I thought about it. Then I really thought about it. 580 miles one way. With two Border crossings…….mmmmm, doable, but maybe not for me. Could be a sucker bonus. Which means I probably qualify for the , “What a wuss” award,……blah, blah, blah.
How about Parent, Quebec?..........never mind.
Well folks, it’s MinuteMan time again here in New England. You know, that pesky riding on the East Coast thing…..hey, get over it.
Remember you IBR riders, you gotta come through here eventually…..Rob was only trying to help you climatize (sp).
Rob Nye and crew once again have designed and executed a puzzling and challenging rally. Clearly “No Rhyme or Reason” prevailed. Even Rob’s clues didn’t make sense. Had Rob acquired new and more devious “Evil Rallymaster” sleep tapes over the winter? Proof: Bonus #48 – Available only at midnight. It was a photo bonus, but the rider wasn’t the shooter, he was the shootie. Be there when the camera CLICKED or forget it.
A few clever reading comprehension traps. Not tricks, but if you think you read what you read then you didn’t read it right…….naked trees on Mt. Equinox ………indeed. The Doug Mo Museum with NO sign, but the BMW roundel should have helped those who missed it. (at least I made that one).
Quebec only Wildcard Bonuses……sorry Rob, next year no questions, I promise.
Friday Check-In:
Pre Rally mugshot…..no laughing …….. well, maybe a little. Ya know, we never had to do this with Polaroids…..ah, the good old days.
The host hotel is well suited for rallies, lots of first floor rooms and plenty of wrap around parking. Easy to secure. But I will NEvER, EvER get use to the layout of this place. It’s set up like a giant rat maze. By the time I figure out how to easily get from my room to the bike, the weekend is over.
But the Clarion Resort in Northampton was excellent. Nice staff, clean, comfy rooms and FAB buffet. After all, Rallies are just big RTE’s with some awesome riding in between meals……right?
Of Tire Kicking and Stogies:
I soon find friends that I’ve made over the years at the MinuteMan. Doc and Cyril are MM1k regulars, so are John Tubb and Kurt Dix. It is always good to swap war stories with these guys. The Arturo Fuentes are passed around and life is just “Good Times and Noodle Salad”
Both Cyril and Doc have ridden deep into Labrador. Ask Cyril about his RC51 to Goose Bay…….John T. had just returned from the Maritimes and Kurt rides up from Palm Beach to play each year…. seasoned vets for sure. We all enjoy the fellowship of this Two Wheel Madness. God Bless us all.
But the Clarion Resort in Northampton was excellent. Nice staff, clean, comfy rooms and FAB buffet. After all, Rallies are just big RTE’s with some awesome riding in between meals……right?
Of Tire Kicking and Stogies:
I soon find friends that I’ve made over the years at the MinuteMan. Doc and Cyril are MM1k regulars, so are John Tubb and Kurt Dix. It is always good to swap war stories with these guys. The Arturo Fuentes are passed around and life is just “Good Times and Noodle Salad”
Both Cyril and Doc have ridden deep into Labrador. Ask Cyril about his RC51 to Goose Bay…….John T. had just returned from the Maritimes and Kurt rides up from Palm Beach to play each year…. seasoned vets for sure. We all enjoy the fellowship of this Two Wheel Madness. God Bless us all.
My choice of mount always unveils me at rallies. Clearly all the paint has not dried on my thought process. Why would anyone choose to ride a 37 year old motorcycle with no GPS, no laptop, fair lighting at best, no com, no radio, no nothing? (well, at least the map light works).
Because I can. And because it’s just so damn much FUN
But to be honest, I just don’t think about it. Every Spring, I roll out the old Shovel, and get ready for another riding season. Besides, someone has to keep this old stuff going.
Meanwhile:
As more and more riders show up to check in, the parking lot begins to fill and the excitement grows. The amount of ash on my Corona has now grown in direct proportion to the degree of bloviating I’m doing. Time to go eat.
As more and more riders show up to check in, the parking lot begins to fill and the excitement grows. The amount of ash on my Corona has now grown in direct proportion to the degree of bloviating I’m doing. Time to go eat.
Rider’s Meeting
Roast beef buffet……..mmmmmmm It’s a good start.
