Rattlesnake Enduro
- Thread starter dougjc
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Doug, if all goes well I plan on riding the rattlesnake enduro. This will be my first time also. weather.com is calling for isolated thunderstorms (17729) Sunday So we will see. We haven't gotten half the rain they have been calling for in philly over the last few days so I don't know if it has been the same in cross fork. I don't know if you have been to the web site www.ber.us they have a good amount of info there.
Well maybe I'll see you there. If we go I plan on arriving Saturday night in a silver subaru forrester, with a KLX400 and a WR450.
Guy
Well maybe I'll see you there. If we go I plan on arriving Saturday night in a silver subaru forrester, with a KLX400 and a WR450.
Guy
kelseybrent
Member
- Sep 25, 2002
- 266
- 0
Did anybody make it to the Rattlesnake? It was the best race so far this year. The 3 mile grass/track woods section at the start and finish of the race was too much fun. Plus it's nice when the gas crew gets to spectate more than a couple of turns in the woods.
Anyone else ride the Rattlesnake? I'm a BER member. We put the race on. I hope everyone had a good time.
Also, I assisted in putting in the grass track. Glad you liked it. We made it a bit wider this year. Last year riders thought it was a little tight. I think it worked out well. You could go a little faster and riders didn't take out a lot of the ribbon and stakes. Last year I remember having to repair a lot of ribboning after the start so it would be back up before riders returned for the end run through the grass track.
Also, I assisted in putting in the grass track. Glad you liked it. We made it a bit wider this year. Last year riders thought it was a little tight. I think it worked out well. You could go a little faster and riders didn't take out a lot of the ribbon and stakes. Last year I remember having to repair a lot of ribboning after the start so it would be back up before riders returned for the end run through the grass track.
I made it. I missed the 50 exhibit but It was a good race I had a lot of fun. That start/finish section is great, much easier on the way back not as slippery after a few bikes tore up the grass. I did much better then I have in the past I almost cut the number of points I accrued in half. Not a competitive number but It shows improvement in my riding. I got third in my class out of uh um well I guess there were about uh-thr-hehem-ee people in my class. I would ride this one again.
Oh and I like T-shirts. I like having a souvenir from a race even if I didn't win. All you other clubs out there I was very disappointed that I couldn't buy T-shirts from your races. I bought two from the rattlesnake enduro one for me, one for my daughter. Very reasonable at $10 each.
Oh and I like T-shirts. I like having a souvenir from a race even if I didn't win. All you other clubs out there I was very disappointed that I couldn't buy T-shirts from your races. I bought two from the rattlesnake enduro one for me, one for my daughter. Very reasonable at $10 each.
- Thread starter
- #8
I made it. This was my second enduro and although it is considered an easy one, I DNF'd :-(. I was about 50 total land miles in and was getting tired because I am not smooth in the tight stuff. There was one spot where a fairly steep, but short uphill came right after a turn. There were rocks and roots at the top. I tried twice but did not make it. By the time I got my bike down to the bottom the 2nd time, I was really tired. Another C rider also had trouble, we helped each other bypass the hill, but it was exhausting. At that point I houred out and the clean up crew was coming thru. Good news is that I got 2nd place in my class, C-250 (yes, there were only 2 of us).
Overall, I thought it was a great event and a fantastic location.
Overall, I thought it was a great event and a fantastic location.
This was a post on the ECEA board. Thought you might like reading it.
Long post - Rattlesnake was his first enduro
Hi guys, I just had to share this, yet another first enduro story. My buddy Bob, in our finest tradition, coaxed a former pro MXer out to Rattlesnake last weekend.
Hey gang,
Rode my first enduro this weekend. It was fun and very exhausting. For those not familair with enduro racing. It is a timed event laid out on a special course. 4 riders per minute leave. They might have you go 18 MPH for 6.6 miles then 24 MPH for 4.5 miles, then 12 MPH for 10 miles, etc. Then they throw in these hidden check points wherever they want. You get points
added for being early or late to a check. two point for each minute early and one point for each minute late. The problem is that the terrain varies quite tramendously. It is not "first one there wins", "it is low score wins".
