2009 Hillbilly 1000 SaddleSore
Story by: Marvin Knapke

Hi everybody I wanted to write and let everyone know how much I enjoyed the Hillbilly 1000 world
record in state West Virginia ride. The longest I rode before this was probably less than 500 miles in a 24 hour period. I have read about long distance riding a lot over the years and thought I would like to try but always put it off because something would always get in the way. I decided that this time I would follow through on the ride because I read about Hoagy’s Heroes on their website and I was impressed by the way they helped children with the charity rides.

Being new to a 1000 mile ride I did not know what to expect so I talked with Hoagy on the phone a few times before the ride. I had questions on how hard it would be and he said I would be OK as long as I had a positive attitude and I found this to be very true. I stopped by his place on the way to the starting location where he and others made me feel very much a part of things and welcome. We got to the Holiday Inn where I met the other riders before leaving and the excitement was awesome. You could feel the energy and it was such a good and positive energy that I will always remember it although I cannot put it into words very well. Hoagy asked me before and during the ride how everything was going, how I was doing which helped me to feel a part of the group.
Riding through West Virginia was great. The riding through the hills and curves with the awesome views was impressive. We started at Triple S Motorcycle Company where they stayed open for us to start the ride at midnight. The staff there was very nice to be with they had coffee and a wheel that we spun to win prizes. I was fortunate enough to win a $25 gift card which I used to purchase a shirt for my wife. We ended the ride back at the Holiday Inn where we met earlier. The staff at the Triple S Motorcycle Company and the Holiday Inn could not have made the experience any better that they did they were the best and I want to thank them for going out of their way to make this an exciting adventure.

With 30 motorcycles and traffic on a long ride we were not able to stay together in a group but we would run into each other at the different stops along the way. I was lucky to ride with a new friend that I met his name was Jim and we seemed to ride with similar styles which worked well. I will be riding with Hoagy’s Heroes in the future and would recommend this for every rider who would like to help children and also have a very enjoyable and rewarding ride. I would explain ride in more detail but I do not think I can put into words how I felt. I sit down at home in the evening and find it hard to stay awake till bedtime falling asleep in my recliner. With this in mind how was I to ride for this long? I can say that it was not hard. When I completed the ride I felt as if I were 21 years old again and could keep going. I am more than twice that age.