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New England Group Saddlesore June 9, 2012

rob nye

Ritalin Poster Boy
Greetings,

It's that time of year, the time when thoughts turn to summer riding plans.

The group known as the NELDR (Northeast Long Distance Riders) are once again delighted to present the Minuteman 1000, 24hrs of New England.

Started in 2004, the Minuteman 1000 has evolved into one of the top endurance events in the Northeast and one of only rallies in North America where riders can earn a Saddle Sore 1000 certificate and experience all the challenges of an open rally at the same time.

The Minuteman 1000 is geared toward the novice LD Rider with plenty of opportunities for big dogs to "screw the pooch." Our rally staff is eager to help and with over 15 Iron Butt Rallies (including third in 2011) there aren't a whole lot of LD related questions we can't help with. Our goal is to welcome like minded folks with an event tailored to making your first 1k day fun and memorable.

Here is a map showing the 2010 rally.
The Saddle Sore Route is shown and the red flags represent bonus locations.
Saddle Sore riders are not required to obtain bonus locations or collect points.
The route is run clockwise to get the northern portion done in daylight.
Click map for larger image.



Friday afternoon we open with registration followed by a banquet. After dinner we have a brief meeting to go over details. The ride starts Saturday morning. Sunday morning we start with scoring and end with a wonderful brunch where we award certificates and prizes. Because the route has been certified by the IBA riders who complete the ride are presented with their certificate, pin and plate frame at brunch Sunday.

Thanks to our sponsor,
Max BMW Motorcycles riders get great meals,
prizes and swag.

160859177_i2TKR-S.jpg



To get a better feel of the weekend I suggest you read a blog post by Stephen Pivonka. The Minuteman was his first LD ride and he came away with second place in the Saddle Sore 1000 division. Read his blog.

If all you want is to get your first Saddle Sore certificate and instant membership in the Iron Butt Association we've got you covered, you don't need to take photos, hang a flag, answer questions or navigate to out of the way spots. We provide a base route, specific locations to obtain the receipts (and pint of real Vermont Maple Syrup) and all the information you need to have a successful ride. If that isn't enough our sponsor, Max BMW Motorcycles is only a mile or so off the Saddle Sore route and he stays open late to support the riders by providing food, drink and a place to rest for a bit.

Stop here for some syrup and say hi to the farmer, he rides an F650.
743433352_JceyU-S.jpg


For all the details please visit the Minuteman 1000 website.

Have a kilo-mile day!

Best,

Rob Nye
Rallymaster, Minuteman 1000
www.minuteman1000.com
 
Did it 2 years ago - the Saddle Sore - and it was a blast

My wife is joining me as pillion this year and hoping do the Saddle Sore with possible bonus adds - her Nav skills are orders of magnitude better than mine

This is a fantastic event!
 
I thought about doing it / one last yr. then I got some back issues & was living on Oxy. - off the Oxy. now but had 2 epidural so far Nov. & Jan. feeling better, bike is off the rd. for the winter & had a faring re painted do to a tip over.
 
I have a few neophyte questions:

1. For the SS (or even the 24hr), do people nap/sleep or ride it straight out? How long does the average "regular Joe" take to complete the 1k miles?

I've done some endurance bicycling and I'm toast after about 9 hours but that's burning calories continuously. Not sure what to expect on a MC. Fatigue at 60 mph is a lot worse than falling over on a bike at 15mph!

2. Tell me about logistics. I imagine you get to the start a day early so you're rested. Do people ride home on Sunday after the brunch or do they need to crash (no pun intended) and ride home Monday?

3. Is it all map-based or can you use a GPS? I thought I read somewhere on the site No GPS but elsewhere it mentions loading the coordinates for the bonus stops. Is it a difficult navigational challenge?

4. How self sufficient, mechanically, must one be? I've read posts elsewhere of people bringing pounds of tools and spare parts on long distance events. Other than fixing a flat, I'm not the guy who's gonna wrench on his bike during a trip. Is that a problem?

Thank you in advance.
 
I have a few neophyte questions:

Good morning Bobonli.

