IBA Natchez Trace 1000

#1
I think it would be cool if we had a Natchez Trace 1000 Patch.
It is a challenging ride because the Natchez Trace Parkway is 444 miles long, the Park Service says it takes 10 hours to travel its full length.
That would leave you 14 hours to finish your remaining 556 miles which is doable but not easy.
I will be riding the Trace this Labor Day weekend to see how it goes, for sure I hope to turn it into a SS 1000 certified ride in the future, a patch would be a great plus.
Let me know what ya think.
 

Harpo

New Member
#2
Be careful, the speed limit is strictly enforced. The thing is, there is a lot of road and few rangers. I've ridden the trace many times and not seen a cop or ranger at all but sometimes they are lurking around.
 

Marc11

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#4
I think it would be cool if we had a Natchez Trace 1000 Patch.
It is a challenging ride because the Natchez Trace Parkway is 444 miles long, the Park Service says it takes 10 hours to travel its full length.
That would leave you 14 hours to finish your remaining 556 miles which is doable but not easy.
I will be riding the Trace this Labor Day weekend to see how it goes, for sure I hope to turn it into a SS 1000 certified ride in the future, a patch would be a great plus.
Let me know what ya think.
I've done the trace partially in the dark, the wild life was abundant as much as the Blue Ridge for example. You'd need to slow way down at night which adds some challenge, I'd also think traffic will be pretty busy this weekend. Good luck, post a ride report.
 

JAORE

Premier Member
#5
Dang, conflicted again. It would take just over 1,150 miles for me door to door. But I rode the Trace a few years back. Between the gentleness of the curves andd (mainly) the speed limit it was nearly unbearable to me. But it could be a cool cert and challenging ride.
 

Marc11

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#6
It would be a cool cert but there is so much to do and enjoy along the Trace. It's not the sort of place I'd personally want to blast through. It's a really special road with lots of things to stop, see, read and enjoy.
 

TheRoss

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#7
I rode part of the Trace in IBR15, and since then have thought about returning to ride the entire thing on my 1975 Beemer. For me, it's not something I'd want to race through.

Not much chance of the ride being created if it can't be done following all posted speed limits, regardless of how far apart law enforcement may be on it.
 
#8
Newbie here (first post). It would be a cool IB ride, except for a couple of things: 1.) Wildlife (already mentioned above) and 2.) Some lack of easily accessible fuel stops, unless you have a large tank.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#9
It's do-able with the right planning and attitude, and a little luck. Most of it is 50 mph speed limit, some 40 and 45, but those are short sections. Minimizing the night riding would be good. There are some nasty frost heaves in a couple of places too that could ruin your ride in a hot second if you don't see them coming.

I don't need a patch, but a unique cert would certainly be fun. I suspect whomever turns in the first one as a "Natchez Trace 1000" will get something different on their cert. Since there is no gas on the Trace, you'd want to make sure your 1k miles is on the Trace after subtracting all the off Trace riding for gas stops. Sort of like a Dusty Butt cert, you can ride pavement, it just doesn't count towards the Dusty Butt miles.
 

JAORE

Premier Member
#10
Planning would be key. But if a single end-to-end on the Trace with the remaining miles elsewhere it should be reasonably doable. You'd have 550+- miles off the Trance toincrease your average speed. And fuel is available in reasonable proximity to the Trace at multiple points. Planned out I suspect it can be done, although certainly more of a challenge than 500 out and back on an Interstate signed for 80 mph.
 

Marc11

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#11
Planning would be key. But if a single end-to-end on the Trace with the remaining miles elsewhere it should be reasonably doable. You'd have 550+- miles off the Trance toincrease your average speed. And fuel is available in reasonable proximity to the Trace at multiple points. Planned out I suspect it can be done, although certainly more of a challenge than 500 out and back on an Interstate signed for 80 mph.
I would assume if one were to do a "Natchez Trace 1000" all miles recorded towards to 1000 miles would have to be on the trace. Mileage off the trace for food or fuel or whatever wouldn't count toward the 1000 mile requirement.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#12
Planning would be key. But if a single end-to-end on the Trace with the remaining miles elsewhere it should be reasonably doable. You'd have 550+- miles off the Trance to increase your average speed. And fuel is available in reasonable proximity to the Trace at multiple points. Planned out I suspect it can be done, although certainly more of a challenge than 500 out and back on an Interstate signed for 80 mph.
While that would be a fun and memorable cert ride, it wouldn't be a Natchez Trace 1000 if over half of the distance was off the Trace. The unique challenge is to do it all on the Trace, imho.

