Broad Mountain Enduro

[gxdragon]

I've only been riding dirt bikes for about two months. I have done three enduros so far (Sandy lane, Stump Jumpers and Pine Hill). All of them were NJ enduros, lots of sand, whoops and tight trails. I'm now considering doing Broad Mountain in a couple of weeks. From what I understand the terrain is totaly different rocky, creeks and it's on a mountain. I have also read that it is a very difficult enduro.

Is it that difficult that maybe I should sit this one out (maybe wait until next year)? Or is it worth riding just for the experience?

My record is as follows: (C-Vet)
1) Sandy Lane I made it 50 miles. My first race and only the second time riding a dirt bike.
2)Stump Jumpers I finished.
3)Pine Hill I finished even passed a few people on the trails this time.

 

[MotoEnduro]

if you've never ridden in the rocks before, you might want to practice in that type of terrain first before doing an enduro. Riding in the rocks is very different from the sand enduros you've done, and needs a different suspension setup than for sand. RORR can be pretty tough sometimes, and the gas isn't back at the campgrounds. The first time I rode in the rocks (I learned in sand), it was a REAL eye opener. I couldn't believe people could ride through that stuff, let alone go fast. If you decide to try it, wear lots of protective equipment, including elbow guards!

 

[SCHLAVA]

Congrats on finishing your first enduro's! Broad Mountain is no walk in the park, its a tough enduro. It's a lot of fun and has great trail. There are two A loops this year so they will route you around them. I say go for it. Count it as a learning experince. The best way to learn to ride rocks is to just enter the race. This is one of my favorite races of the year. Soften up your suspension, slap on some dunlop 739's(as long as its dry), and have fun. I will be camping out. Stop by and say hi. I have a silver ford expedition with a delaware enduro riders front license plate and I ride a yz250f. Good luck and go enjoy the trail.

Mark

 

[gxdragon]

Thanks for your suggestions. I'm still on the fence with this one it also seems that some people are organizing a family ride at paragon that same day. Might just do the family thing that day.

 

[OldManIn]

gxdragon, if you aren't a member of an ECEA club you should join one. You can get a lot of info from riders in you area and also participate in holding one of the races yourself. You can get a lot of support that way. Most of the guys can tell you how to set up you bike for different races. You can also sign up for races with other guys in your club. That is a great way to be introduced to the races in the ECEA Enduro series. I'm a member of the Brandywine Enduro Riders club. We put on the Rattlesnake. That is a very good introduction to rock riding for beginners. It is not nearly as rocky as Broad Mountain but it does have some rocks.

Good Luck in the future.

 

[SCHLAVA]

Agreed, if you miss this one you must absolutly do Foggy mountain and Rattlesnake. These were my first two rock runs and they are great for first timers in the rocks and they are still two of my favorite rock runs.

Mark

 

[Lissa]

I wouldn't recommend Broadmountain for your first rock run. It has some very difficult obstacles between this beautiful trail. The rocks are wayyy different then the sand runs. The sand is easy to ride in, the rocks on the other hand are hard, throttle control is of the essence. I would recommend Rattle Snake for your first rock run. Thats a fun rock run and is finishable. Suspension set-up is even more important in the rocks. If your suspension is too stiff you'll get deflected off of every rock making a difficult run even more aggravating. If you wanna try Broadmountain as your first rock run, good luck. The creek crossing at the starting line isn't nothing compared to whats in the woods after the first check.

 

[dougjc]

gxdragon,

Congrats, you have done really well. Pine Hill was my first enduro and 2nd dirt bike ride. I discovered that my street riding skills didnt help as much as I thought they would. I bet you passed me, everyone else did, I was riding the KDX220 always pulled over in the woods getting passed. :-) I did not finish, the trail itself was not a problem but the tightness of the trees along with a couple hard smacks into the trees did me in. I've decided to pass up Broad Mountain based on some advice. I'm going to ride the Green Marble next, then possibly Foggy Mountain, Rattlesnake, Beehive. I'm also planning on riding a bunch of the dual sport rides to get more experience. All of them look preety good. The Ridge dual sport on 6/22 is a two day deal so should be a blast. If you decide to ride Broad Mountain, please let us know how it went. I plan on starting in the back of the pack at Green Marble, this should keep my spirits up since I won't get passed.

Doug

 

[SCHLAVA]

Doug,

SJER also has a killer dual sport the weekend after Ridge's. You should try to make that also. It can be a little dusty but its a blast.

Mark

 

[gxdragon]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm pretty sure I'm going to skip this one and try to do the family thing at paragon. This will also give me a chance to get some experience on the rocks.

Doug, I know how you feel. Getting passed sucks :( especialy when you know that you're slow and already behind schedule. Now you have to lose more time pulling over waiting for people to pass you. And it's never one or two guys it's four or five then you might see another group coming up right behind them so instead of pulling over twice you just sit and wait for them to pass too.

I was bouncing off trees my first race too. Each one seems to get a little easier. I'm learning and handling my bike better. Taking corners a little faster and sometimes even getting into a rhythm. They never seem to last for more than a few minutes.

In this last race some riders were overtaking me through that open area they kept winding us through with the yellow tape (that section was fun) everything started to flow and I started pulling away from them :aj:. Eventualy they passed me in the woods but it felt good for a little while.

When the last person in a group passes me I try to follow them and do what they are doing. Sometimes I can keep up for a little while and this helps me figure out how I should be riding these sections.

Maybe at the end of the season I'll buy a roll chart and try to keep time or maybe I'll just wait until next year. Right now I'm learning and the better I get the more fun I have with it.

I've been too busy but when I get time I may try to write a computer program to figure out the time keeping for me and print out a color coded chart. I've read several articles on time keeping and I think there is a program out there already but writing it myself will help me understand what I'm doing better.

Anyway Doug good luck with your rides. Stop by if you see me at one of them I drive a silver subaru forrester towing a flat trailer with a KLX400R.