Please respect our intellectual property rights. Do not distribute this document, or portions therein, without the written permission of the Iron Butt Association. The Trans Canadian Quest and Trans Canadian GOLD are trademarks of the Iron Butt Association.
The Trans Canadian Quest is the brain child of Canadians, LDRiders and Iron Butt veterans Thane Silliker and Bobb Todd. They are the first two riders to complete this ride under the umbrella of the Iron Butt Association.
The TC Quest is the Canadian equivalent of a 50cc ride in the United States. To earn recognition for the TC Gold a rider must travel from coast to coast across Canada in 75 hours or less, the additional time allowed because of additional distance and generally lower speed limits than one encounters in the United States.
The rules of the ride are simple:
1. The start/end cities are Vancouver, British Columbia (or Prince Rupert) and Halifax, Nova Scotia, in either direction.
2. Your entire route must be in Canada!
3. Rider must obtain a time/date/place stamped fuel receipts from the following cities: Thunder Bay, Ontario; and Edmundston, New Brunswick. NOTE: You MUST stop at least once every 300 miles (500 kilometers) to obtain a gas receipt.
4. Since this is not a back to back extreme ride, the ordinary IBA documentation procedures are to be used with the exception of the required stops.
Trans Canadian Quest Documentation Procedure:
1. At the start of a ride obtain witness signatures.
2. As soon as possible, obtain a time/place/date stamped fuel receipt. This receipt MUST be time/date/place stamped. The time on this receipt is the official start time of the ride.
3. During the ride keep a log of all fuel stops, and all other stops longer than five minutes. Keep all fuel receipts, restaurant receipts, motel receipts, etc. Fuel receipts SHOULD be time/date/place stamped, but this is not always possible when on the move.
4. Obtain place/date stamped fuel receipts in each of the following cities: Thunder Bay, Ontario; and Edmundston, New Brunswick. If a fuel stop is not required in these cities rider may obtain a time/date/place stamped ATM receipt drawn on their bank account. NOTE: You MUST stop at least once every 300 miles (500 kilometers) to obtain a gas receipt.
5. At the end of the ride obtain a time/date/place stamped fuel receipt. This receipt is the official end time of the ride. As soon as possible, obtain witness signatures.
While the Iron Butt Association rules give the rider some leeway with documentation requirements in start and end cities, we do ask you to consider this viewpoint of a multi-time 50cc (the USA version of the Coast to Coast ride) finisher as related by Iron Butt Association member Dale Wilson:
I recall several years ago, when Ron Major had just finished installing his aux cell in my brand new '95 ST1100 at his house, we got to talking about some of his IBA rides and accomplishments over the years. He mentioned that the 50CC was an intriguing ride if one did it as a "pure coast-to-coast" ride, and went on explain what he meant. That was the first time I ever heard him describe the act of touching the water on both oceans as being a critical and spiritual part of The Ride.
He led me inside his den and showed me an entire wall jam packed with trophies and finisher plaques. One bookshelf had little 10-milliliter red-stoppered chemistry vials that contained equal parts of sand and water. Each one was marked with a date/time and either the word "Atlantic" or "Pacific" written on it. Obtaining a sand & water sample at the start/end of a CC ride was also a part of Ron's ritual for this ride.
I remember counting 18 vials on his shelf. The shelf below it also had a little cardboard box that was chock full of additional vials, all filled with sand and water, and similarly marked with a date, time and ocean.
Dale Wilson
Dale does bring up an important point here, the Trans Canadian is a coast-to-coast ride and to really do the ride justice, you should make it a point, even though the rules do not technically call for it as verifcation would be nearly impossible, to visit the ocean at both ends of your ride.
Several riders have also opted to combine both the SaddleSore 1000 and/or Bun Burner 1500 with this attempt. If you decide to include the SaddleSore or Bun Burner as part of your ride, you will not have to get witnesses at the end of the 24 hour period.
Last Revision: May 14, 2003 - always check that these are the current rules before starting your ride! Note: The Iron Butt Association web site always has the current rules.
Your ride needs to be completely documented (steps outlined below) and cross Canada from coast to coast in 90 hours or less for the Trans Canadian Quest and 75 hours or less for the Trans Canadian Gold.
It is possible to complete both the SaddleSore 1000 and Bun-Burner 1500 during the Trans Canadian ride. Should you complete both the Trans Canadian ride, SaddleSore 1000 and/or Bun-Burner 1500 rides and want certificates for them, there is a short description of what you must do to claim those awards as well near the end of this document.
NOTE: These rules serve as a guideline. When you are on the road, concentrate on finishing the ride without an accident. If you lose one receipt, we can generally reconstruct your claim without a problem. For example, do not backtrack just to obtain a missing gas receipt!
PREPARATION FOR THE START:
Find at least one police officer, firefighter, judge, notary public or authorized Iron Butt Association member willing to sign your witness form (sample attached). You may fill out the witness section with the Police Station/Fire House address. Ask the officer to supply his badge number and note it on the witness form. Should you be unable to find a willing police officer (please note that to date, this has never been a problem for any ride - it is easier than it sounds) or you wish to start your ride from a motorcycle dealership, the Iron Butt Association will gladly accept the signature of any two dealership employees. If that is not possible, you will have to find at least three (3) independent eye-witnesses.
