Heart of Texas Rally/RTE

[lonestarrider]

Heart of Texas 8Hr. Rally/RTE
Date: May 1st, 2010
Time: 0700-1500 CDT, Dinner at 1700
No entry fee is required.

Start Location(s):
Anywhere you choose in Texas or from alternate locations that will be listed on the Rally Bonus List.

Rally Finish Location:
Best Western/Brady Inn,
2200 Bridge Street, Brady,TX
RTE Location: Hard 8 BBQ, 2010 South Bridge Street Brady, TX
This is an eight hour Rally that will begin at 0700 CDT Saturday, May 1st, 2010 and finish at 1500 CDT.

Requirements:

A street legal and properly functioning motorcycle.
Proof of insurance for the motorcycle that will be ridden during the Rally and a motorcycle endorsed license.
Proper riding attire: Helmets, gloves, boots and other protective gear.
Digital Camera with a removable memory card.
A good map of Texas showing Farm-to-Market Roads.
Not required but a GPS wouldn’t hurt.
And a willingness to put up with the wonderful Texas weather (can you feel the sarcasm).

How the Start will work:

At 0700 Central Standard Time on May 1st you will need to acquire a computer generated receipt with the correct date, time, and location from anywhere within the State of Texas or from the alternate locations to be revealed when the Bonus List is sent out on April 26th. This is to verify your start time. It is very important that you acquire this receipt as describe and it will be up to you to make sure it is printed with all the proper information as described on it. Showing up at the finish without it or the correct information or a time stamp of 0659, will cost you all your points.
Note: Alternate start locations will be within the State of Texas.

Collecting Bonuses:

A HOT Rally packet containing the Bonus List and Rally log sheet will be sent out via email April 26th. The information on the Bonus List will list each bonus with a number and name, GPS coordinates, directions, brief description, photograph requirement and point value.
An example:

Bonus 23: Arney School House.
GPS: N 34°41'13.93" W 102° 6'8.33"
Located at the intersection of Farm to Market Roads 168 and 1075, 10 miles north of Nazareth, TX on FM 168.

This one room school house was built in 1901 in the community of Arney, TX. The Arney Baptist Church, organized in 1905, held services at the school also. The school operated until 1953.
Photograph your bike and Rally number with the historical sign(s) and the front of the school building in the background.
750 points.

The Rally Log Sheet will need to be filled out at each bonus location by you with the following info: Arrival Time, Odometer reading, Bonus number and Point value.
So to collect a bonus, ride and go find it, record your info on the Rally Log sheet and a take a photo. Simple enough.

A note about your camera:
You will need to make sure that is capable of including a time/date stamp and the photograph quality is set at 2 mega-pixel. The memory card should be but not limited to a MMC/SD card. I will have a card reader that will be able to read the most common external memory devices, but if your camera has an out of the ordinary card you will need to furnish a way to post your pictures.

The Finish:
The Rally will finish at 1500 CDT at the Best Western/Brady Inn, 2200 Bridge Street, Brady, TX.
This means you will have all your completed paper work and memory card turned in to me by 1500 CDT. A second after 1500 CDT, penalty points will start to accrue. Fifteen minutes late and you will be DNF’ed.

A note on official Rally time:
The Atomic Clock is the official HOT Rally time.
Cell phones, the internet and GPS use the Atomic Clock. The fuel pump at your start location may not. So if your GPS or cell phone indicates 0700 and your receipt doesn’t, you better get another receipt. This can also work the opposite way and this is where the gentleman’s agreement comes in, do the right thing.

This is not a race!
Again… This is not a race!

Route planning and time management is the key to finishing the HOT Rally as with any other Rally.
The top five riders will be recognized at the RTE. The winner of the Heart of Texas Rally will be rewarded with a certificate proclaiming this accomplishment.
Contact me to enter @ jstovall@amaonline.com

[fbnewell]

Pretty neat. Sounds like fun. However, I just checked Google Maps, and Brady is 398 miles / 8 hrs. 11 mins. from my location. I guess, in order for me to compete, I'd have to get an earlier start, and begin my 'official' start somewhere closer? Say, Kingsville, or Corpus Christi? Would need time to stop and get pics, jot down info, and get gas along the way (+/- 240 mile range on gas). If you've got any other ideas or pointers, fire away. Beginning of May would probably be the last time I get to venture out on the bike before our harvest season starts. Then, no distance riding 'til September or so.

