truespode
Moderator / Wheelie King
- Jun 30, 1999
- 7,984
- 251
If you are like me then the sound of dirtbikes is music to your ears!
Well, there was music in dem dar woods!!!
For the AM class there were 483 total riders!! 39 in my class alone and 901 total entrants between the AM and PM (pro/A) races).
They delayed the start abouth 30 minutes due to them re-marking the course for the bikes. They added some mileage over what they had used the day before in the ATV race. They also re-routed some sections to make it more single-track.
After our race they even re-did it again to make it tougher for the Pro's.
The GNCC crew really does a great job of putting on an event. Everything was very well marked and very well ran.
I got there Saturday afternoon and signed up for Vet C (30+). I stood in line for 2 hours. I can only imagine how long the wait was on Sunday morning!!
After signup I went to see my Dad and stayed the night at his place. I got up at 7am and headed off after a little bit of breakfast.
I got a really good parking spot near the trail so I could easily get some gas if need be.
With 2 rows to go before my class I started my Ironman Heart Rate Monitor. I figured it would be interesting to see how my HR is for the race.
I looked around the MX track. We were starting just above it in a clearing.
Our first turn took us backwards on the track and up towards where the whoops used to be. Instead they were replaced by a few small singles. They used a little less than 2/3 of the track but broke it into 3 sections and we only went the right way once and each time it was after a really tough woods section.
Overall the track was right at 11 miles.
I was ready for the start. I had practiced my dead engine starts all morning.
Once our flag went up and down I kicked and the bike jumped to life, I grabbed a handful of throttle and *POP* goes the weasel... the bike backfired and died :(
I kicked and kicked as everyone took off. I finally got her started but was in last place. The next rider to me was already going through the first turn. It wasn't the start I wanted but it was a start.
As soon as we got in the woods I realized something... I was not expecting the course to be so rough. WOW! Aonia is usually wide and fast. They took us through some new stuff and it was really soft, muddy in a lot of places, rutted and worst of all... a lot of roots.
I immediately tightened up and got arm pump. I was doing ok as we went through the first woods section even though there were ruts that dragged the footpegs as you waddled through!
I didn't mind the ruts too much even though they were deep and long. I did mind the roots though. I was not prepared for that. There were a lot of off-cambers too and most of them had roots all over them.
The good thing was there were multiple lines to take so I didn't hold anyone up.
I got passed a lot in the first 5 miles. However, I just kept going at a comfortable (albeit slow) pace.
About mile 6 I was going into a rut when a kid 2 classes behind me decided he wanted the same rut as I was in. We both went down in a heap. I got up quick and held the clutch in so I could pick the bike up and go. The kid got up later and passed me about a mile after the crash.
After the crash I started picking people off. Usually in the muddy, rutted sections. I was picking good lines and moving through fairly well.
It was easy to pick decent lines though b/c there was always 2 or 3 riders stuck in the bad lines :)
I kept it up on two wheels and only stalled once during the first lap. I finished the first lap slow but in 35th out of 39.
On the second lap I was feeling better and moving faster. I was taking the ruts faster and was doing much better in the tighter stuff. I was still having trouble in the roots but even there I felt more confident.
I started to catch people. Not sure what class but I was picking them off here and there. Once we got to a grass track portion I picked off another. Then we went into the woods and when we came out I saw someone ahead and caught the rider just as we were entering the woods again.
Then the bike just crumpled under me. I do not know what happened. I went down in a heap and hit my shoulder and then my head on the ditch right after that.
I got up and got the bike up but was dizzy so I shut off the bike and took it easy for a few minutes.
Finally, I got my wits about me and realized my helmet was resting on my head crooked and my goggles were crooked the other way from the helmet. I adjusted everything, started the bike up and got going.
Unfortunately, it only got worse from there. I took a bad line on a rutted drop off with an immediate and near verticla 3 foot hill. I stalled the bike when I couldn't get over a root that was there.
