New IBA Rider Ride qualification question
- Thread starter fssnew
- Start date
The purpose of the prerequisite rides is to give the rider some understanding of what it really takes to do the more extreme rides. The fact that you documented and submitted a "qualifier" ride is sufficient, regardless if it gets approved or not, because you now have that sense of what it takes. Lots of riders will ride 600 or 700 miles in a day and think "This is easy... I can easily do 1,500 miles in 24 hours!" and bite off way more than they can chew having never even done a 1,000 mile day.
Because the last 100 miles of any ride is waayyy harder than the first 100 miles...and the longer/harder you go, the truer this becomes...
Cheers!
MidTNJasonF
Premier Member
I have never participated in the IBR so I your level of experience is above and beyond mine but I have not found this to be the case in any of my IBA rides so far. It might just be the case with me but every long ride I have done from just a tour to something like a 50CC has had the same pattern.
First 200~300 miles carries a mental stress level. Getting settled on the bike, going over the plan in my brain way to many times, and playing the "what did I forget or miss" game in my head up and through the first fuel stop.
From 300~600 miles I get in to a good mental and physical groove. The kinks are worked out and I am comfortable on the bike.
Somewhere around 600~800 miles I will hit some short of wall. A few body aches start to settle in as I get a bit stiff and mental focus is slipping slightly. I normally take a slightly longer break around this time, eat something, and stretch with a walk around the area.
From 800~1200 is the golden range. I am normally enjoying the ride more now than at any time previous in the day. My second wind is kicking in at this point and I remember why I enjoy doing this stuff.
My first SS1000 was just over 1200 miles on the bike getting to and back home from my start location and at 600 miles into the SS100 or about 700 miles for the day I would not have told you I would make the full 1000 miles. In fact I stopped for a long lunch and called my witness/scorer (this was a MTF sponsored SS1000) and told him I was struggling and considering tapping out. I pushed on after that extended lunch break and had one of the best rides I had ever had at that point for the rest of the trip. I was winding through the mountains with the sun at my back, the roads were fairly empty and the temperatures were great. Once I made the turn toward home and was on a familiar stretch of road the miles evaporated so fast I was at the finish point so quickly I almost forgot to get my last fuel receipt. I made the ~100 miles home after the SS1000 was done and check in was complete with ease and could have easily gone another 200+ miles on top of that. I honestly had a bit of trouble falling asleep once home.
That pattern has held for every long ride I have done. The only exception to that is on a multi day long ride. By the 3rd or 4th morning that mental stress of getting settled and playing the brain games disappears. At that point the groove has kicked in and it is more like settling right into that 300~600 mile single day zone from kick stand up.
I think everyone's ride is going to be a bit different. This goes for the "the best time to start" an IBA ride discussion as well.
Since the easy/hard conversation is about the difference between an SS1k and a more extreme ride like an actual BBG and not about the last 100 miles of an SS1k, when you have done a BBG (or more) come on back and tell us how easy that last 100 miles was.
Agreed. I just finished my first BBG on the way back from the BMW Rally in Redmond. Of course my stopping point receipt came with the last hour being rained and hailed on. It was brutal. Since the weather was so bad and there was no place around to rest without being rained on I continued on home for a SS2000 gold, albeit at a slower pace.
MidTNJasonF
Premier Member
I get it, my point is not everyone does or will hit a "wall" at the same point in a ride. I have fairly regularly done ~1300 mile days in the 18 to 20 hour ballpark. One of those was during a BB1500 and again during a 50CC. My "pattern" held true through those instances. My wall has never come at the end of a ride. It has always come at 2/3~3/4 of the way through. I have ridden more than 24 hours straight although not for a cert or for a specific mileage but in point/bonus style rally events and again it was never the 23rd hour that was the problem for me either.
Barring something like Schpark mentioned, extreme weather or road conditions, the last 100 miles may not necessarily be the hardest miles for everyone.
The main thing when talking about the differences between say 800 and 1k miles is aimed at the riders just getting into LD riding. For a rider that's never ridden more than 2-300 miles at a time, 1k is a daunting task. For riders that have already knocked out multiple 500 mile days, doubling that hopefully gives them pause and they consider the things that started to bother them on the 500 mile days and what can be done about those.
Little things become bigger issues when you spend more time in the saddle. Everyone is different and has different tolerances for discomfort. Some riders find a zone and breeze through the last few hundred miles. Others suffer every little ache and pain and it's a real challenge to keep going.
