Iron Adventure Rally 2022

Good day all!! Weather is getting warmer, days longer, and many of us have already been out riding. As was mentioned during our last meeting, if you're just getting your bike back on the road, please use the T-CLOCS method:

T-tires and wheels-check pressure and wear. Also, check your rims for serviceability

C-controls-ALL controls-foot, hand, gauges, etc. Also, check the wiring and cables for them for deterioration

L-lights and electrics-make sure your headlights, tail lights, turn signals, brake light, and any accessory lights are all working correctly. 

O-oil and fluids. Check your oil, replace as needed. Check your brake and clutch fluid (if applicable) as well. Check for leaks-not only on the ground, but around the gaskets and along the lines

C-chassis-check for any breaks at any welds. Also check belt tension, steering, and any fasteners that may be missing (I just lost a license plate bolt...)

S-stand-check to make sure your side stand is serviceable.

Moving into 2022, we have some rides planned. But, this post is mainly about the Iron Adventure Rally at Okemo Mountain, Vermont, from  14-16 of July. I attended their first open round table meeting, via Facebook Live, today. The meeting was roughly an hour long, and had some technical difficulties, but managed to get most of the meeting. My intent was to attend in person, but, as usual, work conspired against me. Here are some highlights from the meeting:

The talent show, unfortunately, was cancelled. Due to lack of participation

They currently have 7 guided rides planned, and I will go over that shortly.

They are introducing TWO riding challenges during the IAR-a covered bridge challenge, and a monument challenge. I will cover those below as well.

Registration. The main hotel is completely book, but, so far, only 250 have registered to the event. Please note, getting a room does NOT register you for the event. To register, go to www.HOG.com, scroll down to rallies, and find the IAR. From there, you can register at one of two levels. The only difference between the 2 is a T shirt. This rally is partially supported from the registration fees, so its important to register on the HOG website.

Now, on to the guided rides. They have not released the rides as of yet, so anyone who wanted to road captain for one, the info isnt available yet. They are going to try to limit the number of riders for each ride to 20, to keep it safe for all involved. If there are more than 20, and there are road captains available, there will be a second ride to that destination, leaving at a staggered time. There will be NO restaurant stops for a meal. There will be options to purchase a bagged lunch (menu and cost to be determined), which they are hoping to keep under $10. Alternatively, you can, of course, take your own lunch and/or snacks. The plan is for the road captain(s) to find a suitable place to stop, and have a picnic lunch. The destination of the guided rides will be made available soon, for anyone that wants to ride their own ride to them. There will be no directions or GPX files provided though-route finding is up to you. If you are planning on attending a group ride, please show up with a full tank of gas, an empty bladder, and a good attitude!!

There are TWO riding challenges for the rally this year, and you can compete in either, or both, as you see fit. The first one is a Covered Bridge Challenge, which will take you to many, many covered bridges in the area. The second one is a historical monument challenge, which, again, will take you to some amazing places. BOTH of these challenges are self guided-its up to you to decide the route you want to take. They have not stated what the destinations for each challenge is, and I suspect they wont to prevent anyone from sandbagging. The rules for the challenge are as follows:

Similar to a scavenger hunt, you will be taking a photo of yourself at each destination.

At the end of each day, if someone has completed either of the two challenges, this will be posted, so that everyone knows the challenge is then closed (you can still, of course, ride to the points, if you so desire).

The FIRST PERSON to turn in the completed challenge (or the most points visited by 5 PM saturday), is the winner (once verified). 

The prize for winning a challenge is a $150 gift certificate from HD. In theory, if you win both, thats $300 ($150 for each). There can be only 1 person who wins-so, if you are doing it in a group, its up to you to decide how you want to split it. There is only ONE gift certificate per challenge.

As I get more info on this, or any other activities, I will share them with the chapter.

There was one more thing, that was brought up, that I feel is important. The ENTIRE STAFF at Okemo is new. Everyone who has worked there in the past, has either quit, or taken positions elsewhwere. As such, none of them have ever hosted a rally (everyone there has only been an employee for, at the most, 6 months). When you are calling for information, please take that into account. Currently, the main hotel is 100% booked, from what was said today. The outlying buildings, to my knowledge, still have rooms available. Its important to tell them you are going there for the rally-otherwise, they may tell you there is nothing available. One issue that quite a few people ran into, was the use of the garage. Employees were telling those who booked that only guests with kitchens in their rooms have access to the garage. This is incorrect. This is their NORMAL booking procedure. But, this doesnt apply to the rally. They are working to correct that with the hotel, so that people arent misinformed. There is talk about leaving the garage doors open during the entire rally, to avoid any confusion. It is unknown whether they will do this or not as of yet. 

Thats all the information I have for now. I will reiterate all this at our next meeting. 

Take care, ride safe, and see you all on the road!!!