Rider Guidance

Although the following protocols apply to all IBA UK rides, this guidance is aimed at riders undertaking the entry level rides, so as to ensure a successful first ride. Entry level rides to the IBA UK will normally be either SaddleSore 1000 or SaddleSore 1600K.

You may complete any ride two-up with one person doing all the piloting, the other being a pillion the entire distance - you may not share piloting duties! In these cases, the Iron Butt Association issues two certificates, one for the rider and one for the pillion. There is no additional charge for a pillion but if they would like a pin badge or plate frame, you will need to include that with the fee after verification.

1. Plan a safe route

1. A safe ride should be your primary goal. If this is your first attempt at a 1000 mile day, we highly recommend that you study the Iron Butt Association's long distance riding tips in the "Archive of Wisdom" currently located at https://ironbutt.org/25tips.html and our own First UK Iron Butt Ride.
2. Since safety is our primary concern, no pre-registration of your ride is needed. Our goal is to give you maximum flexibility to decide on any given day whether the combination of weather, your motorcycle and, most importantly, your attitude, are ready for a big ride. We also feel this removes the pressure to complete the ride should you become tired or otherwise feel unsafe.
3. IMPORTANT NOTE: Unless your speedometer has been calibrated, do NOT depend on your own odometer readings for official mileage! Many perhaps most motorcycles register at least 4% more miles than actually travelled. Over the course of a 24 hour period, this error can be quite severe - as much as 40 miles. In all cases, mileage will be verified using one or more standard route-mapping programs such as Garmin BaseCamp, Google Maps, etc.
4. We strongly discourage, and in some cases may reject, routes which are repetitive in nature. For example, we would not accept a claim that you rode from Leeds to Leicester and back (about 200 miles) five times. If you choose a circular route, you will need to obtain a dated receipt at each "corner", i.e. change of direction, to show that you did not take a short-cut. For example, if you choose to ride the circular route of London, Newcastle, Glasgow, Cardiff, London we would expect to receive receipts from each of those locations.
5. If you choose a route where you ride 500 miles and then turn around and come back, you must get a dated receipt at the turn-around point. For example, if you were to start in Dover and ride to John O'Groats and back to Dover, we would expect a detailed receipt from John O'Groats. The "End to End Club" stamps available at John O'Groats and Land's End are not acceptable as substitutes for the dated receipts.
6. If your route includes any toll roads/bridges, where possible try and obtain a receipt from either the beginning or the end of the toll section and log it along with your other receipts.
7. Motorcycling comes with risk and riding 1,000 miles or more increases your risk substantially. It is imperative you understand the risk you are taking and minimize the possibility of an accident by practising safe motorcycle habits. No one, not even the most experienced long distance rider, can safely fight off fatigue. If you are tired, the only option is to stop and rest. Ignoring the symptoms of fatigue can be fatal. The SaddleSore rides enjoy a fantastic safety record but to continue this record requires you to do your part. If you are tired, having a bad day, or facing other hurdles which are impacting your riding skills, please stop and rest so that you may enjoy motorcycling another day!
8. While group SaddleSore rides bring with them the safety of group travel, they can also increase your risk by encouraging you to press on when you might otherwise stop. Group rides can also encourage aggressive riding. Be sure riding styles of others in your group match your style. When planning a ride, keep in mind that group rides are only as fast as the slowest person in the group. This can extend your riding day many hours pushing you towards fatigue.
9. Please remember that the Iron Butt Association is dedicated to the sport of safe, long-distance motorcycle riding. It does not condone, nor will it tolerate, unsafe activities such as excessive speed, reckless motorcycle operation, riding while fatigued or otherwise impaired, the use of stimulants to maintain alertness, or any other activity that results in riders exceeding their personal limits. In many countries, riding more than 20 miles per hour above the speed limit may also get you charged with dangerous driving. Dangerous driving is a serious charge in any jurisdiction. Few experiences in motorcycling are more memorable than an appearance in traffic court, particularly if your license hangs on the outcome.
10. Any rider found to have engaged in, or claiming to have engaged in, these or other unsafe activities, as determined at the sole discretion of the IBA, will have their certification refused. If the certification is already issued and we find out about these infractions after the fact, the certification will be revoked.
11. Please keep in mind that the time stated for your chosen ride is wall time, not riding time. So, for example with SS1000 (24 hours), if you start your ride at 5:00 pm on June 1st, you must finish it before 5.00 pm on June 2nd.
12. If you are attempting a ride exceeding 1000 miles in 24 hours and you miss the 24 hour deadline, but have achieved 1000 miles before abandoning the longer ride, it is still possible to submit that 1000 mile distance as a SaddleSore 1000.

2. Document start & finish

1. IBAUK requires that you document your ride with receipts and photographs. The photos must show BOTH the receipt AND your bike's odometer (mileage) reading IN THE SAME PHOTO. Receipts and odo readings must be legible.
2. If a pillion is on the ride with you, please make sure they are recorded on the documentation. (Ride Documentation 1b 2, 3)