I kicked and kicked and felt myself getting dizzy again so I stopped and rested. I took a look at my HR monitor and it was at 194!!!
I waited till it got down in the 170's and started the bike up and dumped the clutch with a handful of throttle and basically threw the bike up the hill. I then got up, picked up the bike... re-started it and started again.
After that I got stuck a few more times and stalled a few times. By mile 7 I was on the verge of exhaustion but luckily there was a large grass track portion so I just kept going and took it easy.
Once I got back into some woods I was so tired that even the simplist obstacle looked impossible.
I crossed the final mud hole and with the help of the spectators took a good line. However, afterwards I was so tired that I stopped and took a break.
During the entire 2nd lap I knew I was getting lapped but after my final rest stop a lot of riders passed me.
Once I finally got going again I looked down and saw that I had been riding for 1:50 so I knew I just had to cross the finish and I would be done.
I can't believe 22 miles whooped my tail so bad. My HR showed an average of 177bpm for the 2 hour ride!!
I know I have the speed to ride better than I did and my conditioning isn't as bad as my results showed. I do know I need to improve my conditioning but moreso I need to ride with roots more. Those things tired me out more than anything b/c I tensed every time I saw one.
The best thing about this event is the spectators. They help you find good lines in mud holes and in some of the drop down that had an immediate up they would put wood and brush at the bottom so mud wouldn't build up from the bikes spinning tires.
The spectators helped me about 10 or 12 times that I can remember.
Overall I finished 36 out of 39 in my class and 408 out of 483.
The bike held up well and the 262 kit proved again to be a fun ride. I am so happy with that bike that I can't see getting anything else unless it is a newer 250f and bore it out to 262 too :)
I'm pretty happy with the race. I'm not so happy with my
performance but I had a lot of fun nonetheless. I will do another one but probably not until next year.
I stayed a little bit afterwards and watched the start of the pro's (those are the only rider pics that I got). They are impressive! Everyone was standing at the big mudhole expecting to see a lot of carnage like in the AM class but they went through like it wasn't even there. They were flying!!
Ivan
Well, there was music in dem dar woods!!!
For the AM class there were 483 total riders!! 39 in my class alone and 901 total entrants between the AM and PM (pro/A) races).
They delayed the start abouth 30 minutes due to them re-marking the course for the bikes. They added some mileage over what they had used the day before in the ATV race. They also re-routed some sections to make it more single-track.
After our race they even re-did it again to make it tougher for the Pro's.
The GNCC crew really does a great job of putting on an event. Everything was very well marked and very well ran.
I got there Saturday afternoon and signed up for Vet C (30+). I stood in line for 2 hours. I can only imagine how long the wait was on Sunday morning!!
After signup I went to see my Dad and stayed the night at his place. I got up at 7am and headed off after a little bit of breakfast.
I got a really good parking spot near the trail so I could easily get some gas if need be.
With 2 rows to go before my class I started my Ironman Heart Rate Monitor. I figured it would be interesting to see how my HR is for the race.
I looked around the MX track. We were starting just above it in a clearing.
Our first turn took us backwards on the track and up towards where the whoops used to be. Instead they were replaced by a few small singles. They used a little less than 2/3 of the track but broke it into 3 sections and we only went the right way once and each time it was after a really tough woods section.
Overall the track was right at 11 miles.
I was ready for the start. I had practiced my dead engine starts all morning.
Once our flag went up and down I kicked and the bike jumped to life, I grabbed a handful of throttle and *POP* goes the weasel... the bike backfired and died :(
I kicked and kicked as everyone took off. I finally got her started but was in last place. The next rider to me was already going through the first turn. It wasn't the start I wanted but it was a start.
As soon as we got in the woods I realized something... I was not expecting the course to be so rough. WOW! Aonia is usually wide and fast. They took us through some new stuff and it was really soft, muddy in a lot of places, rutted and worst of all... a lot of roots.
