BBG4500 ride report
Fellow Riders,
During the last several days, I made my second attempt, this summer, at completing this ride. My first attempt failed at 1100 miles into the third BBG - due to fatigue - in late July. A report was filed on that ride last month.
Armed with what I had learned from that attempt, I gave it another serious effort. The bike ridden for both rides was my much farkled 2003 Honda ST1300.
The weather was clear for all the ride with temperatures between -1C and 40C. Cold at night in Montana and coldest over the continental divide between Butte and Helena. Warmest over towards Boise, Idaho. I saw few animals on the road, on these routes, at this time of year and very little construction.
BBG1- I left Friday morning at 8 AM on BBG one. That route was from Calgary, Alberta to Centerville, Utah and back north on I-15 to Shelby, Montana. By GPS that route was 1521.9 miles and was completed in 21.06.07 hours at an average speed of 72.1 mph. My wife offered to meet me at the motel stops and that worked out great for safe, dry and warm sleep locations, plus witness assistance. By finishing this first leg with 3 hours to spare it gave me several hours of restfull sleep before starting leg 2.
BBG2 - left almost one hour late after a relaxing breakfast with my wife. Rode from Shelby, Montana to Bismarck, North Dakota, and then back west on the same freeway to Butte, Montana. By GPS that route was 1514.6 miles and was completed in 21.39.20 hours at an average speed of 69.9 mph. Had time to sleep for almost 2 hours at a motel in Butte before starting on BBG3. That rest was vital. If I couldn't have got it in here between the 2nd and 3rd leg, I was not going to continue at this point.
BBG3 - left about 9AM again. About one hour into the 24 hour window already. I didn't consider this a problem and was greatful for the extra rest. This route was from Butte, Montana to Pocatello, Idaho, to Mountain Home, Idaho, then south to Spanish Fork, Utah, and then north on I - 15 to Shelby, Montana.
Unfortunatly I had to pack the ride attempt in again. This time just after 4AM near Butte, Montana at 1263 miles into BBG3. At that point I only had 238 miles to go to finish the BBG4500 at Shelby, Montana. Mighty frustrating after so much effort.
In total, I had ridden 4300.4 miles within the 72 hour time frame.
When I pulled over at Idaho Falls (at about 1100 miles) to put on warmer clothes, I still owned that ride. Even to Dillon, Montana at almost 1200 I was feeling pretty sure of myself. Starting to smell the roses at the finish line and writing acceptance speaches in my mind. Yet wary and taking all the fatigue precautions I have practised over and over before. Still, what has happened to me out there, over the 1100 or 1200 mile mark into the 3rd leg, is extreme mental fatigue. Caffiene intake can only delay this so far. Then my mental endurance limit gets reached hard and fast. Riding on further (at that point) without extended rest, becomes, not only unsafe and unwise, but impossible. Now, I now have to consider what options are available to stretch this limit further, and continue to be completely honest and realistic with myself.
I absolutely thought I would be successful on this last attempt and I will need to find that confidence level again, or I might as well stay home.
Perhaps I need to arrange the scheduling of this ride so that I am finishing the last 500 miles in the daylight or even have a support vehicle (with bike to bike intercom) hook up with me for that last stretch. Or something to give me a jolt of adreneline, like getting pulled over about that time for a traffic ticket. Nah, I think I will avoid that one, though exactly that thing did occur to me near the end of my very first BBG3000 and it was suprising how alert I was for the remainder of that ride. Or simply do like my wife says ... and quit trying to complete this, so very difficult, of rides. Well, I am going to have the winter now to think about it.
My thanks to my wife (Julie) for her support, other helpful witnesses, and for both her and Curtis Barrow (IBA official witness from Great Falls), who waited patiently for me at Shelby, while I was sleeping in a ditch.
I brought up once, a few months back, about whether or not it was possible for someone to complete a BBG6000 or 4 back to back BBG's. Well, my attitude and opinion on that subject now, is that such a ride is way past human endurance, making it an impossibilty.
A few others of you have emailed me over that lasts few weeks and expressed your desire to attempt a 4500 in the near future. I regret, if I have been instrumental in encouraging anyone to do this ride. It is just so damned hard and that increases the risk factor. My advice to you is - forget it - and do another ride, instead.
On the IBA finishers list of certified rides, only 1 rider is listed as having completed this ride. Not suprising at all. Congratulations - John Ryan - for your success in finishing this ride last year. Were you ever abducted by aliens and had some modifications done? Or perhaps grew up too close to a Nuclear power plant and had some gene mutation occur? All in jest of course. Regardless, you are one tough SOB.
At least I am getting closer to my goal of 20 or more certified rides and membership in the Mile Eater Gold club. Not being able to claim the BBG4500 allows me to claim another BBG3000 or two BBG's and a SS1000. I think this will put me at 18 or 19 certified rides now (once all the paperwork is in and certified of course).
