Used all my new OR Class Skills

[The Ant]

Hi all,
We went on a ride up in the Coast Range this weekend and I put to use a bunch of the skills we learned in the Oregon Enduro Class down at Ellen's!
Did sidehill traverses where I was hanging off on the uphill side of the bike (Randy was impressed enough with my technique to comment on it!) avoiding the deep trench in the center, ...lightened up my front wheel to hop over small logs and roots, ...kept my weight more forward (mostly by standing up) while going up steep hills which kept me from wheelie-ing and flipping the bike, plus increased my control over what line to pick - yippee!
And one of the biggies was being able to wrestle my bike myself and pick it up from awkward positions with the techniques they taught - even bulldogged it a couple of times when I'd gotten into a spot I just couldn't manage to ride out of.
We went over trails and spots I recognized where on former rides I'd been crashed and upside down and would have needed help getting out of. The absolute highlight of my day was clearing the top of a rocky rooty steep gnarly uphill ... in time to see Dave parking his bike assumimg he'd need to come back and rescue me!
Thanks again Nicole and Kerri - thought you'd like some feedback - you were great teachers.
Susan
BBR200

 

[DK]

She's now faster than Randy... :D

 

[GETMETOCA]

Way to go Susan!!! A lot of us from school are meeting up at the Training Wheels Enduro in Forrest Hill June 2nd!! We'll do our best to make Kerrie and Nicole proud!!

 

[Pegasus]

Thats great Susan !
Been using some school tools here too..side hills and tight woods definitely getting better....sure makes ridin more fun... if thats possible :)

 

[The Ant]

Pegasus,
It really does make riding more fun, we went farther and I was less tired, AND I have only one small bruise instead of looking like I was a mugging victim....
Good luck at Forest Hills this weekend you guys!
-Susan

 

[Girlrider]

Ant,
Thanks for sharing with us. All of you have given us such great feedback that it makes us want to do it again. I am glad all of you are actually thinking about it. Tammi sent me an E-mail telling me she rode this weekend and used all of her skills. Said she even caught the guys doing tight circles in the parking lot before they headed off to hit the trails. And I am glad that you can tell the skills we taught are working. Keep it up and let us know of all your great accomplishments.

Nicole

 

[racergirl76]

Saturday I had ample opportunity to use the skills learned up at Oregon. in a 112 mile 'Don Ivan dual sport' ride we rode thru dirt, sand, rocks, snow, trees, blackberry bushes, pine needles, fireroads, a wee bit of pavement, single track and double track, creeks, mud, gravel, logs, sidehills, forest, Slippery rock (40x15 ft rock on the other side of a creek, waterfall at one end, with algea, 1/4" of water and traction equivalency of ice) etc. A great ride, although long. by mid-day Nicole's words of 'conserving energy' were foremost in my mind. I really rode well most of the day with a few difficulties in the AM that I attribute to high tire pressure (lack of traction) and mild food poisening from the night before(bad mussels). Although the guy who rode behind me commented on how smooth I looked (stand up riding the whole way)

In the afternoon my stomach felt better and rode faster with less falls to everyone's surprise, although choosing to get off and walk the bike thru a couple of small sections (like Slippery rock or where the guys had major trouble) which I could probably ride when fresh, but it would save me energy to walk it and not risk falling. Although one log still got the best of me. I was so pissed off at the log that the person behind me was trying to console me until I announced that I'm suppose to know how to do this right, and that's why I was upset. more practice!!

Also, I ordered new sprockets to change my gearing, seems I'm geared really tall which is why 2nd gear doesn't always pull like it should. I think I was the only 2 stroke on the ride, and definately the only girl. ;)

Last Wednesday I rode Stoneyford in perfect conditions (2 days after rainfall) and stood up the entire day!

Thanks Nicole and Karrie!

 

[Girlrider]

Kyra,

Sounds like a long but good ride. Now imagine going another 70 or so miles that day and then getting up for the next 5 days straight and doing it again. Then you will have experienced the ISDE. ;)

 

[racergirl76]

That's what kept going thru my mind. That you did that 5 days in a row. My hands are just now getting back to normal (and I constantly checked to make sure I wasn't gripping too tight) I felt it in my thighs, but in a healthy way.