Posted: 09 October 2010 at 9:41am | IP Logged

You know the plot?

Some counted out old farts proves to have what it takes to get the job done when all the young dudes fails?

Blah blah blah - stupid movie, reality always proves to be far better:

The distance Ystad -> Haparanda or vice versa is a Swedish Standard that has been covered by foot for charity, by bicycle for fun or by lawn mover for...        ...just the heck of it...?

It is not the northernmost and southernmost points of Sweden or something like Lands End -> John O'Groats, but actually counts as the "Blue Ribbon" of Sweden, if run by speedboat: http://www.balticsearace.se/index.html

Still, when travelled by land - it's a good trip, covering most of the populated part of Sweden, just over 1000 miles one-way if you use the right stations for refilling, but strangely no one had been riding this route under IBA-rules until August this year - it simply took some very expererienced guys to solve the matter:

The numbers edited in here is really of little interest - people born earlier than these guys has completed IBA-rides before, and a publicity stunt based on the participants age only is diminishing to them. They did this trip because they wanted to have some fun, that's all.  

To us in Sweden these guys are world famous - and they still rock! Non-Swedes may need a quick presentation:

Varg-Olle Nygren: Tried out all diciplines you can imagine in motorcycling: Ice racing, Motocross, grueling Enduros, Road Racing - and speedway of course. A career that lasted 1949 - 1979 and resulted in many championship, and some 30.000 heat completed.

Still active, and based in Felixstowe, UK along with his old hometown Norrköping, Sweden. http://www.ollenygren.com/

Kenneth Olausson: Motorsport photographer who amongst other things covered the inner circle of Formula 1 racing for more than a decade and has that special ability to capture these vibrating moments where things really happen - and that others understand only much later.

Dedicated fan of La Carrera Panamericana as well as successful co-driver in this classic road rally event for historic cars http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/ 

Lennart Lelle Westin:  Motorcycle dealer De-Luxe!

Importer of Triumph in the sixties, importer and distributor of Laverda in the seventies and eighties.

Full of ideas, sometimes controversial, always active, still captaining his company "Lelles MC" together with his wife. http://www.lellesmc.se/lelles/index1.html

Since Lelle just opened up a dedicated Triumph-shop at his site in Uppsala, nothing could be more natural than equipping the expedition with all-Triumph material...

http://www.lellesmc.se/lelles/pdf/lelles_race.pdf

Of course this ride did draw some attention from regular media along the way as well - a local paper from Gävle published this article.

http://gd.se/nyheter/gavle/1.2268164-en-legend-pa-gavlebesok

One comment to the article as of date: from a "John Doe" - negative and grumpy naturally...  

Me, I'm just shining happy over this event! Goes to show that age is a number and nothing that should keep anyone down.

Sweden may not have the largest number of completed IBA-rides yet, but I'd say that we have us a group ride here that will be hard to match!  

Hampe

Posted: 12 October 2010 at 4:22am | IP Logged

Hi Hampe

You wouldnt have a set of rules for the Finnish 'SS3000 Baltic' ride would you?

Regards

pete

Posted: 12 October 2010 at 5:39am | IP Logged

Rocket-UK wrote: Hi Hampe You wouldnt have a set of rules for the Finnish 'SS3000 Baltic' ride would you? Regards pete

I tried to complete this ride this past summer. Failed due to poor planning ...
Well, turned out to be a BB250K. Probably one of the longest 2500K that has been done (5000 km), but anyway...

Short version:

-Ride around the baltic sea.
-Start and finish has to be in the same location.
-3 x SS1000.
-Max 1000 miles per 24 hour period.
-You may use ferry only between Estonia and Finland.
-You do not need to drive through Russia.

