Day 10 ... early Day 11

It’s late on Day 10 people. This morning Team Talken McGaffin’s SPOT rode through a town called Marathon. Yup, that’s what we’re in these final hours. As anyone who runs marathons will tell you, it’s the last .2 that will get you. 

Looking at the IBR Daily Reports, the wheels were coming off for some riders over the past two days, literally. Rider 9 is in this club. Since a tire change in Denver was not in the cards, Team Talken McGaffin was in dire need of a rear tire yesterday. They were able to get a tire change in the afternoon, but it was not smooth and they lost nearly 3 hours with the clock ticking. It is their story to tell when they can later, but suffice to say these are the times that make riders want to crawl out of their skin. Rally spouses too. Things sorted, they continued with their ride plan towards last night’s rest bonus. Only to get a front tire puncture. They made a repair whilst being bombarded by mosquitos. The SPOT was moving again when it should have been this morning. 

Team Talken McGaffin rode through my home state of MI today, where the rally pups and I have decamped over the past couple of weeks. There are so many friends, family and long-distance co-workers that they rode by today. I told Kirsten to picture I-75 festooned with streamers and confetti as they go along. Soak up the good karma and get back to the barn. Because that would be preferable to the rain that has been soaking them (and many other riders) for days. She called it a “frog choker,” with rain pelting the visors, and causing the never-before-has-it-leaked plastic sleeve with the all important rally log to leak.

These are the hours when rallying feels like a very poor decision. The fatigue sits heavy. Patience is thin. The only way out is through. And visions of warm showers, warm food, and cold beverages dance through their heads. Send some luck the way of these riders slogging their way back to Pittsburgh. The clock is still ticking and it’s now a 9 hour rally to stop the clock at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning.

There is a gaggle of rally spouses, rally pups, friends, and IBR veterans here after midnight waiting at the front door of Rally HQ Pittsburgh. Things are quiet. Several riders have come in this evening, to a warm welcome. Riders will come in throughout the night as the sun chases the moon for the final day of IBR 2023.

Rally Pack

Rally dog Riley helping with final packing, Pittsburgh

Long-time rally watchers know that there is always time devoted to faithful rally pups. Our 15 year old chihuahua mix Riley is a pro. He has ridden some (shorter) miles with Kirsten in his own seat and was known to jump into his riding bag as soon as he saw her put on her gear. Riley flew with me to the IBR 2015 finish in Albuquerque and has been at many other rally Starts and Finishes. 

Sir Frederick Pepperbottom joined the pack in 2020 and took the IBR 2021 pre-rally prep in stride. He is a fast learner and appreciates the concept of the Iron Butt Hotel - if you have time to sit, you have time to lie down, if you have time to lie down, you have time to wrap yourself in a blanket, kick your legs in the air, and take a nap.   

This year, Jana joined the crew for her first rally road trip to Pittsburgh, announcing herself to all as she excitedly scoped out the goings-on in the parking lot of rally HQ. Bela sees a gathering of motorcycles and riders and her tail and ears go on high alert. She can pick Kirsten out of the gaggle in a second and was with Riley and I at the finish of IBR 2017.  

Jana practicing Iron Butt Hotel naps

Chris has two rally dogs cheering him on at home - Bella and Toby. In true rally dog style, they are alert and calm, keeping Chris’ wife Denise company over these long days of distance.  

Bella and Toby await Chris' return in Ireland

The rally pack enjoys visiting with other rally dogs - Blue (Connie and Randy Gabrick) and Jake (Lisa Erbes, RIP sweet Jake) were in residence at the 2021 Dog Daze Rally. If you can’t get enough of good riding, you should come to northern Michigan in August this year for the final running of the Dog Daze Rally. Hosted by skilled Rallymasters Connie and Randy, Dog Daze covers some beautiful country and provides an awesome place to gather with friends and pups to enjoy riding and an awesome view from the top of the mountain in Wakefield. 

Riley, Bela and Frederick at the Dog Daze Rally, 2021

But the clock is still ticking (loudly), and the rally pack and I are heading back to Pittsburgh. Penalty points accrue for riders one second after 8:00 a.m. on Friday morning. We’ll have fresh water and a treat waiting. 

Rally pack in transit

Dirt for Breakfast & Ride Alongs

Kirsten's cockpit 

The truth is, no IBR rider really rides alone. Every rider rides with thoughts of friends or family or other riders who have influenced them. Kirsten rides with the memorial cards of Curt Gran, Peter Behm, Tom Loftus, and Karol Patzer in her pocket. IBR memories are inextricable with these fine people. Big dogs with big hearts.

