Iron Butt Association Daytona Party

You might be curious about what it’s really like to ride an Iron Butt flag rally. The rally is a sort of treasure hunt and the object is to ride from point to point in order and take a photo of the specified object with the flag in the picture.

The excitement of the ride begins a couple of days after New Year’s when the Daytona Party is announced and the website for registering for the dinner and ride is opened. “Premier” members of the Iron Butt Association have first crack at registering for the party. There are about 300 openings and they sell out every year. Not all of the 300 attendees go on the ride, but all attend the banquet.

I registered and paid for the dinner and ride as soon as I received the notice. A couple of days later I was given a link to register for a room. The hotel reserves all their rooms and some across the street at another hotel. They give the IBA first class service.

The next step is to wait about 6 weeks until the ride details are sent to the participants.

I use my GPS mapping software to plot the route and determine the distances between each stop. Next I determine the places where I’ll stop for gas. My bike holds enough fuel to allow me to go 200 miles between gas stops. Depending on the length of the ride, it’s necessary to make 5 or 6 gas stops.

Once I have the flag and gas stops plotted, I add the route to my GPS and enter the points and distances in an Excel spreadsheet. In the spreadsheet I enter the anticipated speed for each leg and the anticipated stop time. I allow 10 minutes for a picture stop and 5 minutes for a gas stop. One of the stops I designate as a meal stop and allow 20 minutes for that stop. The final calculations indicate the departure time for each stop. I print out the anticipated departure times and put the list in my tank bag.

The day of the rally begins before 5 a.m. as we submit our release form and get our rally flag.

A good hot breakfast follows.

At 5:30 there is a rider’s meeting where IBA President, Mike Kneebone, gives us our last minute instructions. Then at 5:45 we’re off. I start my GPS and let it lead me. In addition to watching traffic, I think about my comfort. I don’t want to be too cold or too hot. Also, I keep myself hydrated. I have a Camelback water bag in my tank bag and can take a drink without stopping. I snack on peanuts or protein bars at each stop.

At each stop there are usually several riders parked, getting their cameras and flags ready, and taking their pictures.

If I’m riding the rally solo, I don’t have a partner to help take the picture while I hold the flag. Beth had a great idea; she suggested using a wire music stand. I ordered one and it worked great. The stand fit easily in my saddlebag, I could set it up quickly, and it was easy to hang the flag on the wires.

This memorial park in Cordele, GA had other equipment on display, but there’s never enough time at a stop to do more than take a picture.

Gas stops are quick as can be. I usually take a restroom break, eat a bite of protein bar, and drink some water or Gatorade G2.

Aside from the fun of riding and taking pictures at the stops, I watch my progress time to see if I’m on schedule. In 2016 I was elated to see at the 5th stop (740 miles, 13 hours) that I was a half-hour ahead of schedule, but the evening didn’t go so well. By the end of the trip I arrived 1-1/2 hours after my anticipated arrival time. I lost a lot of time in Tampa traffic and in setting up my flag in the dark. The flash on my phone wasn’t working properly, so dealing with that issue took some time.

At the end of the ride I stop for a final gas receipt.

I’m tired and eager to go to sleep. There isn’t much time to relish the completion of the ride, but I am content to finish in a reasonable time.

The ride has to be documented by submitting starting and ending gas receipts and all the pictures taken in the proper order. The photos can be emailed to the headquarters as they are taken, which is what I did. I also posted them to Facebook. There’s also the “old” method of bringing your camera to the check-in table and showing each photo in sequence to the checker.

Late in the afternoon of the second day riders gather in the hotel’s theater for a bit of socializing and to receive their awards. A local sponsor usually provides free beer (one flavor – anything cheap.)

There is an evening banquet where once again, everyone will be acknowledged.