Saddle Sore 1000

I now have an unofficial Saddle Sore 1000 under my belt -- the entry level for the Iron Butt Association. It's unofficial until I get my documentation turned in and approved, but it still feels very real to me (and very rear to me as I sit and type this).

The basic gist is a ride from Washington DC to Winchester, KY -- 520 miles. Stop for lunch, turn around and ride back. the route was all interstate, except for the GW Parkway around DC. Average moving speed was about 74 mph. Total average (not counting the lunch stop) was in the mid 60s. Total milage via GPS: 1041.

I rode with a friend who has a VFR and suspect he was in more pain at the end of the day (night) than I was.

Now for the details:
We left DC a little later than we hoped for, getting the first receipt about 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. We were soon on I-395 heading out of the City for the GW Parkway, where we headed to I495. The parkway was a great start to the ride -- a little chilly with great views of the DC skyline starting to wake up. Traffic was light and before long we were on I270 heading toward MD and I70 West.

We passed one state trooper heading the other way, but he didn't blink at our "sedate" 70 mph speed. In western MD we picked up I68 and stepped up the speed to the 75 range. However, we were both starting to get cold as we hit the hills and fog, and at 112 miles we stopped to put on jacket liners and electrics. Ahhh... warmpth.

The first gas stop was at 210 miles at Morgantown, WV and it was timely, as the bike stalled at the top of the exit ramp! I leaned the bike to the right and got it started, then limped into the gas station. The tank sucked up only 4.9 gallons, so I suspect there was still a half gallon floating around out of reach of the fuel pump. That sucks, but at least I found out the true usable range!

From there we picked up I79 south through West Va., where the limits are 70 mph and we cruised at 80+ for the next 130 miles or so. That is a great interstate -- constant turns, hills and loads of fun! The traffic was very light and no LEOs were in sight. I had put my MP3 speakers in my ears after the last stop and the music was great as we rolled through the sweepers. I looked down at one point and saw the GPS reading 87 as I was leaned over through a perfect sweeper (don't try this at home, kids). Although the top speed for the jaunt didn't hit triple-digits, it was a blast! Gas milage suffered, though and the warning light came on at 175 miles.

We gassed up again after picking up I64 and heading west from Charleston, WV. So far the ride was great and it was just approaching Noon. The temps were warming up and I shed the liner (the vest came out in Morgantown) and opened the vents in my Kilimanjaro jacket.

This was where I hit a "mini-wall." Paul and I had been exchanging the lead at every stop and it was my turn. About 120 miles down the road I started getting really tired, though. It was kind of weird. My body was fine, but I couldn't stop yawning and started singing in my helmet to stay alert.

I motioned Paul past me about 40 miles later and it was better having him to watch/follow. We passed the 500 mile mark and went on another 20 miles for good luck, even though we were using GPS values instead of the odo. We gassed up in Winchester and retraced our steps for 15 miles before stopping for a nice lunch -- about 45 minutes worth. This was our first stop of more than 10-15 minutes and it was a great way to get re-energized for the 500 miles back to DC.

We rolled back east, gassing up about 20 miles up on I79 and then riding through the hills. It was great feeling the cool pockets of air on one side of the mountains, alternating with warm air on the other side. But the deer were starting to come out on the side of the road and the distinct odor of something dead off in the bushes was a frequent reminder that the animals don't stay off the road.

By 8 p.m. or so we were into Maryland and made a gas stop near Cumberland. From there it was a 180 mile jump to the finish line, but we were both starting to get weary and the darkness didn't help. I rode in front for a while, lighting up the night with my PIAAs, but I think I was a bit timid for Paul and he took the lead, having riden that stretch of road a few times before.

Traffic picked up when we hit I70 and got steadily worse as we approached DC. We hit the city around 11 p.m. and it was bumper to bumper with Saturday night feverish drivers and I was waaaay out of my element on the pothole filled roads. I could have used a rest stop 70 miles back, but Paul was like a rental horse heading back to the stables -- he could smell home and there was no stopping him.

A quick stop at a nearby ATM, our bikes parked illegally on the curb in a downtown DC street and we were at Paul's place unpacking and lamenting the fact that he was out of beer. It didn't matter, I was so tired I crashed after eating an apple.

We hit a nearby restaurant (The Tune Inn) for breakfast while Paul's wife went to church the next morning and spent a few minutes actually catching up, rather than riding. All in all, a good trip.

The good: The Corbin seat I borrowed was very nice. My rear was still tired and sore, but I went a lot farther with a lot less pain than on the stock seat. Riding east to west so the sun was never in our eyes. Riding on roads that were not heavily traveled and doing the ride on a weekend when construction zones were not active and rush hour was not a factor in the cities we passed through. A bike that cruises comfortably for hours at speed.

The bad: Watching a tire/wheel fall off the right rear of a pickup truck ahead of us on the interstate and laying on the brakes quickly as the tire rolled across the highway right in front of us at 70+. Not having a throttle lock or similar device (just a wrist-rest).

The Ugly: riding home in the dark. Next time I'll start in the dark and finish in the light. Not stopping for a rest before hitting the madness that is riding around DC at night.