Many riders also bring along a little creature that supports them on the way. Rubber duckie from Kirsten’s first rally, the legendary Mason Dixon 20-20, has pride of place on the dash. Mr. Happy has been in her cockpit for thousands of miles and in 2021, Zoomie arrived (because the rally pack couldn’t travel to Provo for in-paw support).

Chris has a IBR veteran teddy bear named Lucky. Lucky was a prize from a fair for his son Conner when he was a wee baby. Lucky came with Chris to America for his first IBR, and has been on every IBR since (the stand-up fur tells the tale). There is a twin bear that stays at home while Chris and Lucky are riding. It is bad luck to leave Lucky at home, and he is riding along on IBR 2023.

IBR veteran Lucky

There are some days when all of that luck, well wishes, and karma from rally veterans rooting from above come into play. For Rider 9, it was heading to a bonus up 150 miles of switchbacks on a US Forest Service road, with the last 25 miles being gravel. At night. Two-up on a fully loaded rally bike with street tires. Team Talken McGaffin came upon a tree across the road almost immediately. If it had been any bigger, Chris wouldn’t have been able to move it the few inches it took to get around it. There was an elk. And deer. And a cat that kept running alongside the road (I’m choosing to believe it was a real cat and not a fatigue-induced animal come to spook the riders). There was fog. And hail. On the return, two more downed trees were negotiated. When they came out around 4 a.m. a few other riders were heading up and Kirsten thought, “have fun boys.” Personally, I was happy to see the karma circle back. In and out, safe and sound as it was about this time on another rally after another long night tracking her spot on another Forest Service dirt road. Business finished. On to breakfast.

And for those watching the rally page, a new feature has appeared. There is now a count-down clock to the finish. Now we can all hear the ticking clock and ride along as they point their noses towards Pittsburgh.

Rally ride alongs from the parking lot at the Start in Pittsburgh

#OneJob - The Pillion Post

Your rally blog scribe (Jennifer) and Kirsten in Ireland, 2017

Kirsten and I have been riding two-up for many years, including through central Mexico and all through Ireland. The Ireland trip was organized rally style by none other than Chris! The riders, most IBR veterans, enjoyed a fantastic week in 2017 making a loop of the Irish Isle. This week, I’ve been hearing from some of our favorite two-up teams and IBR vets interested to see the set-up of this 2023 team. Every pillion can tell you about comfortable rides, issues with trunk hinges jamming them in the back, helmet knocks when they doze off for a second, and riding long miles with the up-close view of the back of the pilot’s helmet.   

Every pillion has their own method for getting on the bike, and it’s a topic of conversation. I spoke with Greg and Pat Blewett in Pittsburgh and Pat’s method has evolved over the years and many successful IBRs. When we were riding in Ireland, Jon Goode (2023 IBR rally staff) and Ande Bergmann had an amazing system where Ande grabs Jon’s arm and he sort of flings her onto the back of the bike. Apparently they were watching a video of SEAL teams hauling people into a life raft and inspiration hit!

Jennifer and the GSA

The BMW GSA pillion seat is roughly level with my elbow, so it’s a climb. Kirsten stabilizes the bike and I step left foot on the peg and launch up, swinging the right leg over the side. One big difference Kirsten has reported on this ride, Chris is much taller than me, his shoulders almost at her head. A plus for him - he can see nearly over the top of her head. Down side- the center of gravity is much higher on the bike. It’s been a lot of work keeping the bike stable as there is no neutral movement that he can make. There’s been no bike dropping though; their refrain is Irish for “knock on wood” - touch wood. Unlike many other experienced two-up teams who have been riding together for years, Kirsten and Chris are mainly solo riders riding together for the first time on this rally. It has been an adjustment for them both.

There is something that all pillions know: The pillion must feed the driver.  #onejob 

Lynda Lahman, part of the two-time, two-up IBR veteran team with Terry has found proteins & carbs that work in an easy-to-pass-to-the-front-of-the-helmet-without-getting-blown-away form. Ande, in addition to routing and completing rally paperwork, takes tourist photos and generally keeps connected, all from the pillion seat. (Jon is forbidden from touching rally paperwork.) Kirsten and Chris had a few conversations about what to eat on a rally. Despite the fact that this rally is taking them to food places, rally riders don’t spend a lot of time off the bike eating. Kirsten said that sometimes the hand comes around with a handful of Planter’s peanuts. Yesterday, there was part of a PayDay bar. They are filling up the two-person hydration system at every fuel stop. But other than that, here on Day 7, they are drinking out of the same can of Coke.   

Where there is sheep, there is...

...a pillion dismount hazard.

