Gonna ride the East Coast

[ttocsmai65]

Since I finally rode by first Saddlesore 1k I now want to do more and more of them. The first was finally June 1, 2024 from Frederick, MD to Frankfort, KY. Buy a bottle of Bourbon at the local distillery and then head back. 1k in close to 18 hours.
We had scheduled a 1500 mile coming up but some have backed off of it. I plan on doing it myself. Delaware Water Gap (NJ) to Chattanogga, Tennessee and back. I am hoping to do this for the Gold certificate (under 24 hours) but it looks really tight on timing.
Should be a good time. Just wondering what time to leave in the morning to get back early enough.

 

[Stephen!]

Since I finally rode by first Saddlesore 1k I now want to do more and more of them. The first was finally June 1, 2024 from Frederick, MD to Frankfort, KY. Buy a bottle of Bourbon at the local distillery and then head back. 1k in close to 18 hours.
We had scheduled a 1500 mile coming up but some have backed off of it. I plan on doing it myself. Delaware Water Gap (NJ) to Chattanogga, Tennessee and back. I am hoping to do this for the Gold certificate (under 24 hours) but it looks really tight on timing.
Should be a good time. Just wondering what time to leave in the morning to get back early enough.

If you hold the same pace as your SS1k, you will need 27 hours for 1,500 miles. (1,000 miles in 18 hours = 55.55 mph overall average)

To get the 1,500 in 24 hours you will need to bump that average up to at least 62.5 mph.

As for when to leave, that is something each rider has to figure out for themselves. On a ride like a BBG, particularly one on that side of the Really Big Island, it is best to expect to use the entire allowed 24 hours and if you get it done quicker, great!

 

[Gerry Arel]

Since I finally rode by first Saddlesore 1k I now want to do more and more of them. The first was finally June 1, 2024 from Frederick, MD to Frankfort, KY. Buy a bottle of Bourbon at the local distillery and then head back. 1k in close to 18 hours.
We had scheduled a 1500 mile coming up but some have backed off of it. I plan on doing it myself. Delaware Water Gap (NJ) to Chattanogga, Tennessee and back. I am hoping to do this for the Gold certificate (under 24 hours) but it looks really tight on timing.
Should be a good time. Just wondering what time to leave in the morning to get back early enough.

Assuming your looking at a BBG (1500/24) he good news is that you're on the correct side of the greater NYC time suck. From your home to Chattanooga its a pretty easy shot. I've done BBGs from CT to TN and back and have to time it to get through the city area while ensuring that I can get back through it 22 hrs later.

Knowing your own sleep cycles and 'tired times' will help answer the question of what time to leave. For me, I like leaving on a BBG just after sunrise, knowing that as I'm nearing the end of the ride the sun is coming up and it helps me through those last 2-3 hours.

Plan on using the whole 24 hours. BBGs are tough on the east coast - especially with Virginia being a lot of the miles.

 

[Crafty_rider]

BBGs are tough on the east coast

^^^^^^^
This...!!

I had a friend attempt a BBG several times east of the Mississippi and I kept telling him that it is easier west of the Big River and because he had never ridden there, he did not understand...

Then we rode to Denver and he understood...

Cheers!

 

[EricV]

BBG start times vary widely. Keep in mind when you're going through any large metro area and if you need/want to avoid rush hour there. That can dictate when you start.

I started one at 10pm for a couple of reasons. I was able to ride to my start location a few hours from the house and get a hotel early check in, have some food and get a good sleep before getting up at 9 pm. Working graveyard shift for ~20 years helps me day sleep. And being comfortable sleeping with earplugs. For that ride my end location was .5 mile from home.

The 10pm start meant my night riding with critter goggles on was when I was at my most rested, and that my finish was only just after sunset. I did not enjoy the last hour of traffic/headlights where I couldn't use my lights as much and had to deal with glare from oncoming cars in the evening. I was on dark two lane roads w/o any streetlights for the entire ride.

Check the night time temps for the areas you expect to be riding in. You may need/want heated gear/layers during the night. Especially any river gorges or mountain passes.

I have also started at 10 am and that gave me a night stretch of divided multi-lane interstate with easy gas stops and low stress, finishing in full daylight when I needed to deal with more city traffic at the end. That was a smooth BBG.

For me, being aware of your riding conditions at the end is just as important as starting rested. Some riders like to start at 3am, but that means you're finishing in the witching hours and when more things are closed, so you need to verify your end receipt location prior to doing the ride. It sucks to try to find an alternate receipt location at 2:50 am with the clock ticking down.

 

[Marc11]

Night temps is good advice; I once left for a BBG at 11 pm on what I assumed would be a warm July evening. 70 miles in I was in fog so thick I couldn't go above 10 mph on the interstate. After two hours I called it and went home.

 

[Dave28117]

I mapped my route and planned my times based on the worst city I had to go through which was Atlanta. My route went from Charlotte NC to Cambridge OH, west through Columbus and on over to Indianapolis, then heading south to Birmingham AL before returning up through Atlanta and back home.

I started on Friday morning as I figured a week day would have more predicable traffic (rush hours). Atlanta would be my worst situation, so I planned my route based on coming through ATL around 4 to 6 AM on Saturday morning. Based on that, I left Charlotte about 10 AM on Friday after rush hour was done. I hit ATL about 5 AM and breezed through there. I was right at 23 hours completing my route.

The big thing is to have water and food on-board in order to minimize stops. I was able to get 250 on a tank of gas. that's a bit over 3 hours in the saddle, which was enough for me and my bladder. Stops consisted of gas, bathroom, grab a bottle of fluids and put it in my cup holder, and grab a snack of some sort in my coat pocket, and off I went. I ate and drank fluids while on the move.

Good luck with your plans and trip!

FWIW, I also completed a BBG while attempting an I40E2E trip. Wilmington NC to Shamrock TX using the same approach.

 

[rneal55555]

I ... I ate and drank fluids while on the move..

Exactly, the key to a BBG is keeping the wheels turning.
.

 

[Doug Just Doug]

If your plan includes US209 thru the Water Gap, be aware that it is teeming with deer, particularly during the lightly-traveled times of day and night (no surprise there.) Also, the road surface varies year-to-year from "decent" to "I need a MXer for this shit." Never puts me off for a non-timed ride, mind you.

 

[Mike721]

I've never done that exact ride but I did do a BBG that was pretty close, I went from Phillipsburg, NJ to Dalton, GA and back, 1536 miles in about 23 hours. Which roads were you planning on using? I did mine on I78, I81, I40, I75 and the time was pretty good.. try it out on google maps or whatever you use.
I've had good luck with i81 which is the bulk of the ride.
EDIT.. I forgot I had a write up for this ride, which was my first BBG. this should take you there if your curious..
https://forum.ironbutt.org/index.php?threads/bbg-1500-success.3475/