The REDMOND 1000!

[Rob Nye]

I will be coming from Alaska.

Your telling me to ride 1000 miles East to start in Miles City to ride West 1000 miles.

SO for all the people who might be coming in from the Northwest and want to ride the Redmond 1000, you are saying TUFF LUCK, ride to Miles City.

Does a boarder crossing make this a harder ride or something??

I don't understand why you and your team would leave out such a large group of your brothers and sisters from the North.

I'm not asking for you to move the starting point to the end of my driveway or anything like that. Which is in Columbus, Ohio by the way. Just add one or two points for the people coming in from the north.

Redmond 1000 is a good idea, but to limit it to 3 starting points in the lower 48 states is not.

You have about 7 months to work with IBA folks, I'm sure if you ask them they will be more then happy to look at 1 or 2 more staring points from the North.

Thank You

Greetings,

I hear you and I'd like to take a moment to address your comments.

Please keep in mind that this is the first time the IBA and the MOA are teaming up to offer a SS1K Certificate ride to the rally. We really have no idea how popular this will be but everyone agrees that there is a natural connection between MOA members, big miles and the Iron Butt Association.

The Iron Butt Association did not become the gold standard by being at all casual in the process that approves rides. Even for an event with a fixed route such as the Redmond 1000 each rider's package is verified by hand by a member of the approval team. While it may seem easy IBA staff and volunteers will have to approve each ride, prepare the certificate, check it for accuracy and put together the welcome package. As I said we have no idea how popular the ride will be but it is not inconceivable that we could have over 100 rides to approve in the period from the closing time to the pizza party, if not more.

The more routes we have, the more complex the verification process becomes. In other words, we want to manage the administrative logistics as best we can and standardizing three base routes is the best way to avoid potential rider disappointment. Although it might appear our decisions are capricious, they are actually based on what we learned from similar rides such as the 24 Hours to Tulsa (IBA National Meet 2008) and the Orange Blossom Special (IBA dinner Florida 2009).

As a rider who received a certificate for 24hrs to Tulsa I was amazed that even with pre approval of every route Bill Watt and his verification team was still up all night handling the same chores they'll need to accomplish in Redmond. As I'm not on the team I don't fully understand the process (black art ya know ) but to say they are thorough would be an understatement.

Registration will open at the same time as the rally pre-registration. I'd like to invite and encourage you to come up with a fun route to the rally from where ever you are. If you want to receive a certificate for the Redmond 1000 see if you can incorporate it into the route. If you are an IBA member already and you do your own route for approval by mail you will be welcome to the pizza party (space available) and you can submit the documentation for a certificate to be prepared after the rally.

I am very excited to be helping out. It is big fun to see folks receive their certificate and welcome package while they still have that "just climbed the mountain" feeling. If you decide to do back to back SS1K's as some suggested or any other combination ride that ends with the Redmond 1000 please let us know in April. I make absolutely no promises but at the very least it would be fun to be able to offer some special recognition for the extra effort at the party.

Thanks again for your comments and I hope to see you at the first IBA Pizza Party at the MOA National.

[REDSLEDRIDER]

Bill,
You made mention to the 24 hr to Tulsa and Orange Blossom Special, both of which were completely open to any route just as long as you ended up at the location 24 hr after you started.
Now you take the BMW MOA Redmond rally and tell us you want as many people as possible to attend and limit it to 3 starting points in the lower 48 states.
OK
How many riders might want to ride in from the North?

[bmwDeb]

We are very pleased that the Iron Butt Association is offering the Redmond 1000. It encourages riders to challenge themselves to do another Saddlesore or attempt their first. The 4R Rally theme is ÔÇô Ride, Rally and Relax in Redmond. Stan and I are planning with the Committee Chairs to have a fun, enjoyable time in Redmond and we look forward to hosting a large group of riders.

We support the IBA decision to have 3 starting points because of all the reasons that have been listed in their communications. Any additional concerns about the Redmond 1000 need to be directed to redmond1000@ironbutt.com.

