oh, bummer working that day and I will be out of town for the actual ride.
sorry to miss these.

-ingo

+ A few of us are pre-riding the route Wed. 5/16. If you'd like to join in, t=
+ hen text or e-mail me so we can meet up. (916)474-9721. So far the plan is =
+ to leave Foresthill Starbucks at 10am. -Michele
+
+ --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Michele & Duc" <michele.blackwell@...> wrote=
+ :
+ >
+ >=20
+ > This month's ride is "Michele's Malakoff Re-Run". We meet at Foresthill
+ > Starbucks (13345 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA=E2=80=8E) at 8:45 for a 9:00
+ > departure. Duc is leading and Michele is sweeping.
+ >=20
+ >=20
+ > Same route from the June 2009 and 2010 rides.=20
+
+
+
+ ------------------------------------
+
+ This exciting activity of dual sporting is not without risk.  Please rememb=
+ er to ride your own ride, and if you feel you are in over your head, STOP, =
+ and turn around.  Don't forget to check the calendar for upcoming events. M=
+ ake sure you update your Yahoo profile to show your first name, or nick nam=
+ e.  This way it is easier to see who you are.  See you on the trails....
+
+ Yahoo! Groups Links
+
+
+

Geez Matthew. You were on this ride in 2010, remember we were grossing people
out talking about EMT and nursing stuff like using a cath so we wouldn't have to
get off the bikes?

--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "matthew" <focallength@...> wrote:
>
> Maybe, if I dont work, street or dirt ride?
>
> --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Michele & Duc" <michele.blackwell@> wrote:
> >
> > A few of us are pre-riding the route Wed. 5/16. If you'd like to join in,
then text or e-mail me so we can meet up. (916)474-9721. So far the plan is to
leave Foresthill Starbucks at 10am. -Michele
> >
> > --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Michele & Duc" <michele.blackwell@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > This month's ride is "Michele's Malakoff Re-Run". We meet at Foresthill
> > > Starbucks (13345 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA‎) at 8:45 for a 9:00
> > > departure. Duc is leading and Michele is sweeping.
> > >
> > >
> > > Same route from the June 2009 and 2010 rides.
> >
>

I posted a few videos from our ride to the Bret Harte on May 5th.

www.itsyourride.com and click on VIDEOS


Eric

so, this year graydon and I decided that we were going to start doing some
races. mostly for fun and practice. I got an old xr350 from a buddy. it's
unmolested and even has the stock pipe/exhaust on it. I spent a few times at
prairy city to get the suspension all ironed out for my weight and riding style.
it's not perfect, but works well enough. graydon didn't get his bike (kdx200)
ready in time for this race.

a couple of weekends ago, the fool's gold enduro was held at goergetown. there
are several enduros in a series, and I think this one is the third this season
(also turns out the hardest/most technical). I started with this one, because it
was close and I got the bike ready and the weekend free. this enduro only had
on-site registration starting the day before, so I drove up saturday, got
registered, pickup my roll chart and did the sound check.

I was a little worried about failing the sound check, because one of the rangers
at prairie city was hassling me about my muffler and lack of baffle, but it
turned out to be a non-issue. the bike tests at 94dBa without the baffle (needs
to be less than 96dBa, and each 3dB is double the sound energy), and has an
approved spark arestor.

my starting row was 69 and the key time was 8:00, which means I start 69 minutes
after the first row, or at 9:09. the next day, I had to get there before 7:30,
since that is when they collect all the gas cans to take to the gas stop. the
rule is that there has to be a gas stop within every 50miles. we actually had
two gas stops and the race was 72'ish miles. it was really the same gas stop, we
just looped through it twice coming in from two different directions. after I
dropped off the gas cans (and lunch), I got ready and waited for my row to
start.

there were 3 more people on my row, Heidi, Ryan and John. you usually get to
know your row mates, since in theory you will be clustered with them on the
whole race. Heidi passed me early on, and I never saw her again... obviously a
seasoned rider... Ryan/John were riding together and we ended up leap frogging
each other on several of the sections/stops.

the race started good and I was ahead of my time at the 2.9 mile odometer check.
Enduro rules say that you can have a check point outside  +/- 3miles form a
known check. a known check is a waypoint on the route sheet where the time and
odometer is recorded. so technically, the first check point can be at 3.0 miles,
since it's 3 miles from the start, but it wasn't.  since the first section went
fast, several people were waiting at the 2.9 miles marker. this happens a lot
all over the course. when you're ahead and you think there could be a check,
riders will wait and rest until they are back on time.

