectors who want as many certs as possible, some only want to do the specialty certs, some only want to do the difficult certs, etc.

If you want to know more about what IBA riders do, sign up for the IBA banquet in Jacksonville in March, assuming it is not already filled to capacity.
 

CB650F

Premier Member
#28
"What is your IBA ride preference?" is a fantastically open-ended question - one that has a myriad of answers. Like, a few thousand of them, I'd bet.
Indeed, it is entirely open ended and intentionally so. That's the conversation I was going for. Sadly, people got stuck on not fitting perfectly into either of those extreme categories and complained that I thought everyone would be the same. I don't know how that happened since I even specified that everyone wouldn't fit nicely into those categories and that I was glad they don't. It's so strange how a thread always seems to follow whatever the first couple of responses are.

Once you get past the basic SS and BB rides, you start stepping into 'rarefied air', as the types, styles, and lengths of rides becomes quite large. See here: https://forum.ironbutt.org/index.php?threads/different-named-ss1000-rides.1912/#post-25337
Once again, you've nailed it. Do you stick with what you know (SS and BB rides) or do you take a walk on the wild side (the "rarefied air" type rides)? It seemed pretty obvious to me when I wrote it, that it should be read like that. Thank you to everyone who did read it that way. There are some nice responses in line with what I was hoping for.
 

lakota

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#29
What you have missed in the responses is that you continue to equate the IBA member with certificates. Your initial poll with a title that invited questions and 3 choices, all cert ride related, drove the responses. your post did say that not everyone would fit in the three categories but still wanted the respondents to fit into one of the boxes. Your attempt to change the poll was too late. Don't blame the asylum because they didn't like your poll.
 

CB650F

Premier Member
#30
What you have missed in the responses is that you continue to equate the IBA member with certificates.
No, I don't equate the IBA member with certificates. I never did that. Obviously, you'd need 1 of them to actually become a member, but like Keithu pointed out, you can easily be an active member with a single certified ride. If you actually read the initial 3 choices, you'd see that only 1 concerns itself with a certificate. That option is also just for people who did a single IBA type ride (certified ride to get in), then stopped doing them for whatever reason. All of this certificate nonsense is other people pushing that into their responses. It doesn't come from me. The first poll option is about riding what you're already familiar with and not going outside of your comfort zone. The second is about riding outside of your comfort zone. Neither deal with certifications.
 

Ira

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#32
In the interest of cutting off any flame war, you guys cut it out. Fill out the form or not. If you want to elaborate on what kind of rider you are, go for it. But no more snips and snails, please.

Thanking you in advance,

Ira
 

thekaz

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#33
......... kangaroo sarcasm deleted to increasing the integrity of tread ;) and because I am unsure how to delete a post :rolleyes:
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#34
Once again, you've nailed it. Do you stick with what you know (SS and BB rides) or do you take a walk on the wild side (the "rarefied air" type rides)?
Of course, you may have missed out with the very next sentence I wrote about just one of certs I've got to my credit, which is where my "rarefied air" comment came from.

With that, deferring to Ira's request, I'll exit the discussion at this time.
 

CB650F

Premier Member
#36
Check out the link in my sig line for a nice science ride. You're less than 60 days away from being able to do this.
I've been to Carlsbad Caverns before. Definitely a place worth checking out. Sadly, I spent all my time there and didn't make it to White Sands during that trip. Looks like White Sands is a hair under 1,000 miles from where I am now. Without a detour that doesn't qualify as an official IBA ride, but it would be worth a ride no matter the distance. It being open to the public only 2 days a year makes it even better! I think I just figured out what to do in April. Thanks for the suggestion!
 

TheRoss

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#39
Personally, I identify as a Full Blown Addict. Here's an oldie but a goodie:


Congratulations, by desiring more endurance rides you've reached the Recreational Addict level. This level is covered by rides that can be completed in a weekend. Family and friends will express concern but will think it is just a passing fad that you will grow out of. Your riding friends will think it's cool that you enjoy doing this but likely may not understand why. Most riders who suffer from this are pretty good about keeping it in check at the Recreational Addict level.

Some will need that extra fix and become a Practicing Addict. In this level you might have to hook up a few vacation days with the weekend to do the ride. These rides would be ones like the Border to Border, 50CC, and others where you have to ride from and back to your home in order to do the ride. You try to find places that are 2000 miles from home so you can endurance ride there, sightsee or ride area roads for a couple days, and then endurance ride home. Now your family and friends will begin expressing a real concern for your well being and may think an intervention should be considered. When you ask your riding friends if they would like to go for a ride they put the stipulation on it that the ride does not cross more than one state line and that they are home before needing to stop for a second meal. You also feel the need to seek out other addicts at Rallys or Meets so that you can talk to others that understand you and don't make you feel like such a misfit.

Those that fully embrace the Practicing Addict lifestyle can find it a slippery slope to the final level, Full Blown Addict. At this level you are taking a week or two to do an endurance ride. They have become your yearly vacation. You look at rides like the 100CCC, 48 State, Ultimate Coast to Coast, or 10/10ths and only have three thoughts. What route do I take, when to ride it, and will I have enough vacation time or how do I ask the boss for enough days of unpaid leave. You have or would like to fit in a SPANK or Butt Lite Rally. If you happen to be lucky enough to draw an IBR spot no one can figure out why you're doing a "happy dance" about paying $1650 to enter and another several thousand to prepare for and ride it. Your riding friends have finally joined your family and friends in thinking that you really, really are SICK. They've all come to the realization that there is nothing that can be done for you now and those who are religious will add you to their prayer list.

In the April 2002 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News Fred Rau's column was about the different levels of motorcycle freaks. His highest level of total motorcycle freakiness was the Iron Butt riders. As Fred encouraged, embrace your freakiness and go for a ride.
 

TheRoss

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#40
But to actually answer your original question, I'm a regular guy, high school teacher, and daily rider. I sold my car and became a daily rider years ago.

I have entered and completed two rallies (IBR15, IBR17). Yeah, I got supremely lucky getting into the big dance in 15, and managed not to embarrass myself!

My first certificate ride was in December 2004, and I've completed about 40 at this point. My certs live in a three ring binder in my closet. I like the theme rides, and tackle them (Leap Year 1000 is next week) because I see the certificates as a way to continue to support the IBA, in addition to Premier Membership. My favorite rides are geographical in nature, from one end to another end (50cc, B2B, East Coast 2000, RAT, UCC). That, or they need some twist or uniqueness to them. My ride next week, for example, will include two ferries, a quick stop inside Mexico, and lunch at a shrimp place I've always wanted to try. I have also been impressed with the designs some riders have created with SpotWalla tracks and might try that at some point.
 
Last edited: