Lake Michigan circle Ironbutt

[KrystaS]

Starting late WED the 1st and ending about dinnertime on
THUR the 2nd I did an Ironbutt around Lake Michigan.
I almost said "my first Ironbutt"... it's kinda addictive, and
I'm thinking about a coast to coast & a border to border,
and maybe the national parks tour.

I started & ended in Milwaukee, at the same gas station.
Leaving late in the evening let me get through Chicago & the
I-80 corridor when there was less traffic. (Wasn't all that much
less scary, what with a semi & 2 cars trying to change lanes
into me between Milwaukee & the IL/IN border.)

I took I-94 across to Battle Creek, and by dawn was almost to
Saginaw, MI. Going through bands of rain made traction &
visibility variable, & I'd forgotten my polarfleece sweater, so
I was cold much of the morning.

Other than those few hours of rain, & getting blisters on my right
hand, the ride wasn't bad. I discovered that Tim Horton's serves
soup at all hours. They looked at me a little funny for standing
while I ate, but didn't say anything.

After crossing the Mackinac Bridge, I took Rt. 2 west to Iron
Mountain, MI then turned south on 41 through Oshkosh, WI
back to Milwaukee. I arrived at the dealership about 15min
before they closed & the manager was happy to sign my ending
witness form. (And to get the cookies I'd made in case I needed
a bribe.) I made him promise not to tell my boyfriend... I want
to surprise him with the certificate.

I was surprised at how good I felt by the end of the ride. I'd
expected to be brain-dead & dangerous to drive home, but I was
fairly alert. It was about 19 hours, and while I didn't stop to nap
I wasn't shy about pausing every couple hours to stretch my legs.

I have the feeling that the next time Karl goes out of town for a
while he'll be more specific about my riding priviledges... The
bikes are all his (so I acknowledge his right to set some limits),
and he _said_ I could ride the ones that were here in town, but
I think this wasn't quite what he had in mind. ::innocent look::

[tarzan77]

That is so great!! Any tips? The Lake Michigan Iron Butt is definitely on my list!! Great job on finishing your first (of many) Iron Butts!!

[KrystaS]

1) Be prepared to stop and rest. Even with taking a short nap you can still make it.
If you don't make it in time, you can always try again as long as you're able to ride,
so don't be stupid and push too hard. Driving sleepy is as bad as driving drunk.

2) Go through Chicagoland between about 11pm & 4am.
(Side note - using an IPass or EZpass is great!)

3) Do the night riding while you're fresh.
End your ride in daylight, to help keep you awake.

4) Remember your sweater. :slaphead:

5) Pack a lunch, so you don't have to deal with a restaurant. Even fast food takes
longer than a sandwich at a rest stop.

6) One from the IB website: stop for gas before you think you need to.
I planned to stop every 2 hours or 150-ish miles, before the gas light came on.

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[Luna Tique]

:wootrock: Congrats krystaS :pompom::worthy:

How about posting up a picture of you and the bike your rode.

:ears:What did you BF have to say when you told him what you had just done other than " I hope you filled the gas tank up before you put the bike away"? :lol:

[ridingAK]

Congratulations! :pompom::clapping::pompom: I have been wanting to do an Ironbutt for the past year or two but haven't found the motivation to actually do it. Maybe later this summer.:chin:

[Astir]

:wootrock:
That is great! I have thought about it myself, but like rAK the motivation just hasn't hit with enough intensity. The national park one has thanks to LD.

[KCDakar]

:wootrock:Great ride!

I want a pic of the BF's face when you told him. :lol:

[KrystaS]

How about posting up a picture of you and the bike your rode.

What did your BF have to say when you told him what you had just done other
than " I hope you filled the gas tank up before you put the bike away"?


Well, I haven't told him yet.
A) he's out of town on his own walkabout (should be back later today)
and
B) I want to wait 'til I have the certificate (probably 4-6 weeks) and the patch.
Going to put one patch on my suit & 1 on the mesh jacket and when he notices,
show him the certificate.

Granted, I may not be able to hold out that long, but it's a goal. :):

I hope he won't be mad about me taking a risk, or not consulting him, but
I'm a big girl.


Pictures? Hmmm... I think I can do this.

If this works out right, there's a picture of 2 bikes; the front one is a 1986
R65 (Betty) who's my daily rider. The rear one is the 2001 R1150 that Karl
usually rides, but I took on the circlebutt. That's Karl, behind the tree.

Then there's Mr Happy being supportive in Iron Mountain. I'm hoping to get
a passenger certificate for him & send it to Andy at Aerostich. I think he'd
get a chuckle from that.

Finally, here's a link to the 1150 in Deadhorse. Karl did that ride. Twice. Before we met.
http://www.theroadscholar.net/images/My%20Bikes/End%20of%20the%20Road.jpg


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[msyzf2u]

FANTASTIC ! Well Done ! :wootrock: :clapping: :thumbsup: :wootrock:

[Luna Tique]

:chin: You think he will notice it is due for an oil change :rofl:

[KCDakar]

:chin: You think he will notice it is due for an oil change :rofl:

:lol:

[Pinken]

wow - awesome achievement! Not in my list of things to do, but much respect to those who do! Glad it was safe and enjoyable.

[KrystaS]

You think he will notice it is due for an oil change?

:eek:. . . . :hiding: . . . . ;):

Yes, eventually he will.
But his memory isn't very good, so he might figure that he put the miles on
or had forgotten what the mileage was when he left. [Too many head injuries,
none of them from a motorcycle.]

I did mention to him on the phone that I've been doing some longer rides
while he was gone, and I will eventually fess up to it.

I just think that handing him the certificate will be a better surprise than
simply telling him what I did.


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[ridingAK]

Is he ready for another Deadhorse run? It's a great ride. You'd enjoy it.

[KrystaS]

Is he ready for another Deadhorse run? It's a great ride. You'd enjoy it.

IMHO, the words "enjoy" and "gravel" should only be used after the word "not".

And "gravel road" is an oxymoron.

Karl is a much better and more experienced rider than I am, and he was comfortable
on the highly variable and challenging surface that is the Dalton Highway. I'm pretty
sure I would be very _un_comfortable.

Maybe if I took a dirt bike class it wouldn't be so bad:chin:, but right now I would only want
to tackle it on a GS and with a support team, and even then I'd probably be tense & slow.

I've been licensed 19 years. I'm getting pretty good at knowing when to push my limits
(as with the IronButt) and when to respect them (as with conditions on the Dalton).

Check back in another 5 years; things may change by then. Heck, 5 years ago if anyone
had told me I'd ride for 19 hours straight I'd've told them they were loony. Now I know
that _I_ am. :):

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[KCDakar]

Heck, 5 years ago if anyone
had told me I'd ride for 19 hours straight I'd've told them they were loony. Now I know
that _I_ am. :):

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You fit right in! :wootrock:

[sweptwingnut]

:wootrock: congratulations!!!

[KrystaS]

I want a pic of the BF's face when you told him. :lol:

Well, I didn't have that pleasure. :badday:
I'd told 3 people in his family, making all of them promise not to tell him, and one of
them did. He won't tell me who it was, so I don't know who it is I can't trust.

After a couple weeks of (in retrospect) dropping hints, he finally came out & asked me
when I was planning to tell him.

I told him the same thing I'd said here - when I got the certificate.

He was upset that I'd not asked permission. Well, hon, you _said_ I could ride it! :angel:

He pointed out that there might have been a mechanical issue... Which I'm sure you
would have told me about when you said I could ride it.

I think he was joking, but he said that if my paperwork is accepted and his isn't, he'll
be mad at me. I don't see the logic there. He's the one who's let the paperwork for his
ride sit around for a year. I mentioned it to him a couple times, but he's an adult.
I think. :chin:

Even the owner of the shop (my end witness) thinks he's being a bit of a jerk about it.

But the year-old paperwork finally got sent in.

I think he needs to have some way to feel superior, and when he found that I could do
a long hard ride it annoyed him. :mghissyfit: (His problem, not mine.) Heck, I've been through
labor, I've attended other labors, just riding for less than a day isn't all that bad!
Other than the blisters...

