One Way, Round Florida, - All-in-Florida SS1000 Part 1 Prep

Well, IÔÇÖve gone and done it now. I have decided (and been accepted) to participate in my first Iron Butt event. The BMW Motorcycle Club of North East Florida (those friendly folks that bring you a fantastic rally each year at Camp Blanding) have decided to have a Saddle Sore 1000 on Feb 28th. Just a simple email asking to join (with a few references and minor resume included) and IÔÇÖm gold. I have been back riding regularly for about 9 years. I always wanted to try a distance event and thought I would like to try rallies (competed in SCCA local car rallies for years). There was no real reason it took so long, other than I am a Wuss. (I admit it, IÔÇÖm a Wuss - with a capital ÔÇÿWÔÇÖ mind you. The only thing that can override my ÔÇÿwussinessÔÇÖ is my lack of perspective. That may seem a little on the mutually exclusive side, and I suppose it is. Once I get it in my head IÔÇÖm going to do something, it is pretty much over. It manifests itself disturbingly like a motorcycle riderÔÇÖs version of a redneckÔÇÖs ÔÇÿwatch thisÔÇÖ, except it takes longer, giving me lots of time to think it over. With that said, I am committed.

ÔÇÿyou talk the talk, do you walk the walkÔÇÖ ÔÇôanimal mother, Full Metal Jacket 1987
BTW, This is probably the most misquoted line, ever. I have read ÔÇÿAgainst the WindÔÇÖ and the accumulated wisdom on the IBA website. If I could recall every word and punctuation mark, if I could relate every item in proper context and format, it would not replace 12 hours straight on the road. You can plan, dream, project yourself into a situation, but you can never truly prepare yourself for the event. I consider myself an advanced rider. To me that is four ÔÇÿAnysÔÇÖ (Any Road, Any Hour, Any Weather, Any Traffic). I would expect that a very large percentage of BMW riders could say the same. I also expect that I will have tested every one of those before the event ends.

As soon as I knew I could participate, I began the planning process. I immediately sat down and wrote a list of items that are must-haves for a successful trip (I.E. a list of tasks to complete before the event begins, a review of the route/roads being traversed duri9ng the event and a contingency plan for each of the things that might happen during the event). I read all the literature on the IBA website about good LD riding, on suggestions for comfort, safety and the planning for the unexpected. I re-read David HoughÔÇÖs books again just to be sure I was up-to-date, and gave the motorcycle a thorough going over to be sure it was ready for the trip. When the trip is done, I am sure this will have been the most important 10 minutes I spent. Since I still have 10 days until the event, I have plenty of time to obsess, second guess and generally wonder what the hell I am doing. To keep some discernable order, I am going to try to stick to my list (this actually took most of my 10 minute prep).

Bike Prep
I have just over 18K on the original Metzlers, so I figure it is time to pony up for a new set of tires. I could probably get another 1K-2K from these but since this is a big deal (and somebody might do a tech inspection or something), IÔÇÖll get them done. I am also due for a 6K at the same time. I called Tom High at Rennesport in Deland and he will did it all on Friday morning (2/20). Aside from that and possibly swapping the stock windshield for a Cal Sci Medium, the RT will go as is. The reader may think that sounds a little light for prep riding a SaddleSore. I have traveled the 600+ mile round trip Jacksonville-Loganville-Jacksonville every weekend for over 5 years, 90+% of the time on this and two previous RTs. On the other hand, This will be my first day over 450 miles in a very long time.



On Gear
Do I have the right stuff?
I read on the IBA site about underwear. Should I stick it out with my old reliable tighty-whiteys or spring for the $50 super-wicking, moisture-absorbing, temperature-sensing, ultra-comfortable, need-no-monkey-butt-powder super drawers. As I thought through it, I decided not, if only for the reason I might be tempted to tell everyone I meet all about the wonderful experience I am having with them. I donÔÇÖt think IÔÇÖll have the kind of time needed to truly do them justice considering I will probably encounter a hundred or so new friends not to mention the cashiers at every Jiffy Mart along the way.

For the trip, I plan to wear my normal riding outfit for fall/winter/spring. I have gotten comfortable with a First Gear Thermo one-piece Hypertex suit over the last two years. I always wear gloves, boots, and a Schuberth C2. I will carry extra socks and a heated vest. Mostly I will wear a combination of fleece sweatshirt and/or the heated vest. I have a scarf (muffler to you guys in the north) and a balaclava (balaclava to you guys in the north) to seal up and three sets of gloves from light to extreme. The temperatures both ways on my tune-up will be colder than expected in the event. I want to be absolutely sure I can stay warm. I have ridden this same gear 150+ miles at ~35 degrees and all day in pouring rain at 50-60 degrees with no issues. IÔÇÖm pretty sure it is good to go as far as cold, wet or wet/cold weather is concerned. If it is warmer (> 75 degrees on the south end while traveling 11am-3pm across South Florida ÔÇô West Palm to Sarasota) I will shift to a mesh jacket with/without fleece. For warm weather rain, I have a two piece rain suit that can cover the mesh jacket.