5 1/2 hours on the bike straight with an occasional 10 minute break if we were early. 80 plus miles. I am so sore. I WILL JUST GIVE THE HIGHLIGHTS: If you don't like to read, quit now.
Borrowed a friends WR250F. A new 4 stroke enduro bike. Took it out on wednesday to set it up and get used to it, fell after 15 minutes trying to cross a log sideways. Broke the left radiator. About $250 worth of damage.
Week is starting off bad. Borrowed a radiator to race Sunday
The enduro started out nice. 4 hour drive. Sign up, flirt with sign up girls, work on Bob's bike for a few hours. Sleep in the bike trailer, wake up stiff (sore). Ok Not really a highlight.
We were on line 30, so 29 groups of 4 guys starting a minute apart took off before us. The first section was one of those real cool european type grass tracks a few miles long. We are on the line, getting ready to start and bob tells the other two guys I am the fastest in motocross so I should go first.
I motored the section pretty fast, come out of the grass track and over this hill and they throw in this sudden 90 degree corner. I lock the brakes, slide out, I'm lying under my bike, start laughing when I watch bob and the other two rider past me laughing.
Then we do this real tight section of about 5 miles of trees and ruts. My arms pump up and I rode like a dork. Came into the first check about 7 minutes late. There was no way anyone could go 24 MPH in that stuff. The others are waiting for me since it was a reset area. They only lost about 4 minutes. (A reset area is like free time. You move the odometer upto a given set mile. We advanced something like 3.6 miles. So now we reset the odometer to 10.2 miles and we were supposed to have a 10 minute break but since I was 7 minutes late I only get 3 minutes). Only 7 actual miles riden and I am hating life.
Our next section started out on a dirt rode and we are going 18 MPH (we could have gone 50 MPH but you dont know where they will put these check points in), we are on time exactly and they take us into this tree section.
Trails between these trees that you dont think you can get through. We came out a few miles later and were on time. Yeah, no points. I am feeling good again.
About an hour later we are going down these fire rodes that have these big puddles in them. A few had areas where riders diverted to the outside instead of going through it. I was moving along and decided to wheelie through one of these instead of going around. I gas it, lift the front wheel, get about 20 yards into it and come to a sudden stop. Get off and I am up to my gonads in muddy water. the guys come by me laughing again. Took about 10 minutes to get out of. Didn't lose time because of a reset again. Got about a 30 second break.
At our first gas stop I took off my boots, socks and pants and rung
everything out. I was getting trench foot about this time. People were laughing because I am walking around in my underwear but stil have my chest protector on. I heard things like "you were that guy in the water hole, that was so funny, glad you got out" Putting the wet stuff back on really @$%@$%@$%@$%ed. Only had about 4 hours left.
About 2 hours later, things going fairly well. I am in this tight section. I try to get through these 2 trees about 24 inches apart (my handle bare are 27 inches) I hit one, bounce into the other, turn my wheel and ram my shoulder into the tree. Hurt like a mother. I am falling down, I go to put my foot out and there is no ground. I put my foot on these twigs and my foot goes through them. I fall down this 30 degree,6 foot inverted ditch with the
bike on me. I get out but cant pick up the bike. I get it to about my chest height but that is only about level with the ground. I try to get people to help and they just motor on by. Finally this dude stops and helps me. Took both of us every thing we had lift it. Came in 18 minutes late and no break.
Bob was 13 minutes late. It was a real tough section.
About an hour later a pickup truck with a portable blue light pulls bob over and yells at him stating he just passed an EMS vehicle and he "was going to shut this race down". Those @$%@$%@$%@$% renta-medics with an attitude.
As soon as we would stop for a reset I would start to cramp up. I new I was in trouble but no way was I going to quit. I just had to keep moving. My camel-back water container had been out for about 4 hours now and I was sweating like a pig. And my shoulder really hurt. I must be getting old.