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[KansasKawboy]

Bummer about someone spilling the beans. :mgbanghead:

It sounds like jealousy to me.

[jfike]

Bummer about someone spilling the beans. :mgbanghead:

It sounds like jealousy to me.


ya think?? :badday:i'd be bummed too.... way more fun with someone to celebrate the accomplishment with.... but that's ok, we're still here for ya!!

[Luna Tique]

:(::shrug:

[sweptwingnut]

.............
He was upset that I'd not asked permission...........

PERMISSION!!!:gaah:

I agree with Jfike. This site and all the fabulous people that make this site so wonderful are all are here to support you. :cheers:

Oh,,, I think I see MMS in your future. (Multiple Motorbike Syndrome) :D:

[KrystaS]

PERMISSION!!!:gaah:

Well, it is his bike... But I resent it all the same. Nice to know others seem to agree.


This site and all the fabulous people that make this site so wonderful are all here to support you. :cheers:

I know y'all are here thinking I did A Neat Thing, and telling me so, and I appreciate it. :):
I've mentioned it to a couple other riding friends, and they seemed happy for me.
Even some people who don't ride seem to understand that it was Something Difficult.
It's his problem, being jealous or whatever. Maybe eventually I'll catch him bragging about
me to someone. "You know, my girlfriend did an IronButt..." :riding:


Oh,,, I think I see MMS in your future. (Multiple Motorbike Syndrome) :D:

Yes, I want several bikes of my own, but only if I can love them all equally... ;):
I'd like a nice old airhead for some relaxing country rides, maybe a back-road cross-country trip.
And I enjoyed the R1200 for touring while he was a single bike; very comfy & powerful.
(Cruise control, power window, heated seats, does 85 without thinking about it...)
And the R1150 is so sporty.
And maybe after that dirt bike class I'd get a GS.

All after I hit the lottery. :lol:



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[jfike]

well KrystaS, after this past weekend, where, in 4 days i did a little over 1000 miles.... :cheers: to you!! my butt was sore for 2 days!!!


YOU GO GIRL!!!


and bet on it that he will someday be caught bragging..... ;):

[Luna Tique]

I thought more about his last night.
Maybe he was just so hurt that you didn't share your awesome accomplishment with him right away.
We know you wanted to surprise him with your official certificate but he did not know that.

I think the more time that passed the hurt may have turned to anger after all your "Secret" he heard from someone else not you.

The teller of your secret may or may not have added the fact you were planning on surprising him when your certificate arrived.

His lashing out was probably a knee jerk reaction that I am sure he regrets and in the end IS very proud of you.

WE all are :wootrock:

[Astir]

What you did was awesome KrystaS, in so many ways! It is an accomplishment very few people not to mention women do, and your intent to surprise him with the certificate was a good one. So sorry someone spilled the beans, and also that your BF doesn't see your accomplishment for what it truly is. :hug2:

[KCDakar]

What you did was awesome KrystaS, in so many ways! It is an accomplishment very few people not to mention women do, and your intent to surprise him with the certificate was a good one. So sorry someone spilled the beans, and also that your BF doesn't see your accomplishment for what it truly is. :hug2:

+1 :thumbup:

[evolwife]

You are incredibly inspirational! Amazing trip, and I can see why you wanted to plan a surprise -- but I did wonder at your discipline :-) All these great trips and ride reports have changed my attitude about long/challenging trips from being "what if something happens?" to "well, if something happens I'll just deal with it". Now I know stuff *always* happens (bent rims, leaky front forks, bug bites, construction, bad drivers, closed hotels/campgrounds/parks/roads, WEATHER) and y'all get through it with skill, experience, friends and sometimes a little $$. :-)

So now, because you all make these adventures seem like such FUN, I have a track day lined up for Sept....and I'm planning my first week-long trip this year -- maybe to Death Valley, when it's a little cooler!! Or maybe to New Mexico, to prove to my dad that it can be done (hehe...he'd be pissed and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I think it's a good thing but it could go either way, you know?) Anyway, for this trip, it's not the destination, it's the journey.

