GETMETOCA
Can't Wait For Tuesdays
- Mar 17, 2002
- 4,765
- 0
Debbie Mathews Moto-X School was being held in Hollister Hills this past Saturday, January 25th and I wasn't about to miss out!! Gina (bratt) and I had been talking about getting together to ride for AGES, and it was finally going to work out for both of us to attend the school together. Jake (ggoja) wanted in too, once he found out the class was not just for women.
Bratt drove down from Sacramento Friday night. We had never met in person, but had PM'd about riding sometime and talked a couple times on the phone. We were both so excited about going to MX School, I knew this was going to be fun! Well, bratt drives a lifted Jeep Wrangler pulling a flatbed trailer with a CR125 on it and apparently caught the attention of some of the married neighborhood men, because one of them rang the doorbell shortly after her arrival "just to say hi and drop off his new business cards" - YEAH RIGHT!!! I think he just wanted to get a closer look at the cool chick driving the Jeep with the dirt bike. I let him get a look at bratt then send him on his way.
Bratt and I go hit the Metropolis of Modesto and make it to a sushi bar on the far side of town. Too bad Karna couldn't go with us that night. What are the chances of having three dirt-biking, sushi-craving women together all at once? I tell bratt the sushi bar is also a karaoke bar and she likes that. Unfortunately, by the time we leave, the karaoke crowd has not yet begun.
We leave the sushi bar, but don't yet feel like calling it a night, so we hit a Mexican Restaurant Bar near my house. We want Captain Morgan and Cokes, but this bar has no cokes. Go figure. The bartender wants to know if I want a Captain and Pepsi. I'm still in shock that this bar has no cokes. I'm sitting there in a quandary, thinking about what I want to order instead and the barkeep suggests a Flaming Doctor Pepper. We have to drink this at the bar because of the pyrotechnics involved in its making. By the time I get bratt up to the bar, 2 more women have been tantalized by the aura and anticipation of the Flaming Doctor Pepper so now there are 4 of us lined up for our libation. The Flaming Doctor Pepper is a shot of Amaretto with a floater of 151, lit to flame. The drinker gets to plop the whole flaming shot glass into a glass of their favorite tap beer and slam it down. We're all giggly as we finish wiping the remnants of beer foam off our upper lip and marvel at how much it really does taste like Dr. Pepper. We have one more beer and think we could go for one more "FDP" but we also have to get up at 4:30 am and, instead, decide to call it a night.
We get back to the house, but decide to take my 1970 Olds ninety-eight convertible for a spin. Since its only fun with the top down, we drive around in the cold night air for a while and eventually get back to the house afterall. Since we've talked about everything including ex-boyfriends, parents, dirtbikes, jobs, pets, goals, body piercings, tattoos, and life in general, I determine that even though I've only met bratt just this day, I think she's pretty cool. The last thing we do is load the two bikes and all our gear in the back of my truck so we can save time in the morning.
Saturday morning arrives, 4:30 am!! Its time to make coffee and get ready to hit the road! Hollister Hills is two hours away, so we leave at 5:30 am. Its very foggy on I-5 in some parts and it slows me down a bit. We still get to Hollister by 7:30'ish with one call to Karna for some direction when I made a wrong turn. We unload, gear up and head to the track! We warm up on the TT track then ride up and down the main road. In the back of my mind I'm wondering why I don't see Debbie Mathews and her entourage. Afterall, class starts at 9:00 and sign ups were supposed to be between 8:00 and 8:30. We head to the MX track and roll around it a couple of times. Still no sign of Debbie Mathews, et al.
Bratt laps me (everyone does...) and I see her launch off a double in front of me. She's in the air a pretty long time and actually has the beginnings of a whip going on. I'm thinking to myself "didn't this girl just start riding a year ago like me?" I'm simply amazed, this girl is a star. I park the bike and take a few pics of bratt rounding corners and flying through the air. I tell her I think its odd that we have not seen the instructor and we ride down to the Ranger Station to inquire of Debbie Mathews and her MX School.
The Ranger tells us that Debbie is up the road about 2 miles at the GP Track. Doh! It's now 10 minutes to 9 am. We jam back to the truck as fast as we can on a 15 mph road and load the bikes and gear bags and tool boxes into the back of the truck in 8 minutes flat. We still have our gear on as we head on up the road.
We find the GP track and then we see Jake (ggoja!!!) He quizically asks us if we drove all the way from Modesto in our gear so we explain our faux paus. Even though we are a touch late, class does not get started til about 9:45 AM. There are about a dozen of us in class; four boys, two teen-age girls, me, Jake, Gina, one of the teen-age girls' dad, a woman who took the class a year ago, and a guy I refer to as "PoorXR400GUY". There are also 3 instructors in addition to Debbie Mathews. I also see that I am not the only one with a headlight and a hydration system - whew!