After joining several other riders on Leg 2 on the combine driving simulator bonus, which also offered the opportunity for a "real" breakfast at their cafe, Kirsten/ Chris rode through some very chilly temps on the way to the Denver checkpoint. (Kirsten needed heated gear, Chris was nicely chilled.) Once again, they accomplished all the points they were aiming for on Leg 2 and made progress on their BINGO card. They are currently the 2nd two-up team. It looks like James and Bobbie Jackson are having a heck of a rally, currently sitting in 15th position on their 2021 Honda GL 1800. 

Rally packs were distributed for Leg 3 at 4 a.m. Denver time this morning. The public SPOT page showed the starburst of riders leaving the barn for the longest and highest point-getting leg of the rally. This is the time to keep the wheels rolling and the snacks coming!

The pillion's view, Ireland.

Leg One is Done

The comms system onboard for Team Talken McGaffin (Rider 9) is working well. Uncharacteristically, I have received every call she has made, and we can hear each other in those short few minute conversations that rally spouses are used to. Unlike the hilarious transcriptions of the call in bonuses, the audio is audible this year. And bonus for me, I can hear both Chris and Kirsten as needed. What wasn’t working on Leg 1 however was Chris’ Garmin XT, so routing from the pillion seat was not going as planned. I put out a call for assistance and Paul Partin responded that he was going to be at the Tulsa checkpoint, and he would bring a box o’ cables to see what could be done. Soldering was involved. And now the Garmin is not giving Chris fits as they ride into Leg 2. Huge thanks and a hug are coming for you Paul in Pittsburgh!

Not long after my last post, Lisa Rufo appeared on social media to relay the story of the deer strike (scary) and say they are out of the rally. I’m so glad Lisa and Molly are ok and heading safely home, but the bike no longer has a front end. Steve Rufo made the hard decision to continue the rally solo on his ride to becoming an IBR finisher. He, Kirsten/ Chris and several other riders were at a bonus location together at the end of Leg 1 before riding into the Tulsa checkpoint. Here’s to smooth sailing for Steve. 

Two-up team Lisa Rufo and Molly Hecker at the Start in Pittsburgh

The standings from Leg 1 are available on the IBR site - and you can tell the theme this year is food! At one point I looked at the Spot and saw that Kirsten / Chris were riding over water. I thought, they’re good, but really? Zoom in and they were headed to Cedar Key, FL to nab “Cedar Key Clams” worth 4,548 points - the largest points grab on their leg. We are set up so that my photos and Kirsten’s photos from cell phones automatically load to a shared site. However, new IBR rules this year prohibit sharing ANYTHING produced by a rider during their ride. Long-standing rally rules also prohibit sharing any real-time tracking for riders or bonus locations - this is all to keep riders safe while they need to be focusing on their routing, rest, and rolling. Happily, the new IBR site links directly to the scorecards of each rider after the Leg is complete! 

Rider 9 Talken/ McGaffin kept all of the 21,194 points at the scoring table that they had collected. They are currently in 19th position, and 3rd of the two-up teams for Leg 1. Riders were told at the Start to aim for 12,000 points for this leg to be on pace to become a finisher. Kirsten/ Chris rode over 3,000 miles from Monday morning to Wednesday evening - a heck of a leg by any standard, but especially since they are still working out the details of riding two-up. Plans for Leg 2 include decent rest and hopefully a rear tire change at Checkpoint 2. Two-up riding and big miles = a lot of wear on the rear rubber. And now that the Garmin is working again, Chris was able to chime into a recent check-in call to say that the GPS was doing a comedy routine. It wanted them to go back 50 miles that they just came. So, things are pretty much rally normal. 

All appears to be going well with Team Talken McGaffin at Checkpoint 1

Go For the Glory!

When Chris and Kirsten had a phone call to discuss the pros and cons of riding two-up last year, there were lists on both sides. At the end of the conversation, Chris, in his lovely Irish, said, “Let’s go for the glory!” That sealed it. Everything else would be worked out. 

Rally prep in Virginia

Working everything else out long distance meant Chris fabricated some of his own pillion gear and brought it over. Which meant the final bike set up was two days before heading to Pittsburgh. The pillion pegs wouldn’t budge (hence the need for George’s hacksaw and grinder), but once removed, the lowered passenger pegs were installed. A new hydration system with “his” and “hers” “no blowback!” water tubes with quick disconnect rests on the right saddlebag. And Chris fabricated a nifty “thigh pod” mount for his phone and GPS to route from the pillion seat. They rode together for the first time on Wednesday. The longest two-up ride they did together was to the rally start.

Custom phone & GPS "thigh pod," being inspected by rally dog Jana.