for the race, you basically follow the trail markers, check your time/odometer
against the roll chart to make sure you're close to the time you're supposed to
be and stop for the checkpoints and make sure they write down the time on your
score sheet (a card placed on your fender), also, there are a couple of places
where you adjust your odometer (reset). well, I spaced the second check point
and didn't stop... so I technically missed the second check point and was
disqualified. I didn't know this and kept on riding (ignorance is bliss).

the trail was a mix of fast single track, really tight wooded single track, a
couple of sandy places, a couple of mud holes, some fire road and what seems
like endless rocky hill climbing and drops, and whoops, and rocky single track.
the most interesting trail was the flume trail, which follows an old water flume
with cliffs and gnarly rocks in it. the hardest technical spot for me was going
down slate mountain. basically, going down a couple of really steep sections
with large steps and large rock outcropping and manzanita bushes to get caught
up in. I think this section, plus some other are "secret" trails that they only
open up for events. a few years ago, a bike went out of control slid down the
slate hillside, causing showers of sparks that set the gas in the bike and the
dry brush on fire, I think the rider was OK. I'm glad that this year no one
(including me) caught on fire. I guess there were some serious injuries, but I
didn't see any.

the scheduled time for 72 miles of this was a little over 5 hrs, including gas
rests and a couple of resets. it took me 6hrs and 20 min to complete the course.
I didn't have any crashes, although I dropped my bike a couple of times when I
stalled it and I had to get off a few times to lift it out of a rut or over a
rock. I also stopped to help a guy with a broken chain. assistance from riders
is allowed, but no outside help. I basically took it easy and felt like I could
have ridden a little faster and taken shorter breaks.

another rule in enduro is that you can't be more than 60minutes late. I made all
of the checks, except the last one and the finish line under the 60mins (even
though I was already out of the race after checkpoint #2 anyway, so that didn't
really matter).

my three goals for this enduro were: 1. don't get hurt 2. stay on the course and
3. finish/have fun. I achieved all three, even though I didn't score. all in
all, it was some really hard/technical trail riding in places, but I had a blast
and met some really nice cool riders. towards the end there were several tired
riders and bikes on the side of the trail. when I got home, I took some
ibuprofin and cold  bath and slept well.

I missed last weekend's enduro at Gold Note, but if all goes well, I will try to
ride this sunday at hungry valley near gorman.

Ok, thats a good ride, unfortunately I have to work today sorry.
--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Michele & Duc" <michele.blackwell@...> wrote:
>
> Geez Matthew. You were on this ride in 2010, remember we were grossing people
out talking about EMT and nursing stuff like using a cath so we wouldn't have to
get off the bikes?
>
> --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "matthew" <focallength@> wrote:
> >
> > Maybe, if I dont work, street or dirt ride?
> >
> > --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Michele & Duc" <michele.blackwell@> wrote:
> > >
> > > A few of us are pre-riding the route Wed. 5/16. If you'd like to join in,
then text or e-mail me so we can meet up. (916)474-9721. So far the plan is to
leave Foresthill Starbucks at 10am. -Michele
> > >
> > > --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Michele & Duc" <michele.blackwell@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > This month's ride is "Michele's Malakoff Re-Run". We meet at Foresthill
> > > > Starbucks (13345 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA‎) at 8:45 for a 9:00
> > > > departure. Duc is leading and Michele is sweeping.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Same route from the June 2009 and 2010 rides.
> > >
> >
>

Kudos to Zac Dollarhide for pre-riding today. Gotta give that kid a hand
for carrying a gallon of gas in his backpack all the way to Malakoff!
Here's the pre-ride report:

* Placer Hills road from Auburn to Colfax has a 30mi/hr speed limit most
of the way. It's very scenic, but if you want to start closer to dirt,
then meet at Colfax Chevron 9:45 for 10:00 departure. 400 S Canyon Way,
Colfax 95713

* This ride is long and leisurely. If you want to go faster and know the
route, you're welcome to ride ahead, but we will only account for people
between the leader and sweep. In previous years, there were lost and
injured people and it wasn't because of my brownies!

* Chalk bluff starts out well graded and freshly gravelled, likely from
a recent forest fire. Midway, there are a few mud slicks remaining, one
of which Zac probably wishes he had not tried to ride through today. In
past years, these are fun spots for the skilled riders to play in and
entertain the rest of us. One of the slicks is the only time I've ever
seen Wheelie John drop his bike. After the slicks, there are sections
with sizable ruts.