We're all lined up with our bikes, full gear and helmets on. Debbie tells us to take our helmets and chest protectors off and relax. The first part of the course is non-riding. Debbie's teenage son is also there with a pro-looking camcorder on a tri-pod. We're told that they are filming footage for an upcoming training video and she informs us we may be on the internet. :laugh:
We go through stance and body position on the bike. I'm not too far off the mark, but as we go through body position and setting our body up for going into turns, etc. I see that there is a big difference in style for MX as compared to Enduro or woods riding. Debbie tells us to grip the tank with our knees when we are standing and the opposite is true out in the woods. I decide to "forgo" my woods training and listen to what I'm learning. Afterall this is MX!!! I wonder if I will have difficulty changing over between the two styles, but don't worry about it too much.
Next we do a great exercise to learn body position while cornering. Debbie has two bikes attached to a truck bed by a tie-down. The bike can be leaned over, similarly to when a rider leans a bike over in a corner. We are asked to stand on the bike pegs while someone holds the tie-down, keeping the bike upright. After instruction on body positioning, the bike is allowed to drop into the leaned over position as the student exhibits the correct body position. The critiquing is delivered quickly as Debbie circles the rider, prodding the elbows up, lifting the outstretched foot higher, pushing the midsection back, checking the spine position. We learn the term "Crack on Crack" and "Sweep the Broom". The riders are raised and "dropped" over and over until Debbie is satisfied with our progress.
Next we get to put the skill in motion as we hop on our bikes. We are asked to do small circles, leaning the bike over, our bodies angled and balanced to keep it that way. Elbows up, inside leg steched out before us. It is difficult at first and we make W-I-D-E circles, then slowly, we tighten up and get it right. PoorXR400Guy is off to the side trying to start his bike and doesn't get much drill time in. Jake and I go give him a push so he can bump start. It works. I totally sympathize with they guy, having been there done that. I gaze lovingly at my electric start button and then join the rest of the group.
After lunch, we all hit the track. Its a really nice track with lots of table tops and a few muddy tight turns, but they're not too bad if you take your time getting through them. There's one double after a steep downhill and I try it twice, but end up chest slamming and decide to divert around it for a while. Everyone's having a great time riding around on the track.
Next, we head back to the pits to try out hand at brake control. Debbie asks us to head toward the instructors as fast as we feel comfortable and then brake to a controlled stop using both front and back brakes. Its my turn and I end up going into a front brake slide then down I go. Everyone tells me I looked like one of those stunt drivers riding a motorcycle under a semi truck, except I just didn't pop back up on the other side. Debbie's son (with the tri-pod camcoder) has a big smile on his face and informs me he got it all on tape and that this footage will make a great "what NOT to do" instructional. :think: bratt did a great job and looked smooth. Ggoja sure was freightin' toward the instructors, but transitioned into a smooth, steady halt to the relief of all.
The last half of the day is spent on Cornering, Jumping, and Starts. All the time we had spent being "dropped" on the bike tied to the truck came in VERY handy. It all came together for me at that point. Ggoja and bratt were F-L-Y-I-N-G through those corners with their newfound skill. We were all having fun.
The jumping part of MX School had my interest the most. I was finally getting some air and feeling more confident. I really wanted to know what was going to make me fly. I wasn't sure what to do in the air and I was afraid of bad landings. Proper form when beginning the jump, the middle of the jump, and landing the jump were key. I did get a little higher and my jumps were a little longer by the end of the day, I guess the doubles will have to wait. All I can say is when I had a good jump, it felt really really good from launch to landing.
Lastly, we headed to the starting gate and were instructed on position. We practiced with the gate down at first and then we practiced with the gate up. I figured since I had been instructed on starts at Dirtweek '02 by Doug Dubach himself, I would have an advantage over my classmates. I was pondering this thought when the gate dropped and ggoja got the holeshot. "Well, I'll just sit this one out", I told myself as I pretended to fiddle with something on my bike.
After saying our good-byes to ggoja and the other classmates, bratt and I loaded up our bikes and gear and headed back to Modesto. We were WORE OUT!! Very tired and exhausted. Our intent was to get back to my house, unload the bikes, clean up, unpack and head back to the Mexican Restaurant for more Flaming Doctor Peppers!!! In actuality, we pulled the truck into the garage and left it loaded, got cleaned up, got a bite to eat, then started to fall asleep in front of the TV by 9 pm :silly: Today I am so stiff and sore I can barely move. But I would do it all over again in a minute!
