Tom Maiden's Ride Report MTF  50CC/100CCC Iron Butt Association Ride

Thursday 5/16 Morning San Diego

After a very poor sleep Wednesday night since we tried to go to bed earlier than normal I got up at 1:00 am to head down to the start. Met up with my friend Kent Ailes and headed out, me on my RoadStar and Kent on his new Suzuki V-Strom.

We met up with our Start Witnesses at the Mobil station down by the beach. Got our forms signed, got our gas and starting receipts, and headed to the beach a few blocks away to get our pacific coast sand and water (Not really a coast to coast if you don't touch the water). After getting my feet wet getting the water (who's idea was this?) Kent, Dave Shealy, and myself headed out. We were the only ones planning on the 100CCC. Kent was on his V-Strom Dave Shealy on at BMW LT1200 and me on my Roadie. Kent and Dave took turns leading out of California I was doing my best to keep up.

Also leaving for a 50CC from this location were 2 riders Al & Marty that were incorporating a 50cc in the middle of their IBA 4 Corners ride. When we rode by the gas station on our way to the Interstate after getting our sand and water they were there getting their forms signed by the witnesses and getting their receipts. Going up over the Mountains heading out of San Diego it got cold then very very treacherous winds through the pass on the El Centro side we actually slowed way down as we were all getting blown around pretty good. Once down in the California Desert the speeds picked up again. Our first stop was in Yuma. Still together we took off for the Flying J in Eloy. Just outside of Gila Bend Kent pointed to his glasses indicating he needed to put on his sunglasses and took an exit. Dave and I continued on to the Flying J. We were done fueling up when Kent showed up. He had run out of fuel about 1 mile before the I-10 junction. He used a canister of spare fuel and was able to make it in.

Our Next Stop was Lordsburg. Kent had to pull off at a rest stop before Lordsburg as his seat was starting to bother him. Once again he caught up to us in New Mexico at the Lordsburg stop and we left together with Kent letting us know he would be resting again before El Paso.

I tried earplugs for the first time and found that with them I can hear the voices in my head much clearer. ;^)

Dave and I made El Paso but since we didn't specify which Gas Station we did not see Kent after a long stop we headed for Van Horn Texas. Kent caught up to us prior to Van Horn after he had stopped in Vado, NM for gas.At the Van Horn stop Kent was going to stop for a break as none of us got very much sleep the night before and he said he needed to shut his eyes for awhile. Dave and I headed out for the next stop at Fort Stockton Dave was leading maintaining speed just above the flow of traffic. All of a sudden he gets in the right hand lane and really slows down behind a car. I hit the passing lane thinking he got a false hit on his radar detector. Well he took a rest stop exit and that was basically the last I saw of him. Turns out he needed to refill his camelback and take a bathroom break. I actually did see him as I finished filling up with gas in Fort Stockton I saw him ride by on the interstate. I got back on my bike as fast as I could and onto the interstate but never caught him. It turns out he stopped on one of the other exits. He did not finish the 50CC in time due to weather in Houston slowing him down and a headlight modulator failing him in Pensacola, Florida.

By myself from Fort Stockton on I just maintained a speed just above the flow of traffic as much as possible. I made it in to Kerrville TX before dark and my goal was to make Orange, Texas just inside the Louisiana Border. Well somewhere between San Antonio and Houston I got a little "white line fever" going. I shook my head and there in front of me were the skyscrapers in Houston. Just don't know how I got there.. Scary!!

At this point I was awake again and decided to push on for Orange. Well by the time I got to Winnie, Texas I couldn't go any farther so I got a hotel room and a wake up call for 2 hours from the time I checked in. I was back on the road 2.5 hours later. I covered Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida on the 2nd day. Most of the trip was uneventful. I did hit rain in Mobile Alabama. I rounded a curve close to downtown and it was raining no time or place to put on the rain suit. I saw a sign that said tunnel ahead great I thought maybe it won't be raining on the other side. What I didn't realize was that it could be and was raining even harder. Now I was on a causeway and there was no place to pull over and put on the rain gear. The good news was about 1/2 way across the causeway I was out of the rain and due to the heat I was almost dry by the time I was across. 

While still in Louisiana I rounded a curve up in the hills and saw it pouring up ahead. This time I stopped and put on my rain suit. When I looked up after putting it on however there was no more rain on the road. I thought to heck with it and left the suit on As I rode into Pensacola, Florida where it was very humid. I couldn't get that rain suit off fast enough.

From Pensacola I made it all the way to Lake City, Florida in decent weather. I was under 60 miles away from the end. I took off for Jacksonville about 1/2 way there I was coming down a hill and a slight sprinkle turned into a torrential downpour. I was tucked in behind the windshield watching the lights/brake lights and trying to see the road stripes while maintaining around interstate speeds. Finally rode out of the rain just a little before Jacksonville and was making my way to the beach. Well somewhere I took a wrong turn and it seemed to take forever to get to my destination but I finally made it.

