SpeedyManiac
Member
- Aug 8, 2000
- 2,374
- 0
Well, I'm now hooked on offroad racing. :) My parents and I loaded up Friday night, then headed to Kelowna on Saturday and went up to the riding area where the race (Ogopogo Cross-country) was being held. After much confusion, we found a spot to camp, setup camp, had lunch, then my dad and I headed out to preride the course. We found the course after getting directions from a guy on a KX, thanks. The course was VERY tight compared to what I'm used to, but was much better on race day because I had already ridden the course once. I crashed once in a tight, loose corner, grabbed too much front brake, and slid out. We got going again, then my dad crashed in a corner, and he also stalled a couple of times. We crossed a bunch of logs no problem, then headed up a hill. There was a steep downhill on the other side, kind of scary but I went down fine. The course then went on old roads combined with more tight single track, over logs, under logs, up hills, down hills. One trail that was part of the course, Lake Trail, was really fast and fun. But, we came around a corner to a steep uphill and I hit neutral when I shifted down to first. We had to turn around and try the hill again, this time with no problems. Up above there was a bunch of mud hills that were starting to get rutted. My dad had a lot of trouble with his dual-sport tires but I got up easy. We continued along the trail, more tight stuff and logs, but I didn't have any trouble. Then we got onto one of the last trails, the Rocky Trail, which was steep, narrow and ROCKY. We were both getting tired, so we stopped at the top of one hill and rested. A guy on a CR250R came back along the trail, he had lost his friend on a CRF450R, but we hadn't seen him. We later met up wih the guy on the 450, who had taken a wrong turn. We continued along the trail, pretty tight, but rideable. There were 2-3 more steep hills on the trail that were pretty tough, but again, we could ride them, although pretty slowly. We finished the course in 2.5 hours, which was pretty good considering we stopped a couple of times and went pretty slow. Tough course, and I was pretty worried about it.
Race day:
I got up around 8:30 after some moron set off some firecrackers. I didn't get a good sleep, people were partying, and I was worried about the race. We got everything ready, filled bike up with gas, ate breakfast, walked around a bit, trying to relax. 11:00 rolls around, and we have the Rider's meeting. Going to be a dead engine start, okay, should be good. Race starts at 11:30, but my class (Junior Under 200cc) doesn't start until 11:56. I picked a lousy starting position, went on the outside, was mid-back of the pack after start. We head up the first hill, I passed a couple people, then I came to another hill that had about 7-10 guys down on it, I found a way around them and headed on my way. I was already tired from the day before, so I took it easy. I got passed by lots of people, but I didn't care, I just wanted to finish my first race. First log comes up, get across now problem, but the guy in front of me crashed on it. Keep going along, pass some pople, get passed by lots of other people. I come to another log. I picked the wrong side, slowed down too much and didn't get over it. I then dug a hole trying to get over it, with no luck. It took me a good 5-10 minutes to get over the log, and I tired myself out a lot. I finally get over it and continue on, now near the very end on the pack, almost dead last, even most of the class behind me had passed me. I came to another log, this one I just gassed it, but ended up crashing on. I picked my bike, and tried to start it. Great, it flooded when I crashed. It took me a good 20 kicks to get it going, and now I was really tired and my confidence was nil, because I still had another 30+ kilometers to go (the course was 43km). I get going again and start getting in a good rhythm, catching some people. I come to another log and stop to pick a line. A brother and sister on a KX250 and XR100R pass me and go around the log in a line I hadn't seen, I follow them around the log. I'm riding with them, passing them in some places, then they would come back and pass me. We get to a fairly tough hill, and they are infront of me. The girl on the XR100R gets stuck, so I take the other line up the hill while her brother helps her. I stop at the top in a clearing to catch my breath and drink some gatorade. They pass me and head to the first big downhill. I follow them down, but they stop at the bottom, she popped her front tire, so I went by and they had to quit. I continued along by myself, getting a good rhythm along the trails. I caught some people and passed them, I was happy and feeling better. I get to the lake trail, behind a girl on a TT-R125, and she wont move over to let me by, even though I keep revving my engine. Finally, I get by her by using a different line that was pretty rough. A person on a CR250R comes flying by me, then I came to a checkpoint. I stopped, got checked then headed on my way, back up the mountain. I get to the steep hill that I got stuck on last time. I pinned it in 2nd gear and got up it. There must have been 8 people stuck on the hill when I went by. Now I get to the muddy hills. These ones have 3 HUGE ruts. I pass 2 other people, one on a KX80, other on a TT-R125. Then I get stuck and stall farther up the hill when I got cross-rutted. The TT-R goes by, then I get going again, trying to find the smallest ruts. I pass one kid on a CR80 stuck in a rut up to the seat!!! I continue going and pass the person on the TT-R again. I stop to get another drink, I got pretty thirsty going along there, but I'm not really tired anymore, and I'm keeping a good rhythm. I keep going, and come to an angled log on a side hill. I get stuck and stall when I get the front wheel over. I got the bike started, then got off, pushed the bike while gassing it. I got the bike over, then continued along. I kept going, passed another kid on a YZ80 who looped out on a hill, but then I hit neutral when I downshifted on the hill. I put it in 1st gear, stalled, got the bike going, then continued up the hill. The trail was getting pretty steep and rocky, and one hill that used to have dirt was entirely rock now, the bikes had torn every bit of dirt off it. I got up the hill and continued on. I was now getting passed by the A