Distance Rallies and Rides
Iron Butt Association Number 15240
In the spring of 2003, thanks to friends Ron and Carrie Hanson and Kerry Person, I caught the distance/endurance riding bug. We started by doing the Team Strange Minnesota 1000, and it grew from there. There are a number of different types of distance rides, including bonus points rallies, Iron Butt Association certified rides, and Grand Tours. I’ve split up my ride reports and photos into these categories to make it easier.
These files were originally published on the old version of chrisberg.net.
Rather than create new web pages again for everything, most have been converted to PDF files.
Bonus Points Rallies
These are competitve rides set up kind of like a scavenger hunt. The rallymasters assign points to different locations and the goal is get the most points in an allotted amount of time, usually 12 or 24 hours. I think they’re the most fun, because they involve groups of cool people that always have interesting stories to share when we all get together.
Click below for ride reports from these:
Team Strange Team Lyle Rally
2011
2012 (no report)
2013
Team Strange Butt Lite IIII
2006
Team Strange Minnesota 1000
2003 (map only)
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010 (48 hour rally)
2012
2015
GLMC Bonzai Rally
2004
Team Strange Return to Niobrara
2004
MNLD Riders Unplugged Rally
2007
2008 (no report)
Iron Butt Association Certified Rides
The IBA certifies certain long distance rides. Their process is fairly strict to ensure that you actually did the ride you’re claiming. They require you to do some of the lesser rides (Saddlesore 1000) before attempting any of the really challenging ones. Go to their website for details. They also run the Iron Butt Rally every other year – sort of the major leagues of this kind of riding. It’s 11 days, 11,000 miles, and few who apply get in. I’d love to do it someday, money and time willing. Below is a list of certified rides I’ve done. Some with reports and some without.
Saddlesore 1000
(1000 miles in 24 hours)
(map only)
Bun Burner Gold 1500
(1500 miles in 24 hours)
(map only)
IBA Border to Border
(Cross the Canadian and Mexican borders in 36 hours)
(I also claimed my Bun Burner 1500 – 1500 miles in 36 hours – on this ride)
IBA Great Lakes Challenge
(circle the great lakes in under 100 hours)
Hyderseek/Saddlesore 2000
2000 miles in 48 hours
This combines a cool trip AND a distance ride…
Lake Superior 1000
(circle Lake Superior in under 24 hours)
Wisconsin Saddlesore 1000
(1000 miles in 24 hours, entirely within Wisconsin)
Grand Tours
These are sort of like bonus points rallies, but they last over the course of a summer. They usually require you to visit a number of places with something in common, like using the first letters to spell a word, or visiting the smallest town in each state – weird things like that. If you get enough of them, you can win things, like tires or something. Click below for information and photos on these:
GLMC Tour of Biblical Proportions – 2004
(I didn’t do squat for this – I only went to eight places – so there’s nothing to say)
Team Strange Anniversary Tour – 2005
Spell out TEAM STRANGE AIRHEADS 21 using town names
(I finished this one in two days – finishers get an entry into a drawing for a motorcycle!)