Hokie

Sponsoring Member
Sep 28, 2000
151
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First Enduro Race Report -- Now with pix!!

First off let me say it was fun and I'll be back to do another one!

Apparently I picked one of the harder enduros to try for my first one. But, this was the first time it had been run, so nobody knew what to expect. (Warning bell #1, DING DING DING)

On the way to the race one of the guys I was riding with was telling us how his friend rides in that area all the time and it was going to be dusty, technical and really rocky. (Warning bell #2, DING DING DING)

We get to the race site about 10PM and go to sleep right away.
Wake up, sign up for the race, get the route chart and start getting nervous. Try to figure out the times for the sections then give up after I was told that it was going to be hard and just ride as fast as I can. (Warning bell, #3 DING DING DING) Get more nervous.

Both guys I went with had early minutes so they left and I am sitting there stewing by myself for about 30 min, then head up to the start. Meet the guys on my minute, 2 of us never raced an enduro before, the other guy claims to not know what is going on either. Figure oh well, time to race. Dead engine start, my minute comes up, kick, bike doesn't start. 2nd kick bike starts, take off, already eating dust. Can't see anything, 3 minutes in, uh oh where did that corner come from, slam, hit the ground.

Get up, take off again. Blast into secret check WAY early. Take off again, get to special test section early, sit there until it is time to go. (Note: This is the last time I will see the guys on my minute) Hit the section , nice single track, good ride. Hit some technical stuff, not too bad. Ride ride ride, get to some check point, told I am 11 minutes last. Oh well, ride ride.
Hit some dirt road decide to try to make some time, cruising along, left turn, Now hit the slow motion button:

1. Tires with 14lbs of pressure for the rocks.
2. Turn with soft, soft Colorado dry powder dirt.....
3. Me on a 2-stroke instead of my usual thumper.....
4. Front tire washes and I'm on the way down!

SLAM! Big time. SMASH knee into ground along with shoulder.
Thanks to ASTERISK :worship: knee braces, knee only got a lump, still hurt but no where near what it would have!!

Get up, nothing hurts TOO bad, bike is OK, starts up and I'm off again. Much slower now. Ride ride ride.....

Get to downhill, and when I say downhill, I mean DOWNHILL!
Survive that pretty easily though, some more single track, starting to climb again.....(now I know it tends to get harder once the climbing starts, WARNING BELL #4 DING DING DING)

Also note, I am not nervous anymore, tired, but not nervous!

Come up to a HUGE bottleneck on the uphill technical section, something like 50 people stuck. When I arrive I am told all minutes up to 52 are houred out, (I was 49) and there is a wait of about an hour to get through. Take off helmet and rest, the day is over.

From there on out we just helped each other get up the trail and back to the pits. So basically I didn't just hour out, I 2 houred out.

Hopefully the next one will have an easier C loop.
Until then it is off to practice my trail skills, this sure isn't like the MX track!
 
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dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member
May 3, 2000
5,349
3
Good report.  It's supposed to be hard, but it's too bad about the bottleneck.  Best wishes for finishing the next one. 

Since you are new to offroad I have two words for you:  Steering Damper!  

A damper will save a good number of front end washouts.  Think of it as safety equipment - it's cheaper than a broken collar bone or twisted knee.
 

Hokie

Sponsoring Member
Sep 28, 2000
151
0

Since you are new to offroad I have two words for you:  Steering Damper!  


Have one on there already, saved my bacon several times before and
after the crashes.
 

MARK IT

~SPONSOR~
Sep 5, 1999
357
0
Way to go! Now the next one you can relax and just, oh wait that's not true.
It will be fun though. Sounds like a good ride an a good start to a long and
fun enduro life.
 

Enduro_Nut

~SPONSOR~
Feb 7, 2002
1,155
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Hokie - That hill you were talking about, did you see the cart wheels that people were doing??! The "hill" seemed about 2,000' down. FYI - I believe only 2 C riders completed the ride and about 50% of the riders failed to complete the course which was about 130 miles. I managed about 70 miles after falling 20' into a ravine! What was really odd was after falling I turned around and 3' away was my rowmate :) ! That was at mile 48 on the second loop.

I was talking to the RMEC secretary(?), Rudolph Bradley(also on row 20) and he did mention that was a tough ride(he only finished the 1st loop helping guys down the "HILL" after also flying over the bars!

The race was put on by a first time club that does desert only :scream: so the route charts were incorect but they did try very hard so... hats off for the first time event!

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR NEXT ONE!!
 

