Procedures for entering and riding the 2011 Two-Bits Rally
Again this year the Two-Bits rally will be run quite a bit differently from other rallies, following the same format as was
used in the 2010 Two-Bits. It won't be held on a specific day with check-in, rider meeting, route planning, riding, and then
announcing results and handing out door prizes at the finish location.
Instead, here are the steps to follow:
Before riding the Two-Bits, register for the rally by mailing the registration form,
as is normal with most rallies. (The cost for the amateur event is $0.) Registration will get your name on the
entrants' list so your LD riding friends will see what you're planning. Folks from your state or
with your brand of bike will be able to brag.
After receiving your registration, I'll e-mail you a PDF file that will serve as your "rally flag". Print it out and have it laminated at an office supply or
shipping store. Probably will cost $2 or so.
For route planning, the bonus listing can be downloaded from this web site.
- It is your choice whether you have the bonus listing well in advance (similar to the 2010 Ten 'N Ten rally),
- or print it the evening before your ride (similar to the 2009 LOE/1000),
- or if you want to try or practice route planning on the clock (as was the case at Checkpoint 1 during the 2009
Utah 1088), print the bonus listing right before you ride the rally and don't look at it until you have your starting gas receipt.
The map of the base route, along which many of the bonii are located, can
also be used for route planning. Some 24-hour rallies, like the Utah 1088 and Thin Air TT have had base routes of about 1000 miles. In this
8-hour rally, the base route is about 1/3 of that. You can follow the base route if you wish, add to it, subtract from it, or disregard it
entirely.
Many of the bonii will be along roads featured on Butler Motorcycle Maps'
Colorado map.
A SPOT satellite tracker (www.findmespot.com) won't be required as a
method of verifying your route, but some bonus points will be given if you use one. If you don't have a SPOT, maybe this is
the excuse you've needed to get one.
If you are using a SPOT:
- On Jason Jonas' SPOT Trip Manager web site (spotwalla.com)
(previously known as jasonjonas.org/spot) set up an account to display your trips.
- Then set up a trip with:
- name = 2011 Two-Bits Rally
- description = Month day, 2011
- password = (optional, your choice)
- start date and end date = a time frame that includes at least the hours between your start
and finish.
- Do NOT check the box "Checking this box hides the time component of each location/message."
- For an example of the set-up: http://spotwalla.com/, click on "Advanced Search", under "Users
with public trips:", "ALL", scroll down and highlight "PassBagger", click on "GO", click on "2010 Two-Bits Rally"
On any day in June, July, or August, 2011 (your choice), ride the rally.
If using a SPOT, set it to "tracking" mode.
Starting point: Littleton, Colorado (southwest corner of the Denver area) at the Circle K/Conoco gas
station on the SE corner of S Wadsworth Blvd (C-121) and W Chatfield Ave. (About one mile north of C-470 on S Wadsworth Blvd.)
Obtain a fuel receipt. THE COMPUTER TIME STAMP WILL BE YOUR OFFICIAL STARTING TIME.
Ride your route, updating your bonus listing along the way.
For photo bonii, your photos must clearly show the bonus, your "rally flag", and at least part of your
mototcycle. For sample photos, check 2010 Two-Bits or
2009 LOE 1000.
Ending point: Any gas station in Buena Vista, Colorado. Obtain a fuel receipt. THE COMPUTER TIME
STAMP WILL BE YOUR OFFICIAL ENDING TIME.
(If the time stamp on the gas receipt is way off actual time, you may try a different pump or different
gas station, or also submit a photo of your GPS showing date, time, latitude and longitude.)
After the rally:
If you want to use US postal service, mail me:
- A copy of the bonus listing with your answers, etc. You only need to send the pages you have updated.
- Copies of fuel receipts, and any other receipts for bonus points.
- All copies must be clear enough so answers can be read.
- Photos you have taken for bonus points. Can be printed on photo or plain paper, or burned onto a CD.
If you want to use e-mail:
- Scan your bonus listing and receipts and save as PDFs.
- Use photo editing software to resize each of your photos down to 800 or 1024 wide
with a file size less than 200k,
making sure the bonus and rally flag are still easily seen.
- Or upload the photos to your Smugmug, Kodak, or other photo account and
include its address and any password in lieu of the above.
- Then e-mail the PDFs and photos (JPG files) to me at bishoprl at earthlink dot net , with a subject of
Two-Bits Rally - Documents and Photos.
I'm more interested in receiving your bonus list, receipts, and photos than in the particular method
of getting them here. I will consider other suggestions too.
I will score your ride and provide feedback about points awarded or not, and will enter your name as a finisher on the
results page.
I won't update the results page with points, miles, etc. until early in September so others can't "follow" you and possibly do better.
Early in September I'll update the results page with everyone's points, miles, etc., and will
announce the results on the LD Rider list and via e-mail to all the entrants.
(Note: just like other rallies, you may ride your route only once. If you aren't satisfied with your results, turn them in anyway,
and "shoulda, woulda" just like we all do after rallies. If you'd like to try again, print the bonus listing from the 2004, '05, '06, '08
or '10 rallies, ride your route, mail in the bonus listing and receipts as described above, we'll add up the points, and enter your name on
the results pages from those years. For '04, start and end at the Conoco gas station in Morrison, checkpoint will be a gas receipt from a
gas station in Fairplay.
For '05 start and end in Morrison. For '06, start in Morrison, end at any gas station in Frisco. For '08, start and end at any gas station
in Frisco. For '10 start/end at Conoco in Morrison.)
There will be an RTE in September where you can swap tall tales with other riders.
You can join us whether you've ridden the Two-Bits or not.
For details, check the RTE page.
If you see me at the RTE or at a Colorado Beemers monthly meeting and have already been listed as a
finisher (or turn in your bonus listing, etc. right then), I might even have a Two-Bits pin for you.