There was a couple of really good sections where I lost only a few minutes each, but I was really going too fast for my liking. It's hard to keep up the pace when you are tired. Then all of the sudden you hear a bike come up on you, you pull to the side when you can and then they just motor on by.
You can't even imagine how they can go that fast. I actually picked up the pace towards the end.
A few more sections from hell, 5 plus hours(4 in wet gear), can't even hardly hold on, and then the home stretch. We got to ride the grass section backwards. No fall this time. 80 plus miles. 12 check points. I lost 57 points total. I stalled the bike 8 times.
My first enduro over. I can hardly move. I am hating life by now. We wash the bikes, load the stuff up, eat some chicken and drink a beer or two.
Time to check the results. I entered the C- Senior class (over 40 and slow) I tied with this dude with 57 points but he won due to one check actually using seconds for a tie breaker. He beat me with something like 12 seconds.
All I keept thinking is if I hadn't fallen in that ditch I would have won my class. Bob beat me too, by 7 points. Good ride for him. He goes fast
The overall winner of the whole event lost 20 points. Those red-neck Virginia boys. He rode for the American ISDE team last year in europe.
On the way home I started to cramp up real bad. Had to stop the truck numerous times in the pouring rain and get out and stretch. I was almost crying it hurt so bad. Bob was laughing again at me. We finally found this K-Mart and the pharmacy was open. I wrote a prescription for 2 pills. The pharmacist thought I was nuts. They were the best 2 pills of my life.
Not as gnarly as motocross, not as much adrenaline. but one heck of a good time. Many laughs, mostly at me. Can't wait till my next one !!!
Wish you all well.
Love you,
James "MX Doc" McGee
Long post - Rattlesnake was his first enduro
Hi guys, I just had to share this, yet another first enduro story. My buddy Bob, in our finest tradition, coaxed a former pro MXer out to Rattlesnake last weekend.
Hey gang,
Rode my first enduro this weekend. It was fun and very exhausting. For those not familair with enduro racing. It is a timed event laid out on a special course. 4 riders per minute leave. They might have you go 18 MPH for 6.6 miles then 24 MPH for 4.5 miles, then 12 MPH for 10 miles, etc. Then they throw in these hidden check points wherever they want. You get points
added for being early or late to a check. two point for each minute early and one point for each minute late. The problem is that the terrain varies quite tramendously. It is not "first one there wins", "it is low score wins".
5 1/2 hours on the bike straight with an occasional 10 minute break if we were early. 80 plus miles. I am so sore. I WILL JUST GIVE THE HIGHLIGHTS: If you don't like to read, quit now.
Borrowed a friends WR250F. A new 4 stroke enduro bike. Took it out on wednesday to set it up and get used to it, fell after 15 minutes trying to cross a log sideways. Broke the left radiator. About $250 worth of damage.
Week is starting off bad. Borrowed a radiator to race Sunday
The enduro started out nice. 4 hour drive. Sign up, flirt with sign up girls, work on Bob's bike for a few hours. Sleep in the bike trailer, wake up stiff (sore). Ok Not really a highlight.
We were on line 30, so 29 groups of 4 guys starting a minute apart took off before us. The first section was one of those real cool european type grass tracks a few miles long. We are on the line, getting ready to start and bob tells the other two guys I am the fastest in motocross so I should go first.
I motored the section pretty fast, come out of the grass track and over this hill and they throw in this sudden 90 degree corner. I lock the brakes, slide out, I'm lying under my bike, start laughing when I watch bob and the other two rider past me laughing.
Then we do this real tight section of about 5 miles of trees and ruts. My arms pump up and I rode like a dork. Came into the first check about 7 minutes late. There was no way anyone could go 24 MPH in that stuff. The others are waiting for me since it was a reset area. They only lost about 4 minutes. (A reset area is like free time. You move the odometer upto a given set mile. We advanced something like 3.6 miles. So now we reset the odometer to 10.2 miles and we were supposed to have a 10 minute break but since I was 7 minutes late I only get 3 minutes). Only 7 actual miles riden and I am hating life.
