They’re old hat by now, riding a thousand miles in a day, and if you’re so inclined turning in some paperwork and bucks to the Iron Butt Association for official certification of your achievement. The formula is simple: Get on a rural freeway, ride ’til the bikes tank is near empty and yours full, refill/empty, repeat. Sounds kinda boring, which probably explains why I’ve never done one… I’ve managed a few 800 mile or so days of freeway droning when I had to make time, but it weren’t much fun.

So I’m proposing a real world metric thousand kilometer in a day ride. No freeway droning, minimal self deprevation, and maximum fun! To avoid limited access lunacy, no more than 10% of the ride can be on freeways. I’d prefer no freeways, but sometimes you got no choice, like where I90 overtakes US61 along the Mississippi in southern MN. That’s one of my favorite long day rides- the Great River Road from Minneapolis to Dubuque and back is about 1000 kilometers round trip and full of fun and scenic two lanes. Every mile on the freeway must be balanced by a mile of unpaved (for the dual sport riders) or city street miles (for those of us with street bikes). And before anyone digs out the maps and searches for long rural four lanes that are darn near interstate, at least 80% of the miles must be on two lanes.

That’s the ridin’ part, the rest is gonna be fun too. Instead of fast food eaten while fueling/GPS reading/relieving oneself, at least one sit down meal enjoyed in a non chain restaurent is required, although if you’re sleepy a nap may be substituted. And eating while riding is strictly forbidden! And to allow you to take in a bit more than you can at triple digit, even metric triple digit speeds, at least one visit to a park or historic site is required.

Sound like more fun than generic “thousand in one” freeway drones? Sure does to me, and I may give it a try during the longest days of the year next week. Perhaps a circumnavigation of the Buffalo Ridge?