With more than half the total riders that registered, doing the SS1K portion of the MinuteMan, Rob is sure to be deluged with maple sugar. No wonder it’s not a Wildcard this year. But at $11 a pint …….. this stuff ain’t cheap. But it do tastes good Sunday morning. Growing up we called it “sugar” not syrup. Maple Syrup is the crap you buy in the grocery store. I guess things are different now.
Just sayin’.
After chow, Rider Pacs are distributed. Rally flags and route sheets. A few surprises, but mostly just more detail about each bonus. Nothing to change my pre-rally plans.
Bonus locations had been posted the previous Sunday, and I had settled on an Upstate NY route. Plenty of nice roads and good points to be had. I had earlier thought about the Fundy National Park bonus. I have always wanted to ride to that area but soon realized that bonus point options were limited if something happened to my plan. I decided to stick with the Adirondack route. It would provided me with better “bail out options” if my plan were to go awry. (which it usually does, but hey, that’s rallying). Besides, Rob kept telling me, “You’re not going to Bath”, to which I replied, “I’M GOING TO BATH”. Rob just shook he’s head and mumbled….I knew going to Bath, NY late in my program could cause me to DNF, but I went anyway. Rob is still shaking his head.
Saturday morning 06:00
Tradition dictates that new guys learn this phrase: RallyMaster, are there any additions or deletions to the Route Sheets? The answer is very important. Many, many riders have lost valuable points because they missed a little nugget of info the morning of the rally. Case in point; Wilton NY bonus was 24 hour….not anymore. Totally screwed my late program, so now I really needed the 20,000 Bath points. I could have easily missed that info.
The weather was perfect. Warm & dry. This was way too easy. With such a nice start…..something had to go wrong.
I was the last to leave and pointed North on I-91. Next stop Vermont. Warm, sunny, no traffic….man, this was great. My dropping of the Wilton NY bonus (7000 pts) was now bugging me. I knew I should have ignored it…..I needed an “add on”. Think….think. There had to be another VT bonus I could pick up. Stop…..break out the route sheets. Wardsboro…..Wardsboro…..where the hell is Wardsboro? OOhh, there it is !! 5000 pts and easy pickin’s. Plus the road in and out was Very nice riding. Passed some other riders. I’m back on track with a little less deficit. (unlike…..never mind).
Next up was Doug Mo. I’m able to weedle my way over to Chester and make a very close bonus window, 90 minutes. The Doug Mo museum was only available from 08:00 – 09:30. I actually rode past the driveway as I noticed the street numbers and thought…”well, there’s no other place around this place, so I reckon’ this must be the place,” – Curly Howard. And it was. For anyone who admires a Home Moto Workshop, this was the place for you. Doug has quite the set up. Doug was very friendly and helpful. I thanked him for his support of the MM1k and wished I’d had more time to hang around, but…..
Almost noon Sat.
A quick fuel stop and then on to Swanton. I wanted to bag the Round Church bonus in Richmond but the bridge on Bridge Street was closed….go figure. I thought about trying another route but said screw it. I needed to bag Swanton and get my arse into NY.
No one ever mentions it, but the dirt road leading to the Carmen Brook Farm can be slippery as …… whatever. But every year I forget this and always give myself a pucker check on the first corner. This old shovel of mine can slide purdy good when you least expect it. Must be cuz it’s been so dry….yea, that’s it. Dry.
One pint, one receipt and hello, hello, I must be going. 10,000 pts, now we’re getting somewhere. Back down the driveway, take a right and scoot over into New York. Time to chase down my big bonuses in the Adirondack Park.
I always enjoy riding this area. Good roads, easy traffic, plenty of fuel. The resort areas around the lakes are fun to ride through. This is what makes rallies so much fun. I noticed, this year, more “Bikers Welcome” signs at pubs and restaurants. Americade must be having a positive effect. Cool.
Ride around Lake Placid, through Saranac Lake and onto a 9000 point stop in Tupper Lake. Now, who would have thought that photography 2 full size white horses on a roof top would be so difficult. Well, with just the right cloud cover….
If the pix were black & white…..forget about it.
Do you see horses on this roof?
Roast beef buffet……..mmmmmmm It’s a good start.
With more than half the total riders that registered, doing the SS1K portion of the MinuteMan, Rob is sure to be deluged with maple sugar. No wonder it’s not a Wildcard this year. But at $11 a pint …….. this stuff ain’t cheap. But it do tastes good Sunday morning. Growing up we called it “sugar” not syrup. Maple Syrup is the crap you buy in the grocery store. I guess things are different now.