Route Planning
From the map published by Martin, the event coordinator, the trip will leave Jacksonville at between 6 and 8 am and travel south on I-95 to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood area. From there it will travel to I-75 west (dogleg through the Everglades) and north all the way to Lake City and I-10. From there we will follow I-10 West to Tallahassee, turn around and follow I-10 East back to Jacksonville and the end point. I have traveled all these roads before, much of the course many times over the years. The section from the east coast over to near Sarasota on I-75 will be the least familiar. The total distance for the event is estimated to be 1059 miles expected to be ~15 hours riding time without planning for any stops. From the sections I know, it should be relatively easy to average 65-70 MPH with a few notable exceptions. West Palm Beach south to where I-75 starts should be interesting on early Saturday afternoon. That section is like Forrest GumpÔÇÖs box of chocolates, you never know what youÔÇÖll get. The Section of I-75 Above Wildwood (where the Florida Turnpike joins northbound) will see a significant increase in traffic, but as I recall, it is still 4 lane until above Gainsville. There are also construction areas on I-95, I-75 and later on I-10 that will be of concern, although they should be inactive on weekends. On the whole, the trip should be mostly quiet. Traffic tends to stay moving for most of the planned route, and can really scream from Daytona south to WPB on I-95 and from Sarasota up to the I-10 on I-75. These two sections promise the fastest average speeds. Leaving at 8am, we will reach WPB sometime about noon, and hopefully be in Tallahassee by around 11 pm.

Planned and expected Stops
I am only going to be out for one day (it is all over in 24 hours regardless), so I plan to be as self-contained as possible. That includes all needed food and drink. This will have a significant effect on the number and timing of stops during the event. I will have to stop for fuel 5 times (4 mandatory and 1 for distance). I have no trouble keeping fuel stops to 10-15 minutes each on my weekly commute so IÔÇÖll use that as the average. I will expect to take a 30 minute break at about 6-7 hours (Naples?) and another 1 hour break at about 14 hours (Tallahassee before the turn east). These may / may not happen depending on circumstances and may / may not coincide with fuel stops. These are the approximate arrivals as I expect them (minus the 1.5 hours of rest stops), although the times will vary according to conditions (and luck) as the event progresses. I will probably be able to leave the start earlier than 8am, maybe even before 7am. If that is true, I will most likely run at least until sundown, increasing the 3 stops to 20 mins each, before my first longer rest stop.

Stop # Approx Time of arrival
Start 8:00 am Jacksonville Beach, FL**
First Fuel * 12:30-1:15PM West Palm Bch, FL**
Second Fuel 2:30-4:30 PM Naples, Fl**
Third Fuel 6:30-8:30PM Wildwood, Fl
Fourth Fuel 10:00-12:30PM Tallahassee, FL**
Fifth (End) Stop 1:30-3:30AM Jacksonville Beach, FL**

*That first stop is 290+ miles. It will be the single longest stretch on the trip. I have gone ~280 a few times so it should be good to go if I get a good fill at start.
** Mandatory Stops

Weather
As the trip gets closer, I am starting to plan for the expected weather. Outside of some judicious thinking, probably not much I can do here. I expect to start at around 50 degrees in Jacksonville Beach. Temps will slowly increase as I go south. If I can keep to schedule, I will see 75+ degrees somewhere near/past West Palm Beach, and the hottest temps will be west across Alligator Alley and up to Sarasota on the northbound leg. I should see full dark somewhere around Wildwood/Ocala, with temps back to around 60 degrees by Lake City. Some Rain is expected across the Florida PanHandle on Sat evening/Sun morning early with temps in the 50s by 9-10 pm. It should stay in the 50s all the way back east to Jacksonville Beach and the end of the trip.