[lonestarrider]

fb,
I've found that google maps and mapquest have been somewhat generous with travel time. I use two different mapping programs MS Street and Trips and Mapsource from Garmin when I plan out my routes.
Your trip from Rio Hondo to Brady in MS S&T comes out to be a 6 hour trip. Using Mapsource total time becomes a quicker trip at 5 hours and 35 minutes. Of course both are calulated without stops. My past experience has been that with one fuel stop and lunch break, the MS S&T route would be the one closest to the actual trip time.
Last month I planned a trip for a riding game I'm participating in from another forum. The game involves going out and photographing Farm-to-Market road signs in sequential order. My route was 447 miles long with 9 stops for photos, one for refueling and one 15 minute break. I completed the ride in 7 hours 47 minutes, with limited use of interstates.
I think if you did decide to start from your hometown you would have plenty of time to make Brady in the allowed time while picking up bounses along the way. That is decision you would have to make after seeing the bonus list.

James

[fbnewell]

Thanks for the info., James. Sounds fun. If you think about it, shoot another post about it in mid to late March - I'll have a better idea if I could go by then. Thanx! Frontis

[D's Spirit]

My route was 447 miles long with 9 stops for photos, one for refueling and one 15 minute break. I completed the ride in 7 hours 47 minutes, with limited use of interstates.

So, your average speed was close to 60mph including 11 stops. Most Farm to Market roads are posted at 55mph. With all those stops and the occasional farm tracter or pick-up truck you had to get around, what were your actual speeds?

When you get a ticket, can that count as a time stamp?

[lonestarrider]

Originally Posted by D's Spirit

So, your average speed was close to 60mph including 11 stops. Most Farm to Market roads are posted at 55mph. With all those stops and the occasional farm tracter or pick-up truck you had to get around, what were your actual speeds?

When you get a ticket, can that count as a time stamp?

D up here in the Panhandle and in the West the FM's are posted at 70 mph and even 75 mph.
The route I used as an example for fbnewell is this one:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...9,2.384033&z=9
GPS: 447 miles, 7 hours 48 minutes 51 seconds at 57 mph.

If I do speed it's not more than 5 mph over , but I am as guilty as they come at times. I haven't had a ticket in fifteen years that I can remember, but I guess you could use a performance award (speedng ticket) as a time stamp.

I was down in your neck of the woods this weekend and experienced a few of the FM's that were posted 55 mph as well as in the piney woods area. I bet I was passed by every bullhaulingmuthertruckersonofagundrivingtrucker there was on the road Friday and Saturday.
I'm envoius of your location with all the great roads in the area. If I lived down there I would be taking the long way home everytime and always be late for dinner.
Hope you can come up to Brady for the Rally/RTE. I'll buy you a beer.


James Stovall

[D's Spirit]

There's actually an FM1626 in my area with with part of it posted at 65mph!

Is there a website or something that I can direct other area riders to in order to inform them of your ride?...anyway, sent you an email.

[Eldorado]

Hello ya ole, anybody down in the big state of Texas know where that little ole Gnome that was started in Californ i a is.... maybe someone could get that little sucker moving towards the east coast......


I'd certainly appreciate it

[lonestarrider]

The inaugural Heart of Texas Rally/RTE is now in the books so to speak and I have already started thinking about next year’s HOT Rally. But before I start with all that, I would like to thank everyone who signed up and ultimately rode in this year’s rally. Without your commitment this Rally would not have been and again thank you. I enjoyed putting this event together. It gave me the chance to enjoy the byways of Texas looking for the unique and out of the way places. Hopefully the HOT Rally will continue on with the intention of introducing riders to the world of motorcycle Rally riding.
2010 Heart of Texas Rally Results:
1. Duke Dixon BMW R1200GS
2. David Whitford Honda GL1800
3. TIE: Justin Hines: Honda VFR800
4. Jim Howard: Yamaha FJR 1300
5. Chris Mixon: Honda ST1300
6. TIE: Howard Evans: Honda ST1300 & Mark Driscoll: Honda GL1800
7. TIE: Al Landry: Suzuki VStrom 1000 & Liz Mark: Suzuki M50
8. Bob Naumann: BMW K1300GT
9. Tim Chism: Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Electric Glide

Duke Dixon Report:
http://www.twtex.com/forums/showpost...1&postcount=73

Jim Howard report on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ6r9hMEg6E