I WANNA DO AN IRONBUTT but you really did one, and that's cool :-)

[Astir]

So now, because you all make these adventures seem like such FUN, I have a track day lined up for Sept....and I'm planning my first week-long trip this year -- maybe to Death Valley, when it's a little cooler!! Or maybe to New Mexico, to prove to my dad that it can be done (hehe...he'd be pissed and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I think it's a good thing but it could go either way, you know?) Anyway, for this trip, it's not the destination, it's the journey.

I WANNA DO AN IRONBUTT but you really did one, and that's cool :-)

:yahoo:

:popcorn1:

[Luna Tique]

:clapping: Evolwife

I'll get the campsite site up:camping: Astir It will be chilly here in September :D:

[bmwgrrl]

Is there a website for info? trying to talk a friend into doing this with me - Originally from Chicago, now in Ann Arbor, so I drive thru the Indy Armpit often (section of Gary always smells like chocolate chip cookies mixed with warm Gravy Train - go figure)

[Luna Tique]

If you are looking for Iron Butt here is the link IBA (http://www.ironbutt.com/about/default.cfm)

[Lion_Lady]

:pompom: CONGRATULATIONS!! KrystaS!!! :pompom:


Is there a website for info? trying to talk a friend into doing this with me...

A word of caution: Wanting to do a long ride "with" someone is cool, BUT a Saddle Sore 1000 is NOT like any sort of "casual" ride. You can expect to be on the bike for a minimum of 19 hours. It is strictly business. Not something you can do with anyone other than a long-time mate or blood relative.

A SS1000 is almost more of a mental challenge than a physical one. For some folks, their saddle is the deal breaker.

P

[ridingAK]

My longest day so far is about 830 miles from Muncho Lake, BC to Tok, AK. The road was in rough shape, (frost heaves, major cracking, wildlife, wind, fog...) so that influences things, but my biggest challenge on that ride was sore knees.

[bmwgrrl]

Thanks! Trying to recruit a moto gal pal to do the loop with me. Have done it in a jeep several times. Looks like a hoot!:thumbup:

[msyzf2u]

SS1K's are well worth the challenge.


Link (http://www.twowheelfemales.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1874&highlight=saddlesore)

:riding:

[KrystaS]

I thought more about his last night.
Maybe he was just so hurt that you didn't share your awesome accomplishment with him right away.

I hadn't thought of that... :chin: You could be right.


Remember I'd said:
Maybe eventually I'll catch him bragging about me to someone. "My girlfriend did an IronButt..."

Well, it happened last weekend.
We were at our Mensa group's monthly games night, & I overheard him telling someone. :thumbsup:
That was the same day that my certificate finally arrived. (And I showed it to him almost as soon as he got to my house.) I'm still not showing up on their online list, but I hear they've been a little busy with some rally.

Oh, and the Ironbutt office people do have a sense of humor... I'd asked for a passenger ride certificate for Mr. Happy and they sent one! Now to get it forwarded to Andy at Aerostich. I think he'll get a laugh.


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[ridingAK]

Awesome!!!

[KCDakar]

Good to hear! Glad Mr. Happy got one too! :wootrock:

[indianscout]

Sorry I am late in responding but just getting caught up with this thread. Congrats on your achievement and looking forward to hearing more about your future adventures! :thumbsup:




:riding:

[Calif Girl]

I think that is great. Way to go.

[msyzf2u]

Quite the accomplishment! Way to GO !




:thumbsup:

[Astir]

:wootrock: Awesome! Congrats to you and Mr. Happy!

[Luna Tique]

I am glad to hear as it turns out your BF is proud of you and your achievement.
Let's face it it 1,000 mile Iron Butt is quite an accomplishment:perfect10:

:wootrock: for Mr. Happy and you for receiving your ceritficates :cheers:

[KansasKawboy]

I am glad to hear as it turns out your BF is proud of you and your achievement.
Let's face it it 1,000 mile Iron Butt is quite an accomplishment:perfect10:

:wootrock: for Mr. Happy and you for receiving your ceritficates :cheers:
:iagree:

[Tractor]

Good for you!! What an accomplishment!!