The slightly longer version:

From the IBA Finland webpage:
SS3000 Baltic (=SS3000B)
The purpose of this ride is to ride around the Baltic Ocean between Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia following the basic rules of SS3000.
You can use the Ferries / Catamarans to travel over the sea from Finland to Estonia, but nowhere else. The time spent on the ferry is not included into your travel time. To prove that, you have to get a gasoline receipt both in Helsinki and Tallin harbours and also you have to include your ferry-ticket into your ride documentation.
***End quote***

The really long version:

Google translated from the Finnish rules, with my comments:
Objective
Drive around the Baltic Sea, so that driving consists of three successive Saddle Sore 1000-driving, three consecutive 24-hour period is driven less than 1000 miles (1609 km).
NOTE by B:
You can only count 1000 miles / 24 hour period.
I believe there are differences between countries here, but multi days SS rides in Scandinavia calls for a max of 1000 miles / 24 hours. See more below.

Denmark has used the Oresund and Great Belt bridges.
The only ferry is between Helsinki and Tallinn.
Gulf of Finland does not need to rotate through Russia, because of border delays unpredictable duration is unreasonably arbitrary element of uncertainty.
NOTE by B:
No need to pass through Russia.
Only one ferry crossing is allowed, Estonia - Finland.
Drive from Germany to Sweden (or other way round) has to be done over bridges.


Shortest route is not quite good enough Saddle Sore 3000's performance, so route planning must take into account sufficiently drive (3 x 1609 km) have been met.
NOTE by B:
You need to add distance somewhere to make it a “real” SS3000. Where you add and how much, that is up to you.
 
Run can be started from around the Baltic Sea located in any locality, and it must also stop the same locality.
NOTE by B:
Start and end must be same location.

Documenting the significant run-
Saddle Sore 3000 is documented in other Baltic Iron Butt runs of ways. Throughout the run starts and ends must be two witnesses confirmed the start and end of the normal form of fuel receipts. Each of the three "Saddle Sore 1000 the share of 'initiation and cessation should be replaced by the date and clock time with a fuel receipt. All the fuel for driving must be the same fuel receipts.
Øresund and Great Belt bridges crossing must be a receipt, as well as the flag ship crossing the Gulf of Finland. Accompanied by receipts and tickets to be held during the run recorded in the logbook (the logbook of your book that "Saddle Sore 1000-share"), which records all refueling and more than 20 minutes duration stops. NOTE by B:
As always, start and end witnesses, fuel receipt, logbook, ferry and bridge tickets etc. Nothing special really. Just need proof you were really there, as always.

The second leg of 1000 miles must begin only after the first leg start for at least 24 hours. Similarly, the third leg of 1000 miles must begin only after the first start for at least 48 hours. May be driving the whole way to use up to 72 hours.
NOTE by B:
This is where I failed...
Your second 1000 mile leg may not start until you have used up your first 24 hours of clock-time.
So if you run 1200 miles in your first 24 hours, that will still only count as 1000 miles!!
I started my third day 1 (one) hour too early, only to stop and sleep for 1,5 hours after 50 km... Say after me: Prior planning prevents pi**  etc...
Completing the lap in 74,5 hours, I still failed the verification due to this mistake!

Gulf-border ferry trip elapsed time does not count against the 1000 mile leg of 24-hour period, which includes the boat trip and does not run 72 hours total time. Time reduction must be provided for receipt of fuel as well as Tallinn and Helsinki.
NOTE by B:
The time spent in harbour and on the ferry “stops the clock”, so you have over 72 hours to complete the round.
Check-in for the ferry closes 20 minutes prior to departure (was valid this summer for Tallin, speed ferry) and the crossing takes at least 2 hours.
A time stamped receipt from both harbours will effectively give you 2-3 hours of “free” time. Note: Checkin receipt does not have printed time on it, at least mine did not.
Obviously you are not allowed to arrive 5 minutes after the last ferry of the day and have a full nights sleep "for free", but this will cover any unexpected things like having to wait for the next ferry 2 hours later etc.

So instead of having 72 hours, you have 74,5-75 hours.
Just make sure you take the “stopped” time into account when calculating the start of your next 24 hour period.... I know a guy that missed out on that...

Should you need more info, just let me know!

/B