the Eel
~SPONSOR~
- Sep 23, 2000
- 1,747
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Got out to Anderson Dry Lake around 7:30 AM. Signup was easy - about 6 people in front of me. Rovers last year was one of the most complained about races over on the D-37 board. I guess alot of people thought it was too hard and it was also apparently significantly longer than was published. This year word was it was alot easier. Fine with me. I checked in at So Cal MC camp and got ready to race. It was COLD and WINDY ! Definitely enduro jacket weather. I practiced the bomb once and found some wide trails to hook up on for the start. This race used a Le Mans start. Riders all stand about 5 to 10 feet behind their bikes. When the banner drops you run to your bike, hop on, kick it over, and then take off. Different.
The expert line went off and their was a problem almost immediately - someone went down in a ditch off the bomb and they had to send in the ambulance. This took almost 45 minutes. Finally we were ready to go. I got to my bike quick but fumbled with the kickstand and was already well on my way to another of my bad starts. Oh well.
The bomb was OK - a bit chaotic but pretty short. The first loop was fun but a bit too many whoops for my tastes. I was riding really poorly - couldn't find a rhythm. I tried to make a really, really stupid pass through some rocks and went down hard. Smashed up the same left knee I wracked at Checkers. I rolled around on the ground for a minute or so groaning and figured I'd limp back to camp and call it a day. But of course my leg started to feel better and a one click bump up on my fork compression gave me a new level of plushness that got me back in the mood to race ! I came through the pits, gassed up and off on loop 2.
Incredibly, not a hundred yards onto loop 2 a guy on a KTM 4-stroke passed me and kicked up a baseball-sized rock that connected squarely with my right kneecap. I literally cried out, hopped off my still running bike and rolled around the ground for a minute or so - eventually laughing (as the pain subsided) at the sheer and cruel indignity of having both knees targeted so mercilessly. Fortunately the pain subsided quickly and was back on the bike for the rest of loop 2.
The Rovers' 2nd loop is now officially the best of the year IMHO. Awesome singletrack - tight, tight, tight - and no stupid stuff. Just super kick ass flowing ongoing tech. Unbelievable. Soooooo fun!
The Dunlop trials tire (803) I put on was fantastic. No downside anywhere and the upside in sand, loose stuff and obviously rocks was huge. I also geared the bike a little taller at 13/46 and really liked it.
I finished badly but had a great time. Their finisher pin is really cool - it's in the shape of a dogbone.
Who's going to the Racers MC desert scramble this SATURDAY at Slash X ? Race starts at 10 AM. $13 all you can eat Bar-B-Q afterwards at the Slash X. It's gonna be a good one.
The expert line went off and their was a problem almost immediately - someone went down in a ditch off the bomb and they had to send in the ambulance. This took almost 45 minutes. Finally we were ready to go. I got to my bike quick but fumbled with the kickstand and was already well on my way to another of my bad starts. Oh well.
The bomb was OK - a bit chaotic but pretty short. The first loop was fun but a bit too many whoops for my tastes. I was riding really poorly - couldn't find a rhythm. I tried to make a really, really stupid pass through some rocks and went down hard. Smashed up the same left knee I wracked at Checkers. I rolled around on the ground for a minute or so groaning and figured I'd limp back to camp and call it a day. But of course my leg started to feel better and a one click bump up on my fork compression gave me a new level of plushness that got me back in the mood to race ! I came through the pits, gassed up and off on loop 2.
Incredibly, not a hundred yards onto loop 2 a guy on a KTM 4-stroke passed me and kicked up a baseball-sized rock that connected squarely with my right kneecap. I literally cried out, hopped off my still running bike and rolled around the ground for a minute or so - eventually laughing (as the pain subsided) at the sheer and cruel indignity of having both knees targeted so mercilessly. Fortunately the pain subsided quickly and was back on the bike for the rest of loop 2.
The Rovers' 2nd loop is now officially the best of the year IMHO. Awesome singletrack - tight, tight, tight - and no stupid stuff. Just super kick ass flowing ongoing tech. Unbelievable. Soooooo fun!
The Dunlop trials tire (803) I put on was fantastic. No downside anywhere and the upside in sand, loose stuff and obviously rocks was huge. I also geared the bike a little taller at 13/46 and really liked it.
I finished badly but had a great time. Their finisher pin is really cool - it's in the shape of a dogbone.
Who's going to the Racers MC desert scramble this SATURDAY at Slash X ? Race starts at 10 AM. $13 all you can eat Bar-B-Q afterwards at the Slash X. It's gonna be a good one.