Hokie

Sponsoring Member
Sep 28, 2000
151
0
Originally posted by Enduro_Nut
Hokie - That hill you were talking about, did you see the cart wheels that people were doing??! The "hill" seemed about 2,000' down. FYI - I believe only 2 C riders completed the ride and about 50% of the riders failed to complete the course which was about 130 miles. I managed about 70 miles after falling 20' into a ravine! What was really odd was after falling I turned around and 3' away was my rowmate :) ! That was at mile 48 on the second loop.

I was talking to the RMEC secretary(?), Rudolph Bradley(also on row 20) and he did mention that was a tough ride(he only finished the 1st loop helping guys down the "HILL" after also flying over the bars!

The race was put on by a first time club that does desert only :scream: so the route charts were incorect but they did try very hard so... hats off for the first time event!

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR NEXT ONE!!

GAS GAS huh? I think I saw you when you were leaving.


I didn't see any cartwheels, the guys in front of me were coasting down it real slow when I caught them. Finally got around them the I did not see anybody until the big bottle neck at the up hill at the end of the special test.

One guy dropped his 426 into the ravine so I helped him pull it out.

Then I got some help up the hill and into the monster rut on the off camber.
The sweeper guy (older fellow) says "when you hit that rut just GAS it
and you will shoot on up the hill." So I hit it WOT and flew up the hill, pretty cool. They were all cheering when I got to the top. I think they were getting tired of helping people. From what I heard there were about 50 people stuck there when I got there. I can believe only 2 C riders finished! That was a hard course!

Did you think the 2nd loop was easier than the first?
At the riders meeting they said it was, but other riders I talked to said it wasn't.

Oh well, looking forward to the next one.
Definitely want to do jumping cow. And maybe one other.
 

Enduro_Nut

~SPONSOR~
Feb 7, 2002
1,155
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My gasser is blue w/black/white checker on the front panels and I was wearing red fox gear.

Second loop - Hard for me to say after my ravine excursion, there was a hill at the end that wound up being hard because of the amount of people getting stuck on it. The hill was steeper/narrower than the hill on the first loop, not to mention rutted out exposing more of the "Rocky Mountain"!

There is something to be said gassing it and holding on :yeehaw: :yeehaw: !!

The only thing that was HARD for me was leaving Colorado - I miss it!! I used to live in Colorado Spgs. in the mid 80's.

Hopefully we can hook up one day and go DIRT BIKE RIDIN' ! (Sorry about the Texas slang :eek: !)
 

Hokie

Sponsoring Member
Sep 28, 2000
151
0
BEFORE: So full of promise!!

tim_start.jpg


AFTER!!

tim_houred_out.jpg



More pix at:

www.sidewinder.cc/ENDURO
 
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Mully

Moderator / SuperPowers
Jun 9, 1999
4,233
113
Hokie,

Great report. Now you know what to expect and they do get easier. You will learn where to race and where you can relax and stay on time. Knowledge comes with experience.

BTW, looking at the pictures I would have thought warning bell number 4 (ding ding ding) would have sounded. Back in the day if you pulled into the pits, and it was all grown over like that, it meant the guys who did the arrowing were to tired from that to mow the pits (i.e. hard trail).

Have fun at the next one.

Mully
 

GETMETOCA

Can't Wait For Tuesdays
Mar 17, 2002
4,768
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That was awesome! I thought I was the only one that ever happened to. I stick to Family Enduros now to keep my self confidence boosted. ;)
 

Hokie

Sponsoring Member
Sep 28, 2000
151
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Hey GETMETOCA,

Sounds like good advice! :p

I saw on the womens forum you might do the 24 hour in WA. I am trying
to get a CO team together from thumpertalk to go. Looks like I have 3 so far, still working on a few more. 8 hours of racing each might be a bit much!
 

Hokie

Sponsoring Member
Sep 28, 2000
151
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Originally posted by Mully
Hokie,
BTW, looking at the pictures I would have thought warning bell number 4 (ding ding ding) would have sounded. Back in the day if you pulled into the pits, and it was all grown over like that, it meant the guys who did the arrowing were to tired from that to mow the pits (i.e. hard trail).
Mully


The club that put it on apparently is used to doing desert races not enduros.
Maybe they don't have lawn mowers in the desert????
:eek:
 

BCR-Bob

Sponsoring Member
Mar 8, 2001
104
0
Howdy all. Our club was the one that did this enduro. First off, I do apologize for that section on the first loop. It got real bad real fast (my gawd you guys turfed it up but good!) and pretty soon was damn near impassable. Yea we're a desert club and are still learning the enduro thing, but really do enjoy working with the enduro riders and the RMEC. It took the club 2 years working with the Forest Service to get this one off the ground but it did get the trails designated for future use. I usually spend most of my time marking the course before the races and running checks during. I ran the last check-out on loop 1 and 2nd to last check-out on loop 3. It's taking me some time but I'm slowly getting the time-keeping thing under control. Us desert guys have a hard time taking it easy in sections and telling time (brain overload) but we'll get it.

