I hardly ever agree with what he says but...(posted 8922 days ago)To me, endurance riding is just that... enduring... riding a long time... sitting in the saddle until the rider's limits have been pushed to the breaking point... gaining time on the road by developing ever more efficient procedures at stops, and managing the number of stops efficiently.
One thing I know for sure, endurance riding is not how far one rides in a given time frame. I'm saying this with the future direction/viability of the endurance sport in mind. The endurance community simply has to get away from the idea of endurance as miles per hour. The idea of miles per hour as endurance riding is counter productive in two important ways: it is counter to the idea that a rally master should provide a safe, well considered route that fits within the time frame of the rally AND provides a challenge to the endurance of the rider, and it is counter productive in that it discourages new riders who are less inclined to engage in speed contests from putting forth the effort to become serious competitors. These new riders tend to become discourages when they see they have no chance against a rider willing to ride speeds the new rider considers unsafe.
Whether or not a given speed is safe is open to considerable debate. From the pro speed side we constantly hear the argument that a speed one rider considers unsafe will be considered normal riding for another rider. I will buy this argument up to a point, but at some point -- when speeds are so high that the envelope of safe reaction time is extended beyond reasonable limits -- a given speed is unsafe for all riders, no matter their personal feelings on the matter. I don't know what this limit is, but I believe 2K days exceed this limit; 1600 mile days do not.
Having said that I'm going to suggest that this limit is an average speed of 10% over the average speed limit for a given route. For example, suppose a rally master marks out a route for a 24 hour rally that covers a total base route of 1088 miles. This base route can be covered in 24 hours at an average speed of 45.33 mph. No one would take issue with that. What would be the minimum time a rider could take for this route? Suppose the route consisted of the following speed limits/distances... 45 miles at 25 mph 75 miles at 35 mph 80 miles at 45 mph 644 miles at 55 mph 244 miles at 75 mph At an average speed of 10% over the average speed limit a rider could complete this 1088 mile route in 18.8 hours for an average of 57.86 mph. That would give the rider 5.2 hours at 57.86 mph, or an additional 300 miles for bonus hunting, or a total allowed mileage of 1388 miles for the rally. What I am suggesting is that a rider who enters this rally is doing endurance riding if they complete no more than 1388 miles during the rally. If said rider does more than 1388 miles during the rally, they are racing. Such a rider has crossed the line between endurance riding and a speed contest. (Before you get your feathers ruffled, remember that these times do not include stops for fuel and bonus information gathering. The actual cruising speed would be well above 58 mph in the above example.)
This limit could be applied to IBA sanctioned rides as well. For example, on my favorite CC route, San Francisco to Savannah, a rough calculation similar to the one above gives an allowable average of 77 mph, or a minimum time for the ride of about 37 hours. I have done the ride twice in 43.5 hours each time. Others may do it faster. All I am suggesting is that the minimum time for this ride to be considered an endurance ride and not a race is 37 hours.
Under this formula an Iron Butt Rally rider would be allowed -- I'm guessing here -- a maximum mileage for the Iron Butt of about 16000 miles. This is of course assuming the rider stays awake for the entire ride. ;)
Are there any rallies that use this formula? Yes! The Alberta 2000 uses an average speed formula, and this is one of the most enjoyable rallies in which I have ever participated.
Is the average speed limit I have proposed the cure all answer? Do we have a problem that needs a cure? I say no and yes. I don't know what the cure is, but I do know we have a problem -- some will suggest it is only I who have the problem. So let it be. I know that people running around for 24 hours at constant triple digit cruising speeds aren't doing anything to enhance the sport... their egos maybe, but the sport suffers in terms already discussed. 2K Day riders are not accomplishing anything more in the way of endurance because they have crossed the line between endurance riding and endurance racing, and I hope no one on this or any other list supports the idea of endurance racing.
Asa MacFadden's 5 day, 10 hour, 57 minute ride from Prudhoe Bay to Key West is endurance riding. Anyone who has completed an Iron Butt Rally is guilty of endurance riding. Ron Ayres' 48 and 49 states ride pushed the envelope of endurance riding. I will go so far as to say the 49 states ride is an endurance riding benchmark. It is a marvel of planning, efficiency, and disciplined endurance in the saddle. Ron's ride stands for what endurance riding should be about. Anyone who betters Ron's mark by speed alone has done nothing in the way of better endurance riding. Anyone who betters Ron's mark by planning and efficient enduring sit in the saddle riding is a master rider to be held in high honor by all endurance riders. My final plea is to stop honoring speed and start honoring endurance. -- --- Don Moses, GL1500SE, ZRX-1100 http://www.endurance-touring.net/index.shtml Will ride to eat... actually... will ride for any damn excuse!!