and AA guys who ended up doing 3 laps around the course in 3 hours. I kept going, soldiering on through the tight woods, up hills, down really STEEP hills, just wanting to finish. I was blown away at how fast the A and AA guys went. They were on the gas down the steep hills, and would get through the tight trees quickly. I was almost done, and was now back in the loose, sandy pine forest at the end of the course. I came around the corner and there was a extremely loose hill. I got stuck. It took me about 7 minutes of pushing, pulling, backing back down, paddling, to finally get up the stupid hill. I got up it and finished the course in another few minutes. It took me just under 2 hours to finish the course, but I could have down it in about 1.5 hours if I had gotten over the logs quicker. I'm happy that I finished the race, which I found quite tough. I'm not used to trails that tight and demanding, so I'm gonna have to build some like those ones to get better at them. I ended up being in 15th place, out of 20. I can't wait to race again, I'm hooked, and the course was great!! :) :)
Race day:
I got up around 8:30 after some moron set off some firecrackers. I didn't get a good sleep, people were partying, and I was worried about the race. We got everything ready, filled bike up with gas, ate breakfast, walked around a bit, trying to relax. 11:00 rolls around, and we have the Rider's meeting. Going to be a dead engine start, okay, should be good. Race starts at 11:30, but my class (Junior Under 200cc) doesn't start until 11:56. I picked a lousy starting position, went on the outside, was mid-back of the pack after start. We head up the first hill, I passed a couple people, then I came to another hill that had about 7-10 guys down on it, I found a way around them and headed on my way. I was already tired from the day before, so I took it easy. I got passed by lots of people, but I didn't care, I just wanted to finish my first race. First log comes up, get across now problem, but the guy in front of me crashed on it. Keep going along, pass some pople, get passed by lots of other people. I come to another log. I picked the wrong side, slowed down too much and didn't get over it. I then dug a hole trying to get over it, with no luck. It took me a good 5-10 minutes to get over the log, and I tired myself out a lot. I finally get over it and continue on, now near the very end on the pack, almost dead last, even most of the class behind me had passed me. I came to another log, this one I just gassed it, but ended up crashing on. I picked my bike, and tried to start it. Great, it flooded when I crashed. It took me a good 20 kicks to get it going, and now I was really tired and my confidence was nil, because I still had another 30+ kilometers to go (the course was 43km). I get going again and start getting in a good rhythm, catching some people. I come to another log and stop to pick a line. A brother and sister on a KX250 and XR100R pass me and go around the log in a line I hadn't seen, I follow them around the log. I'm riding with them, passing them in some places, then they would come back and pass me. We get to a fairly tough hill, and they are infront of me. The girl on the XR100R gets stuck, so I take the other line up the hill while her brother helps her. I stop at the top in a clearing to catch my breath and drink some gatorade. They pass me and head to the first big downhill. I follow them down, but they stop at the bottom, she popped her front tire, so I went by and they had to quit. I continued along by myself, getting a good rhythm along the trails. I caught some people and passed them, I was happy and feeling better. I get to the lake trail, behind a girl on a TT-R125, and she wont move over to let me by, even though I keep revving my engine. Finally, I get by her by using a different line that was pretty rough. A person on a CR250R comes flying by me, then I came to a checkpoint. I stopped, got checked then headed on my way, back up the mountain. I get to the steep hill that I got stuck on last time. I pinned it in 2nd gear and got up it. There must have been 8 people stuck on the hill when I went by. Now I get to the muddy hills. These ones have 3 HUGE ruts. I pass 2 other people, one on a KX80, other on a TT-R125. Then I get stuck and stall farther up the hill when I got cross-rutted. The TT-R goes by, then I get going again, trying to find the smallest ruts. I pass one kid on a CR80 stuck in a rut up to the seat!!! I continue going and pass the person on the TT-R again. I stop to get another drink, I got pretty thirsty going along there, but I'm not really tired anymore, and I'm keeping a good rhythm. I keep going, and come to an angled log on a side hill. I get stuck and stall when I get the front wheel over. I got the bike started, then got off, pushed the bike while gassing it. I got the bike over, then continued along. I kept going, passed another kid on a YZ80 who looped out on a hill, but then I hit neutral when I downshifted on the hill. I put it in 1st gear, stalled, got the bike going, then continued up the hill. The trail was getting pretty steep and rocky, and one hill that used to have dirt was entirely rock now, the bikes had torn every bit of dirt off it. I got up the hill and continued on. I was now getting passed by the A and AA guys who ended up doing 3 laps around the course in 3 hours. I kept going, soldiering on through the tight woods, up hills, down really STEEP hills, just wanting to finish. I was blown away at how fast the A and AA guys went. They were on the gas down the steep hills, and would get through the tight trees quickly. I was almost done, and was now back in the loose, sandy pine forest at the end of the course. I came around the corner and there was a extremely loose hill. I got stuck. It took me about 7 minutes of pushing, pulling, backing back down, paddling, to finally get up the stupid hill. I got up it and finished the course in another few minutes. It took me just under 2 hours to finish the course, but I could have down it in about 1.5 hours if I had gotten over the logs quicker. I'm happy that I finished the race, which I found quite tough. I'm not used to trails that tight and demanding, so I'm gonna have to build some like those ones to get better at them. I ended up being in 15th place, out of 20. I can't wait to race again, I'm hooked, and the course was great!! :) :)