I immediately tightened up and got arm pump. I was doing ok as we went through the first woods section even though there were ruts that dragged the footpegs as you waddled through!
I didn't mind the ruts too much even though they were deep and long. I did mind the roots though. I was not prepared for that. There were a lot of off-cambers too and most of them had roots all over them.
The good thing was there were multiple lines to take so I didn't hold anyone up.
I got passed a lot in the first 5 miles. However, I just kept going at a comfortable (albeit slow) pace.
About mile 6 I was going into a rut when a kid 2 classes behind me decided he wanted the same rut as I was in. We both went down in a heap. I got up quick and held the clutch in so I could pick the bike up and go. The kid got up later and passed me about a mile after the crash.
After the crash I started picking people off. Usually in the muddy, rutted sections. I was picking good lines and moving through fairly well.
It was easy to pick decent lines though b/c there was always 2 or 3 riders stuck in the bad lines :)
I kept it up on two wheels and only stalled once during the first lap. I finished the first lap slow but in 35th out of 39.
On the second lap I was feeling better and moving faster. I was taking the ruts faster and was doing much better in the tighter stuff. I was still having trouble in the roots but even there I felt more confident.
I started to catch people. Not sure what class but I was picking them off here and there. Once we got to a grass track portion I picked off another. Then we went into the woods and when we came out I saw someone ahead and caught the rider just as we were entering the woods again.
Then the bike just crumpled under me. I do not know what happened. I went down in a heap and hit my shoulder and then my head on the ditch right after that.
I got up and got the bike up but was dizzy so I shut off the bike and took it easy for a few minutes.
Finally, I got my wits about me and realized my helmet was resting on my head crooked and my goggles were crooked the other way from the helmet. I adjusted everything, started the bike up and got going.
Unfortunately, it only got worse from there. I took a bad line on a rutted drop off with an immediate and near verticla 3 foot hill. I stalled the bike when I couldn't get over a root that was there.
I kicked and kicked and felt myself getting dizzy again so I stopped and rested. I took a look at my HR monitor and it was at 194!!!
I waited till it got down in the 170's and started the bike up and dumped the clutch with a handful of throttle and basically threw the bike up the hill. I then got up, picked up the bike... re-started it and started again.
After that I got stuck a few more times and stalled a few times. By mile 7 I was on the verge of exhaustion but luckily there was a large grass track portion so I just kept going and took it easy.
Once I got back into some woods I was so tired that even the simplist obstacle looked impossible.
I crossed the final mud hole and with the help of the spectators took a good line. However, afterwards I was so tired that I stopped and took a break.
During the entire 2nd lap I knew I was getting lapped but after my final rest stop a lot of riders passed me.
Once I finally got going again I looked down and saw that I had been riding for 1:50 so I knew I just had to cross the finish and I would be done.
I can't believe 22 miles whooped my tail so bad. My HR showed an average of 177bpm for the 2 hour ride!!
I know I have the speed to ride better than I did and my conditioning isn't as bad as my results showed. I do know I need to improve my conditioning but moreso I need to ride with roots more. Those things tired me out more than anything b/c I tensed every time I saw one.
The best thing about this event is the spectators. They help you find good lines in mud holes and in some of the drop down that had an immediate up they would put wood and brush at the bottom so mud wouldn't build up from the bikes spinning tires.
The spectators helped me about 10 or 12 times that I can remember.
Overall I finished 36 out of 39 in my class and 408 out of 483.
The bike held up well and the 262 kit proved again to be a fun ride. I am so happy with that bike that I can't see getting anything else unless it is a newer 250f and bore it out to 262 too :)
I'm pretty happy with the race. I'm not so happy with my
performance but I had a lot of fun nonetheless. I will do another one but probably not until next year.
I stayed a little bit afterwards and watched the start of the pro's (those are the only rider pics that I got). They are impressive! Everyone was standing at the big mudhole expecting to see a lot of carnage like in the AM class but they went through like it wasn't even there. They were flying!!
Ivan