That was one of my favorite riding experieces to date! Bratt and Ggoja - you guys ROCK!! Thanks for making the class so much fun!!!
Bratt drove down from Sacramento Friday night. We had never met in person, but had PM'd about riding sometime and talked a couple times on the phone. We were both so excited about going to MX School, I knew this was going to be fun! Well, bratt drives a lifted Jeep Wrangler pulling a flatbed trailer with a CR125 on it and apparently caught the attention of some of the married neighborhood men, because one of them rang the doorbell shortly after her arrival "just to say hi and drop off his new business cards" - YEAH RIGHT!!! I think he just wanted to get a closer look at the cool chick driving the Jeep with the dirt bike. I let him get a look at bratt then send him on his way.
Bratt and I go hit the Metropolis of Modesto and make it to a sushi bar on the far side of town. Too bad Karna couldn't go with us that night. What are the chances of having three dirt-biking, sushi-craving women together all at once? I tell bratt the sushi bar is also a karaoke bar and she likes that. Unfortunately, by the time we leave, the karaoke crowd has not yet begun.
We leave the sushi bar, but don't yet feel like calling it a night, so we hit a Mexican Restaurant Bar near my house. We want Captain Morgan and Cokes, but this bar has no cokes. Go figure. The bartender wants to know if I want a Captain and Pepsi. I'm still in shock that this bar has no cokes. I'm sitting there in a quandary, thinking about what I want to order instead and the barkeep suggests a Flaming Doctor Pepper. We have to drink this at the bar because of the pyrotechnics involved in its making. By the time I get bratt up to the bar, 2 more women have been tantalized by the aura and anticipation of the Flaming Doctor Pepper so now there are 4 of us lined up for our libation. The Flaming Doctor Pepper is a shot of Amaretto with a floater of 151, lit to flame. The drinker gets to plop the whole flaming shot glass into a glass of their favorite tap beer and slam it down. We're all giggly as we finish wiping the remnants of beer foam off our upper lip and marvel at how much it really does taste like Dr. Pepper. We have one more beer and think we could go for one more "FDP" but we also have to get up at 4:30 am and, instead, decide to call it a night.
We get back to the house, but decide to take my 1970 Olds ninety-eight convertible for a spin. Since its only fun with the top down, we drive around in the cold night air for a while and eventually get back to the house afterall. Since we've talked about everything including ex-boyfriends, parents, dirtbikes, jobs, pets, goals, body piercings, tattoos, and life in general, I determine that even though I've only met bratt just this day, I think she's pretty cool. The last thing we do is load the two bikes and all our gear in the back of my truck so we can save time in the morning.
Saturday morning arrives, 4:30 am!! Its time to make coffee and get ready to hit the road! Hollister Hills is two hours away, so we leave at 5:30 am. Its very foggy on I-5 in some parts and it slows me down a bit. We still get to Hollister by 7:30'ish with one call to Karna for some direction when I made a wrong turn. We unload, gear up and head to the track! We warm up on the TT track then ride up and down the main road. In the back of my mind I'm wondering why I don't see Debbie Mathews and her entourage. Afterall, class starts at 9:00 and sign ups were supposed to be between 8:00 and 8:30. We head to the MX track and roll around it a couple of times. Still no sign of Debbie Mathews, et al.
Bratt laps me (everyone does...) and I see her launch off a double in front of me. She's in the air a pretty long time and actually has the beginnings of a whip going on. I'm thinking to myself "didn't this girl just start riding a year ago like me?" I'm simply amazed, this girl is a star. I park the bike and take a few pics of bratt rounding corners and flying through the air. I tell her I think its odd that we have not seen the instructor and we ride down to the Ranger Station to inquire of Debbie Mathews and her MX School.
The Ranger tells us that Debbie is up the road about 2 miles at the GP Track. Doh! It's now 10 minutes to 9 am. We jam back to the truck as fast as we can on a 15 mph road and load the bikes and gear bags and tool boxes into the back of the truck in 8 minutes flat. We still have our gear on as we head on up the road.
We find the GP track and then we see Jake (ggoja!!!) He quizically asks us if we drove all the way from Modesto in our gear so we explain our faux paus. Even though we are a touch late, class does not get started til about 9:45 AM. There are about a dozen of us in class; four boys, two teen-age girls, me, Jake, Gina, one of the teen-age girls' dad, a woman who took the class a year ago, and a guy I refer to as "PoorXR400GUY". There are also 3 instructors in addition to Debbie Mathews. I also see that I am not the only one with a headlight and a hydration system - whew!
