Planning my first attempt at SS1k

[TRaGiK]

As the title states, I'm planning to do my first Saddle Sore 1k run. Most likely, I'll be doing it June 2nd (2 days after my first 7 day "tour" on my bike).

So far, my longest day on a bike is 650 miles in 15 or so hours, which was on my old bike, a 03 sv650 naked.

On my current ride (01 f4i), my longest day is about 500 miles in 14 hours, which was much more bearable than my old ride due to this bike having a Corbin seat and wind protection. Bar risers also put the clip-ons at a comfortable height. Actually, I wasn't that tired or pain filled as I thought I was going to be, but we (group I was riding with) took plenty of breaks, long dinner break, etc. If I did the ride by myself, I could have easily shaved 3 hours off the time.

Longest amount of time in general I've been on a bike was around 17 hours, but was far from my highest mileage day.

Anything I should know before attempting this?

I'm planning to have enough  money to get a hotel IF I can't make it.

The route I'm planning to take is I-95 south into Florida, then straight back up home to central NC. Straight shot, 95 percent of it on the interstate, long boring ride.

I'm thinking I can do it in roughly 17 hours, counting time for breaks, meals, gas stops, etc.

[919Maniac]

That IS a long boring ride.  You can't figure out a better route with some scenery or something?  What about going west and back instead?  I95 is a fuggin nightmare with crappy scenery to boot.  I would think about something different...

[mike goodwin]

Since you have way over a month before you attempt this ride i would suggest taking a series of 400-600 mile day rides on the weekends and practice more riding and less stopping time.
This will work to build your endurance and teach you fast fuel/piss/hydration/ nutrition times.
Not living in the eastern side of the nation i cant comment on your route but my suggestion is to head in a westerly direction.
Take a Monday off from work and start the ride early on a Sunday morning when practically everyone stays in bed late and generally goes to bed at night by 10:00 P.M. so they can start the Monday work gig anew.
This gives you a lot less traffic to deal with leaving the city and returning.

[Corbeau]

You could do a loop, using (for example, I have no idea where you are exactly in NC) I-77, I-64, I-75 and I-40...

[Doons]

I just completed one on Saturday. Interstates are great but can make for some rather dull scenery. If you are doing 500 miles in 14 hours, I'm not sure how you figure to do 1000 in 17 hours? To do 1000 miles in 17 hours you need to average abot 59 mph. Sounds easy, wasn't for me. I averaged right at 57 mph and it took me 18 hrs and 39 mins to complete 1060 miles. Your stamina will probably not increase as the ridden miles increase. I suggest not setting a hard and fast goal for time, but concentrate on keeping your MPH average at 55 to 60. It's the Rabbit and the Turtle thing. I took two breaks other than gas stops, one for a half hour included in a fuel stop and one for 25 minutes at a rest area on the downhill portion of my ride. Think about it like this... you travel 75 mph for an hour and stop for a 15 minute break... avg=60mph. Someone mentioned in a prior post about planning your fuel/hydration/bathroom  breaks, Good advice in my opinion. A 45 minute food stop (I'm not saying don't take one) will play havoc with your average MPH goal. I personaly didn't stop for food. I packed some Snickers Marathon bars, Gator Aide and water. Took care of Hydration and food while getting gas.

Plan, then Plan, then Plan some more. Error on the side of conservative when estimating how far at a given stretch you can ride. For me the first 650 miles was pretty comfortable, the last 410 were a real challenge. Up to the last 410, I was averaging 64 mph. That was with a good stretch in West Texas on I10 where the speed limit is 80 mph.

Wishing you Good Luck. Be safe !!!!

[mike goodwin]

It is as Doons suggested that it is much better to eat snack foods(i usually carry banannas,cliff energy bars and one peanut butter and jelly sandwhich,peach preserves thank you ) than to stop and bloat at a cafe along the way.
Eat a meal like that and it wont be long before you gotta find a place to shit.
I know that's ugly but it's true.
Make no mistake about it a 1000 mile day in 24 hours is quite doable but you will feel it at the end of the ride no matter how many times you have done it.
I at least try to get the house in my favor when i strike out on one of these rides.
In other words the wind speed,temperature,route,etc is either going to be in my favor or i do it another day.
One of the worse experiences i ever had was on one of my SS 2000's when day two had me crossing high elevation I-40 in New Mexico near freezing temperatures.
Electric vest and all i was still one cold fooker.
Didn't help a bit that i was riding and unfaired Kawasaki 750 Zephyr.
So if possible try and have the cards in your favor.

