If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, did it make a sound?That pretty much sums up my feelings about writing a blog. However if you are reading this somehow, heres a little history. About two months ago I set out on my first major distance ride with my friend Homco. I have been riding for a few years but the ride to Key West, FL was my first big adventure. Daily he kept a running blog of our adventures. They are all shared on this blog below and I recommend you follow him. His dedication to documenting the trip gave me inspiration to start a blog of my own. And here it is. I am going to do my best to document my adventures. Mostly for me, but if you enjoy it too, all the better. I am not a professional writer, just someone who wants to keep his thoughts and travels to look back on. A big thanks to Chris for the idea that I am so shamelessly stealing.

First off, I got rid of the Harley. I know, I just got it last year. But some things change. Last year I didn’t know how much I would be seeking adventure. And seek it I have. A trip to Deadhorse Alaska is already set for July 2017. There will be a bit of off-road riding. In expectation of that, I bought a 2016 KTM 1290 Super Adventure. The versatility of this bike is amazing. I didn’t know how much I liked going in the gravel and mud until i found a bike that can do it. I am hooked. I do however need to understand that my skill level is below my courage level. I have given the bike a few bumps and scrapes along the way to learning. I promised my wife I wouldn’t kill myself on this bike and I plan to keep that promise. So slow and steady it goes.

I am sitting in the coffee shop looking for the energy to get through the rest of the day. I just rode back from Grand Rapids, Mi. The purpose for this trip? My very first IronButt Association qualifying ride. In order to get membership in the IronButt Association (IBA), you must complete certain rides. The least of these rides is the Saddle Sore 1000 (SS1000). This ride consists of 1000 miles of riding completed within 24 hours. This ride is no joke. The IBA has a wonderful bunch of volunteers who help organize these rides. Family obligations had me miss last years ride. This year was etched in stone.

I arrived at the Travel Plaza diner for the riders dinner all on my own. I did not know a single person there. I came to find out that much like the motorcycle community, these guys were as friendly as could be. Later standing outside of the hotel next to our bikes, I met the guys I would share this experience with and come to call friends. Steve (GPS Steve) R. was the first person I met. He is quite an accomplished distance rider with many rides under his belt. He had the entire ride mapped out in his GPS so we quickly deemed him our lead rider. He did an amazing job keeping us ahead of schedule and never once getting us lost. After seeing his attention to detail, I realized how completely unprepared I was. I also learned a lot for the next time I do an IBA ride. I can’t thank Steve enough for his help on this ride. The next guys we met to join our little group were Mike and Troy. They are brother-in-laws and rode up that day from Des Moines, IA. Around 500 miles on Victory Cross Countries. Mike and Troy use the same communication system as I do so we would be able to chat while riding. And there we had it, our very own make-shift group. And I couldn’t have been happier with the selection.

We left on a blustery 55 degree morning. The chill cut through the air nearly all the way to the Mackinac Bridge. We were discussing the cold weather and bundling up at the first stop. I remember thinking, if it would just get a little warmer…Well it did. We crossed the Bridge making excellent time. Across the upper peninsula of Michigan we went. We crossed over to Iron Mountain and stopped for lunch. The temp had jumped to 85 degrees. Still tolerable. We were about 5 or 6 hours into our ride. It was at this time Troy got a call from his wife. She had gotten in a head on collision back home. She called him from the hospital. The happy-go-lucky mood immediately changed. Without hesitation Troy knew he needed to go home. He never showed disappointment in not completing the ride. You could see by the look on his face that he wanted to be home…and fast. Mike being his riding partner and brother-in-law rode home with him. They would continue on with us till Madison, Wi and then brake away for Des Moines.

As we continued on to Madison, we went through what seemed like a land hurricane. The wind was unbelievably strong. Add to the wind temperatures approaching 94 degrees and we had a real struggle on our hands. We battled through 4 hours of riding in this punishing weather. But we pushed on. Mile after mile we forged ahead into the wind. The fatigue started to set in. We made our last stop as a group of 4. It was at one of our mandatory stop points. In a moment of both fatigue and dumb-assedness, I had my most regrettable moment. I thought my kickstand was down and leaned over to grab my gas receipt and down she went. It felt like it was in slow motion, but the reality hit me at light speed. I had just broke the mirror and snapped the clutch mount on the bike. SHIT! I was in Madison WI. How the hell was i going to get home? Although this was a real low point on the trip for me, it was also one of the best points. Before I knew it a bunch of riders sprung in to help me lift the bike. No one made me feel like the idiot I felt like. They all had one purpose at that moment. Solve the problem of how to repair the bike. Another rider name Mark and Troy went into full problem solving mode. With a bunch of zip ties and a hose clamp I was back running again in 15 minutes. It was an amazing roadside fix. I can’t thank these guys enough for getting me back out there.

We said our goodbyes and well wishes to Mike and Troy and set upon our way to Chicago. As the day wore on, I had to stay focused. Its easy to let fatigue take hold and let your mind wander off. The heat of the day had me drinking more and more water. All in all I drank about 5 liters of water during this ride. We made our stop at the Dekalb, IL mandatory stop. No milling around this time. We gassed up, got our receipt without dropping the bike and hit the road. As the sun went down, we rode into Indiana. The air started to cool off a little. Down to a manageable 85 degrees. We rode into the dark and made one last stop. The final and most difficult leg was Chesterton, IN to Grand Rapids, MI. Tired, sore and impatient we rode on to the finish line. We arrived just past midnight. 18 hours and 10 minutes. 1000 miles. Numb butt. New friends and an experience I won’t forget. I cant wait to do it all again.





The new dirty bird in all its glory. 2016 KTM 1290 Super Adventure.

On the way to Michigan for the IBA ride. Obligatory state sign pic.

Rider meeting prior to start. Over 40 guys participated in the Lake Michigan SS1000

This is Steve R. Leading us to the Mackinac Bridge. While on the com sets we nicknamed him “GPS Steve” to avoid confusion between all the Steve’s. He did a great job leading the pack all day.

This is Mike and Troy on a pair of good looking Victory Cross Countries. They were nice enough to let me join them on coms. We had great conversation through a big portion of the ride.

This is where we were when Troy got the call from his wife about the accident. We couldn’t have been much farther away from his house at the time. His face showed both the worry about his wife and child and how long it would take to get to them. I got report that they are bruised up but doing well.

My big moment. Thats not going to be cheap.

Another view

Spotwallla map of the ride. Over 1000 miles. Just over 18 hours. Bad news, heat, wind, broken clutches, exhaustion and a sore butt. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Thanks to everyone who made this a great first IBA ride!