If you think you ride a lot, we hate to burst your bubble, because REVER user Chris Hopper has redefined what a lot means. Hopper has been a perennial front runner in our Road Warrior Challenges over the past few years. But even he surprised himself in the number of miles he was able to record in 2021. After the fireworks faded to black on New Year’s Eve of ’21, he had logged 144,599 miles in the REVER app, and more than 150,000 by his totals.
The key to this insane mileage, was the even more psychotic attempt to ride 100,000 miles in 100 days, which he accomplished. Think about that. One missed day and you fall 1000 miles behind schedule and have to make it up in the remaining days; that happens more than once and you can see how difficult it becomes to complete the mission.
After confirming Hopper’s win, we had a lot of questions. So, here ya go:
REVER: Tell us a bit about yourself, everyone wants to know how you find so much time to ride!?
Chris Hopper: I'm a full time real-estate investor, so having a bunch of rentals allows me plenty of free time to do crazy stuff like this! I can work from the road as well, so that makes it easy.
R: We understand that you attempted to ride 100,000 miles in 100 days, how did that go, and how did you keep riding when it was over?
CH: Went extremely well! Thank God I had no mechanical issues and everything went great. The goal was to raise $100K for charity (Mile Monsters Inc.) which we accomplished! That's the part I'm most proud of.
R: What motivates you to put in these truly epic miles on a motorcycle?
CH: Just a true love for the sport. A ride like this is definitely a mental game and you have to really want it to be able to pull it off. It's not something you just go out and "try".
R: What is your current motorcycle of choice, and why?
CH: 2021 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited. Best-riding Harley out there for long distances.
R: How often do you get a new motorcycle?
CH: Whenever they wear out. I totaled my 2019 CVO with 112K miles. I now have a 2020 Road Glide Limited with 101,000 miles and my 2021 Road Glide Limited with 102,000 mi. I will keep them both until the warranties run out or they fall apart.
R: How do you keep up with maintenance and keep tires on them?
CH: I have a maintenance plan with my home dealer, so all that is free. Tires, I just get whenever they're needed. On this ride I was coming back home every 10,000 miles for service and tires if needed.
R: What is the single-longest ride you’ve done?
CH: Obviously this one! 100,000 miles in 100 days. Prior to that, I've completed two Hoka Hey Challenges, finishing 9th and 5th. Also completed the IBR (Iron Butt Rally, 11,000 miles in 11 days) finishing in 24th place after a HUGE penalty.
R: What riding organizations and/or clubs are you associated with?
CH: Hoka Hey, Mile Monsters Inc., and Iron Butt Rally
R: What is your longest ride streak of consecutive days riding?
CH: Again, 100 days!
R: What do you do on your day off?
CH: Ride, lol. I'll hang out with friends and just ride locally quite a bit, but I really enjoy the longer trips alone.
R: How do you mentally stay focused on long rides?
CH: Again, this is something you really have to want. I have a huge passion for riding so getting mentally prepared isn't too difficult, especially if there is a task at hand or I'm trying to complete a big ride. As you know, we compete in several contests/challenges all year long and that is always a driving factor as well.
R: Do you listen to music or podcasts, or just the wind?
CH: Music for sure.
R: Give us your three best tips for long-distance riding.
CH: Ride your Ride would be the number one tip, stay hydrated, and have proper gear.
R: Do you have any sponsors?
CH: No sponsors. Republic Harley-Davidson is my home dealer and they're very supportive and will give me some goodies if I need something, but no official sponsors.
R: Riding gear is key to comfort, what is your go-to gear: helmet, boots, gloves, etc?
CH: KLIM Latitude jacket/pants, KLIM TK1200 modular helmet, Bates boots, and have a few random selections on gloves.
R: Do you have an idea of how many miles you’ve ridden in your life or an estimate?
CH: Lifetime no, but I'll hit 400K with my Harleys by the end of February.
R: What are your plans and goals for 2022? Is it even possible to beat what you did in 2021?
CH: No big plans. Just continuing riding and doing whatever I can. Hopefully to raise some more money for charity. I'm confident someone will break my record soon, and wouldn't be surprised at all if it happens this year.
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