* We put in a 7hr day for 143 mi round trip. Expect the ride day to be
longer to account for the usual setbacks.
* Time from Auburn to Colfax Chevron 35min with a few road work stops.
(~15mi)
* Time from Colfax Chevron to end of Chalk Bluff is 1hr 20 min with a
short puddle wallow. (~24 mi)
* Time from End of Chalk Bluff to Malakoff is 1hr 15min. (~17 mi)
* After lunch at Malakoff, everyone can pair up to either find their
favorite routes home or some folks head up to Graniteville to play on
the trails.
* I will collect donations for the park fee. I don't expect them to
charge us per vehicle the way they do cars. GCDSR does not charge for
rides, we're all volunteers. I'm happy to make the donation for our
visit since I chose the location, but anything you care to contribute is
appreciated.

Hope to see many of you on 5/27. Sorry we'll miss a few people for the
long weekend. The 27th is the only day I had open to do this.

--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Michele & Duc" <michele.blackwell@...>
wrote:
> This month's ride is "Michele's Malakoff Re-Run". We meet at
Foresthill
> Starbucks (13345 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA) at 8:45 for a 9:00
> departure. Duc is leading and Michele is sweeping.
>
> Same route from the June 2009 and 2010 rides. Here are some Google
Maps
> links to sections of the ride. Google doesn't show Chalk Bluff going
all
> the way through from Red Dog to Hwy 20, so I've broken the route into
3
> smaller pieces.  Duc posted a file "GCDSR June 2010 ride.gpx" in the
> left menu Files/GPS Files.  This ride is "Bring Your Own Everything",
> water, snacks, lunch. Our lunch stop is at Malakoff Diggins State
Park.
>
> The last gas stop before hitting dirt is Colfax Chevron, from there
it's
> about 90 miles back to Nevada City. We'll be taking a scenic route
from
> Auburn to Colfax to avoid the freeway. Colfax Chevron: 400 S Canyon
Way,
> Colfax 95713.

See original post for Google maps links to sections of the route.

Thanks for posting. Did you rejet the carbs? or do you know the current jetting?
Is this a single carb 1985 or dual carb 83, 84.
Which roll chart did you get?
Michel
83XR350

--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "cynicwanderer" <cyliax@...> wrote:
>
> so, this year graydon and I decided that we were going to start doing some
races. mostly for fun and practice. I got an old xr350 from a buddy. it's
unmolested and even has the stock pipe/exhaust on it. I spent a few times at
prairy city to get the suspension all ironed out for my weight and riding style.
it's not perfect, but works well enough. graydon didn't get his bike (kdx200)
ready in time for this race.
>
> a couple of weekends ago, the fool's gold enduro was held at goergetown. there
are several enduros in a series, and I think this one is the third this season
(also turns out the hardest/most technical). I started with this one, because it
was close and I got the bike ready and the weekend free. this enduro only had
on-site registration starting the day before, so I drove up saturday, got
registered, pickup my roll chart and did the sound check.
>
> I was a little worried about failing the sound check, because one of the
rangers at prairie city was hassling me about my muffler and lack of baffle, but
it turned out to be a non-issue. the bike tests at 94dBa without the baffle
(needs to be less than 96dBa, and each 3dB is double the sound energy), and has
an approved spark arestor.
>
> my starting row was 69 and the key time was 8:00, which means I start 69
minutes after the first row, or at 9:09. the next day, I had to get there before
7:30, since that is when they collect all the gas cans to take to the gas stop.
the rule is that there has to be a gas stop within every 50miles. we actually
had two gas stops and the race was 72'ish miles. it was really the same gas
stop, we just looped through it twice coming in from two different directions.
after I dropped off the gas cans (and lunch), I got ready and waited for my row
to start.
>
> there were 3 more people on my row, Heidi, Ryan and John. you usually get to
know your row mates, since in theory you will be clustered with them on the
whole race. Heidi passed me early on, and I never saw her again... obviously a
seasoned rider... Ryan/John were riding together and we ended up leap frogging
each other on several of the sections/stops.
>
> the race started good and I was ahead of my time at the 2.9 mile odometer
check. Enduro rules say that you can have a check point outside  +/- 3miles form
a known check. a known check is a waypoint on the route sheet where the time and
odometer is recorded. so technically, the first check point can be at 3.0 miles,
since it's 3 miles from the start, but it wasn't.  since the first section went
fast, several people were waiting at the 2.9 miles marker. this happens a lot
all over the course. when you're ahead and you think there could be a check,
riders will wait and rest until they are back on time.
>
> for the race, you basically follow the trail markers, check your time/odometer
against the roll chart to make sure you're close to the time you're supposed to
be and stop for the checkpoints and make sure they write down the time on your
score sheet (a card placed on your fender), also, there are a couple of places
where you adjust your odometer (reset). well, I spaced the second check point
and didn't stop... so I technically missed the second check point and was
disqualified. I didn't know this and kept on riding (ignorance is bliss).
>
> the trail was a mix of fast single track, really tight wooded single track, a
couple of sandy places, a couple of mud holes, some fire road and what seems
like endless rocky hill climbing and drops, and whoops, and rocky single track.
the most interesting trail was the flume trail, which follows an old water flume
with cliffs and gnarly rocks in it. the hardest technical spot for me was going
down slate mountain. basically, going down a couple of really steep sections
with large steps and large rock outcropping and manzanita bushes to get caught
up in. I think this section, plus some other are "secret" trails that they only
open up for events. a few years ago, a bike went out of control slid down the
slate hillside, causing showers of sparks that set the gas in the bike and the
dry brush on fire, I think the rider was OK. I'm glad that this year no one
(including me) caught on fire. I guess there were some serious injuries, but I
didn't see any.
>
> the scheduled time for 72 miles of this was a little over 5 hrs, including gas
rests and a couple of resets. it took me 6hrs and 20 min to complete the course.
I didn't have any crashes, although I dropped my bike a couple of times when I
stalled it and I had to get off a few times to lift it out of a rut or over a
rock. I also stopped to help a guy with a broken chain. assistance from riders
is allowed, but no outside help. I basically took it easy and felt like I could
have ridden a little faster and taken shorter breaks.
>
> another rule in enduro is that you can't be more than 60minutes late. I made
all of the checks, except the last one and the finish line under the 60mins
(even though I was already out of the race after checkpoint #2 anyway, so that
didn't really matter).
>
> my three goals for this enduro were: 1. don't get hurt 2. stay on the course
and 3. finish/have fun. I achieved all three, even though I didn't score. all in
all, it was some really hard/technical trail riding in places, but I had a blast
and met some really nice cool riders. towards the end there were several tired
riders and bikes on the side of the trail. when I got home, I took some
ibuprofin and cold  bath and slept well.
>
> I missed last weekend's enduro at Gold Note, but if all goes well, I will try
to ride this sunday at hungry valley near gorman.
>

