Women 24 hrs @ GlenHelen

[bbbom]

CJ, you can ride my 500! LoriKTM almost tried it out at Reno. Other than the height, it is an amazingly easy bike to ride (at least the way mine is set up). It definitely does all the grunt work! :)

As for the bikes, looks like we should get one full size and one smaller sized bike. What is the BBR150, is that a 125 frame?

Team name, :think

How about Bad Ass Girls - BAGS!!!
Petite Motorcycle Sweethearts - PMS!!!
Just kidding, just kidding!!;)

Actually, we should probably have some reference to whoever donates the bikes, if we can get them donated. Otherwise we may have to pool money and get something to use.

Now FC22, I only picked him up once I think it was the line I used when I bought my riding boots!! ;)

So far, looks like:

BikeDestroyer
Firecracker
Bbbom
CJ Rider
CNM - maybe

Where's the rest of the girls?

 

[BikeDstroyer]

Something that needs to be considered.....We are allowed 2 bikes, but one bike is to be in impound at all times unless the other one breaks. So unfortunately we need to find a happy medium. The more varies our heights and weights are (along with skill level) the harder it is going to be to make one bike work good for all of us. I am not trying to count anyone out, but it needs to be looked at. Probably the hardest part of setting this up besides finding riders is finding a bike that all of us can use. This is why I am starting this up now.

 

[firecracker22]

The 150 uses 80 Expert geometry with a 125 style aluminum frame. So they’re not really small but they are shorter. I think the seat height would be about 34, 35”. They weigh about 180 ish and we could get one with a headlight no problem. They really are sweet little machines. Duane and the other guys ride them because they like little bikes—Duane says he has no use for a full size any more. I think it’s because he’s a good rider, and he likes to embarrass riders on full size bikes. Talk about bragging rights—I think he won the Nasty Wench one year on a BBR XR 200.

BikeDstroyer, I noticed in your sig line you have the MXC and the WRF—which do you prefer? I personally am not used to the “starting drill” and in the heat of the race I don’t know if I would be able to fire it up again. There are as many people who find it easy as there are who struggle with starting those things. I do like the power and everything else though.

I would offer my bike as an option. The KTMs sit a tad shorter than Japanese mxers at 36” and I’m getting a lighter spring. I have already slid the forks up for quicker turning and could be talked into shaving my seat foam (which I wouldn’t mind anyway due to the rock hard nature of the stock seat—I could soften it and round the corners). So what is everyone’s height? I am 5’7” and I know Bbbom won’t have a problem with it. What do you all think? Is the Firecracker Special a viable option as a race bike?

 

[bbbom]

Actually, until we put the smaller rims on my son's CR80E, it wasn't a bad ride so the 150 may not be cramped. The XR200 I rode was pretty cramped but it was also pretty worn out with very soft suspension. LoriKTM is 5'4" (I think) and she handled GSR's 125 great at Reno and on a track setting the height isn't as big a factor as on a technical trail. My son does great on his 80 on the track but struggles some on the trail when he needs to dab.

I would love to try out the KTM but, if this is a bike destroying race I don't think I'd feel comfortable using someone's baby!

5'10" here but I think I'm shrinking cause my kids are catching up! :eek:

 

[firecracker22]

I haven’t heard that it’s a “bike destroying race.” Is it that bad? It can’t be as bad as the places around here—I haven’t bent bars or dented pipe yet! And if we’re a team, nobody would have to worry about damaging someone else’s baby because we’re all racing together to win. Bikes were made to withstand a certain amount of abuse. Just hold back on the Deegan-style victory ghost rides. ;) Maybe this February in Reno, all the possible team members will meet with our respective bikes and we can ride them around and see what we all think.

 

[BikeDstroyer]

FC,

I don't have my 200 anymore..sold it last week. This race is actually very hard on bikes because you are running them for 24 hrs straight. I don't know that my bike would be good for others, because it can be hard to start if you are not used to it. I let this guy, who is a very good rider, ride my bike and he could not get it started for anything after he stalled it. I think it would be a great idea to get together @ Reno or somewhere and meet and try out bikes.