I rode the course alot and take my hat off to all you guys, it was tough. :worship:

Whats a lawn mower?
 

Hokie

Sponsoring Member
Sep 28, 2000
151
0
Hey BCR-Bob,

Thanks for the great race and all the hard work! I sure do appreciate it!
I am glad to hear that the trails got designated for future use as well!!

I was not bitching or complaining about your club or the terrain etc, just so you know that! I was just trying to comment on how hard a first enduro I picked! Maybe the rest will seem easy by comparison!

Tim
 

BCR-Bob

Sponsoring Member
Mar 8, 2001
104
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Thanks Tim. I don't do as much as alot of guys in the club do, some where up there for the 6 full weekends before. It is alot of work to do these races but it definitley is for the good of the sport.

That hill you speak of is called Snowshoe, and you ought to go down in the rain, brakes are optional. Going up is a serious workout also.
 

Enduro_Nut

~SPONSOR~
Feb 7, 2002
1,155
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BCR-Bob - Glad you posted - you guys did an old fashoined enduro regarding
difficulty - THANKS!! I will be back for next year! :yeehaw: Is scoring complete? Curious how my first loop time was in comparison to the rest of the guys/gals! Did Smetzle(sp?) overall?

HOKIE - Going to Del Norte ?? I might - I was offered a bike without driving mine up there so.... we'll see!
 

BCR-Bob

Sponsoring Member
Mar 8, 2001
104
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Thanks Nut. Because no C riders finished (this is what I'm told) the computer isn't giving out the results. The guy running it will figure it out though(if he hasn't allready) and we can always go to the back sheets. Smetzle zero'd both my checks. On the third loop he came in about 4 minutes fast, stopped 20 yards from the check, and balanced there until his minute. Very impressive.
 

WoodsRider

Sponsoring Member<BR>Club Moderator
Damn Yankees
Oct 13, 1999
2,812
0
Keep riding enduros. Work a few enduros (everything from laying out a section, setting speed averages, determining check placement, determining reset lengths, working a check, scoring to picking up trash after it's over is considered working an enduro). Learn the rules. Learn how to do timekeeping in your head. Learn how to ride possibles (don't be a screenwatcher). Eventually you'll start taking home some hardware. Expect a few bumps, bruises, scrapes and hematomas along the way. If you're real lucky you'll only break your bike and not your body.
 

Hokie

Sponsoring Member
Sep 28, 2000
151
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Originally posted by Enduro_Nut

HOKIE - Going to Del Norte ?? I might - I was offered a bike without driving mine up there so.... we'll see!

I am not going to Del Norte, I have to finish up my Hunter Education course.
Something about proving I can safely discharge a firearm at the range, and pasing a written test. Already cancelled this part once. Kind or irritated at the whole thing. I have been hunting and around firearms since I was about 10 (now 34) I don't need some guberment program to tell me to "Be careful"

Oh well, at least there will be some educated people out there with me!


Oh, off the soapbox now, back to enduros.


I am planning on doing the one in Rand though!
 

Hokie

Sponsoring Member
Sep 28, 2000
151
0
Originally posted by BCR-Bob
Thanks Nut. Because no C riders finished (this is what I'm told) the computer isn't giving out the results. The guy running it will figure it out though(if he hasn't allready) and we can always go to the back sheets. Smetzle zero'd both my checks. On the third loop he came in about 4 minutes fast, stopped 20 yards from the check, and balanced there until his minute. Very impressive.

I had heard 2 C riders finished, this makes me feel even better!!
That is impressive about Smetzle balancing there for 4 minutes. I am lucky
to stay balanced while traveling at speed!


Originally posted by WoodsRider
Keep riding enduros. Work a few enduros (everything from laying out a section, setting speed averages, determining check placement, determining reset lengths, working a check, scoring to picking up trash after it's over is considered working an enduro). Learn the rules. Learn how to do timekeeping in your head. Learn how to ride possibles (don't be a screenwatcher). Eventually you'll start taking home some hardware. Expect a few bumps, bruises, scrapes and hematomas along the way. If you're real lucky you'll only break your bike and not your body.


Thanks for the advice.
It sure is overwhelming at first.
I was doing the route chart calculations but gave up after
I heard about the difficulty of the course when we got there.
My friends advice to: "Ride as fast as you can" turned out to
be correct. No way I was going to be early on any of that stuff!!!
I feel like when I first started racing MX and HS, riding around
having a blast not knowing what the He77 you are doing......
 
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