We're all lined up with our bikes, full gear and helmets on. Debbie tells us to take our helmets and chest protectors off and relax. The first part of the course is non-riding. Debbie's teenage son is also there with a pro-looking camcorder on a tri-pod. We're told that they are filming footage for an upcoming training video and she informs us we may be on the internet. :laugh:
We go through stance and body position on the bike. I'm not too far off the mark, but as we go through body position and setting our body up for going into turns, etc. I see that there is a big difference in style for MX as compared to Enduro or woods riding. Debbie tells us to grip the tank with our knees when we are standing and the opposite is true out in the woods. I decide to "forgo" my woods training and listen to what I'm learning. Afterall this is MX!!! I wonder if I will have difficulty changing over between the two styles, but don't worry about it too much.
Next we do a great exercise to learn body position while cornering. Debbie has two bikes attached to a truck bed by a tie-down. The bike can be leaned over, similarly to when a rider leans a bike over in a corner. We are asked to stand on the bike pegs while someone holds the tie-down, keeping the bike upright. After instruction on body positioning, the bike is allowed to drop into the leaned over position as the student exhibits the correct body position. The critiquing is delivered quickly as Debbie circles the rider, prodding the elbows up, lifting the outstretched foot higher, pushing the midsection back, checking the spine position. We learn the term "Crack on Crack" and "Sweep the Broom". The riders are raised and "dropped" over and over until Debbie is satisfied with our progress.
Next we get to put the skill in motion as we hop on our bikes. We are asked to do small circles, leaning the bike over, our bodies angled and balanced to keep it that way. Elbows up, inside leg steched out before us. It is difficult at first and we make W-I-D-E circles, then slowly, we tighten up and get it right. PoorXR400Guy is off to the side trying to start his bike and doesn't get much drill time in. Jake and I go give him a push so he can bump start. It works. I totally sympathize with they guy, having been there done that. I gaze lovingly at my electric start button and then join the rest of the group.
After lunch, we all hit the track. Its a really nice track with lots of table tops and a few muddy tight turns, but they're not too bad if you take your time getting through them. There's one double after a steep downhill and I try it twice, but end up chest slamming and decide to divert around it for a while. Everyone's having a great time riding around on the track.
Next, we head back to the pits to try out hand at brake control. Debbie asks us to head toward the instructors as fast as we feel comfortable and then brake to a controlled stop using both front and back brakes. Its my turn and I end up going into a front brake slide then down I go. Everyone tells me I looked like one of those stunt drivers riding a motorcycle under a semi truck, except I just didn't pop back up on the other side. Debbie's son (with the tri-pod camcoder) has a big smile on his face and informs me he got it all on tape and that this footage will make a great "what NOT to do" instructional. :think: bratt did a great job and looked smooth. Ggoja sure was freightin' toward the instructors, but transitioned into a smooth, steady halt to the relief of all.
The last half of the day is spent on Cornering, Jumping, and Starts. All the time we had spent being "dropped" on the bike tied to the truck came in VERY handy. It all came together for me at that point. Ggoja and bratt were F-L-Y-I-N-G through those corners with their newfound skill. We were all having fun.
The jumping part of MX School had my interest the most. I was finally getting some air and feeling more confident. I really wanted to know what was going to make me fly. I wasn't sure what to do in the air and I was afraid of bad landings. Proper form when beginning the jump, the middle of the jump, and landing the jump were key. I did get a little higher and my jumps were a little longer by the end of the day, I guess the doubles will have to wait. All I can say is when I had a good jump, it felt really really good from launch to landing.
Lastly, we headed to the starting gate and were instructed on position. We practiced with the gate down at first and then we practiced with the gate up. I figured since I had been instructed on starts at Dirtweek '02 by Doug Dubach himself, I would have an advantage over my classmates. I was pondering this thought when the gate dropped and ggoja got the holeshot. "Well, I'll just sit this one out", I told myself as I pretended to fiddle with something on my bike.
After saying our good-byes to ggoja and the other classmates, bratt and I loaded up our bikes and gear and headed back to Modesto. We were WORE OUT!! Very tired and exhausted. Our intent was to get back to my house, unload the bikes, clean up, unpack and head back to the Mexican Restaurant for more Flaming Doctor Peppers!!! In actuality, we pulled the truck into the garage and left it loaded, got cleaned up, got a bite to eat, then started to fall asleep in front of the TV by 9 pm :silly: Today I am so stiff and sore I can barely move. But I would do it all over again in a minute!
That was one of my favorite riding experieces to date! Bratt and Ggoja - you guys ROCK!! Thanks for making the class so much fun!!!