If Duane would let us use a BBR bike I would love to....we would have to work out the details. We have plenty of time for that. If we were to use anybody's bike this is what I would do. Tear the bike down, new top-end, complete inspection. After the race it would get another top-end and possibly bottom I don't know. If we used your bike FC I have extra pipes and stuff we could use.

We have a lot of stuff to figure out between now & then.

 

[SL99]

Wow, My hats off to you gals!

Just to be able to do this race would be a huge reward! I'd really be interested in doing something like that too but you cant count on me. I havnt been able to follow through with anything this year (due to lifes curve balls it's always throwing at me) so I'm not about to commit to anything like that even if its a year away. I have expericence in all types of riding, especially track and desert. I'll have to keep up with you on this one in case it became a possiblity.

 

[Yamaholley]

wow, that sounds like torture...errr, ummm, I mean...FUN!!!
wish I could do something like that but I can't. Not to mention I'm barely 5'2" and can only ride bikes that I can find something (a fence, stump, etc) to stand on :)
I would, however, like to know more about the Reno thing...does that happen every year?

 

[firecracker22]

Well, last year's Reno trip was the first, but I'm up for a second go-round. I figured it'd be a good way to beat the winter blahs and do some desert riding which I hadn't really done before. It was a blast--it was a week after my birthday, too. We had fun. THere were what, ~30 people there?

As for the 24 Hour, I don't think you'd have a problem . . . if I do bring a 150, they are the same height as a XR 80Expert. Go sit on one at a dealer and that is almost exactly the dimensions and ergonomics. 34" seat height, about 180-ish (with lights and so on I don't know exactly--still less than 200, I believe). So you wouldn't have a problem there, I don't think.

 

[Yamaholley]

Ok, I talked to Mark this weekend, and you can count me officially in, if you still need another rider.
He thinks it would be really cool, and is totally behind me...so, if you want a 5'2" rider on the team, I'm you man....errrr, I mean....woman!

 

[CJ Rider]

Yamaholley- You have four inches on me! :)

'Just got in from this weekend's trip to Moab and 'still a little groggy. Ya know... Reno was great fun and we should definitely do that again... but Moab is a wild experience and maybe we should think about meeting there sometime! Same fun sandy washes, but with sticky and sometimes steep rock added inbetween. We did Slickrock Trail and Hell's Revenge for the first time on dirt bikes instead of mountain bikes. Wooooow.

 

[firecracker22]

Ohhh I'm jealous . . . I definitely want to go to Moab sometime!

 

[CNM]

OK, I just cleared it with work. Vacation days are not a problem. Sooooo, count me in!

 

[firecracker22]

Sooooo . . . Team ??? is:

BikeDstroyer
Firecracker
Bbbom
CNM
Yamaholley
CJ Rider

Is that right? SL99? Do you think you can make it?


Do they let you have "alternates?" Probably not. We should probably get a couple more names of those who'd like to do it just in case a year from now, due to unforeseeable circumstances, someone may not be able to make it. I know none of us would wimp out. :eek: Gosh, now I'm committed . . . or I need to be . . .

 

[Yamaholley]

cool, looks like there are 6 of us. You're right, Firecracker, we should probably have other people that can make it also, just in case something happens and one of us can't make it.
We should also figure out our weights and heights to find the best possible bike for us all...there's probably almost a foot of difference between all of us, I guess I'm not the shortest after all ;)
And weight will also affect how the bike performs for us as well.
I'm sure there has got to be a semi-happy medium!
And for sponsering, don't you gals think that someone, or someones, would be happy to sponser a womens team?
Seems to me that there would also be some publicity, or do women's teams usually compete there?
That would be REALLY cool if we could even have enough women for more than one team.
Should we have someone organizing this? I don't even know what needs to be done, but maybe someone could figure it out. I'm happy to solicit sponsorship etc, from local bike shops etc

 

[firecracker22]

I think we should all get as many sponsorships as possible. I hate to say it because in a way it's somewhat insulting but the truth is, even if we don't win, we'll be visible because we're female. We need to find out more and see if an all-women's team has ever competed before.