Some things they have already discovered - with the highway pegs extended, they can both shift legs forward for a stretch underway- Kirsten on the highway pegs and Chris on the pilot’s pegs. Chris can plug in the charging cable (from the new pillion USB) to Kirsten’s Sena to charge the comms. He can also tap her Sena to turn her com back on so they can talk… I can already see what this will be like on Day 8 when Kirsten is “saving the battery” and Chris is not done talking. tap tap tap.

We learned at the Start Banquet that there are 10 (10!) two-up teams in this IBR. You can find the full list of riders on the 2023 IBR Riders page. Kirsten and Chris will be the first two-up team with a female pilot and male pillion. Sadly, the other two-up team attempting the same piece of history was Raven and JD, but they were sidelined due to a nasty faceplant. She is healing, and JD is riding solo. This rally also has the first mother-daughter two-up team of IBR veteran Lisa Rufo and her daughter Molly Hecker. I asked Molly how she was feeling yesterday morning before launch and she was excited and good to go. In reading the rally reports today, we learned that a deer jumped onto this two-up team early this morning, totaling the bike. Lisa and Molly are “ok,” and we’re all staying tuned. There is a father-daughter two-up team of Jon Kerr and Kaleigh Kerr. I remember Jon showing up to an IBR finish with one leg in a cast. When I asked him how he rode like that, he said, “the last 1,000 miles were very hard.” Yesterday, he and Kaleigh showed off their purple toenails that will be bringing them luck in their boots. 

There is a lot of experience in this group of riders. It is always amazing to watch the roll-out at the start - completed this year in 6 minutes. Proficient motorcyclists, focused and ready to go. This is Kirsten’s 5th Iron Butt Rally and Chris’ 4th IBR. Every rally is different, so that’s 7 IBRs worth of experience riding on the R1200RT. Chris started riding in 1992 and Kirsten in 1996 - 58 years of motorcycling experience combined. They had a plan, and they are riding their plan here as Day 2 turns to night. East, west? North, south? On that road to glory, sometimes you just have to decide and then hang on!

Convergence

“...then George had to take a hacksaw to the bolt, and that wasn’t working, so he got a grinder and the sparks were flying!” This is the message I got from Kirsten as she was in her final day of bike prep from the shop. I mean there was still 24 hours before take off to rally HQ - plenty of time. 

The RT getting fresh rubber for the road

Sometimes a hacksaw is needed

This year’s start of the Iron Butt Rally 2023 is in Pittsburgh, PA.  A rally start only 5-6 hours from home for a change. But don’t let that fool you - being closer to home means stretching out the “turn off” time of work and other obligations until it’s really just time. to. go.

As of yesterday afternoon about 3:00 p.m. local time, the convergence was complete. Riders of the 2023 IBR completed the check-in and registration process. If you are new to rally watching, you can read direct reports all rally-long on the shiny new IBR website!   

A wonderful return to this year’s rally are the international riders as COVID travel restrictions that held them back in 2021 are lifted. Chris McGaffin arrived from Ireland earlier this week with his full kit. Joe Fisher shipped his bike from Ireland to New York and was calmly sitting with us at lunch yesterday prepared to ride. Rather than ship from Australia, Olaf Moon has bikes he has bought and stored with rally friends here in the U.S. Wolfe Bonham literally finished assembling his bike days ago, riding it for the first time the few hundred miles from his home in Canada to rally HQ-PIT. After breakfast this morning, he did mention he could smell the clutch a little.

Chris and his kit at the airport - we approve of his choice of luggage!

Kirsten’s prep involved a new jacket that was actually waterproof, some new electronics and USB ports for the bike and a good once over from George Mangicaro of Gridlock Motors, who has taken care of every rally bike Kirsten has ever ridden. Jeff Jones sent Kirsten an In Reach cradle mount for free when she put out a call on the IBDone board - he said he wasn’t using it and wants to build up his good karma bank. (You are - thanks Jeff!) Gear, a new Sena motorcycle communication system and some spare parts for the road came from Morton’s BMW.  So much appreciation goes to Jeff, Pat and Seth who got the systems hooked up so that Kirsten and Chris could easily communicate over the next 11 days.

…oh wait… haven’t you heard?

"Pairing Ready" 

Kirsten and Chris will be riding IBR 2023 two-up! They will be riding Kirsten’s 2015 BMW R1200RT, a rally-finishing bike from the 2021 IBR. Kirsten is pilot, and Chris is navigator-pillion. And just like that, I have sooooo much more material for this year’s blog!

For now, I’ll say that the Rally HQ parking lot is awfully quiet with all the riders in the mandatory rider meeting. The Start Banquet is this evening where the rally packs for Leg 1 will be distributed. And then the real fun begins. 

Two-up Team Talken McGaffin in VA before heading to Pittsburgh