Just sayin’.
After chow, Rider Pacs are distributed. Rally flags and route sheets. A few surprises, but mostly just more detail about each bonus. Nothing to change my pre-rally plans.
Bonus locations had been posted the previous Sunday, and I had settled on an Upstate NY route. Plenty of nice roads and good points to be had. I had earlier thought about the Fundy National Park bonus. I have always wanted to ride to that area but soon realized that bonus point options were limited if something happened to my plan. I decided to stick with the Adirondack route. It would provided me with better “bail out options” if my plan were to go awry. (which it usually does, but hey, that’s rallying). Besides, Rob kept telling me, “You’re not going to Bath”, to which I replied, “I’M GOING TO BATH”. Rob just shook he’s head and mumbled….I knew going to Bath, NY late in my program could cause me to DNF, but I went anyway. Rob is still shaking his head.
Saturday morning 06:00
Tradition dictates that new guys learn this phrase: RallyMaster, are there any additions or deletions to the Route Sheets? The answer is very important. Many, many riders have lost valuable points because they missed a little nugget of info the morning of the rally. Case in point; Wilton NY bonus was 24 hour….not anymore. Totally screwed my late program, so now I really needed the 20,000 Bath points. I could have easily missed that info.
The weather was perfect. Warm & dry. This was way too easy. With such a nice start…..something had to go wrong.
I was the last to leave and pointed North on I-91. Next stop Vermont. Warm, sunny, no traffic….man, this was great. My dropping of the Wilton NY bonus (7000 pts) was now bugging me. I knew I should have ignored it…..I needed an “add on”. Think….think. There had to be another VT bonus I could pick up. Stop…..break out the route sheets. Wardsboro…..Wardsboro…..where the hell is Wardsboro? OOhh, there it is !! 5000 pts and easy pickin’s. Plus the road in and out was Very nice riding. Passed some other riders. I’m back on track with a little less deficit. (unlike…..never mind).
Next up was Doug Mo. I’m able to weedle my way over to Chester and make a very close bonus window, 90 minutes. The Doug Mo museum was only available from 08:00 – 09:30. I actually rode past the driveway as I noticed the street numbers and thought…”well, there’s no other place around this place, so I reckon’ this must be the place,” – Curly Howard. And it was. For anyone who admires a Home Moto Workshop, this was the place for you. Doug has quite the set up. Doug was very friendly and helpful. I thanked him for his support of the MM1k and wished I’d had more time to hang around, but…..
Almost noon Sat.
A quick fuel stop and then on to Swanton. I wanted to bag the Round Church bonus in Richmond but the bridge on Bridge Street was closed….go figure. I thought about trying another route but said screw it. I needed to bag Swanton and get my arse into NY.
No one ever mentions it, but the dirt road leading to the Carmen Brook Farm can be slippery as …… whatever. But every year I forget this and always give myself a pucker check on the first corner. This old shovel of mine can slide purdy good when you least expect it. Must be cuz it’s been so dry….yea, that’s it. Dry.
One pint, one receipt and hello, hello, I must be going. 10,000 pts, now we’re getting somewhere. Back down the driveway, take a right and scoot over into New York. Time to chase down my big bonuses in the Adirondack Park.
I always enjoy riding this area. Good roads, easy traffic, plenty of fuel. The resort areas around the lakes are fun to ride through. This is what makes rallies so much fun. I noticed, this year, more “Bikers Welcome” signs at pubs and restaurants. Americade must be having a positive effect. Cool.
Ride around Lake Placid, through Saranac Lake and onto a 9000 point stop in Tupper Lake. Now, who would have thought that photography 2 full size white horses on a roof top would be so difficult. Well, with just the right cloud cover….
If the pix were black & white…..forget about it.
Do you see horses on this roof?
It was here I crossed paths with Jim Abbott. I know it really doesn’t mean anything, but it does give a little mental relief when you touch the same bonus as one of the Big Dogs. I knew Jim had a First Place in the Rhody Rally, and was 11th in the MD 20/20. I was feeling better about my route. Of course, Jim went on to win the MinuteMan and I squeaked out a 12th….so much for that theory.
Onto Black River.