These are great questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

1. For the SS (or even the 24hr), do people nap/sleep or ride it straight out? How long does the average "regular Joe" take to complete the 1k miles?

Quick answer: It all depends on the rider. Longer answer: In most if not all LD events there is a rest bonus and the point value is high enough that you can't do well without taking it. For the Saddlesore you don't need to worry about points unless you want to go for a prize. A rider who never stops except for gas will complete the route in 16 to17 hours, but there is absolutely no benefit to finishing that quickly. The route is set up so you can visit Max BMW in New Hampshire in the early evening. He provides food, drink and a few places you can take a quick power nap. I'd say the average rider does the route in about 20 hours.

I've done some endurance bicycling and I'm toast after about 9 hours but that's burning calories continuously. Not sure what to expect on a MC. Fatigue at 60 mph is a lot worse than falling over on a bike at 15mph!

Yes it is but if you can pedal a bicycle for 9 I bet you can ride a motorcycle much longer than you think. The most important thing about being a successful LD rider is knowing when to say when. In the Iron Butt we have a saying "take time to make time". Getting tired? Pull off, find a soft spot and take a 25 minute power nap. No longer or you drop into REM sleep and it's really, really, really hard to wake up and be alert. Don't do the red bull crap, take a nap for the same amount of time you would have stood around chugging energy drinks and you'll be much happier 40 minutes later.

2. Tell me about logistics. I imagine you get to the start a day early so you're rested. Do people ride home on Sunday after the brunch or do they need to crash (no pun intended) and ride home Monday?

You are required to be at the host hotel Friday afternoon for registration and a quick odometer check ride. We have a fantastic dinner and after the meal the 24hr riders are released to go plan and we have a brief discussion about the Saddlesore route, documentation and all that. Saddlesore riders can get to bed by 9 if they so choose.

Saturday morning impound starts at 05:00; smart riders park their bike in impound the night before, the bike has to be in the lot by 05:00 but the rider can still be in bed. At 05:30 we have a brief rider's meeting (last updates, etc) and at 6 the first bikes leave. We record your actual start time so your 24hr clock starts when you cross the start line.

Chances are you'll get back to the hotel between 03:00 and 05:00 Sunday morning. Scoring opens at 5 and closes at 9. Some folks keep a room Saturday night so they can get a good rest before brunch with is at 10:00. There is also a pool area with a few lounges and various spots around the common areas that folks nap in. The hotel is pretty good about this but if you have a way to go after the ride I'd suggest you keep a room Saturday night. We have a google group where folks can line up others to share a room.

3. Is it all map-based or can you use a GPS? I thought I read somewhere on the site No GPS but elsewhere it mentions loading the coordinates for the bonus stops. Is it a difficult navigational challenge?

We support and encourage the use of GPS, I'd say it would be very difficult to have a good ride in the 24hr rally without one. For the Saddlesore 1k the navigation is very straight forward, you could easily do it off one map of New England.

NB: The route we provide for the Saddlesore is a recommended route. You do not have to follow the route turn by turn, all you need to do is obtain the required proof of visiting the corners. You could input the coordinates for the four mandatory stops and let your GPS do the work, no matter what you do if you visit each stop you cannot do it in less than 1,000 miles. Personally I'd make sure I was on the fastest (our recommended) route rather than the shortest. We provide all riders with a .GPX file so everyone is on the same page.

4. How self sufficient, mechanically, must one be? I've read posts elsewhere of people bringing pounds of tools and spare parts on long distance events. Other than fixing a flat, I'm not the guy who's gonna wrench on his bike during a trip. Is that a problem?

It all depends on what you ride. When I was a kid I lusted for a Harley because the best mechanics I knew all rode them. :) On a long multi day rally you need to be ready to troubleshoot issues on the road but the real key is to make sure your bike is good to go before you start. The obvious is good tires, the not so obvious is a good battery or not enough of the proper lubricants. If your bike is a little older and you're 1,500 miles away from your next service you might consider getting it done before the start. Our sponsor, Max BMW Motorcycles has stores in Albany, NY and Brookfield, Ct, if you need any pre-ride service they can set you up for first thing Friday morning. I'd also say a decent towing plan is a good value if you start doing LD rides. As always the BMW MOA's Anonymous book is a good resource and we do keep a phone on all night for emergencies but we can't be expected to retrieve breakdowns. Having said this there has never been anyone left on the road.


