Thinking about a 50CC Attempt

[Hulked Up]

Same with Bun Burner Gold; you have to do a Saddlesore 1000 first.

[torags v2]

Same with Bun Burner Gold; you have to do a Saddlesore 1000 first.

Perhaps these rules came in after Toms certification. I did a failed 50cc (my first IBA) but I had to prove to Mike Kneebone I toured Europe a couple of times. I sqeezed a saddlesore out of it.

[Tony T]

I did a failed 50cc (my first IBA) but I had to prove to Mike Kneebone I toured Europe a couple of times. I sqeezed a saddlesore out of it.

I don’t get it, what am I missing here?  

You don’t need to prove you toured Europe to qualify for a SS1000.

[BlackValk]

The MTF is "sponsoring", if that is the correct word, a 50CC Gold ride, on  September 13Th 2007. This is the NY-SF, or SF-NY Ride. Witnesses are lined up in advance to make it easier. Check out their website. I'm considering this ride, too.

BlackValk
#25568
Venice Florida

[Scratch33]

Check out their website. http://www.mctourer.com/

Fixed it for ya.

[mike goodwin]

This is certainly not a swipe at mctourers forum  as they have done an awful lot in mapping out fuel stations for this ride or the 100 CC.
However i personally think you will be happier and will get more out of the ride by doing it yourself or perhaps with another rider than to get caught up in a herd fest.
No offense anyone.
I throughly enjoyed doing my 50CC ride all by my lonesome.
Even riding a 1000 miles from Houston just to start the ride.

mike

[BlackValk]

Thanks, Scratch for adding the MTF Link, which I forgot. For a moment, I presumed everyone knew of the MTF site, which of course, isn't true. From that link they should "click" on "Website" and then scroll down to the note about the 50CC Gold.

While I have accomplished 3 IBA rides,including a BBG, a 50 or 100CCC has yet to be done and I like a challenge, so the 50CC Gold appeals to me. To be honest, a BBG is not a easy ride, as Mike Kneebone has noted, and this ride, as another poster has noted, is "just" 2 BBG's back to back!

I don't know that it would be a "herd-fest", as most of the ride reports I've read concerning the Jacksonville to San Diego route, show that riders while starting at approximately the same time, do spread out. There will always be the fast, the middle and the slow riders. Most eventually get to the end okay. I suspect that far fewer riders will attempt this 50CC Gold, as it will be considerably more challenging than a JAX-SDO ride. Still, having a compatible riding partner is desirable, on a trip of this length, IMHO. As far as starting points, I believe that Mike Kneebone recently posted on the IBA site (regarding the 50CCG) that a starting point was the Eastern tip of I-80. As September draws closer I'm sure there will be a lot of posting about this ride.

BlackValk
#25568
Venice, Florida

[Hulked Up]

Thanks for the posts - that's cool that they set that group ride up.  Nice way to do it if someone doesn't necessarily want to tackle 3,000 miles on their own and the organizational assistance is always good to have.

I'm going to do the ride with a friend or two and will attempt it earlier in the season, but that's going to be a great resource for anyone thinking about the NY-SF run.

[Rocket_Cowboy]

I think it's important to note that the MTF run is not a "group ride" in the normal context of the definition. Everyone meets at the same starting point, and witnesses are pre-arranged by the MTF, but it's not a big caravan from one side of the country to the other.

When I rode the MTF 50CC in 2005, riders were released from the gas station in groups of 3-4 every 5 minutes or so. Even before we made it to I-10, my group of 3 was thinned out. I don't think I ever saw a group of more than 4 riders together after we got out of Florida, until we hit the beach in San Diego. It was kind of cool though that you could be pulling off for fuel, and see another rider finishing his stop ... or have someone ride up as you were pulling out, but aside from that we were pretty much solo out on the road.

This year when I did the 100CCC, I rode it with another friend who has similar riding styles. That was a completely different experience. Not saying the MTF event is for everyone, but did want to clarify that it wasn't a massive caravan of 40 bikers in formation screaming down the interstate either.

[Cal24Master]

With respect, Tom are you on the right track here ?

There are prerequisites for a number of rides, being the ones listed as extreme, 100CCC is just one example.