Item List

Tool Kit
Extra Oil (.5 quart)
Flashlight (2) small and large
Tire Repair Kit (1)
First Gear Thermo Suit (1)*
First Gear Rain Jacket (1)
First Gear Rain Pants (1)
Fieldsheer Mesh Jacket
Gloves (4 Pair) One fingerless, One leather, One medium winter*, One heavy winter
Extra Socks (1 Pair)*
Fleece Sweatshirt (1)*
Heated Vest and Coiled Cord (1)
Balaclava (1)
Woolen Scarf (1)
Sunscreen
ChapStick
Florida Map (1)

5 Bottled Water (16 oz)
5 GatorAid (12 Oz)
Fruit (Bananas, Apples, Peaches, Oranges (whatever is available)
Mixed Nuts
Sandwiches (4) ÔÇô 2 PBJ, 2 Salami/cheese
Cooler (Softside w/ICE)

24 hours to go

Ok, < 24 hours till start. Final prep will be in two areas only now. Last checks for the RT and final packing. All the non-perishable items are packed. I have separated all the tools, spares, etc into the left Saddlebag. All extra clothes, etc into the right. I will carry extra bottled stuff split between the two. Into the topcase will be the cooler packed with fruit, ready drinks, snack bags (trailmix, nuts mostly), and sandwiches (which I'll make last thing tonight). I'll also put ready clothing and misc stuff there too. This will consist of the things I will want to get to on my standard fuel stop. I will charge Camera, MP3 player, Cel Phone(s) and be sure flashlights are fully functioning. Checked tires, oil level and washed the RT yesterday (it was the 26th afterall, once a month whether it needs it or not). Tire pressure and oil level have not changed since the service about 300 miles ago. I'll check them once more tomorrow morning just before leaving. Weather reports are becoming more accurate as the event gets closer. Looks like it will be warmer than originally thought for the daytime run, starting in the mid-high 50s and getting to mid 80s on the southern leg. Winds look to be headwinds most all the way (except for the Eastbound I-10 leg, they'll be tail winds) with SSW (~20) winds in the morning along the east coast and a cold front moving across toward Tallahassee in the afternoon evening bring NNW (~25-30) winds and the possibility of severe thunderstorms followed by a significant drop in temps after dark, From low 80s on Saturday to mid 40s late Sat/early Sun. Only issues I can see these really cause are I may elect to fuel on the trip to WPB due to headwinds and when the weather starts to close, I'll plan a long stop to reconfigure gear and button up. It is supposed to be moving very fast so I may have to take a delay in westbound I-10 leg or in Tallahassee and wait for it to pass. With that, I have made all the productive plansl I can, everything else will be tactical changes along the route. There look to be about 10 riders participating so good luck to us all..

I've traveled all those roads before...grew up in FL. So how did it go?