I have been to this bonus twice in two different rallies. I always felt it was a reading comp trap. The route sheet states; “You must photo your motorcycle in front of the Black River Post Office”. Easy enough, but there are no signs or verbage on the front of the building to prove what it is. A rider must wide angle the photo to include the P.O. sign out by the street. Just the front of the building in the photo will not show what it is. I think, I think too much.
I lined up the sign, the bike, the building with flag…..I got the points, 10K thank you
I was getting hungry, so I stopped at McD’s outside Watertown and grabbed a Big Mac. I stuffed it in my jacket and boogied south on I-81. I stopped at a rest area with nice tables to enjoy my supper. It was time to plan the evening portion of my program.
Saturday, late afternoon:
While scarfing down my yummie burger, I was thinking if continuing on to Bath was still a good idea. In the fog of rallying, I kept thinking that the Bath bonus was only 10,000 pts. I was making the classic mistake of trying to second guess myself. Could - I make it to Bath and include the rest bonus and still make it back on time? Should - I re-route to start my return toward Northampton and see what other bonuses I could bag? Wouldn’t - it be better if we elected a President of the United States who actually LIKED the United States?……sorry, I’m drifting just a bit……
All my questions where quickly answered when I actually looked at the Route Sheets. Bath, NY : 20,000 points. Discussion over. Pack up and get the flock out of Dodge. I-81 South, West on the Thruway, South on NY14.
The “Finger Lakes” region of NY is great riding. It was evening and the weather was still perfect. Through Geneva and then Penn Yan. Along the coast of Senaca Lake, you ride past awesome brick houses and fancy resorts.
LARGE manicured lawns and big boats. No recession here. I don’t imagine the owners apologize for any of it. Nor should they. Life is Good.
Finally onto Rte 54 and my approach to Bath. Speed limits were getting slower and the sun was dropping behind the hills to the west. I was looking for a Historical Marker just north of town. I kept looking for some kind of pull over area, or a sign to indicate a location. Suddenly, I don’t know how I saw it, but there was the Marker for Gallows Hill. It was an old weather beaten State sign with badly faded paint and no parking. It’s funny how you picture what a bonus location will look like and then you get shocked at reality. I don’t know why I kept trying to see a small parking area with a well defined Marker. As oppose to an old weathered, cast aluminum sign on a simple pole, just stuck on someone’s front lawn. Very none descript. Good bonus guys, faked me right out.
Return:
I grabbed a photo of the Bath bonus (not required, it was an answer the question style bonus) just as the sun set. Which made it around 8:30pm. I was too far south to back track to the Thruway and jam back to Troy for my next bonus. So I continued thru Bath and jumped on I-86 East. I would follow this route to Binghamton, then head Northeast on I-88 to Albany. It was dark now and the number of dead deer staining the interstate was a little unsettling. This stretch of hi-way was visibly a busy place for Odocoileus virginianus. By the time I reached Albany, the carcass count had reached 11. With only one live sighting, I felt fortunate. But I still had plenty of deer country to traverse before Northampton.
I took my Rest Bonus at a Gas & Sip in Bainbridge, NY. Food. Fuel. Clean booths. And a built in Dunkin Freakin Donuts. Now Life Was Good.
I didn’t get much rest, as late night gas station/convenience stores are very entertaining in the people watching department. It was a full moon, so that explained a lot. I bought some orange juice and a pre-packaged chicken salad sandwich. The time on the receipt was 23:30. The next 2 hours would be…..interesting. I settled in to watch the freak show.
The group of teenagers in the corner booth clearly haven’t got a clue about the real world. But they’re enjoying themselves and not really disturbing much. Pretty typical: the girls are cute and well dressed, the guys are goofy looking and act like jerks.
The NASCAR wannabes at the D&D counter, can’t decide what tonnage of donuts they want to consume to expand there already strained T-shirts. We ARE in upstate New York, so why do these guys insist on talking like they live in North Carolina? Outside, Mom waits in the pick-up (with NY plates) that’s pulling the trailer with “Old #11”. It was a dirt / flat track type of race car. Spray can painted red and white. Across the back end, in big letters, it said, “BUILT DAD TUFF”. I liked that. Good luck in the next race guys.
There was a middle aged man who was desperately trying to repair his watch band. It was annoying that he felt compelled to explain to everyone what he was trying to do. Even to the folks who could care less. Like me.