I stand corrected.  It didn't used to be that way, but they apparently changed it somewhere along the way.  It has been awhile since I went back and read the current rules.  I guess reading comprehension does indeed count!

Tom
IBA 161

[Davo]

And I respect your considered reply Tom which is the norm for you as I have read, it's not always this happens.

Your Cal24 is something I would love to do, I have done some homework on running one similar here.... maybe next year.

[Davo]

Some regular MTF members here will know me and that I support the forum and all connected to it.

However I also would rather do the leg work, planing and then put it all on the line by myself than follow a preplaned ride. I understand thats not for all but isn't that part of being called "worlds toughest riders" I didn't think it was worlds best map readers.

I did mine on my own, well it had never been done before over that distance and start/end locations so I had no option. I would however do the same again and have a 100ccc planed also solo.

I strongly support solo planed and solo rides, there is no explainly how good you feel doing it and finishing it.
 
"I did it" feels so much better than "me and my mates did it"

[Rocket_Cowboy]

Understand completely Davo. When I did the MTF ride in 2005, I did it because I felt like there was a bit of a safety net there, and it was my first cross country ride. When we did it again this year, we took the validated gas stops list from the MTF site, but did all the witness planning, start/stop planning on our own. Like I said ... two completely different trips, over the same stretch of highway.

The MTF definitely got me out on that ledge though, and since then jumping on the bike with a days notice to head out to California, or signing up for the Cal 24 this year ... just comes more naturally.

[torags v2]

I don’t get it, what am I missing here?  

You don’t need to prove you toured Europe to qualify for a SS1000.

It just spoke to my experience since Mike wanted me to do 500 miles first. My 1200 miler (on my R75/5) from Mexico in 22 also helped.

Mike just wants to make sure someone doesn't get in over their heads. Its a good policy.

[DNA]

I have been thinking of a 50CC as well, and since I live close to DC, I was thinking of a DC - SF.  Chesapeak bay to SF bay?  Do you think this would be acceptable? It is salt water to salt water and a long ride from coast to coast?  Just mulling things over for now. Opinions appreciated.
-DNA

[Davo]

Someone closer to the coal face so to speak will give you a better answer but from what I know there is a minimum distance plus it needs to be coast to coast.

Here your "normal" 50CC is for us from Sydney to Fremantle 4000k ( two Aust IBR members here have done that as a 100CCC)
The longer one, your usual NY>SF is our Brisbane to Fremantle 4430k (I did that in Jan '06)

[boxergrrlie]

Then again ... I did my first one at under 41 hours ... but maybe it was my over-21,000 IBA number that slowed me down 3 hours?

In the spirit of the ride ... you can't go Coast to Coast without stepping in the water on each side. Technically, they just validate that you have a receipt close to the coast, but I've also got pictures to validate that I was on each before/after the ride.

Much congrats on your successful 100ccc Rocket Cowboy! I have followed your exploits through our mutual friend crazyst. I hope that I get to meet you on the road sometime. Maybe at the 07 Moonshine Lunch Run???

[Hulked Up]

I have been thinking of a 50CC as well, and since I live close to DC, I was thinking of a DC - SF.  Chesapeak bay to SF bay?  Do you think this would be acceptable? It is salt water to salt water and a long ride from coast to coast?  Just mulling things over for now. Opinions appreciated.
-DNA

I don't think that would work because it's not on the Atlantic.  Here's what I pulled from the IBA's website about the 50CC rules:

You may choose any two coast cities (obviously, one on the Atlantic Ocean and the other on the Pacific Ocean) you wish (Jacksonville, Florida to San Diego, California is the most popular) and use the rules that follow to document your ride.

[BlackValk]

The first thing to decide is this: Will this IBA ride be a relatively simple 50CC, which seems to allow a variation on start and end locations, or the more difficult 50CC Quest , sometimes called the 50CC Gold?  For the "Gold", I believe the locations are stated as New York and San Francisco, at each end of I-80. For the regular 50CC IBA ride, not everyone uses  Jacksonville, as I-10 construction and Texas large city traffic causes many to consider other routes. Try this site to read many, many ride reports for more ideas:  www.freewebs.com/eamonn01/

Hope this helps.

BlackValk
#25568
Venice Florida