I am 5'7" and 135. I ride a KTM 200 with no height problems. If we do get a BBR bike, the seat height will be 34"--if you're unsure as to whether or not that will fit you, go to a Honda dealer or talk to someone who has a CR 80 Expert. That will be the same height and almost the same layout and ergonomics. I think the taller of us will be a bit cramped but for a long, grueling race the light weight and ease of starting will be worth it.

 

[SL99]

I really dont have a clue. It all depends on how much riding I can get in this year and if circumstances will permit. It could very well be possible b/c work starts to slow down this time of year and taking vacations becomes much easier. I could possibly be on an aternative list but like I said I'll have to keep up with you all on this one.

 

[CSL]

Well, I saw CJ Rider getting crazy on my 37.2" seat height DRZ400 this past weekend so don't let her fool you... ;) She's only as short as she feels that day.

Some food for thought on the bike choice: make it light! AND consider a "quick release" on the seat or cutting all of the foam out of a second seat and swapping it out.

 

[BikeDstroyer]

Well this all sounds great. We will need at least 3 alternates. I know one year an all girls team was formed but they never raced because 3 of them got hurt before the event, hopefully we all stay healthy.

Next week I will talk to one of my contacts and go from there. We should all try and meet somewhere sometime and ride together between now and a year from now. We need to try and find someplace fairly central to everyone.

This is my e-mail address BikeDestroyer@aol.com for the people who want to do this. Please start e-mailing me so we can work on sponsorship stuff, see who has what & go from there.

Thanks for all the replys ladies, and I am looking forward to meeting everyone.

Brenda

 

[firecracker22]

What’s fairly central? There are some fellow DRNers in Reno we could all meet up with again in February, but we should either spend more than just one weekend or do a couple of trips before the race. What other areas and times of the year? You’re all more than welcome up here in the summer since summer in Reno, CA or any of those desert places is pretty brutal. Is eastern OR a possibility? Any other ideas? Northern CA?

How about sponsors? You know what would be really cool is if we could get a gear sponsor for the team and all have the same gear. (preferably one of the women’s manufacturers but any will do—I know someone at O’Neal) Maybe even if we come up with a team name and logo we could have that put on the sleeve. A tire sponsor might be nice too—we might, if we ride hard enough, go through more than one tire. We should all practice changing tires. I know a guy who made this trailer hitch mounted tire changing stand that works pretty sweet. If we could get any other sponsors to help with airfare and freight for the bikes, that would help too.

Now is the time to brainstorm so we can have plenty of time to get it together!

 

[Yamaholley]

we probably need to make a list of things we need to do, maybe we should all email BikeDestroyer since she gave us an email addy? or should we all give our email addresses so that we can communicate that way?
I will ask our bike shops about sponsoring, Mark knows the owner pretty well of both of them.
And we should try to get a gear sponsor too, that's a great idea.

 

[BikeDstroyer]

FC,

I am going to be in Oregon for a WORCS race Nov. 3 & 4. That would be a good place to meet for the people that are close to there. While we are there do the race. The layout will be similar to the layout at the 24 hr race.

 

[firecracker22]

If my knee is solid enough I'd love to race Roseburg.

 

[Yamaholley]

Since I'm already in Oregon, I'm sure I can make it

 

[DKT735]

I've thought about trying to round up 5 other riders and compete in the race until I found out how expensive it is to purchase a bare bones lighting system to use for just one race.

I'm thinking of doing the 6 hours of Glen Helen. It's run in the daytime so no lights are needed. You can be an iron butt and ride the whole thing solo.