+ Thanks for posting. Did you rejet the carbs? or do you know the current jetti
ng? Is this a single carb 1985 or dual carb 83, 84.
+ Which roll chart did you get?
+ Michel
+ 83XR350

not sure about the jetting. it was a little rich off idle in georgetown
when the bike was hot. also, it's way rich when the baffle is in. I
believe a previous owner must have jetted it richer, but I haven't pulled
the bowls to check out the jet sizes.

this is a '84 dual carb. the motor is not as hot as the '85 single
carb, but it had more power then I needed for most segments. even on
the fireroad segments there were only a couple of places where I was
able to open it up all the way in sixth. it's easy to go too fast for
the suspension on this bike. I have some xr400 front forks sitting in
the kitchen waiting for me to install this summer, I'm not sure what I
want to do with the rear shock, if anything.

I got the MSR roll chart holder:

http://www.mooseracing.com/catalog.jsp?level1=1756&level2=1782&level3=1786&produ\
ct_group_id=7184&startPage=1

it worked OK and easy to read, but it hard to load, since you can't slide
out the mechanism and have to do it on the handle bar and you need some
tape to start it. but, the price is good. it's not water proof, either.

it's not a competitive bike for today's standards, but for a vintage bike
it does surprisingly well and you can't beat the fun/$ on these bikes.

if you're going to use the roll chart you need an odometer that has tenth
mile readout and that is adjustable (up/down), because of the resets.
also a chronometer/stopwatch, with second readout and that is easy to
read, so you know when to leave the rests and whether you're too early. I
ended up with a honda digital odometer that was an option on the '85
XR350 and some XR600Rs. it works pretty well.

most of the serious riders use a ICO Checkmate enduro computer.

http://www.icoracing.com/cm1.htm

you enter all the known controls, resets and averages, and it gives you
instant indication of whether you're early/late and computes all the
possible check point locations. it's overkill for beginning riders and
takes the thinking out of it. some of the oldtimers think it's cheating,
lol

a decent/economical digital odometer/stopwatch is the Trail Tech Vector.

http://trailtech.net/vector.html

it's basic, but does the job and easy to read. it's not very rugged without
the guard.

