Houston, Texas Iron Butt participants

#1
Has anyone here from Houston done the IBC, if so what route did you take? I'm seriously planning to do the SaddleSore within the next 4 months and need all the advice and comments (nice) from my Texas wind brothers and sisters.
 

CB650F

Premier Member
#2
IBC?

I'm not from Houston, but a good route from there would be to head over to Fort Stockton, then turn around and go back home. It depends on exactly where you are in Houston though. You may need to go a little farther before turning around to be certain you make the full 1,000 miles. I-10 through Texas should let you make pretty good time. People like to drive fast there.

I would not recommend heading east through Louisiana. Lots of traffic, cops, and construction to deal with.

The SaddleSore 1,000 is easier than you probably think. You only need to average like 40ish MPH. As long as you keep moving, you almost can't fail to make the 24 hour timer. You've got time for a couple of sit down meals during the ride if you stick with interstates. The hard part is staying on the bike for that long. Your butt gets sore. You start looking for excuses to stop. Etc. Etc. Etc. You just need to stay on the bike and put in the miles. Make your stops as short as possible, and only when necessary. Stretch while riding when you can. Stand on the pegs for a little while. Move around on the seat.

What kind of bike are you riding? There's a big difference between a Gold Wing and a Ninja 600 when it comes to IBA rides.
 

Russ Black

Premier Member
#3
I live on the south side of Houston and am in the process of getting my Girlfriend ready to do her first Saddlesore with out me. She has completed SaddleSores as both a passenger and a driver but has never completed one without me. Doing it solo is, in my opinion, is the hardest way to do it. Doing it with someone else is a bit easier because you can motivate each other to stay focused. The next would be going it with someone who has already completed one, and the easiest is to participate in one of the many Ironbutt Rallies such as the Big As Texas Rally coming up in Denison at the end of September Unlike the rides I mentioned above, the route that you will be given to ride during one of these Rallies is not just driving the 1000 miles. These are more of a mico version of the bigger themed rallies. Instead of just collecting fuel receipts from each fuel stop along the way, you are usually given a Rallybook with points that you must visit and it tells you what you must do to get the credit for that stop. Usually its a photo of something with your rally flag in the same photo at the stop. How you determine the route your going to take is up to you. Most use a GPS or at least a navigation app on their smart phone such as Google maps. What ever works for you. Just drive your route, take your photo and when you return to the finish line just show the scorer the photos or what ever else that is required. Pretty easy and very fun as there are usually many riders doing the same route at the same time. You will also get to meet other Ironbutt members with varing levels of accomplishments under their belts. I enjoyed walking the parking lot looking at all the mods these guys have done to their bikes. You have to see it to believe it.

CB650F's advise is good. The Houston - Ft. Stockton - Houston is a very popular one.
 
#4
I would not recommend heading east through Louisiana. Lots of traffic, cops, and construction to deal with.
I went through the northern part of LA on I-20 just 2½ weeks ago doing a SS1K and it was mostly fine. Road was only mildly crappy around Shreveport, but traffic wasn't terrible.

I-10 through the southern part of the state though is probably a huge mess.

Leaving from Houston though, might be slow going getting up to I-20. I dunno, depends on average highway speeds headed north from there.
 
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EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#5
@Shay-D - Welcome to the forum. The most popular rides to do as the first IBA ride are the SS1K and the BB1500. In some ways, the BB1500 is easier, as you have 36 hours and enough time to do a hotel stop in the middle if you need/want to. 18 hours is an average time for the SS1K if you sit there, twist that and take a normal sit down lunch break. This time of year you can start at 3 or 4 am and have nearly the entire ride in daylight. Better to do the darkness when you are fresh, than at the end when you are getting tired.

The route can be anything you want. It's most popular to do out and back rides w/o too much wandering around. Easy to document, easy to plan. Remember to add 5% or so to your 1000 mile route to ensure you are over, rather than under the limit. Plenty of time to get creative once you've got the basics down.

Fort Stockton is just barely enough miles, depending on which side of Houston you're on. If you're on the West side or Central, you might want to go a bit farther to X212 on I-10 and get your turn around receipt at the Valero there, outside of Saragosa. Then on the way back you can relax and get the end receipt on the West side of Houston if you are tight on time or just want to get off the clock before getting closer to home.

Remember if you do the old school paper form method, you don't need to get witness signatures at the exact time of your start and finish. The dated business receipts are you official start and end times. The ODO witnesses can be a reasonable time before and after. Like the night before if you're leaving at 3 am. Or the morning after if you get done at 10 pm and no one is around.

Read the SS1K rules, the Archives of Wisdom and don't be afraid to ask questions.

@CB650F - IBC= Iron Butt Challenge. Not a term we use here, but common in circles where it's a one and done.
 

CB650F

Premier Member
#6
I went through the northern part of LA on I-20 just 2½ weeks ago doing a SS1K and it was mostly fine. Road was only mildly crappy around Vicksburg/Shreveport, but traffic wasn't terrible.