* * THE COMPUTER TIME STAMP WILL BE YOUR OFFICIAL STARTING TIME * *
The following log entries and completed witness forms are mandatory:
1. Log entries must be made at each gas stop. A log entry includes the following information; DATE, TIME, TIME ZONE, LOCATION (i.e. Yuma, AZ) and ODOMETER reading. A receipt must accompany each log book entry. All gas receipts must be readable and it is vital that we can read the date, city, state and number of gallons purchased. If the city is not pre-printed, ask the clerk to include a mailing address or contact phone number.
2. Log entries must be made at each stop longer than 10 minutes (for example a rest stop). Each entry must include the start time and ending time. Meals are considered rest stops - don't forget to obtain a restaurant receipt.
3. If your route includes any toll roads or bridges, you must obtain a dated receipt and make a log entry.
When you reach the ending coast city (please live within the spirit of the rules and do not use a gas station right at the city limits - try and get fairly close to the coast), obtain a computer-printed gas receipt with a legible date and time stamp. Also, obtain the business phone number (usually just asking for a business card of the gas station will take care of this requirement).
* * THE COMPUTER TIME STAMP BE YOUR OFFICIAL ENDING TIME * *
After you get the gas receipt, find at least one police officer, firefighter, judge, notary public or authorized Iron Butt Association member willing to sign your witness form (sample attached). You may fill out the witness section with the Police Station/Fire House address. Ask the officer to supply his badge number and note it on the witness form. Should you be unable to find a willing police officer (please note that to date, this has rarely been a problem for any rider - it is easier than it sounds), you may use two motorcycle shop employees or find at least three (3) independent eye-witnesses.
Before sending for your Trans Canadian award, take a map and circle the cities you stopped in (don't forget the start and ending points) for gas/food/etc (a Xerox of a map is acceptable). We use this map to assist the person verifying the routes (several riders turned in winding, twisting routes that sometimes took hours to find the small towns they stopped in).
To obtain your award, (a paper certificate, an Iron Butt Association pin and plastic license plate frame), forward a set of copies of your Trans Canadian Quest attempt documentation and a check in (U.S. currency) to:
Iron Butt Association
50cc Quest
P.O. Box 9450
Naperville, IL 60567-9450 USA
* * Retain your original documentation - only send copies! * *
Please make your check payable to the "Iron Butt Association". Please note that we do not make any money on this ride, this is our approximate cost of administrating the Trans Canadian program.
Before we can issue your Trans Canadian award, you may be asked to clarify certain aspects of your ride and/or documentation. Additionally, certain aspects of your ride are subject to audit which may delay the final determination of your claim for the award.
Provided your documentation is in order, your time will be computed as follows:
Local time at finish - local starting time +/- time zone changes as required. (Please provide your time claim so that if we do not match your numbers, we can contact you).
We strongly caution that these rules are guidelines. Out on the road it may not be possible to follow these rules to the letter. If that happens, please explain any problem you encountered and we will do our best to work out a solution. For example, 49 hours and 44 minutes into this ride, one person could not find a gas station with a computer generated receipt (obviously, our favorite type), so she got six locals to witness the time she arrived. Her other documents clearly supported her claim of riding from Jacksonville, Florida to San Diego, California in the time-frame she claimed so we did not hesitate to process her award.
If you have any questions about this ride, you may write to the Iron Butt Association at kneebone@ironbutt.com
In order to complete an Iron Butt Association ride, we require that you obtain "independent corroboration" in the form of signed authentication by independent, impartial adult witnesses. Attached is a sample witness form that is designed to comply with Iron Butt Association requirements (although our sample is typed, you don't need anything that fancy). Additionally, you will need to maintain a log book in chronological order. Each entry in this log must contain the following information:
Date and time of stop, location (city and state) and odometer reading (sample attached).
Generally speaking, you will need to find one police officer at both the start and end of your ride to witness the date, time and location. According to riders that have attempted these rides, you can easily (usually) find police officers to sign your log book. However, there may be times when you need to ask several officers to find one that will be willing to be your witness. Getting an officer to sign your book may take a bit of salesmanship on your part. Persistence pays off - just keep asking officers until successful. Before attempting this ride, it is highly recommended that you print up some sample forms and practice at a local police department.
==> If you wish to start your ride from a motorcycle dealership, the
Iron Butt Association will <==
==> gladly accept the signature of any two dealership employees. <==
Should you not be able to obtain Police Eyewitnesses or start in a motorcycle shop, you may substitute three independent people (however, they may not be fellow riders that are also trying the ride with you!).
Make sure that you inform potential witnesses that the Iron Butt Association may be auditing certain aspects of your ride and may be sending them a letter with a copy of the page they signed asking them to verify the information provided. Remember, a witness who doesn't bother to respond to an audit letter is as good as having no witness at all! To this extent, it is highly recommended that you send a thank you note to all of your witnesses after you complete your ride. Besides, many of them will be waiting to hear how you did.