Our next section started out on a dirt rode and we are going 18 MPH (we could have gone 50 MPH but you dont know where they will put these check points in), we are on time exactly and they take us into this tree section.
Trails between these trees that you dont think you can get through. We came out a few miles later and were on time. Yeah, no points. I am feeling good again.
About an hour later we are going down these fire rodes that have these big puddles in them. A few had areas where riders diverted to the outside instead of going through it. I was moving along and decided to wheelie through one of these instead of going around. I gas it, lift the front wheel, get about 20 yards into it and come to a sudden stop. Get off and I am up to my gonads in muddy water. the guys come by me laughing again. Took about 10 minutes to get out of. Didn't lose time because of a reset again. Got about a 30 second break.
At our first gas stop I took off my boots, socks and pants and rung
everything out. I was getting trench foot about this time. People were laughing because I am walking around in my underwear but stil have my chest protector on. I heard things like "you were that guy in the water hole, that was so funny, glad you got out" Putting the wet stuff back on really @$%@$%@$%@$%ed. Only had about 4 hours left.
About 2 hours later, things going fairly well. I am in this tight section. I try to get through these 2 trees about 24 inches apart (my handle bare are 27 inches) I hit one, bounce into the other, turn my wheel and ram my shoulder into the tree. Hurt like a mother. I am falling down, I go to put my foot out and there is no ground. I put my foot on these twigs and my foot goes through them. I fall down this 30 degree,6 foot inverted ditch with the
bike on me. I get out but cant pick up the bike. I get it to about my chest height but that is only about level with the ground. I try to get people to help and they just motor on by. Finally this dude stops and helps me. Took both of us every thing we had lift it. Came in 18 minutes late and no break.
Bob was 13 minutes late. It was a real tough section.
About an hour later a pickup truck with a portable blue light pulls bob over and yells at him stating he just passed an EMS vehicle and he "was going to shut this race down". Those @$%@$%@$%@$% renta-medics with an attitude.
As soon as we would stop for a reset I would start to cramp up. I new I was in trouble but no way was I going to quit. I just had to keep moving. My camel-back water container had been out for about 4 hours now and I was sweating like a pig. And my shoulder really hurt. I must be getting old.
There was a couple of really good sections where I lost only a few minutes each, but I was really going too fast for my liking. It's hard to keep up the pace when you are tired. Then all of the sudden you hear a bike come up on you, you pull to the side when you can and then they just motor on by.
You can't even imagine how they can go that fast. I actually picked up the pace towards the end.
A few more sections from hell, 5 plus hours(4 in wet gear), can't even hardly hold on, and then the home stretch. We got to ride the grass section backwards. No fall this time. 80 plus miles. 12 check points. I lost 57 points total. I stalled the bike 8 times.
My first enduro over. I can hardly move. I am hating life by now. We wash the bikes, load the stuff up, eat some chicken and drink a beer or two.
Time to check the results. I entered the C- Senior class (over 40 and slow) I tied with this dude with 57 points but he won due to one check actually using seconds for a tie breaker. He beat me with something like 12 seconds.
All I keept thinking is if I hadn't fallen in that ditch I would have won my class. Bob beat me too, by 7 points. Good ride for him. He goes fast
The overall winner of the whole event lost 20 points. Those red-neck Virginia boys. He rode for the American ISDE team last year in europe.
On the way home I started to cramp up real bad. Had to stop the truck numerous times in the pouring rain and get out and stretch. I was almost crying it hurt so bad. Bob was laughing again at me. We finally found this K-Mart and the pharmacy was open. I wrote a prescription for 2 pills. The pharmacist thought I was nuts. They were the best 2 pills of my life.
Not as gnarly as motocross, not as much adrenaline. but one heck of a good time. Many laughs, mostly at me. Can't wait till my next one !!!
Wish you all well.
Love you,
James "MX Doc" McGee
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