I have a route planned out with 5 fuel stops, plus start and end. Since the Trace is 444 miles long end to end, my route starts and ends in different places. Mid point start, ride to end, ride complete length, ride back to other end, then ride final leg to finish point. I need to double check if my selected stations have 24 hour pumps, even though business hours are not 24 hr, but it's do-able within the business hours as well. My longest section off of the Trace for fuel is 2.5 miles round trip. I have one fuel spot 1.25 miles off the Trace one way, but if it's not 24 Hr pumps, one of my stops there will have to go to an alternate that is 3.5 miles off the Trace. Even with the off Trace riding, my total ride, with buffer is 1051 miles, so more than enough to keep over 1K on the Trace itself.

I need to go ride on the Trace at night and see how my current lighting is and decide if I want to add more or not. To add to the fun, my ride, if successful, will be a Scooter 1000 Gold on a 150 cc scooter.

The best time to do this ride would really have been late June when the days are longest.
 

JAORE

Premier Member
#13
I may have misread the original post, "It is a challenging ride because the Natchez Trace Parkway is 444 miles long, the Park Service says it takes 10 hours to travel its full length.
That would leave you 14 hours to finish your remaining 556 miles which is doable but not easy."

I took that to mean ride the Trace then ride the remaining 556 miles elsewhere.

But if all the miles have to be on the Trace and one uses the Park Service's 444 miles takes 10 hours,that averages 44.4 mph. Pretty danged close to the 41.7 needed for the SS 1000. The gas stops would have to be really efficient, plus near the Trace. Then you'd want to be sure you are near one as you cimb past 1,000 miles. They are not closely spaced along the Trace. Of course you MIGHT HAVE to press your speed a bit beyond that contemplated by the 444 miles in 10 hours.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#14
The Parks service includes stops they feel you will make. It doesn't take 10 hours to ride the Trace from end to end. I literally have the Natchez Trace in my back yard. As in our property borders the Natchez Trace. I have ridden it end to end and lots of travel on sections as it makes a great corridor to get to places, running diagonally from SW to NE. We often start or end rides on the Trace since it leads right by the house.

I agree, gas stops need to be efficient. I have some experience with splash and dash techniques. ;) Speed is rarely the answer. Well managed stopped time is much better than attempting to make time with speed. Besides, the scooter doesn't really have that option, topping out at 60 or so on level ground, and not all of the Trace is flat.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#16
The Haul Rd 1K has specific end points listed for the ride. I equate a Natchez Trace 1K more like a Dusty Butt 1K, in terms of I would want at minimum 1K miles to be on the Trace. The off Trace miles not counting. Just as the Dusty Butt allows you to ride paved roads to connect non-paved roads, but they don't count as miles towards the 1K of the Dusty Butt.
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#17
<...>Well managed stopped time is much better than attempting to make time with speed. Besides, the scooter doesn't really have that option, topping out at 60 or so on level ground, and not all of the Trace is flat.
I have been reading along at Cletha's blog posts on the new scooters. Heh - might need a new avatar pix here at some point. ;)

Certainly would be a novel way of having the scooter get a license plate backer...the Trace 1000, that is.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#18
I have been reading along at Cletha's blog posts on the new scooters. Heh - might need a new avatar pix here at some point. ;)

Certainly would be a novel way of having the scooter get a license plate backer...the Trace 1000, that is.
I've done SS rides on several different bikes. The scooter is an honest challenge by itself, even w/o the Natchez Trace involved. It will probably be a 22+ hour ride. I've wanted to do a NT SS1K since we moved here, but the stars just didn't align. I would prefer to have the rear racks we have on order from Thailand before, but may just wing it since the days are getting shorter and the racks are still a month or more out.

As far as plate backers go, I'm in the camp that It's the Rider, not the bike. I have no issue having my IBR plate backer on the scooter, I did the ride. I doubt the NT SS1K, if done and if it creates a new named ride, will have a plate backer, patch or sticker any time soon. Unique Certs are much easier to do and even if it's just another Scooter SS1K Gold, that's an achievement in itself.
 
#19
Got back from riding the Trace it took me a little under 10 hrs so its like the Park Service said. I did not do it as a SS 1000 this time, but I think I will give it a go in the future. For sure you want to do the Trace portion in the daytime. I saw two deer during my ride, one shot right in front of me while it was raining. For the most part the ride went well I only caught the rain between Jackson MS and Natchez. Once I got to Natchez it was over. The Trace is just a fantastic road, it sweeps back and forth through 3 States, TN, AL, and MS. The road is tree lined most of the way which kept the ride temp about as good as it can get.
 

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EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#20
It will be interesting to see what's possible. Like many certs, it might be one with several levels. Natchez Trace SS that requires riding the length of the NT during a SS, getting required receipts in Natchez and Nashville, perhaps with a visitor center pic or stamp at the visitor center near Tupelo. Then maybe a Gold level ride doing all 1000 miles on the Trace itself. At this point we are having fun with the discussion and the IBA will have to decide what meets their criteria, in part based upon what someone actually accomplishes and turns in for a cert.