I-10 through the southern part of the state though is probably a huge mess.

Leaving from Houston though, might be slow going getting up to I-20. I dunno, depends on average highway speeds headed north from there.
Yea, I-20 is in much better condition than I-10. It's been a few months since I was down around I-10, but there was lots of construction around Orange (near TX/LA border), and some more around Lake Charles, and some more around Lafayette, and Baton Rouge traffic is always rough. The only time I'd suggest going through southern Louisiana is if you're doing a 50cc, or I-10 E2E and can't reasonably avoid it.

@CB650F - IBC= Iron Butt Challenge. Not a term we use here, but common in circles where it's a one and done.
Oh okay. That makes sense now. Thanks!
 

CB650F

Premier Member
#8
Oh that's perfect. Take Beltway 8 west (or I-69 if traffic is agreeable) down to I-10 then go get lunch in Fort Stockton then head home. 1,040ish miles so plenty of buffer. Nice high speed roads, and no reason to get off I-10 once you get on it. Just remember to get a receipt in San Antonio to prove you didn't go around it, and you'll be golden.

Then, if you enjoy IBA rides, take the same route but go all the way to El Paso and you'll be at 1500 miles for a Bun Burner. Or you can really step up and do the Ride Around Texas. You are practically on that route already. You've got a great home base for IBA riding!

Oh and don't forget to stay hydrated. West of San Antonio is literally a desert. I've ridden through there before and it can be rough. It's hot and dry and dehydration can sneak up on you in a very bad way. If you find yourself thinking about stopping to get a drink, DO IT! That's your body's way of telling you what it needs.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#10
Hyrdate, Hydrate, Hydrate. If you do even 1 more SS1K, consider a Motojug or like product.
Or just roll your own with a $5 Walmart 1/2 gal jug, some tubing from the Hardware store or Home Depot/Lowes, a bite valve, key retractor or card retractor and what ever cheap container you sort out to attach it to the bike where you like. I've bolted everything from dog dishes to pots and cake pans to the pass foot peg or bike somewhere and used straps or bungee cords to keep the jug in the pot. Simple, cheap and it works!
 

Russ Black

Premier Member
#11
If you would like to see more of Texas than the I-10 corridor let me suggest; Humble-South Padre Island-Comfort-Burnet-Humble loop. Most of this first leg and part of the second is the same route used by the Ride Around Texas riders. When planning a route, make sure you have the settings set to the shortest distance and not the fastest time. That is one reason that everyone adds extra distance. The other is the inaccuracy of odometers. Tire sizes effect the odometer reading as well. Most GPS's capture your average speed, max speed, miles traveled etc. That is the most accurate and I reset mine at the start and take a photo of it next to the bikes odo and the starting fuel receipt and then again at the end. Not a requirement, just another check and balance.
 

Russ Black

Premier Member
#12
I left out that after you plan your route using the shortest distance settings and it exceeds 1000 miles, then change the settings back to fastest time and recompute. The shortest distance is usually the "Business Route" that goes straight across the town and the fastest is the new loop that bypasses the town by going around it. I have been told that they use the shortest settings when certifying rides.

I'd be more than happy to help you in anyway I can.
 
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#13
Oh that's perfect. Take Beltway 8 west (or I-69 if traffic is agreeable) down to I-10 then go get lunch in Fort Stockton then head home. 1,040ish miles so plenty of buffer. Nice high speed roads, and no reason to get off I-10 once you get on it. Just remember to get a receipt in San Antonio to prove you didn't go around it, and you'll be golden.

Then, if you enjoy IBA rides, take the same route but go all the way to El Paso and you'll be at 1500 miles for a Bun Burner. Or you can really step up and do the Ride Around Texas. You are practically on that route already. You've got a great home base for IBA riding!

Oh and don't forget to stay hydrated. West of San Antonio is literally a desert. I've ridden through there before and it can be rough. It's hot and dry and dehydration can sneak up on you in a very bad way. If you find yourself thinking about stopping to get a drink, DO IT! That's your body's way of telling you what it needs.
Thanks so much, that was my concern heading West was the heat. I also considered doing the same thing but heading East to Pensacola, but dreading Louisiana traffic.
 
#14
If you would like to see more of Texas than the I-10 corridor let me suggest; Humble-South Padre Island-Comfort-Burnet-Humble loop. Most of this first leg and part of the second is the same route used by the Ride Around Texas riders. When planning a route, make sure you have the settings set to the shortest distance and not the fastest time. That is one reason that everyone adds extra distance. The other is the inaccuracy of odometers. Tire sizes effect the odometer reading as well. Most GPS's capture your average speed, max speed, miles traveled etc. That is the most accurate and I reset mine at the start and take a photo of it next to the bikes odo and the starting fuel receipt and then again at the end. Not a requirement, just another check and balance.

I love that idea, thanks I'll check it out.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#15
Another little tidbit... It's best not to ride East into the sun in the morning, then West into the sun in the evenings. I know a few riders that forgot that when planning cert rides. :p Shouldn't be an issue for your plan.