Try to remember that you must act as a salesperson each time you approach someone to sign your log. If someone doesn't want to provide their home address - suggest they give a business address. According to experienced riders, taking a few minutes to explain your ride to potential witnesses will get them involved. Most people will actually feel honored to sign your witness form. However, attitude plays a key role, if someone refuses to sign your book, don't argue, move on to the next person.
EYEWITNESS FORM
Date: ______________________ Local Time:______________
License Number: ____________ Odometer Reading: _______
Miles
(Kilometers)
License State: ____________ Make & Model: ___________
___________
This witness form is for: _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
(Riders Name and address)
The location of this stop is: ________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
First Witness (Please Print) Second Witness (Please Print)
Witness Name: ___________________________ ___________________________
Address: ___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________
Signature: ___________________________ ___________________________
Phone: ___________________________ ___________________________
(Note: Obtaining a phone number where we can contact your eyewitnesses
will speed up the issuing of your award)
LOG
Trans Canadian - __________________________________________________
(Fill in Name and Address above)
DATE TIME LOCATION ODOMETER READING
(include zone)
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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Checklist of documents needed for Iron Butt Association Trans Canadain 90 ride:
___ Copies of Witness forms (starting and ending, others)
___ Copies of Receipts (do not send originals!)
___ Map (may be photocopy) showing route with towns stopped in circled
___ Explanation of any problems encountered, for example, "In central
Illinois, at my third gas stop, I was unable to get a dated
receipt. I asked the attendant to sign his name on the back
but he refused to do so. The phone number of the station is
(555) 555-1212 - he will verify that I was there at 10 a.m.
on August 4, 2001."
If you wish to have a SaddleSore 1000, 2000 or
Bun-Burner 1500 certified on the same ride, there are
some savings for us in postage and administrative costs
that we can pass on to you.
Trans Canadian (complete package, verification,
pin, plate frame and certificate): $50.00
If desired, SaddleSore 2,000 verification and certificate $20.00
If desired, SaddleSore 1,000 verification and certificate $20.00
If desired, Bun-Burner 1,500 verification and certificate $20.00
If desired, Bun-Burner GOLD verification and certificate $20.00
Additional ride pins SPECIFY: $ 7.00
Additional World's Toughest Riders plate back if desired: $ 5.50
Total Enclosed: _________
OR
If you already have or do not want pins or plate backs,
or want additional items, please use this list
Trans Canadian certificate only: $40.00
If you wish to have a SaddleSore 1000, 2000 or
Bun-Burner 1500 certified on the same ride, there are
some savings for us in postage and administrative costs
that we can pass on to you.
If desired, SaddleSore 2,000 verification and certificate $20.00
If desired, SaddleSore 1,000 verification and certificate $20.00
If desired, Bun-Burner 1,500 verification and certificate $20.00
If desired, Bun-Burner GOLD verification and certificate $20.00
Additional ride pins SPECIFY: $ 7.00
World's Toughest Riders plate back if desired: $ 5.50
Total Enclosed: ____________
Also, please complete the following information for your certificate
(it goes to the person that does the certificate and not the verification
team):
Rides completed (circle all that you are applying for) Trans Canadian 90,
SaddleSore 1000, SaddleSore 2000, Bun-Burner 1,500, Bun Burner GOLD:
Address to send your award to (since the certificate package is
nine inches by 14 inches, it is best to us a work or other address
with a large mailbox):
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Contact phone number(s), best time to reach you:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
If you have one, your e-mail address: ___________________________
Name you want on certificate: ___________________________________
(for example, Jonathan J. Smith, SR or John Smith)
Your age (only used for statistics): _________
Circle One (only used for statistics): Male Female
Did you do this ride with anyone else? Y/N If so, who:
______________________________________________________________
Date of start: ___________________ (for example, May 5, 2001)
Motorcycle make/model ridden: _______________________________
Note: this is used on your certificate. For example, do you want
us to list your Honda Gold Wing as a Honda GL1500 or do you want
us to list it as a Honda Gold Wing. You may also include a
model year if you want, for example; 1993 Honda Gold Wing.
Actual time from start to finish: Hours: ________ Minutes: ________
Miles Ridden according to your odometer: _______________________
Note: These will probably be changed by the verification team.
If you used a GPS (Global Positioning Device) and noted your
mileage, please enter that reading here: _______________________
Start and end Cities/towns your ride included:
Circle start city: Vancouver, British Columbia OR Halifax, Nova Scotia
Circle end city: Vancouver, British Columbia OR Halifax, Nova Scotia
SaddleSore/Bun Burner documentation:
If you want to include a SaddleSore 1000, SaddleSore 2000 or Bun Burner
with your award, please list start city, end city and highlight the 24
hour periods you want to use in your trip log (this does not have to be
anything fancy, just mark up in your log, START SaddleSore 1000, END
SaddleSore 1000.
Start City: ______________________________
Note: Same rules apply to these cities as noted above.
Name of end city ________________________
Note: Same rules apply to these cities as noted above.
Miles ridden (please note start and end points in your Trans Canadian Log): __________