Safe LD riding is about learning to identify the things that bother you while riding and correct them. Either by physical changes, changes to your routine, diet, hydration or sleep methods. The other part of riding safely is listening to your body and what it needs. Learning to judge when you really just need some sleep instead of trying to push through micro sleep events or nodding/zoning out. Some people will take a short nap and be invigorated. Others won't be able to get restive and restorative sleep next to the bike.
All of this goes back to why the IBA wants riders to work up to extreme rides and not just try and jump into that first. Doing a SS1K or BB1500 ride teaches the rider a lot in most cases and those lessons learned and likely changes made go a long way to a successful BBG or other extreme ride after that. And sometimes the lesson learned is that the rider doesn't want to do a BBG or extreme ride. That's a safety gained moment too.
Little things become bigger issues when you spend more time in the saddle. Everyone is different and has different tolerances for discomfort. Some riders find a zone and breeze through the last few hundred miles. Others suffer every little ache and pain and it's a real challenge to keep going.
Safe LD riding is about learning to identify the things that bother you while riding and correct them. Either by physical changes, changes to your routine, diet, hydration or sleep methods. The other part of riding safely is listening to your body and what it needs. Learning to judge when you really just need some sleep instead of trying to push through micro sleep events or nodding/zoning out. Some people will take a short nap and be invigorated. Others won't be able to get restive and restorative sleep next to the bike.
All of this goes back to why the IBA wants riders to work up to extreme rides and not just try and jump into that first. Doing a SS1K or BB1500 ride teaches the rider a lot in most cases and those lessons learned and likely changes made go a long way to a successful BBG or other extreme ride after that. And sometimes the lesson learned is that the rider doesn't want to do a BBG or extreme ride. That's a safety gained moment too.
So, my club has rides that mirror the IBR, which I completed the 1000, 12000 in 24hrs and 1500 in 36hrs. so now i have completed the SS1000, and looking forward to completing the BBG in preparation for the HOKA HEY. I would suggest though if you are not used to riding long distance to start with a 600 ride and work your way up. also make sure your stead is ready for it as well.
Did you receive the initial response that it was received? It's not uncommon for certs to take longer depending on the team that gets it and their backlog.
David Goebel
Premier Member
EdChagra, if you're not yet a Premier member, then summer time submissions by Mail can take 3 - 4 months to turn around. I don't think the turn around time for non-Premier electronic submissions is likely a bit shorter, but if you sent it in Aug 8, you've got some time to learn patience with the process.
Corbinb564
Member
Yes,This could mean making physical adjustments, tweaking your riding routine, or optimizing factors like diet, hydration, and sleep. Equally important is tuning in to your body’s signals—knowing when you genuinely need rest instead of pushing through micro-sleep episodes, zoning out, or nodding off.
This thread obviously goes back a couple of years but for those that are looking into joining the IBA with their first ride, I encourage you to do it. It gives your motorcycling a purpose (even if relatively mundane) and that makes the rides come alive to you. Submit your first SS1000 and be patient. It will take 3 months and sometimes longer for the certification process to happen and that first ride is a hurdle. It seems difficult but after doing it subsequent rides become easier.
I would also make a plug for premier membership. After that first ride just sign up for premier plus membership. It gives you direct email access to the premier team and gives you spotwalla for free (included with premier plus membership). You can start tracking your rides and you can submit future rides with less than 3-4 minutes of work after your last gas stop. Straightforward submissions can be certified within a day of submission and then they show up in your IBA ride listing. It takes almost all of the "work" out of submitting a ride so you can focus on ride planning and execution and you no longer need to worry about any hurdles surrounding the submission itself. Next thing you know you will be bagging rides all over the CONUS and it adds a new dimension to motorcycling!
If anyone wants help, advice, or even wants to ride their first or their hundredth ride with another IBA member then dont hesitate to reach out to me or any of the other veterans in the group. We love helping new members get their footing in a wonderful sport and pastime.
I would also make a plug for premier membership. After that first ride just sign up for premier plus membership. It gives you direct email access to the premier team and gives you spotwalla for free (included with premier plus membership). You can start tracking your rides and you can submit future rides with less than 3-4 minutes of work after your last gas stop. Straightforward submissions can be certified within a day of submission and then they show up in your IBA ride listing. It takes almost all of the "work" out of submitting a ride so you can focus on ride planning and execution and you no longer need to worry about any hurdles surrounding the submission itself. Next thing you know you will be bagging rides all over the CONUS and it adds a new dimension to motorcycling!
If anyone wants help, advice, or even wants to ride their first or their hundredth ride with another IBA member then dont hesitate to reach out to me or any of the other veterans in the group. We love helping new members get their footing in a wonderful sport and pastime.