3. Collect and track receipts

1. The start and end times of your ride are determined by computer printed receipts which clearly show the date, time and location. This can be a fuel receipt, an ATM receipt, or any other computer printed receipt which clearly states all this information. Please note that some ATMs do not print the location. Please check because any receipt without a location is not acceptable.
2. The time on the computer printed fuel receipt or the ATM receipt will be your only official start time. Witness statements alone will not be accepted as a substitute.
3. Although a clear date and time are most important for your start and end receipts, they are much less critical on the other ride receipts. We know there are mistakes on many petrol station clocks - spend your time concentrating on the start and end receipts.
4. Be aware that many fuel stations in Europe are printing an "invoice number" which is actually the time of the transaction e.g. you might see Inv# 113557 which means 11:35:57 am.
5. The mapping programs used by the verifiers may not always recognise addresses and postcodes printed on receipts obtained in continental Europe. Please help the verifiers by writing a note on the receipt giving approximate location, e.g. "On E34 2 miles south of J30, near Herford".
6. A log entry (Ride Documentation 4), must be made at each stop. A receipt must accompany each log entry other than rest stops.
7. Log entries should be numbered in chronological order, with the starting time receipt at number 1, and include the date, time, location (e.g. London) and odometer reading.
8. The following log entries are mandatory:-
   1. Stops Receipts from fuel & other stops, where possible, should include a printed date. Time stamps on receipts other than start and finish receipts are not critical so do not waste time worrying about them. WARNING: If your motorcycle is equipped with a large fuel-tank, please note that you must stop at least once every 350 miles anyway (this is purely for documentation for your ride). Although we know it is possible to ride greater distances non-stop, we will not accept a claim of this type.
   2. Rest stops over 30 minutes: In order for the verification team to account for your time, log entries must be made at each stop longer than 30 minutes, whether that is for a short nap at a roadside rest area, or longer in a hotel room. Some stops, e.g. a stop in a rest area, will not generate any kind of receipt - this is acceptable, but please account for the time in your trip log by including the approximate length of the stop or the start time and ending time.
   3. Meal breaks taking longer than 30 minutes are also considered to be rest stops. Where possible obtain a computer printed receipt from a restaurant.
   4. At the end of your ride, before the time period is up, obtain a computer printed fuel, ATM receipt or other computer printed receipt with a legible location, date and time stamp. The time on this receipt will be your only official finish time.

4. Prepare, copy and submit your documentation

1. Please ensure you use the correct Ride Documentation, as downloaded from the IBA UK website. This is different from the USA equivalent which is found on other websites
2. The onus is on the rider to present the evidence that they have completed the ride within the rules. This will be achieved as follows:
3. Find a map (an old, or photocopied one is acceptable) or print one from the internet and circle your start and end points and the locations you stopped in for fuel/food/etc. This map is to assist the person verifying the routes and is meant to give a good overall picture of your ride. You do not actually have to find the small towns you stopped in, just circle the approximate area. The best map is one that shows your route on one or two pages. Please do not send in multi-page route sheets from mapping programs or an Auto club because they are too hard for the verification team to get a good overview of your ride.
4. COPY your receipts and number the copies to correspond to your trip log.
5. COPY your log.
   Always retain your original documentation and submit only copies.
6. If you have used a satellite tracker e.g. SPOT, Bubbler GPS, etc, you may also submit the associated Spotwalla link (but NOT the print-out) as supporting evidence.
7. If needed, write a short note about any problems with your ride on Ride Documentation 5. For example, "The receipt from Birch Services does not have the correct date. I had the attendant write the correct date. The station's number is 01706 123 1234"
8. We strongly caution that out on the road it may not be possible to follow these guidelines to the letter. If that happens, please explain any problem you encountered and we will do our best to work out a solution. For example, 23 hours and 35 minutes into his 24 hour ride, one person could not find a petrol station with a computer printed receipt (obviously, our favourite type), so he got some local people to witness the time he arrived. His other documents clearly supported his claim of riding the distance in the time-frame he claimed so we did not hesitate to process his award.
9. Complete Ride Documentation 1a (and 1b if you have a pillion). This information tells us where to send the awards, the name and motorcycle you would like on the certificate and the basic route you would like the award to note.
10. Complete the Rider Declaration (Ride Documentation 6). No Fee is due at this stage.
11. Finally, send it to:-
    
    
    IBA UK,
    Darryll Kirk
    95 Wymeswold Road
    Hoton
    Loughborough LE12 5SN
    
    Or e-mail scanned documents to verifications@ironbutt.co.uk

You will receive confirmation of your documentation being received.

When we get your ride documentation, one of several people will start the verification process. Due to the extensive work involved (keying data into mileage spreadsheets, map verifications, witness contacts where needed and custom certificate preparations) and the fact that 100% of the labour involved with producing these awards is performed by volunteers, it will usually take a minimum of 1 month before your certificates will be ready for signature and mailed to you. We realise this is a long time to wait for your certification but our certification process is very thorough. In fact, the entire certification process is what gives your certificate its value. It would be very easy for the Iron Butt Association to simply take your money and print up, for example, a generic "you rode a 1,000 mile day" certificate. However, the value of the entire certification program is in the fact that not just anyone can get an Iron Butt Association ride certificate. The downside is that this process takes time. We can only offer that when you receive your certificate you know not only that you earned it, but so did any other rider that you meet with the same certificate. Before we can issue your certificate, you may be asked to clarify certain aspects of your ride and/or documentation by either e-mail, phone or letter. Additionally, certain aspects of your ride may be subject to audit by yet another set of IBA volunteers charged with ensuring only people who rode the miles get the award. Should your package get tagged for that audit, it may delay your claim for the award.

The protocols explained in this document are the only ones against which IBA UK rides are assessed. Failure to comply with them may result in your ride being rejected, so make sure you are 100% certain you understand the rules and the guidance before you start your ride. If you have any questions about any aspect of your proposed ride we will help you. Please e-mail to verifications@ironbutt.co.uk for any clarification.

We want you to succeed.

Iron Butt Association UK