TT2000 Flyer

  

                                                                       

 

What is the TT2000 Flyer?

For those riders who want more of a challenge than merely staying in the saddle for 1,000 kms we offer the TT2000 Flyer or just 'The Flyer'. This is Iron Butt Lite. Here are the key points about the Flyer:

  1. it is completely optional
  2. you don't even have to choose whether or not to do any of the extra distances until you are literally at the junction, so you can wait to see how you're feeling before committing to the clip-on
  3. there are 14 extra Flyer clip-ons over the two days totalling an extra 850 kms over and above your base 2,000 kms
  4. each clip-on has a points value according to its 'inconvenience' or 'severity' factor
  5. you can choose to try for any or all of the 14 clip-ons
  6. we believe it is impossible any rider will manage all 14 clip-ons in the time window and it has been intentionally structured this way
  7. In 2009, 20% of riders achieved 'Gold' status by completing all 6 clip-ons. In hindsight it was too easy. Let them try this time!
  8. You evidence each clip-on by collecting either a receipt or a photo of your bike in front of some landmark, usually the town sign

Here are the 14 clip-ons and their points values (keep scrolling down for the macro map of all the Flyers):

Circuit Name of Flyer Extra kms Severity Rating %age of total points Points Value Clickable Link
Eastern Inangahua 44 Fast 4% 397 Inangahua Flyer
Eastern Belgrove 70 Fast 6.3% 632 Belgrove Flyer
Eastern Oyster Bay 41 Twisty 7.4% 741 Oyster Bay Flyer
Eastern Portage 60 Twisty 10.9% 1,084 Portage Flyer
Eastern Okiwi Bay 46 Twisty 8.3% 831 Okiwi Bay Flyer
Eastern Kaiteriteri - Marahau 25 Twisty 4.5% 452 Kaiteriteri - Marahau Flyer
Eastern Cobb Power Station 34 Slow 9.2% 921 Cobb Flyer
Eastern Farewell Spit 98 Fast 8.9% 885 Farewell Spit Flyer
Western Springs Junction 112 Fast 10.1% 1,012 Springs Flyer
Western Denniston 19 Twisty 3.4% 343 Denniston Flyer
Western Kopara Village 70 Fast 6.3% 632 Kopara Flyer
Western Lake Mahinapua 64 Fast 5.8% 578 Mahinapua Flyer
Western Coleridge 50 Fast 4.5% 452 Coleridge Flyer
Western Geraldine 115 Fast 10.4% 1,040 Geraldine Flyer
    848   100% 10,000  

Going to attempt some Flyers? Download and print a handy guide sheet to take with you with maps, points table and what you need to collect to prove you did it.

Click here for the Eastern Circuit Flyers in pdf file format or Word doc format

Click here for the Western Circuit Flyers in pdf file format or Word doc format

 

How are the points calculated?

Flyers are rated Fast, Twisty or Slow according to their "severity"

  1. A Fast Flyer will be simply you doing extra kms with little variation to your normal speed and riding skill
  2. A Twisty Flyer sees you on a twisting road, usually up and down hills, travelling at approx half your normal speed and exercising twice the riding 'concentration'
  3. A Slow Flyer reduces your speed right down and chews up a lot of time for small distance gain

 The 10,000 maximum Flyer points are proportionately allocated according to the extra kms you have to ride out of your way. A futher factor is added according to the Flyer's severity ranking above.

For example, the Portage Flyer on the Eastern circuit is a 60 km ride on a twisty road. If you invest time in this one you are rewarded with over 10% of the Flyer maximum points as you have chosen a decent distance at slow speed. In other words your enemy will be time. At the other end of the scale, the Geraldine Flyer on the Western circuit sees you riding 115 kms extra but on long straight roads. Your enemy is distance but you are rewarded with a similar 1,000 points. The small-kilometres twisty Flyers such as Denniston and Kaiteriteri are tempting as they seem quick on paper. 

In summary when attempting the Flyers you have to weigh up optimising points values vs the extra time you have to invest. What is your riding style? Are you at home on twisty hill climbs? Do you prefer the long flat drags? Remember you are still riding 1,000 kms as the basic TT2000. 

The Flyer Trophies

If you have a crack at the Flyers, some degree of advance planning is probably necessary to save you doing mathematical gymnastics at road junctions.

The reward for doing the Flyers is your entitlement to purchase a Bronze, Silver or Gold Flyer Trophies m(of two different designs) which will serve as a memento of your awesome riding effort, over and above the basic TT2000. Click here to see the trophies and how much they are.

But you have to qualify within the following bands AND bring back proof of Flyer completions. Note the minimum 2,000 pts benchmark.

Bronze Flyer Trophy: 2,000 - 4,000 pts

 

 

 

 

 

Silver Flyer Trophy: 4,000 - 7,000 pts

 

 

 

 

 

Gold Flyer Trophy: 7,000 - 10,000 pts

 

 

 

 

 

Safety First

When pre-planning your Flyers we urge riders to weigh up the risk factors and ride to your limitations. You're balancing distance, road twistiness, prevalence of other traffic and all the time with an eye on the clock. The organisers' recommendation is to have a pre-planned Flyer strategy in place but simply make up your mind when you're there on the day according to your tiredness, the weather and even if you can be bothered. After all, the trophy's only a piece of $50 acrylic. It's a huge achievement to complete the TT2000. Most riders will be more than satisfied with that. 

 

Eastern Circuit Flyers

Want to go into Google maps and drill down into this map? Click here for Google Map link.

Map key:   Basic TT2000 1,000 kms route  Flyer Clipons

Western Circuit Flyers

Want to go into Google maps and drill down into this map? Click here for Google Map link.

Map key:   Basic TT2000 1,000 kms route  Flyer Clipons