Any questions about the activities at the 4R Rally can be directed to rallychair2010@bmwmoa.org.

Look forward to seeing IBA folks at the Friday night Pizza Party in Redmond!

Ride safe,

Deb Lower
4R Rally Chair
rallychair2010@bmwmoa.org

[Rob Nye]

Doug,

The Ride to Redmond is an IBA event designed for the BMW MOA members to enjoy. The starting locations, scoring procedures, registration requirements, logistics and such are based upon years of experience including the two events you cited.

The Ride to Redmond is set up to balance the logistical requirements of approving, preparing and presenting a large number of Saddle Sore 1000 certificates at the MOA National Rally. As such we need to have certain rules in place, one of which is that there are three starting points. FWIW, these starting locations were selected on more than they are 1050 or so miles from Redmond.

Now I love to be the guy that says yes, I really do. I host a 24hr endurance rally in New England with a Saddle Sore component and it kills me to deduct points or tell a rider that because they lost a receipt I can't give them a certificate. To fudge it even a tiny bit would devalue every other certificate the IBA has ever issued. This cannot happen.

Every member of the IBA earned their certificate by satisfying the requirements of that ride. To earn a certificate for the Redmond 1000 one of the first requirements is you start from one of three locations.

We would love to be able to accommodate every special request we will receive but we can't. That could cause a complete nightmare for getting the certificates prepared for the folks that ride the set routes. This is something we are not prepared to risk as it isn't fair. For a large event such as this what we find works best is one set of requierments with no exemptions which is the way the Redmond 1000 will be run.

Thanks again for your feedback. I hope that you understand why we can not accommodate your request and that you will be able to incorporate the Redmond 1000 into your summer plans.

As I mentioned earlier you are welcome to design your own ride and submit it via the normal process. If you are already a member of the IBA and we have space available you (and all other IBA members) will be welcome to purchase a ticket to the Pizza Party, again this is space available.

[2bikemike]

Looks like a great opportunity to get that coveted award.

[REDSLEDRIDER]

Looks like I'll be treating myself to a nice steak dinner instead.

[WARTHOG]

I completed mine last year coming home from Johnson City. It took me about 4 months to get my award after completing the ride. I understand that due to the number of applicants and the need to verify is why the processing time is so long. I admit I was a little anxious and I kept wondering if the two deputies that signed my ending verification would remember me. Got my certificate and plate last week - early Christmas present.

The Redmond 1000 is a great way to complete the SS 1000 and get immediate satisfaction

FYI - I did mine on the stock GSA seat and I'm still recovering. Just got my Russell seat from the winter group buy and looking forward to completing another Iron Butt this summer.

[180683]

I was on the fence about attending the rally due to time and distance but this may have pushed me over the edge

Thanks for offering this, Rob. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity, and one more reason to attend!

Joe

[calnalu]

Looking forward to attending my first MOA rally since Spokane!

Will the Redmond 1000 include side trip visits for points accumulation? Or is it "just" a "ride to Redmond in 24 hours" thing?

Thanks!

[71717]

Thanks for going to all the trouble to put together some routes to the rally.
It will make it simple for me to earn this coveted license-plate holder. I'll be leaving from Mesquite.

Thanks
Tom

[ccrider650]

Seems like a great way to get a SS1000 done. Certificate and pizza......
Miles City looks like a good place to start..

curt

[bmwDeb]

Looking forward to attending my first MOA rally since Spokane!

Will the Redmond 1000 include side trip visits for points accumulation? Or is it "just" a "ride to Redmond in 24 hours" thing?

No, there aren't side trips to acquire points. This is a 1000+ mile ride finished in 24 hours - an IBA Saddlesore 1000.

[ironguy]

See you in Cheyenne. I will be looking for details as they develop. Thanks for putting this together.

[squiffynimrod]

I'm in for Miles City.

[bogthebasher]

I'm in for Miles City.

I must be just as squiffy as you since I am considering riding east from Calgary to Miles City - don't know if there is anyone else from Cowtown thinking of doing the same??