I met up with Alan Leduc, the forum host form the Motorcycle Tourer's Forum, at the ending gas station He rode down to the beach with me to get the water and sand from the Atlantic. I then went back to the gas station and my ending time was 19:39 EDST. Alan escorted me to the local Police station and I got my witness form signed. Alan then led me back to the hotel and we hooked up with the rest of the guys that were doing the 50CC east to west from the Motorcycle Tourer's Forum. Had a nice dinner and relaxed that evening in the hotel room waiting on Kent to show up.

Well Kent finally showed up around Midnight and told me of his ordeal in Houston with a rainstorm. He had stopped for the night in San Antonio and as he came into Houston on Friday Morning it was sprinkling then raining a little harder. He was in the HOV lane going through Houston as he approached down town it was as if the sky opened up he said. He said he was riding with water lapping at his foot pegs and that every time a truck was either passed or passed him he got a free shower on top of it and the rain suit was not as effective as he would have liked. 

As it turned out we were the only two of the five that started that completed the West to East 50CC. Seems Dave also caught the storm but was pushing on when his headlight modulator quit in Pensacola he did not want to chance running without his high beams so he called it quits. Kent saw Marty and Al heading East as we were on our return leg so we are assuming they hit the same storm in Houston and decided to wait it out as they were on a 4 corners ride as well and probably decided that was their first priority.

Saturday Morning 5/18 Jacksonville Beach Florida

Up at 5am got the bikes loaded and head out for the start. Met up at the starting gas station with all the other crazies from the MTF and our witnesses, there were 9 other riders doing a 50CC attempt running east to west. After Pics and paperwork Kent and I fueled up and headed out.

We had already decided that we would only ride together to the first time he had to pull off and then we would be on our own as this seems to be the best way to run one of these rides. It was very overcast and we would ride in and out of sprinkles all the way to Tallahassee. Kent got off on the first exit and I continued on as I crested the hill the weather looked like it was getting worse so I pulled over for an early fuel stop and to put on my rain suit. Well the rain suit stayed on and the sunglasses off all the way to Houston. It was overcast all the way with occasional rain and constant sprinkles. Once dried out in Houston I removed the rain suit put on the shades and hit the road. I was just getting into San Antonio at Dark. My goal for the evening was Van Horn Texas. 

Kent was going to stop in Junction, TX as he had lost his receipts from the first leg of the trip and he thought they came out after he left Junction. So he was going to head west a little in the morning hoping he could find them. As it turned out he couldn't.

At Kerrville I had to stop to warm up with a little meal at the Cracker Barrel, had a bowl of soup and a cup of coffee, and to put on my leather jacket. I made it to Ozona without a problem but the leg between Ozona and Fort Stockton was definitely putting me to sleep. I finally pulled into Fort Stockton after many stops and walks around the bike to wake up. Bo passing me beeping his horn just before Fort Stockton really woke me up, around 3:20 am CDST about 22 hours after I started in Jacksonville. I got a hotel room for 4 hours this time and was back on the road at 08:30 after having a little breakfast at the hotel.

Sunday morning, I started running almost a constant speed right above the flow of traffic trying to find rabbits when I could. I got into Willcox, AZ around noon had a light lunch. Where I ran into Bo once again just as I was getting ready to leave. 

From Willcox to El Centro I hit the normal afternoon cross/head winds out here in the west. A pain but something we are use to. When I left El Centro though the run to the mountains reminded me of when I used to ride my bike on Naha Port on Okinawa during a Typhoon just killer winds no rain but getting sandblasted. Climbing up through the pass was real treacherous as you would get bounced around quite a bit as I climbed it also got chilly cold. I had to stop up in the Mountain and put on my rain jacket and large gloves to warm up a little. Well I was getting close and had plenty of time. Just made me twist the wrist all the more.

I finally got my ending receipt at 8:16pm I then went down and got the sand and water for the finish stopped and got a 6pack and headed to the hotel to order a pizza. At the hotel I got my forms signed by the witness and found out I was the 3rd one in out of all those from Jacksonville. One guy (Howard Burchum) with a BMW LT1200 was 1st as he only took a 30 minute rest stop and Alan Leduc the host of the Motorcycle Tourer's Forum who sponsored this ride had gotten in about 3 hours ahead of me.

Again Kent showed up around Midnight with plenty of time left on his clock as well. On Monday Morning we came to find out that everyone that started in Jacksonville had made it. We spent a lot of the morning in the parking lot of the hotel talking with one another and relating our experiences and it came time for our celebration Luncheon which was very nice at the Hunter Steakhouse. After Lunch most everyone was leaving to head back or continue their journey.

Kent and I stayed one extra day in San Diego and basically just veggied out the rest of the day and evening. We headed back to Phoenix on Tuesday morning getting in early afternoon on Tuesday.

Quite the run and adventure to be sure.

BTW The voices in my head just keep repeating one word. Ride Ride Ride Ride Ride.... ;^)

The fuel cell I added for the trip made quite a difference as I saved quite a number of stops by having it.

Here are my stats from the runs