Thank you in advance.

You are most welcome. I'm happy to answer your questions on line or off. For people that enter we have a Google group that includes the entire rally staff and folks that have ridden the rally in the past. It's a great spot for first timers to ask questions and seek advice.

Best,

Rob Nye
Rallymaster, Minuteman 1000
www.minuteman1000.com
 
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Man this sounds SO tempting. But I do have a couple of chronic health issues that really limit my endurance. :(
 
Man this sounds SO tempting. But I do have a couple of chronic health issues that really limit my endurance. :(

I'm sorry to hear.

Many people with varying degrees of physical challenges have joined the Iron Butt Association.

If you'd like to discuss this via pm or on the phone I'd be happy to help. I could also put you in touch to the person who is the closest thing the IBA has to chief medical officer if you'd like.
 
You are most welcome.

I have such an amazing crew of helpers that it's a ton of fun to put on this event. We have a very high success rate and the awards brunch is always a ton of fun. It's no "closing ceremony" we zip right through, get a few laughs and welcome a bunch of new riders into the Iron Butt Association.

In a few hours I'm hosting breakfast for the rally staff where we're going to talk about how to "Ring the Bell".

While the Saddlesore ride is a simple pass / fail we get some fun out of setting up the twists and turns of the 24hr rally.
:bolt
 
I'm sure I'm just blind, but where is the start/end point?

Never mind...I found it...Northampton...right in my backyard...hard to make excuses not to do it when it's 30 miles from my house.
 
One of our riders put together a most excellent Google Map of the Saddle Sore 1k route.

Also, I'd like to extend a big welcome to riders of the American Motorcycle Rally. They seem to have a lack of understanding as to what the IBA and rides like this are all about so I've extended an invitation for two registered entrants of the AMR to come ride the Minuteman 1000 on me.

The only hitch is they can't be part of the AMR staff and they can't have pipes that are illegal in Massachusetts. :whistle

I'll bet a case of beer none of them take me up on it. :lol

For more see: www.minuteman1000.com
 
Greetings,

Plans for the 2012 Minuteman 1000 are coming along nicely.

While registration closes in a few weeks (May 22) the opportunity for a discounted hotel rooms ends on May 12th, just 9 days from now.
 
A shout out to the Minuteman Rally Staff for putting on another wonderful rally and Saddlesore

Weather was picture picture, the participants were awesome, new friends and acquaintaces made

Top notch job and looking forward to next year already!

Special thanks to the Max's NH store as they provided a nice meal, some rest and a very neccesary BT helmet charge

:thumb:thumb:thumb:thumb:thumb:thumb
 
repost from YB site - written by Rob Nye

Default Yankee Beemer wins 2012 Minuteman 1000

Good morning,

I am delighted to announce that Wallace French is the winner of the 2012 Minuteman 1000.

Wallace made 52 stops (ex gas) in 24 hours and two minutes while riding his RT 1010.4 miles (corrected).

Props also to YB Karl Renniker who finished fourth.

Jack Garvin and his wife rode two up and finished sixth. What makes their ride so impressive is they collected 226650 points while only riding 591.4 miles! This works out to 431.7 points per mile which if this rally was scored on efficiency would have been good enough for first place.

On the entertainment front a round of applause for the Rev. Larry Wright. Rev. Wright (he really is!) rode hard to make it to a special bonus that was time controlled. Arriving with less than 90 seconds to go before not getting 50,000 points Larry sprinted to the bell, whipped out his flag and got the photo. He then rang the bell with one second left so hard the bell went flying. I bet he's never hit anything so hard in his entire life and we got to watch.

All riders met their goals and finished safely. Congratulations to all riders and a big thank you to rally staff for making the eighth running of the Minuteman 1000 one for the ages.
 
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