A couple of years passed in which time riders were asking for more , the rally was popular yet a little too long for some . The solution a collection of rides that participants could undertake at their own leisure , rides that required a distance to be covered in a certain time frame . The Saddlesore and Bun-Burner rides were added to the IBA sanctioned events and have become favourites around the world where many country specific rides have been added .
I considered this as I made my way north before turning left and heading to the South Australian border . The prospect of riding through one of Australia ’ s now notorious Covid border crossings intrigued me and detracted from the notion that this ride was a pointless exercise .
There it was a closed border . The main highway from Victoria to South Australia closed with a police blockade , something I thought I ’ d never see in Australia and within my lifetime .
A road headed off to the right , I ’ d take that and forego the bullshit of explaining why I wanted to the cross a closed border . The Serviceton North Road runs parallel to the South Australian border and with that suspicion must ’ ve been raised as a Victoria Police vehicle followed me . Lights flashed ; sirens blipped .
“ Oh really ?”, I asked no one at all . Was this really happening ?
The police officer seemed bemused when I explained what the ride was , no doubt he was thinking , “ What was the point ”.
The remainder of the day was filled with nothingness , a mindless ride , zoned out with the notion of why a ride like this was an attraction to so many .
“ It ’ s like a marathon ,” once explained Ryan , a rider from the United States . “ It ’ s a little physical , a little emotional .
“ It ’ s not about getting there ; it ’ s about being there . There , in the moment .”
And there it was , in that moment , a sense of understanding what the point of an Iron Butt Ride is . It means absolutely nothing to anyone else , it ’ s an achievement just for the individual . But what are the costs of undertaking an Iron Butt ?
A temptation to ride long distances that go nowhere in particular and a tolerance for a level of misery . But it ’ s more than that , a high level of planning is required , you see , just getting on your bike and riding won ’ t qualify for an IBA certificate . No , you need planning , everything must be documented to prove that you did indeed do the distance .
There ’ s the obvious ; a well-maintained bike , the right gear , a safe route , and where will you get fuel . All
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