Part 3

Well, I'm done. First let me say thanks to Martin Cook of Bmw Owners of Northeast Florida. His route selection and tips/tricks made the event both possible and doable. All of the riders who started, finished and will ultimately receive their IBA certification for the event.
I arrived at the starting point a few minutes before 6am. The start/finish was a Gate Station on 3rd Street in south Jacksonville Beach. Martin, who I had only met on email, came up, introduced himself and proceeded to get my paperwork in order for the start of the event. After checking the motorcycle endorsement on my driver's license, my level of insurance coverage (IBA requires comprehensive with 100,000/300,000 limits) and receiving my liability waiver, we were good to go. He witnessed my starting form and then called all the participants together for a riders meeting. One of the riders, all I saw was an orange jacketed blur leaving, had completed fueling and was riding out as the meeting started. This would be the first of two times I saw this rider today. Considering he was up and on his way with little attention or fanfare, I was impressed. The rest of the group, there were 6 of us listening to Martin, were Ray, Dave, David, Paul and Tony. I didn't get much of a chance to talk to the others, just a quick 'Hi I'm' and a handshake for each. Martin shared some general observations and reminders, especially about fatigue and riding our own rides. A quick round of questions and everyone was ready for our first fuel stop and the all important starting receipt (it shows I started at 6:18am). I was a little slow at the switch so I pulled to the pump last, Ray moved out as soon as he was ready to go, The other 4, Dave, Tony, Paul and David pulled over to the side and began to suit-up, setup. When I was fueled, I pulled out and headed south, the ride had begun. I rode across JTButler to 9a and then south to the junction with I-95. During that traverse, the other 4 riders all moved up behind me. Once we got on I-95, Dave pulled ahead and moved off on his own. I dropped back letting the other three move ahead until we cleared Duval county. Traffic began to get thicker as daylight arrived, and I hooked on to a fast pack of traffic and was soon up with the others. We four rode together following the faster traffic for the first 170 miles. I expected the headwinds, and by the first 100 miles (the combination of headwinds and 75+mph) I knew I would need a fuel stop to make the 290 miles to WPB. When Tony pulled up next to me and pointed to his tank, I decided now was as good a time as any to get the stop in. We all exited at Melbourne and fueled (8:44 am, 170 miles and 2hrs 26 min into the run). I decided to push on, while the others were going to break for a little longer. It started to warm up, so before I left I took off my fleece and changed out gloves for lighter ones. I was out and on the road with about 15 minutes for the stop. I followed some fast traffic and was soon at the change point from I-95 to the Florida Turnpike (SR70). Let me say I love the turnpike. it is mostly 2-lane, good surface and something akin to a run-what-you-brung Daytona 500. I saw whale-tail Carraras , Scion Xbs and most everything inbetween all trying to get to the last toll plaza first. Speeds ranged from 35 (going past that guy in the ditch) to 95+ (just trying to get out in the fast lane). mostly I hunkered down in the 'slow' lane at 70-80. Somewhere along the way, Dave motored past, still moving along at his own pace and looking very comfortable. I got to the WPB exit (It was a $4.10 toll to ride the ~50 miles Fort Pierce) and tried to find the Service station from the route instruction. I must have been pretty intent on what I was doing because later Ray told me he was just getting back on the pike and waved, but I didn't see him. I found the stop, and found Dave already there fueling. (10:33 am, 4hrs 15 mins, 281 miles, ) We talked for a minute and he moved off to finish his stop while I fueled. I finished, took a bio break, drank a bottle of water and pushed off about 2 minutes after Dave. Again, my stop was around 15 minutes. As I got back to the Pike to enter the toll plaza, Tony, Paul and David were coming off to get their WPB stop. I waved, got my ticket and moved on. About 3 miles up, Dave was at the side of the road, off the bike, looking over his front wheel. He saw me coming. I started braking to see if I could help out but he waved me on with an OK. He later told me his ABS lights started flashing. A restart and they were fine for the rest of the trip. A very few miles further, was the next toll ($1.60 this time) quickly followed by two more for $1.00 each. This is in the space of 25 minutes. I started to wonder if I brought enough cash to get out of south florida. I got to the entrance to Alligator Alley and, while paying another $2.50 toll, asked the attendent if this is the last toll. She replied it was and gave the the requisite 'have a nice day'. While I enjoyed the passage across the Everglades, I reflected on the cost per mile for the tolls I'd paid. It was $9.20 to go about 64 miles. They were really good roads, sure are well funded. The trip across I-75 to Naples was quiet. The winds were coming from the south (from left side) and pushing me around a little more than coming south, but traffic was still fairly light and moving well. There were a few State Troopers about, I saw at least two cars pulled over and one trooper waiting to write up his next new best friend. Speeds continued around 75mph and since there were no holdups, it was a quick trip to Naples. At CR951, I exited and went right (instead of left) and fueled at an alternate (the one time I did). It was 12:43. I looked at the receipt, wrote my mileage down. As I ate a sandwich/banana/trailmix, I noticed that the name of the city was not on the receipt. They had the address (which later resolved to Naples) but no city name. For the moment I managed to talk myself into letting it ride but it bugged me enough that 6 miles later I pulled off to a 7-11 and bought a candy bar to get a receipt with 'Naples' spelled out. I sure wasn't going through this to screwup on paperwork. I was back on the road in less than 10 minutes and I felt alot better knowing it was right. It was 1:09 pm and I was exit-Naples headed for Ocala and my next fuel. I had a tailwind now so everything was looking up. I had pulled my heavier suit off and was down to the mesh gear. I'd like to say it was an easy leg, but traffic was very heavy. They are widening I-75 from Naples to up near Fort Myers/Sarasota. Bumper to bumper traffic at 65+mph is interesting for a few miles, after 100 it starts to