KEY
WEST
T
here is rarely a statement like I am about to reveal
that has ever been uttered from one motorcycle
rider to another when sharing the exhilaration of
a road trip. In fact, if you were to poll 100 riders, the
statement is practically the antithesis of a good ride as
defined by 99 out 100 of those riders. In fact, in 2011
I was attempting my first official Iron Butt Ride, known
as a SaddleSore 1000. This is 1,000 miles in 24 hours
or less. Not to be confused with the nearly as popular,
BunBurner of 1,500 in 36 hours.
wanted to lean into some turns and see some places I
hadn’t seen before. Fortunately, I rolled into Burns with
15 minutes to spare, and found an open Gas Station
that could document my finish time by way of a time
stamped receipt.
The sane rider, attempting to reach such a
milestone would logically take the straightest,
“legally” high speed route they could find. One such
route for Colorado riders is Denver to Chicago on the
wide open I-80! A scenic wonderland of tractor trailer
trucks and Iowa corn! Depending on your exact
starting and ending point this ride at about 1,024
miles and allows you to keep up a fairly quick pace.
You can even ride out half way and come right back
home if you want to save on hotel costs. All that is
required is documentation and receipts to show proof
of your route and your mileage.
Which brings me to the odd proposal that I uttered
to a good friend regarding a recent riding opportunity.
Hey, Bill, “How would you like to hop on some rental
bikes and ride 200 miles in a straight line over the
course of half a week, then turn around and take the
exact same route back in the opposite direction?”
Since we usually ride 200 miles before breakfast, or
at the latest lunch on a normal day, taking half a week
to cover this little ground would have been insane
. . . until I presented him with one more detail. We
would be riding from Fort Lauderdale down to Key
West, some of the most beautiful stretch of roadway
in all of the United States. Sure the only turns in
our future would be the very rare gas station stop;
and our floorboards might only drag pulling out of a
clam shack, but we would be flanked by the sea and
the sun would be shining. Looking out into the snowy
Colorado night, I was able to get an easy “Yes” out
of him!
Of course, when I planned and executed my ride I
headed to Burns, Oregon, on my way to San Francisco.
There was plenty of straight highway, but there was
also plenty of the good stuff, the twisties, the turns and
rolling hills. The formations that make your blood move
a little faster as the adrenaline fuels your depleted body,
as there is little time for food or rest. I knew I wanted
to accomplish a documented SaddleSore, but I also
12 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
I am a big fan of long distance riding, but I
appreciate th e freedom of riding without a timeline.
I am glad I have, officially documented an Iron Butt,
but, now that it is behind me (pun intended) and I am
only looking forward.
June 2016
www.thunderroadscolorado.com