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IronButt route from San Antonio

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San Antonio, Tx
I'm starting to think about the SS1000 and I am trying to find out if anyone from san antonio has suggestions on a route to take. I know it would be easy to take 10 west to El paso and just turn around, but I find that to be kind of boring.

I'm thinking April would be a good time to do this. Anyone who is interested in joining me is welcome to do so!

DISCLAMER:


I am leading this ride and want to make sure that we have as much fun as possible. We ride motorcycles and it is known that this sport in itself can be dangerous. With that in mind, in order to release myself from any liability whatsoever, I would like to let it be know that EVERY rider in the group must wear a helmet, riding jacket, gloves and pants for proper protection. This ride will take place for the most part on the western portion of Interstate 10, where the speed limit is 80 mph. I intend to ride at that speed when legal to do so. With this in mind, I ask that any rider participating on this ride be comfortable riding at this speed.

UPDATE

So this looks like it is coming together rather nicely. We've got a few riders who are confirmed for this feat of awesomeness while a few others are still contemplating the idea. With that in mind, this will be the official list of participants

Confirmed Riders:
Photoryder
rvickery2
Dutch1957
TWTourist


Here is the OFFICIAL route: http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=B...;FbCB0QEd3IoN-g;FVmqwwEdMkMi-g&mra=pr&t=m&z=7

Please note that we are all departing together from San Antonio.

If you'd like to join us you are welcome to, just post and follow this thread for updates. Some of us were talking of finding a central location between us to go for lunch and meet each other sometime before the big ride. In reality, it's just another excuse to ride :rider::rofl:
 
Well, I ran a circular route from Dallas, through San Antonio, west to Fort Stockton and back to Dallas. Details and report here :

http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17239&highlight=doons

Depending on when you plan to leave, think about which direction you are going. Try to avoid riding into the setting sun or the rising sun... plays havoc with your eyes, depending on how long you have been on the bike already. I have completed one other IBA ride and fell 125 miles short on a third attempt (BBG1500).

Good Luck and be safe, the best part of an IBA ride is the last mile :giveup:
 
I think there is another badge if you do all 1000 miles in the same state. If I were to try an 1000 I would do El Paso and back to San Antonio.
 
I have made a Conroe to El Paso run a bunch in the last couple of months due to illness and death in my family and I found 290 to 95 (Elgin) and then 29 west out to 190 near Iraan, then pick up I-10 a nice non boring ride. Well atleast the non I-10 sections are not boring. lol
Tom
 
If you have never done a SS1000, I would suggest the interstate run for the first time. 700 miles in a day is a whole differnt challenge than a 1000 mile day. Some folks can do one sitting on marbles, others have a tough time making it. The challenges are there. A SS1K is a sit there and twist that, moderate pace, not real gruelling ride(as far as IB rides go), but it is a milestone in itself. You will have different ranges due to speeds, you will have several types of weather(usually), and you will have a lot of time in the saddle with a clock hanging over your head.
Doesn't sound like much, does it?
It is. If you are a very accomplished rider, you may not find much of a challenge in it, BUT, there is a reason the IBA uses the SS1K for a starter. You have to have one before they will certify other rides even if you are exeptional and do a longer or more difficult ride in the same trip as the SS.
Plan your route, gas, food, restroom, hydration, and rest stops. Ride the plan. It will be more enjoyable. You will also get some idea of the challenges of timed LD rides and a good idea if you are brain damaged enough to do others.
Good luck, have fun, know the difference in pushing your limits and pushing your luck. Stopping isn't failure, crashing is. Go to the IBA site and LD riders sites and study and ask questions.

Cheers
 
I echo everything that LostInTexas and Doons stated.

I recommend starting from the far east side of SA, maybe go as far as New Braunfels, and turn around at Ft Hancock. That will give you over 500 miles one way. You do not want to finish with less than 1025 miles on your bike odometer due to its built-in inaccuracy.

Another reason I recommend riding to west Texas is the higher speed limits. You do not need to speed when you are out there as the 75-80 mph speeds are more than adequate. By not exceeding the speed limit you reduce your personal stress of constantly scanning for the po-po. That is time better spent watching for critter and gators on the road.

Time it so that you are not in the far west Texas section at night to reduce the likelihood of encountering those critters.
 
Thank you all for all the words of wisdom. I have been through the IBA site and have really been planning this ride for about a year now, just never really set a date in stone..until now: April 28, 2012 . My plan would be to ride from San Antonio to Fabens and back. There is a gas station at the turnaround point in Fabens which works out nicely.

Taking sunlight into account, I was planning on leaving San Antonio around 4:00 am which would put me in fabens around 12-1 pm (not taking into account gas/rest stops). At that point, I'm headed back east which keeps the sun always on my back.

