Buffer miles on trip plan

[BigFoot60]

I plan on doing a BB1500 and a SS1000 in the next couple of weeks. In Google Maps my distance for the total ride is 1516 miles. I know I'll lose about 4 miles getting to gas stations a both ends. So my question is, is 1512 miles cutting it too close? Should I buffer in an extra 20 miles somewhere?

https://goo.gl/maps/Gy9uEGnrgnm7Lux56

 

[Firstpeke]

It depends what your odometer error is.... the verifier uses the most direct route between points, unless you use a satellite tracker like spot/spotwalla.

Unless my route is a known one, effectively pre-verified, I always allow up to 10% extra miles.

If in doubt you might be able to get it checked, or pre verified... although I don't know what your turnaround on that would be in the US.

 

[Ira]

I plan on doing a BB1500 and a SS1000 in the next couple of weeks. In Google Maps my distance for the total ride is 1516 miles. I know I'll lose about 4 miles getting to gas stations a both ends. So my question is, is 1512 miles cutting it too close? Should I buffer in an extra 20 miles somewhere?

https://goo.gl/maps/Gy9uEGnrgnm7Lux56

We usually find that a buffer of 2-3% above the calculated mileage is enough. So in this case, 30-45 miles would be about right.

Ira Agins
Iron Butt Association

 

[rneal55555]

How do you loose miles getting to gas stations?

 

[igneouss]

Key is to map shortest distance and fastest route, then compare. That way you will know what issues might come up in certification. Also, you will identify key locations to get DBRs

 

[Dave28117]

I usually try to go 50 over for buffer.

 

[mike77]

On my saddle sore 1000 rides, I usually end up around 1030, and on my BBG's 1550

 

[BigFoot60]

How do you loose miles getting to gas stations?

From my house to my starting gas station is 2 miles. From my ending gas station to my destination is about 2 miles. So my total trip will be 4 miles longer than what my gas station receipts show.

 

[mike77]

my starting gas station is 9 miles from my house . all my rides are based off that gas station . any miles to a starting point are not part of " the ride" even tho u have to ride to get there..

 

[Stephen!]

Especially when you do not start the clock until you get your first receipt and stop the clock with the last receipt. The miles and time to/from those locations should not be counted.

 

[Delusional Mechanic]

The nearest gas station to me is 26Km. I used Google maps to check the distance from the fast gas in town and not from my home.
Google maps showed me a buffer of about 4% 1660Km
After my odometer showed 1714Km. 1770 from home to back home.

 

[rneal55555]

From my house to my starting gas station is 2 miles. From my ending gas station to my destination is about 2 miles. So my total trip will be 4 miles longer than what my gas station receipts show.

Ok as has been said I plan based on receipt locations and look for any possible shortcuts that need to be marked and depending on the route complexity a 25 to 50 mile buffer.

 

[Gerry Arel]

From my house to my starting gas station is 2 miles. From my ending gas station to my destination is about 2 miles. So my total trip will be 4 miles longer than what my gas station receipts show.

Just to clarify - your starting gas receipt and your ending gas receipts (DBRs) are your actual start and finish. Those ODO pics are the ones that count. I'd add miles, as Ira suggested.
Good luck on the ride!

 

[Gatey]

1230km to a start docket for the main game. Tis what it is.
Most of my rides have had between 60 and 140km spare up the sleeve due to nothing more than an available DBR at both ends and the route I want to take for a looksee. A 2000/24 had I think 48km extra on a very easily verifiable route. It had about 90km to the start docket before the game began.
So I understand the issue well. Some days thats how a plan plays out.
As Ira has posted 2-3% I would add maybe 5% for a more complex route and stiffen up the "corners" to a minimum for clarity for the Verification Team.

 

[XYZZY]

I worry about this sort of thing all the time. I know that my odo is off, but I don't know by how much. This weekend, a friend (newly minted IBA member) and I are going to do the Ride Around Louisiana. Luckily, the final mileage isn't the metric, so I can be off a little. However, if the weather gods are in our favor, I'll get a nested SS1000 on our way to completing the circuit of approx 1200 miles. Will my Spotwalla track with Scenic.app gpx file, be good enough for the SS1000 documentation? I plan to post my fuel receipts to Spotwalla in real time.

 

[Stephen!]

I worry about this sort of thing all the time. I know that my odo is off, but I don't know by how much. This weekend, a friend (newly minted IBA member) and I are going to do the Ride Around Louisiana. Luckily, the final mileage isn't the metric, so I can be off a little. However, if the weather gods are in our favor, I'll get a nested SS1000 on our way to completing the circuit of approx 1200 miles. Will my Spotwalla track with Scenic.app gpx file, be good enough for the SS1000 documentation? I plan to post my fuel receipts to Spotwalla in real time.

Make sure you demarc the Start and Finish of your SS1k with accurate DBRs. Fuel receipts would probably be safest.

 

[igneouss]

Start DBR. End DBR. A DBR every 350 miles or less. Spotwalla adds confidence but the minimum DBRs are still likely required. Spotwalla also helps if one of your intermediate DBRs is not perfect or if you need to prove you took some strange construction detour. Understand that the folks certifying your effort will look at the SHORTEST route between DBRs to calculate mileage. It's on you to make sure you have intermediate DBRs that support your claimed ride. Also suggest you get in the habit of writing odometer and GPS miles on each DBR and photographing it with the ODO visible in the picture. Make things easy for the approvers...

 

[EricV]

I worry about this sort of thing all the time. I know that my odo is off, but I don't know by how much. This weekend, a friend (newly minted IBA member) and I are going to do the Ride Around Louisiana. Luckily, the final mileage isn't the metric, so I can be off a little. However, if the weather gods are in our favor, I'll get a nested SS1000 on our way to completing the circuit of approx 1200 miles. Will my Spotwalla track with Scenic.app gpx file, be good enough for the SS1000 documentation? I plan to post my fuel receipts to Spotwalla in real time.

Here is the simple facts; No one cares what your odo reads. It's not used to calculate the distance of your ride, ever. It's a comparative tool for documentation, that's all. Plan your route from the starting gas station to the ending gas station on a mapping program or Google Maps, make sure you have the 2-3% mileage buffer recommended and ride your ride. Note that if you do a Google Maps route from your start to your end locations and it's less than you want, adjust your route and document the corners to prove you didn't follow the shorter route.

No, your Spotwalla track will not be good enough. It's good secondary documentation, but your Dated Business Receipts with the correct info on them are your primary documentation and what will be used to calculate and confirm your ride distances.

 

[Russ Black]

I'd go to the Wawa station @ 1215 Missouri Ave N, Largo, FL 33770 for my ending DBR. It will give you 1520 miles and is open 24
hours. There is also a ATM at the bank across the street if for some reason the station is closed.

 

[Jerry L. Stevens]

I plan my rides via the mapping I will turn in by way of fuel receipts. I think the closest I have recorded was 1025 miles for a SS1000. Usually I add 50 per day of the ride when mapping. I never go by just the ODO, either the motorcycle or the GPS. I run the mapping. I have never had a ride rejected. SPOT helps a lot.