The New York State Police stopped in for gas and coffee. These guys were dressed for something heavier than just chasing speeders down the freeway. Some form of fatigues with body armor built in, paratrooper style boots and large caliber side arms. Maybe that’s how they chase speeders in New York.
You have been warned.
It was noticeably quieter in the store the whole time the troopers were there. When they left, the babbling of pagans resumed.
In the whole two hours there, not one drunk came bumbling in, trying to decipher if in fact it was U.S. currency in his pockets that he could use to buy some smokes. I was disappointed but relieved at the same time. My sandwich was long gone. I finished my OJ and packed up. I purchased a bottle of water. The receipt read 01:42. Walking out of the store I start laughing to myself. It’s one thirty in the morning. I’m in the last quarter of a 24 hour motorcycle rally. While everyone else is in shorts and T-shirts, I’m ensconced in dirty Ballistic nylon with gloves, heavy boots and full shielded helmet. The only true freak here was ME. Next stop: Troy.
To The Max:
The Troy bonus was actually MAX BMW in Brunswick, NY. Right on Route 7. Easy to find. The Route sheets called for a photo of your moto in front of the shop, to INCLUDE the Pink Flamingos. I have been to the New Hampshire store, that is MAX’s other dealership, but this was my first visit to the Troy location….so naturally I assumed the flamingos in question would actually be big enough to be clearly photo’d at night. Well, not exactly. With just the camera flash available, I couldn’t get a clear shot of the bike, the building, and the little birdies. I settled for a closer photo that showed the birds, a little bike and a little building. I was impressed with the digital camera’s performance. I know just a Polaroid would not have made it.
I would like to pause here to deeply express my thanks and appreciation for all the support that Max Stratton and Company provide the MinuteMan 1000 Rally.
It just wouldn’t happen without you folks. Thank you very much.
Finish:
Max’s was my last official bonus on my list. It was now 03:30. I had 2 ½ hours to cover the 100 miles back to Rally HQ. Nice. Barring any folding, spindling or mutilating of myself or my faithful stead, I should finish this run with relative ease. I quickly found my way south to Route 2 and back onto familiar roads. Just an easy ride east to I-91, then South to Northampton.
One of the best pieces of advise, I got years ago, from rally vets, was; Don’t Get Greedy. It can be the quickest way to blow up your rally. With plenty of time cushion for me to return, I succumbed to the “just one more bonus….maybe two. I’ve got time.”
As I was happily cruzin’ east on Route 2, I had to ride right through Florida, MA and the Hoosac Tunnel Vent bonus and then past the road to the Heath MA bonus. Both for good points. Do I try and bag these or play it safe? No guts…no glory and all that jive. Time. Time is always the question. I have no watch or time piece visible on the bike. For the entire rally, I had relied on my cell phone for correct time. My cell phone was buried in my tank bag and I just didn’t feel like stopping, remove gloves, unzip bag, dig out phone….
Not being sure of the time, I chose to ride past the road to the Tunnel Vent, but since I had been to the Heath Fair Grounds before, I turned north onto 8A in Charlemont. In less than a mile I encountered some road construction. Probably not a big deal, but this late in the program, I decided to just retreat and head for the barn. Greed is Not good.
My stop the clock time was 05:40. Perfect. I immediately thought, “see, if I had jerked around and tried to bag those other bonuses, I most certainly could have been late or worse…….
Post mortem:
I had a great rally, but I must remember to take more pix. (Makes for a more interesting Ride Report.)
No mechanical problems with the bike, which is a victory unto itself.
No narly traffic stories to report.
No close encounters of the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd kind.
I executed most of my plan as written. Weather was excellent for all of my route.
I completed 1020.88 miles with 102,000 points. Which earned me 12th place. I was happy.
Thank you MinuteMan 1000 Staff and crew. It was another stellar rally.
It just keeps getting better and better.
As a final note; I would like to encourage all of the SS1K riders to return next year and enjoy the 24 hour open rally. You will not regret it. Now that you know how the rally works, you are all ready to enjoy the fun.
Congrats to Jim, Gary and Chris on their Win, Place and Show victories. Nice ridin’ guys.
Congrats to all the 24 Hour riders and the SS1K finishers and Welcome to the IBA. See you all next year.
Mark Collins
Kingston Mass
IBA 5859