A couple of friends of mine have expressed interest but I already told them that my route and plan is fixed and I will stick to it. I am contemplating doing this ride solo to avoid any deviation from the plan. As far as the accuracy of the distance, I planned it out on google maps and my back up plan is my GPS. It has a trip function so I know exactly whats going on as far as distance.

Here's my proposed route (1016 miles):
http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=I...jFiyaKYZJOLyg&vpsrc=6&mra=ls&t=m&dirflg=d&z=7
 
Your route looks good to me. I left El Paso about 2 weeks ago and want to let you know there is a section of road EAST bound between Fabens and Van Horn that is pretty rough. The road surface has been "scarified" in prep for resurfacing. Also the price of gas in Fort Stockton is outrageous. But it is the only gas stop for a 100 miles or so.
I would check the TxDot website for road conditions and watch out for weather coming in from the northwest, my family got stuck by a snow storm in Van Horn the day before Christmas.
Tom
 
Thanks for the input Tom! I plan on stopping in Junction, Ozona, Ft. Stockton, Van Horn, and Fabens for gas (receipt documentation). Hopefully the road is fixed by the time late april rolls around but I will be on the lookout of for road conditions prior to the trip.
Thanks!
Nelson
 
Hi Nelson. Sounds like a good plan. I have also been doing some research on completing an SS1000 this year. Austin to the I-10/I-20 junction to Ft Worth and back to Austin, distance 1,044 miles. Like you it would keep the sun at my back most of the time and keep me on major highways during the dark hours (those deer and other critters are active when it's dark). Going at it alone seems like a good plan, from what I've read in other posts and such. Good luck with your trip.

One good tool I've seen is the Honda trip planner which uses Google maps.
 
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Nelson/Dave,

I am also planning a SS1000. I was thinking about the fourth weekend in June because the days are 14 hours long. I was going to leave around 4am from Austin and turn around in El Paso. I'd love to compare notes and if you decide you prefer another rider I might be up for April. I would check the farmers almanac and see how many hours of daylight you will have in April. Definately wouldn't be as hot. My fear is on the return trip just after dark when the deer are active coming 290 back into Austin. In June I could be home at sunset.

Randy
 
$3.29 for regular at Exxon at 285 and I-10 a few days ago. When you are on the clock the price of gas should not be one of your concerns but the availability of gas should. Van Horn has a Chevron at the first westbound exit easy off and easy on to I-10.
 
Randy,
Definitely my main concern in June would have to be the heat. The logistics of meeting up at the same time on the i10 290 interchange would be difficult but doable. Lets keep in touch and see what we can do.

Nelson
 
Here is a link to the almanac. There is only a 50 minute difference in April and June. I can do April 28th and either start with you or try to meet. I tried to put this together last year and it fell through. I wouldn't hold you up. If we set a time and gas stop you continue if I'm not there. I'm looking forward to it.

http://www.almanac.com/sun/rise/TX/Austin/2012-04-28
 
Nelson/Dave,

I am also planning a SS1000. I was thinking about the fourth weekend in June because the days are 14 hours long. I was going to leave around 4am from Austin and turn around in El Paso. ....

Randy

Won't that be significantly more than 1000 miles? I did an SS1000 last October, going from North Austin down I35 to 1604 in San Antonio, thence to I10, thence to Van Horn and back. I submitted it for 1030 miles, the cert came this week, the IBA said 1014. You want some margin for error, for sure, but Austin to El Paso might be overkill.

You're right about the deer at night. I was very worried coming back once the sun went down, but since I was on the interstate the whole way I just followed a truck at a safe distance and hoped he would plow through any deer.

In the event I didn't see any deer, so I got lucky.
 
I am just planning and was thinking 290 through Fredericksburg to I-10 and turn around at 520 miles at a gas stop. If I'm tagging on Nelson's ride I'll turn around when he needs to or just go to San Antonio the night before and spend the night, starting with him. There shouldn't be much traffic on 290 on a weekend to slow me down. I planned on about 1040 miles.

How long did it take you? I would like to have lunch on the far end to get off and rest/stretch. I can snack on the way out and back. If needed I will pack lunch on the bike.

Are you ready for another one? I hear of a couple of guys going on 4/28!
 
Mapquest shows my house to Fabens, TX (Nelson's turn around) to be 545 miles. He knows of a gas stop for receipt and verification so I would rather just ride hard to there instead of "looking" for a turn around gas station.
 
$3.29 for regular at Exxon at 285 and I-10 a few days ago. When you are on the clock the price of gas should not be one of your concerns but the availability of gas should. Van Horn has a Chevron at the first westbound exit easy off and easy on to I-10.

Thanks Dave. Duly noted and its on my OFFICIAL route plan!