[TRaGiK]

Let me elaborate a little on my 600 - 650 mile days so you'll have an idea of what they were like.

Central NC roads SUCK. The most exciting turns are entrance ramps. hah. So, for us to find good roads, we ride 4 hours to Shadey Valley TN to ride there. Since all we're there for is basically the curves, we'll make a couple passes of the roads, break for a bit, more passes, break again, etc. Usually, 30 minutes of all the time is burned up for a breakfast stop, 45 for lunch, and roughly an hour for dinner. It's more of a group ride with some socializing time, than a ride to set mileage goals.

Then, there's a few of us with a small bladder than has to piss every 60 miles, some on very uncomfortable bikes that need to stop every hour, etc. *I* by myself could easily do more without stopping. By myself, I can burn through a tank of gas without stopping (125ish miles), which isn't far, but farther than I can go when there's 10 of us on a group ride.  10 minute break at each stop to get gas, smoke, then back on the road.

Maybe I'm over-estimating myself with my thinking of I can do 1k miles easily.....but maybe yall are underestimating me. (ugh....i hope the latter is it....HOPE).

I'll have a hydration bladder with me, so stopping for that should be a non-issue, other than to refill the bladder (at gas stops).

The reason I have that specific date picked out, is because that's the last little bit of my vacation time. Me and a couple other guys are doing a 7 day tour of the Appalachain Mtns (via the BRP), and heading up the PA, turning around, and coming down the western side of the App Mtns. This will be my first "real" touring I've done for more than a couple days. I'll get back from that trip on a thursday, rest on friday, then back out for the SS1k on Saturday. IF I don't feel up to the ride Saturday morning, I'll do it 2 weekends after that.

The reason for doing all interstate, straight roads, rather than a more scenic route is simple to me. There's nothing to see on the interstate, and it's the fastest way to do it. However, I might possible go west on I-40, rather than south on I-95. Atleast 40 will take me through some mountains.

[CLAY]

I did the whole BRP last summer- it was awesome.  One suggestion- take the western side north then the BRP from north to south.  It gets much more scenic and gains altitude as you head south.

I have been reading this with interest- myself and a couple buddies are planning a SS1000 May 19- we are going to loop Lake Michigan.

[county]

I advocate going somewhere.  Somewhere 1000+ miles from your house.  Gives you a destination and a reason other than riding 1000 miles.  Go visit somebody.

I also like riding West to gain light but that don't matter if you are making a loop.

[Doons]

Maybe I'm over-estimating myself with my thinking of I can do 1k miles easily.....but maybe yall are underestimating me. (ugh....i hope the latter is it....HOPE).

Wasn't estimating you at all. Just wanted to share some thoughts with you. I had some pre-conceptions about the ride before I did it. Some were right, some were not. I have a good deal of "Touring" experience and I'm not sure that made a significant difference. As I mentioned, the first 650 was pretty comfortable.

I wish you good luck and good weather, and look forward to your report.

[TRaGiK]

Wasn't estimating you at all. Just wanted to share some thoughts with you. I had some pre-conceptions about the ride before I did it. Some were right, some were not. I have a good deal of "Touring" experience and I'm not sure that made a significant difference. As I mentioned, the first 650 was pretty comfortable.

I wish you good luck and good weather, and look forward to your report.

Was more cracking a (bad) joke about being "estimated" than anything.

I don't have any real touring experience yet, other than a couple single-night overnighters on the BRP in which I was camping. My first "real" tour is coming soon, and I can't freakin wait!

[Tejasbusa]

Take a Monday off from work and start the ride early on a Sunday morning when practically everyone stays in bed late and generally goes to bed at night by 10:00 P.M. so they can start the Monday work gig anew.
This gives you a lot less traffic to deal with leaving the city and returning.

I advocate going somewhere.  Somewhere 1000+ miles from your house.  Gives you a destination and a reason other than riding 1000 miles.  Go visit somebody.

I also like riding West to gain light but that don't matter if you are making a loop.

