Do you REALLY want to ride the ISDE?

smoody

Member
Dec 17, 2000
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This is SMOODY. Good news out of my meeting at AMA. They will support a women's team for the ISDE. This year!

They will take 3 women, this is above the normal number of men. No men will be bumped.

But, you have to QUALIFY. There must be at least 3 women to show up and finish at least one of the two, two day qualifiers.

Round #1 - McAuthor, OH. May 26/27
Round #2 - Idaho City, ID June 2/3

Even if you don't think you can go to France this year, we need to make a good showing at the qualifiers to prove to AMA that there are really good women riders.

From what I understand you need only ride one round (Your regional series). You have to send AMA a Letter of Intent and $30.00 well before the first round.

If you are truly interested, please respond back to this post and pass the word.

SMOODY
 

sgr

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jul 14, 2000
63
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SoCal
Great News! I would be most interested in working on fundraising to help get women riders to the ISDE. (If that sort of thing is necessary.) What a great chance for women riders.
SMOODY...How many women do you know about, who would be considered to have the skill/ability to qualify?
How is the AMA going to publicize this information?
When is the ISDE?
 

bbbom

~SPONSOR~
Aug 13, 1999
2,094
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Okay, so as a trail spode, I am willing to help out (I may look silly as heck but, if you need women to show up & ride, I can be there)! Idaho City is doable but what do you mean by this

Originally posted by smoody:
From what I understand you need only ride one round (Your regional series). You have to send AMA a Letter of Intent and $30.00 well before the first round.

How do I find out about where/when/who on the regional series here? Is this something on the AMA website or would it be on like the Northwest Motorcycle Assoc. site?

Also, what if I send in my letter of intent and then find out I can't make it to say the Idaho qualifier - the only one feasible. Will that make the AMA look unfavorably at the women's class?

Also, are there any bike restrictions as far as size? Can I ride my CR500 in the women's class or do I need to borrow something smaller?

As far as fund raising, I'm willing to help out there too - don't have any experience with it but what the heck - I follow instructions pretty well!!


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MACE

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Nov 13, 1999
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Y'all know that team Washington sent an all woman team to ISDE a few years back? Lori Taylor, Lisa Gibson and Carol Williams. If you're serious about pursuing this ISDE thing, email me and I can forward your note to Lori and Carol.
 

Girlrider

Member
Sep 1, 2000
313
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bbbom,

There is not a size restriction but your bike does have to have a working head light, tail light, spark arrestor and silencer to name a few. I am not sure if you have rigged your 500 to do this. If you are interested I might recommend a lighter bike because you have to finish 130 + ground miles and I personally would find the 500 to be too much bike and too heavy. I did ride Boise last year and it was long!! They had a section where they decided not to whack the weeds at about mile 30. The weeds or should I say tall willow things grabbed my camel back hose and ripped the end off. I had no water for the next 100 miles except what I was now sitting on. Smoody and I have contacted a couple of women who are willing to ride but we would welcome more.

[This message has been edited by Girlrider (edited 01-21-2001).]
 

SL99

Member
Jun 18, 2000
58
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I only live 1/2 hour from Idaho City. I know nothing about ISDE though. I do know that my dad took a first up there one year a while back. I have rode the trails up there on my dirtbike and I found many of them to be extremley challenging, epsecially with the altitude squeezing your lungs, the bushes & branches snagging you, the tree roots bouncing you off the trail, the ruts catching your tires while trying to climb a 95% grade on loose dirt and then getting wedged between 100 ft tall tree trunks in hairpin turns. Can ya tell I'v had a lovely time up there? I've raced mountainbikes up there too and I beleive we raced on some of the same trails as the motorcycles but we only had to do about a 30 mile loop. Beautiful country up there. I can come cheer you all on but I dont know that I could handle 130 miles of that stuff! Athough it sure gives you something to be proud of if you can ride up there!
How long does it take to complete 130 miles?
 

Girlrider

Member
Sep 1, 2000
313
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SL99,

Last year I started at 11:00 and finished at 6:45. It was long and you are right about most of the terrain. There was this really nasty hill that had a lot of rocks, downed tree limbs that got really chewed up by the first riders. I made it on the 3rd try after a long prayer. When I got to the top I had to just take a second to watch the rest of the men struggle and curse. One guy even ended up down off the side is a gully and I saw absolutely no hope for him. Right after that we had to go across and off camber section with loose dirt. Needless to say my rear tire fell off and I had to spend several minutes getting it back up on the trail. Then you get to this section where some smart allec put 10 pairs of tree pruners. Quickly you realized the joke was on us. All I could see was the willows whacking me in the face and this was only 30 miles into the race. The middle section was pretty mild and then the last 20 miles had some steep hills. All in all I liked the terrain. Colorado generally has more hills and more rocks so it was relatively mild compared to some of the races I do here. We would love to have you come give us some support. We will let you know who is going and how you can find us.
 

bbbom

~SPONSOR~
Aug 13, 1999
2,094
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Wow, sounds like a blast!! :)

MACE, thanks so much for the info & having Lori contact me. I'll have to figure out which events we can make & see what it's like.