wear a little. It got more crowded as the leg progressed. I had expected this to be a fast traverse, and it was. I stayed mostly in the fast lane and tried my best not to get run over. Made it to the Junction with I-4 (over half way now) and was glad I was headed north on I-75. Traffic was backed up 2 miles onto I-75 from the interchange and as I went over, saw it stretch off northeast up I-4 as far as the eyes could see. Just another day in Tampa I guess. After the Turnpike joins I-75 at Wildwood, it got even more crowded but it opened up to 6 lanes to go through Ocala. In Ocala, on the 6 lane I saw my first traffic cop since Alligator Alley. Everybody played nice for about 1/2 mile and then back to normal. My next fuel was on the north side of Ocala, at 4:23 pm, 663 miles and a little over 10 hours into the event. I expected this to be my longest stop so far, and planned to spend at least 30 minutes here. I ate another sandwich, drank two bottles of gatorade, checked oil level, tire pressure, cleaned my helmet shield, and generally relaxed. My biggest worries before starting the event were hitting a wall at two points, around 400 miles (I go 300 and stop, 2 times every weekend) and at sundown (two hours in the future) where ever I happened to be. I had passed 400 miles quite a while back and still felt pretty good so, one down, one to go. I was traveling pretty close (about 10 mins over) to my average planned schedule so sundown looked be up on the Westbound leg on I-10 about Live Oak. I still expected heavy weather up on I-10, but I couldn't see any signs of it yet. Sky was clear and the wind was still warm, out of the WNW. I geared up a little more, putting on my rainsuit. I didn't expect to stop again until Tallahassee so I wanted to be ready for any changes. I saddled up and headed out. Traffic was calming down a little north of Ocala, not sure if it was the dinner hour or just the wider road. it was moving still, 75+ up to Lake City and through the junction with I-10. I still felt pretty good until I saw Orange-jacketed blur going eastbound just before Live Oak on I-10. It looked suspiciously like that guy who left Jax Beach before the rider's meeting. If I was correct (found out this morning it was), he was at least 2 hours ahead of me. Considering how well my trip had gone so far, I was really impressed. I never expected to finish ahead of anyone, and would still be glad to just finish but he was kinda rubbing it in.. I knew Ray was ahead of me, and thought Dave might be after my stop in Ocala. I was still able to rationalize I was doing pretty well, then it got dark. Even after years of traveling (sometimes 50 weeks a year), I still have a problem at sundown. Regardless of where I am (unless I'm at home), I feel drained immediately after watching the sun disappear. Also after years of travel, I know I'll be fine in an hour or so, I just need to be extra careful until then. Lucky for me I was on I-10 with very little traffic. After dark, I put it on around 70MPH and stayed in the right lane unless forced to pass. As I rode west, it started to cloud up, and get much colder. I decided to stop and change gear before Tallahassee rather than wait for the next fuel stop. I stopped at the last rest area before Tallahassee, geared up and moved on. Shortly after that, I ran up on some construction, one of only two real delays for the day. It slowed traffic and had a backup of about 2 miles while everybody shifted to the right lane. The stop-and-go showed me just how stiff I was getting and how much it was affecting my riding. As I passed through the construction, I noted that the other side (east bound) had no delays. I got to the fuel stop on Capital Circle NW (recognized it as the closest exit to Miller BMW in Tallahassee) round 7:30, 13 hrs 15 mins and 845 miles in. Later Ray told me he was again just leaving as I arrived and like the last time, I missed him going by. I figured around 3 hours to finish. I was beginning to feel tired but I felt good enough to keep going, particularly since I was finally headed 'home'. I checked my gear, the bike, ate the candy bar I bought in Naples, and moved on again. Even though it continued to get colder, I still had not gotten any rain. The streets were wet from previous showers, but none had hit me. As I moved east, I got a few spritzes, drips, and some spray from traffic. That was all. Some of the folks that came through later got real rain, both in Tallahassee and out as far as Lake City on the return leg. For my pass, it was dry and quiet. There were few cars and I wasn't really going to press too hard (kept it about 65-70) so it was uneventful. Dave later told me he saw me going east a little way outside Tallahassee but I missed him. I saw Tony, Paul and David go west about 44 miles east of Tallahassee. (I know that because I looked down at the Odo to see how far they had to go to the next fuel stop). I figured they were 2 hours behind me with the stop still ahead of them. It got warmer toward Lake City, and some stars came out for a while so by the time I reached the westside of Jacksonville, I was back in the green. At least until someone decided to put his Jeep Cherokee on its roof on I-10 near Lane Ave. It had just happened before I got there (probably only 20 or so cars ahead of me). I was lucky again, the cops cleared one lane and funneled cars through. I did count that as my second delay. My ride to the last fuel stop was quick after that. Almost no traffic and I was droning along at the speed limit. I got to the last stop at 10:35, 16 hours 17 minutes and 1031 (by my odo) miles. From there I went to the Jax Beach Police Station to get my final witness statement and met Ray just leaving. Turns out I was 20-30 minutes behind him all day. I finished up a little after 11pm. Later Dave told me he finished around midnight, Tony, Paul and David ended their event around 1:30am. Oh yeah, remember that Orange Blur? found out why it was blurry this morning; someone said he finished around 9:30pm, at the police station, done, complete, fini. After my day, even as good as it went, all I can say is Wow...

interesting read

As someone who is hoping to do his first Saddle Sore this year it interesting to hear all the things that go on through the day and how you worked your stops. Thanks for writing! Congratulations!

Post Script - certified

Just got an email this morning from Mike Kneebone (-we- IBA members can call him Mr. Kneebone for short) stating that my Ride was accepted (Thanks Martin) and I am now a certified SS1000 rider and a member of the IBA..

Congratulations. After reading your report I think I had better write my own ride down from last year.