Day 6 – Who ARE These People?

This is day 6. This is the day that pushes Kirsten into the longest endurance ride she has done (second to the IBR 5000 last summer of 5 days). Kind of like Sam said in the hay field, “If I step one more foot, I’ll be the furthest from home I’ve ever been.”


All the Iron Butt Rally veterans say that you never know what it’s like until you ride one. You’ve read about it, watched the videos, talked with people, but until you’ve tested yourself and your trusty stead on this adventure, you really don’t know.

I thought I’d give you a little insight from the IBR rally reports as to who is riding this adventure along with Kirsten. There are usually 100 riders, but economics caused several people to back out from this rally. There were 87 riders who began in Seattle. There are currently 86 riders still rolling – one had an accident that took him out of the rally a couple days ago (he’s fine, his bike is not). There are 29 IBR veterans running this rally, including several of the top finishers from the 2009 rally (the IBR is held only once every two years). There are 6 two-up teams and riders from all over the U.S., Canada, Germany and Australia. Thirty-two riders are true rookies with no previous Iron Butt Rally or IBR 5000 experience.

Kirsten is one of 24 veterans of the first-ever IBR 5000 last summer, but a rookie to the IBR. Another is Brian Bray – a very nice young man who did not finish (DNF) the IBR 5000 because he hit a small black bear in Montana during the rally and totaled his bike. He walked away – all the gear all the time! Brian said the bear got up after a minute, they both looked at each other, and then the bear ran off into the woods. He flew out to the finishers banquet and I remember his huge smile and all the hand-shaking and slaps on the back he received. The IBR staff say they’re still disappointed Brian didn’t get a photo of his rally flag on the unconscious bear.

Kirsten the day she bought the RT (aka Rally Bike!) 
Shout out to Morton's BMW!

Kirsten is one of six women piloting her own bike. Another is friend Nancy Oswald. Nancy is a strong rider who finished 20th in the 2009 IBR. Nancy is working on the additional Four-Corners bonus points for this rally. This is an interesting tactic to watch because it won’t be clear until the very end where this puts the rider. All the bonuses gathered during each leg are available at the checkpoint – except the 4-corners, which requires the rider to get all four corners of the U.S. (designated by specific town). If you don’t get all four, you don’t get any of the points- therefore, we won’t know until final scoring where these riders really stand in the overall scorecard. There could be huge jumps all over the board.

As of right now – end of Leg One – Kirsten is in 7th place.  This is far better than her standing at the end of leg one of the IBR 5000- last place. (Loyal readers will remember she lost her front tire during the first day of that rally, recovered, rode a blistering leg two, and finished 36th out of 53 finishers.) Our friend Roger Sinclair and the other two riders who went to Alaska at the beginning of Leg One are in 1st, 2nd and 3rd places with an incredible ride.  Click here to see Kirsten and these riders at the 4 a.m. rider's meeting this morning.

Today, Kirsten rode in some of our favorite parts of the country. I got an “ok” message from her tracker near a favorite spot in Vermont. Makes me smile and she sounded excited and ready to go last night. I keep telling her about your posts and she keeps saying it means a lot to know you’re following along. Makes her smile too.

State Tally for Leg Two (25 of 48): Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.

State Tally at End of Leg One (21 of 48): Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York.