Girlrider, we can add the lights to my 500 pretty easy for $300 or so and it has the sparky & silencer.

The terrain sounds similar to what we ride and I didn't like the KLX300, XR250, XR400 or KX250 but fell in love with the CR500 on it. Actually, my CR500 is lighter than all those bikes, except the KX250. But, the only way to know is to do it! Heck, I'll try anything once!!



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Girlrider

Member
Sep 1, 2000
313
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SL99,

The ISDE stands for the International Six Day Enduro. It is an international race where you ride for 6 days straight about 120 miles each day. You have to compete on the same bike and if it breaks or you need to change any parts the rider is required to do it, even at the end of the day. In other words my mechanic or friend can only stand there and hand me tools. They cannot do any of the work. The bikes must meet certain requirements such as a head light, brake light, spark arrestor and ecology tires. This year it is in France. You can find more information on the AMA website.
 

smb_racing

Master of None
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jul 31, 2000
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I live about 10 miles from McAurthur, if anyone wishes to qualify there you'd better be prepared, this is a pretty rough course, last year it poured rain and was around fifty degrees, trails were extremely muddy, this is our normal weather pattern for this time of year here in ohio, but to anyone who's going I wish you luck, I'll be there to watch some friends start, and if they make it to any of the gas stops I'll be there too.

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Jeff-
'84 Can-Am ASE 250 (brutally fast rat bike)
'93 Kawasaki KDX200 (bored 40 over, FMF pipe, A-Loop suspension)
 

WoodsRider

Sponsoring Member<BR>Club Moderator
Damn Yankees
Oct 13, 1999
2,812
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Girlrider - You make the ISDE sound like a trailride for six days... well, maybe it is for you ;)

I had the fortunate experience of being a spectator at the '94 ISDE in Tulsa. Let me tell you, the physical and mental exhaustion really takes a toll on the riders. A lot of very fast riders dropped out by the 4th day.

Basically FIM World Enduro rules are used. The AMA Qualifier Enduro rules are similar. The AMA rules are usually published in the Feb. issue of the AMA magazine.
 

Girlrider

Member
Sep 1, 2000
313
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Woodsrider,

What is it I said that makes you think that I think it is a 6 day trail ride. NOT!!! I know several people who have gone. One year when Mark Heines went he was peeing blood by the 4th day. I know just how hard it is. I am a distance runner who has finished several hill climbs where you run 15 + miles with over 5,000' vertical gain so I know you have to train hard. That is also why you will find me running and in the gym 5 days a week and in the summer when we don't have snow my husband and I ride at east 3 nights a week and race on the weekends. Now I did say that the Qualifier I did last year had some terrain that was not as hard as some that we do here in Colorado but it was long and demanding! I have watched several of the ISDE's on tape including the one in Tulsa so I have a good idea of what to expect. However, if 3 women go then I am sure they will realize it is even more demanding than they thought but I know they will all be up to the challenge.
 

Trialwench

Member
Dec 13, 2000
31
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Trialwench here .. SMOODY, you guys ought to get someone to start sending press releases to publications like cycle news that the AMA is going to field a 3 woman team at the ISDE. This is HUGE news and it should be published. It'll also help get more interested parties in the mix for riding, fundraising, etc. Perhaps ROger should do that? I think it's great! If I wasn't so consumed in trials and the women's TDN team, I'd ride a qualifier! But just thinking of riding 100 plus ground miles a day, makes my "Very bad" wrists (in need of surgery) - HURT LIKE THE DEVIL!!
 

WoodsRider

Sponsoring Member<BR>Club Moderator
Damn Yankees
Oct 13, 1999
2,812
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Girlrider - I think you took my comments the wrong way. I didn't mean to offend you or women riders in general.

What always amazes me is how mentally drained the riders are. Offroadr and I were talking with Jay Hall, who was at the ISDE last year for rider support. His stories of riders being too mentally drained to adjust a chain, let alone change tires brought back memories from Tulsa. Of course I get mentally and physically drained just changing tires in the garage ;)

In my book, anyone who goes to the ISDE is a winner, even if they DNF.
 

Sugarhead

Member
Sep 17, 2000
19
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Lets see 6 days of aggressive in ya face riding?OR 6 days in your face work? I think I'd take riding over work any day and if I could just ride and not work I pretty much would.Hey girl Id go for it too ;) By the way what is the cost of ISDE?
 

Tree Crippler

Member
Jun 8, 2000
136
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I had the chance of riding in a Qualifier in Ithaca NY (non-intent). After 2 days of rain I have never seen the woods so torn up. The way the race is set up you have a decent pace to get to the special tests. Once you hit a test they stop you and start the timer. You are tired and trying to go all out which caused me to crash the KX250 many times. By the end my hands had to be pryed off the bars and I couldn't use the front brake or clutch for 15 miles.
I think your noise level has to be under 98db. They are strick on rules. Good luck all. I would do it again.
 