Best regards,
Steve Broadhead
Calgary, Alberta
During the last several days, I made my second attempt, this summer, at completing this ride. My first attempt failed at 1100 miles into the third BBG - due to fatigue - in late July. A report was filed on that ride last month.
Armed with what I had learned from that attempt, I gave it another serious effort. The bike ridden for both rides was my much farkled 2003 Honda ST1300.
The weather was clear for all the ride with temperatures between -1C and 40C. Cold at night in Montana and coldest over the continental divide between Butte and Helena. Warmest over towards Boise, Idaho. I saw few animals on the road, on these routes, at this time of year and very little construction.
BBG1- I left Friday morning at 8 AM on BBG one. That route was from Calgary, Alberta to Centerville, Utah and back north on I-15 to Shelby, Montana. By GPS that route was 1521.9 miles and was completed in 21.06.07 hours at an average speed of 72.1 mph. My wife offered to meet me at the motel stops and that worked out great for safe, dry and warm sleep locations, plus witness assistance. By finishing this first leg with 3 hours to spare it gave me several hours of restfull sleep before starting leg 2.
BBG2 - left almost one hour late after a relaxing breakfast with my wife. Rode from Shelby, Montana to Bismarck, North Dakota, and then back west on the same freeway to Butte, Montana. By GPS that route was 1514.6 miles and was completed in 21.39.20 hours at an average speed of 69.9 mph. Had time to sleep for almost 2 hours at a motel in Butte before starting on BBG3. That rest was vital. If I couldn't have got it in here between the 2nd and 3rd leg, I was not going to continue at this point.
BBG3 - left about 9AM again. About one hour into the 24 hour window already. I didn't consider this a problem and was greatful for the extra rest. This route was from Butte, Montana to Pocatello, Idaho, to Mountain Home, Idaho, then south to Spanish Fork, Utah, and then north on I - 15 to Shelby, Montana.
Unfortunatly I had to pack the ride attempt in again. This time just after 4AM near Butte, Montana at 1263 miles into BBG3. At that point I only had 238 miles to go to finish the BBG4500 at Shelby, Montana. Mighty frustrating after so much effort.
In total, I had ridden 4300.4 miles within the 72 hour time frame.
When I pulled over at Idaho Falls (at about 1100 miles) to put on warmer clothes, I still owned that ride. Even to Dillon, Montana at almost 1200 I was feeling pretty sure of myself. Starting to smell the roses at the finish line and writing acceptance speaches in my mind. Yet wary and taking all the fatigue precautions I have practised over and over before. Still, what has happened to me out there, over the 1100 or 1200 mile mark into the 3rd leg, is extreme mental fatigue. Caffiene intake can only delay this so far. Then my mental endurance limit gets reached hard and fast. Riding on further (at that point) without extended rest, becomes, not only unsafe and unwise, but impossible. Now, I now have to consider what options are available to stretch this limit further, and continue to be completely honest and realistic with myself.
I absolutely thought I would be successful on this last attempt and I will need to find that confidence level again, or I might as well stay home.
Perhaps I need to arrange the scheduling of this ride so that I am finishing the last 500 miles in the daylight or even have a support vehicle (with bike to bike intercom) hook up with me for that last stretch. Or something to give me a jolt of adreneline, like getting pulled over about that time for a traffic ticket. Nah, I think I will avoid that one, though exactly that thing did occur to me near the end of my very first BBG3000 and it was suprising how alert I was for the remainder of that ride. Or simply do like my wife says ... and quit trying to complete this, so very difficult, of rides. Well, I am going to have the winter now to think about it.
My thanks to my wife (Julie) for her support, other helpful witnesses, and for both her and Curtis Barrow (IBA official witness from Great Falls), who waited patiently for me at Shelby, while I was sleeping in a ditch.
I brought up once, a few months back, about whether or not it was possible for someone to complete a BBG6000 or 4 back to back BBG's. Well, my attitude and opinion on that subject now, is that such a ride is way past human endurance, making it an impossibilty.
A few others of you have emailed me over that lasts few weeks and expressed your desire to attempt a 4500 in the near future. I regret, if I have been instrumental in encouraging anyone to do this ride. It is just so damned hard and that increases the risk factor. My advice to you is - forget it - and do another ride, instead.
On the IBA finishers list of certified rides, only 1 rider is listed as having completed this ride. Not suprising at all. Congratulations - John Ryan - for your success in finishing this ride last year. Were you ever abducted by aliens and had some modifications done? Or perhaps grew up too close to a Nuclear power plant and had some gene mutation occur? All in jest of course. Regardless, you are one tough SOB.
At least I am getting closer to my goal of 20 or more certified rides and membership in the Mile Eater Gold club. Not being able to claim the BBG4500 allows me to claim another BBG3000 or two BBG's and a SS1000. I think this will put me at 18 or 19 certified rides now (once all the paperwork is in and certified of course).
Best regards,
Steve Broadhead
Calgary, Alberta