I definitely plan on eating light meals. Mostly energy bars and such. Definitely no carbs as they make me sleepy. Anytime I go on a long trip, I take my hydration tank bag. I can't do without it! I made a youtube video review of it in case anyone would care to see it:

[ame="http://youtu.be/mt2gRK3TTMs"]Rapid Transit Recon 19 Tank Bag Review - YouTube[/ame]
 
How long did it take you? I would like to have lunch on the far end to get off and rest/stretch. I can snack on the way out and back. If needed I will pack lunch on the bike.

Are you ready for another one? I hear of a couple of guys going on 4/28!

I've done two SS1000s. The first was on my Ninja 250, Austin to Clovis, then back via Fort Worth. I did everything wrong. I didn't have a good hydration solution, I wasn't dressed for the cold weather I encountered, and while riding the state roads was more fun, it was pretty slow. I had only one 20 minute meal stop. That ride took 23 hours and 30 minutes, and wiped me out totally.

Three years almost to the day I did my second ride last October. That was all interstate, including lots of 80mph I10. I rode an FJR, and the weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold. That ride took 19 hours including about a 45 minute lunch stop in Van Horn, and a 25 minute break just outside of San Antonio on the way back.

The first 900 miles were literally painless and fun.

The last 100 miles were uncomfortable due to my ears feeling like needles were being poked into them, and some shoulder pain.

It's a good feeling to finish one of these rides, but it'll probably take another 3 years before I do another one!
 
As for daylight, knowing Texas and the last few summers it's going to be another scorcher this year. April has roughly 13 hours sunrise to sunset and June has roughly 14 hours. Granted that's not including the light before and after sunset. I have weekends off in May so am thinking that may be a good time. There's a full moon on May 5th (Saturday) and I was thinking May 6th could be my target day. There's 13.5 hours from sunup to sundown.

As far as turnaround points, from my house to Sierra Blanca is about 512 miles or to Fort Hancock is about 547 miles. I don't want to go 1024 miles according to Google maps and have the IBA tell me it totaled 999 miles or less. Though it might be painful the extra 30 minutes to Fort Hancock (8.5 hours according to Google) may be worth it. I may have someone at Manor PD certify my departure and arrival times and mileage, that will subtract about 10 miles total (I know most of the officers there).

Sunset in Austin on May 6th is at 8:12pm but will probably stay light until 8:45 or 9:00. That means if I head back at around noon I'll only be riding in evening dark for a short time.

I still need to get more supplies for the trip. I don't have a tank bag at the moment but would like a decent one. Just got an AirMan Tour portable air pump but need a tire plug/patch kit. A Bell photochromic transition shield for my Vortex helmet so I don't have to wear sunglasses and some decent riding pants.

It's going to be more of a challenge on a standard bike like mine but it's somewhat setup for touring already with a Madstad windshield and Givi V35 hard bags. Now I just need to get ME into shape...

The most I've ever driven in one day is 900 miles, took 14 hours in my pickup truck. The most I've ridden is 300...
 
Photo Ryder. If you definitely decide to do this, by all means give me a shout. I Live in Houston and back in June 4th 2011, did my first SS1000. All interstate from Houston out to Ft. Stockton and back. Did mine in a bit over 16 hours and that was after taking a 1 hour nap at a roadside rest out in Sednora at about 700 miles into the ride.
I ride a K1200LT so about 220 to 250 miles is my gas limit.
As for water, take a camel pak.
As for foods, I carried a small soft cooler with the little 10 oz bottles of BOOST. IBA magazine recommended them in an article, so I tried them once, and now swear by them for long distance rides.
On your first ride, its good to have at least one other rider. But you definitely dont want one that will hold you back. I promise I wont do that.
I dont care about the certified rides, but just love the opportunity to meet and ride with others that are serious and dedicated to the LD Community.
One word of caution. This sport can be addictive. I know I'm hooked and have only be back riding since 2008.:sun:
 
Dutch,

Would you come to San Antonio and start from the same area? I'm curious because I might come down and stay the night at 281/1604. Nelson is starting very close to that intersection. There would be plenty of businesses to witness including the front desk and gas station.

I'm on an RT and have about the same range. Nelson plans to stop about every 100 miles or so. Sounds like a great time.
 
It's going to be more of a challenge on a standard bike like mine
The most I've ridden is 300...
That just might be a challenge. ;-)

300 miles is nothing like 1000, but remember that you just need to do 100 miles at a time.

Take potassium tablets ahead of time or a couple of bananas before you leave in the morning, and eat some more bananas throughout the day. Potassium is good for your joints and it will help you feel more comfortable in the saddle for a long day.

Comfort is key to a long ride. That means everything from your underwear to the plugs in your ears, the drops in your eyes, and the water in your belly. There is a reason why the majority of Iron Butt Rally finishers wear LD Comfort undergear.

Again, you've got LOTS of time to complete this ride. It makes no difference to the IBA if you finish your ride in 18 hours or 23 hours and 55 minutes, the certificate reads the same, so take your time and be relaxed.
 
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