That is basically what I did for my first documented 1k ride.  I took off at around 9 AM Sunday morning and headed west on I20 towards California.  My tire had about 2k worth of tread left (or so I thought) and I had some vacation time that was either "Use it or Lose it" and the kids were in school, so.....Road trip.  I figured that I could drive to California and change the tire at the home office of the company I work for. (gave me a destination and a reason for the ride other than just riding)  I pulled into Phoenix around midnight and had my 1k done.  I felt pretty good, so I just took a breather at the stop and rob where I filled up with fuel and was lucky enough to get a couple of signatures from some local bikers who were out.  Everything went well untill I hit LA traffic.  I would have got 1.5k in 24 if I would not have had the traffice to deal with for the last 100 miles.  I did make it in 26 hours, which gave me my 1500 in 36 hours.  Pulled into work (The Home Office) right along with most of the other comuters wondering who that crazy fool is on a Busa with TX tags who is pulling into the parking lot as if he knows where he is going.  Got my signatures and the gas receipt and then looked at the tire.  Smooth as a baby's back side and there was a screw in it, almost screwed that up.  Got a new tire, got it mounted and checked into a hotel and slept like a log and Tuesday headed back out.  Stopped in Phoenix and visited my brother and made him feed me.  Took my time going home, took 2 days to do the 1500 going east.

As for food on the way out, I did the fruit, energy bar thing with my 2 litre camel back on the west bound side of the trip.  I drained it up twice on the trip out, and three times going east.

If I was going to try another 1500 in 24 to California I would probably do a similier ride, but leave so that I could hit the LA area around noon to 2 P.M.  That way the traffic will be heading out instead of in and the Phoenix traffice would not yet be starting when I went through there.

[Mark Milanowski]

Central NC?

Here are a couple of routes to give some thought to. The gas stops are confirmed 24hr open stations with nice looping ride that yould fit into your home location.

The MTF regional rides don't fit your time frame but you can still benifit from their planning.

http://www.mctourer.com/rides/2007/SS1K/Newnan/Newnan.html

[Ruben]

As the title states, I'm planning to do my first Saddle Sore 1k run. Most likely, I'll be doing it June 2nd (2 days after my first 7 day "tour" on my bike).
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Anything I should know before attempting this?
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Good advice so far.  Some other thoughts:

Plan on wearing something to keep the sun off you, sunburn is no fun.

Hydration is VERY important.  If you get behind, there is no catching up.

Bring along a warmer layer for nighttime riding.  A rain jacket makes a good windbreaker.

I rode most of that I-95 route that you mentioned last Sunday (Wilmington< NC to Naples, FL via Daytona, Orlando, & Tampa), which is still a bit shy of a SS-1000, but close.  I wasn't in any hurry, just returning home from the Cape Fear LD rally, but the traffic was flowing well (aanother SS-1000 would have been easy, had I documented it).  Along the entire trip, traffic was moving pretty much limit +5, in some areas +10.  The trip might be boring, but it'll go pretty quick.

Watch the speed as you cut through Jacksonville.  Part of that road has a higher speeding ticket cost if you should get nailed.  I suspect that if you flow with traffic, that shouldn't be a problem.

Ruben Pastian
Naples, FL

[Canuck]

Sorry to disagree with some others. I know Interstates are boring, but if your goal is to cover miles quickly without going too extra-legal, which is what doing an IBA is about, then Interstates are the way to go. If you can find ones with scenery and the occasional sweeper, so much the better.

Re the sunblock, use the "sport" kind. Won't sting your eyes and affect vision if any gets in from sweating.

[TRaGiK]

Sorry to disagree with some others. I know Interstates are boring, but if your goal is to cover miles quickly without going too extra-legal, which is what doing an IBA is about, then Interstates are the way to go. If you can find ones with scenery and the occasional sweeper, so much the better.

Which is exactly why I'm (still) planning on taking the interstate to do the ride.

And also why I think I'm going to take I-40 west as well. Will take me through part of the Appalachian mountains for a short bit.

[rajflyboy]

Someone posted some 1000 Mile rides out of the Charlotte NC area a while back.  They looked pretty good and also used mostly Interstate.  I think you will like these routes if we can find them!

I'd say for a first timer the Interstate is definately the way to go.   The legal speeds are much higher and plenty of gas stations, food and rest areas if need be.  Much Easier in a break down situation too.  

Good Luck.