Michelle

Sponsoring Member
Oct 26, 1999
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For those of you keen to qualify - check out Whitehouse Press - BO3-6DAY $9.95 - "How to Ride the Int'l Six Days Enduro' by Lawrence Hacking (five medals, five starts). It covers goal setting, travelling, costs, sign in, medical & technical inspections, types of bikes, sound check, gear, effects of fatigue and physical training.

Maybe worth a read if you're serious? (I've never read the book, so can't comment but maybe someone else can).

Their toll-free number is 1-800-531-1133 or web site: www.WhitehorsePress.com
 

duke

Member
Oct 9, 1999
484
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My hats off to all the American women who are wanting to tackle the ISDE. The Sweedes and Italians field a small team every year. In order to see what you will be facing, get a copy of Marshall Roses' ISDE tapes. They are about 6 hours each, and they include the more grueling terrian tests and special tests. They make for great training in that you can get an idea on what the top riders are doing. I say, our women can kick the a-- of any Euro-women team.
 

SL99

Member
Jun 18, 2000
58
0
Now who in here is really planning on going? Smoody, Girlrider, bbbom? Anyone else?



[This message has been edited by SL99 (edited 01-30-2001).]
 

bbbom

~SPONSOR~
Aug 13, 1999
2,094
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Hey now, I'm not on the list, I just wanted to know more about it. I'd have to at least try an easy enduro first before I could commit to something that demanding!!!

I'd also have to win the lottery because the training & time involved in prepping for something like that would be quite time consuming and I have to keep my day job.

It really sounds like a blast and more like the type of riding I prefer but, yet another goal that maybe my daughter can achieve. I will be trying one of the local enduros we'll see how that goes.

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dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member
May 3, 2000
5,349
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FYI - there was a thread a month or two ago (not sure of the forum) from Claudio Salusso. He has tapes from the Australian ISDE and was looking to trade for other motorcycle tapes. If anyone is interested, they could do a search and find that thread.

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1999 Honda CRE 250
1991 KDX250 dual sport (for sale)
 

smoody

Member
Dec 17, 2000
14
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SMOODY here.... I have some more information on the ISDE Qualifications per Hugh Fleming at AMA.

1 - How will AMA chose the top three women riders?

1. AMA will choose the 3 top scoring Women (as long as there are at least
three at each Qualifier) by their best scores from either Idaho or Ohio or some
combination of both. The method for scoring riders is noted on our "Go Race"
web site under ISDE Qualifying.


2 - Best two day scores out of all four days (Ohio and Idaho)?

2. Best two days of scores either from one weekend or both weekends. For
example, you could have a good Day One in Ohio and then DNF Day Two and go to
Idaho and get a good Day Two and we will try to count your Ohio Day One and
Idaho Day Two.

3 - On Web page, it was discussed the series would be regional, how will
they choose? For All Classes?

3. Regions don't matter. If you happen to ride both Idaho and Ohio and
score equally as well, we will count your scores from your "home" region as
determined by your mailing address on the AMA membership files.


- Can you define what is the Trophy and Junior Trophy Teams? Who are
they,what are the qualifications?


4. World Trophy Team members will be selected by ISDE Board of Directors.
They are supposedly going to be the very best six riders, including the best
supported riders that we can compile. Four Junior World members are the best
enduro riders who are 23 years and younger. They will also be selected by the
Board.

Then the top 2 class winners of the 5 classes will automatically go. Is
that regional or out of four races?
5. The top 2 class winners as determined by all four days of scores will
be in an automatic position to be placed on the team.

Then the next 30 riders will be the top down for all LOI contenders?
Including the top three Senior riders.

6. We hope to take in the neighborhood of 40-43 total Team USA members,
including the Seniors and Women.
END AMA Information

SMOODY Says....
With the above said, I will again encourage all women riders at any level to enter the two known Qualifiers in Ohio and Idaho if at all possible. We really need to show support, whether you think you can go to France or not. As for the team, I am looking for the three best, toughest, most capable riders out there to represent our country. God willing and Murphy on hold, I will be one of them. Trialwench is right about the publicity. I sugget we all put our collective heads together and really push this thing. Only through good PR coverage will other girls up and coming believe they too can ride and win!
More to come...SM
 

sgr

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jul 14, 2000
63
0
SoCal
Okay, say a girl wanted to try this event. And say she wanted to do everything she could to prepare, even hiring someone to coach her (and maybe a few friends). What would be the best way to proceed? After all, a girl would want to make a reasonable showing...right? Is this the sort of race where riding with brains usually beats out riding with testosterone? You know, riding smarter and not crashing your brains out?

Mind you I'm not asking for myself, but it sure would be nice for the women to start out with a good base of instruction and information.
 
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