BTW, GPS are usually not allowed and you will get disqualified if you carry
one.

later, -ingo

Last week someone decided that I needed to replace my handlebar and my left turn
signal. So they knock my bike over for me and broke 5 other cars tail lights
just for the fun of it. Replacing the turn signal is a no brainier but the
handlebars I need a little advise on. The stock bar are ok but they are $100
bucks so they  are out of the running the msr carbon steel are only $25.95 or
should i step up and get the msr dominator for $45.99 and do they really reduces
vibration or go with some pro taper or renthals. Let me no what you like and why
thanks Ken D

ok, last weekend I went down to gorman to race in the hunry valley qualifier.
it's a two day race, but you can also ride either saturday or sunday, I opted
for sunday only.

a qualifier is slightly different than a straight "enduro". it's like a ISDE
race. you have two basic section types. one is a transfer section, which is run
and scored like an enduro. I.e. you have to arrive at a specific time and points
are taken away if you are early or late. the other section is called a "special"
and it tests some aspect, typically in the form of who gets there first. you
check in, and you leave on 15sec intervals where the time is recorded. at the
checkout, they record you're arrival time. in this section it does not matter
what your row time is, it's first come first serve and fastest gets most points.

the transfer sections are designed to get you between specials on trails/roads
that are possibly open to traffic and might have speed limits. sometimes, they
run really tough technical sessions to wear you out before the next special.

keeping in mind, that this race is put on by SoCal desert racers to give the
opportunity to do some enduro style events. desert racers only know one speed
"go fast", so all of the transfer section basically were run as fast as possible
and then everyone would wait before the next check point, assembly your row and
then go in on the correct time. in a normal enduro, this would get you
disqualified. in this event everyone who was not late, got a perfect score for
the transfer sections and the race was won by how fast you can ride the
specials.

for people that run the 2-day event, at the end of the first day, the bikes have
to go into a special impound section where you can only work on your bike with
your own tools/parts, and then the bikes are locked up until the next day. on
the next day, the bikes are rolled to the start and you have to do a cold start,
and the first test is to see if you can make it to the first check point a few
feet away in 1min. if you can't, then you are disqualified.

the rest is typical, you have to get a sound/arrestor check. the 2-day people
also get parts of the bike marked, like the cylinder, that you cannot replace
for the whole race. dropped off my fuel on the fuel truck for later in the day.

while riding to the sound check, I discovered that I had a rear flat. turns out
the valve had dirt in it and when I last checked the pressure the night before,
the valve got stuck open. replaced the valve core with the one from my spare
tire, and pumped up the rear using my little hand pump.

the race had two loops. the first loop was open to everyone and the second loop
was closed to C class women and 60+ and 70+ riders and quads.

we took off and most of the trail was wide and had some sandy sections, which
were interesting. no problems riding this loop, about 34miles, wasn't super
fast, but didn't crash either. I refueled in the pit area, had a snack, refilled
my camelback and had plenty of time to leave on time for the second loop.

it started with a special section through sand. riding in sand isn't so bad once
you get going and have some room to wiggle around. just let the big go and steer
by transferring your weight, don't use the front brake, etc... well that's fine,
and then you add whoops, now you have to make sure you land straight, since the
sand doesn't have enough traction to correct, fine got the hang of that... now
we add tight turns... which are tricky, you can't use the front brake to slow
down, and if you go too slow, your front digs in. only way to handle these, is
to power through them... once you get the hang of that, soem guy on a big desert
bike comes flying past you with at least +20mph on you. holly crap, I must be
going slow... then we try some sandy single track, with whoops, and tight turns.
now you don't have wiggle room to build up speed... anyway, it was several miles
of that until the end of the special...

a small transfer, going down a switchback trail with quad coming up the opposite
way. remember these trails are shared during transfers. we kissed tires, but
nothing serious. on to the next part. this starts off with some sandy hill
climbs, one awesome sandy hill climn, sandy drops, and a canyon, with a split on
the trail at the bottom that goes down this creek bed in the canyon. at first
it's hard pan with really tight turns, and vegetation (I'm glad I cut my
handlebars), turning into sand and then rocks/boulders in sand, for miles.
riders were stopped all over trying to catch their breath or cool their
overheated bikes. from what I gather, this was pretty tough technical stuff for
the desert racers. once we got past that, we took a blacktop road to a single
track in the los padres forest. there was a 25mph speed limit and two CHPs
clocking riders. a violation would be a ticket and disqualification.

the single track looked to be really cool going up the side of the mountain,
with drop off to the left and cliff side to the right. with a couple of tight
turns. once we get on top, there as a group waiting. ah, another check point.
however, it turns out that a rider got injured ahead of us and the close the
trail until they could get the rider out. we heard the helicopter land, but
after 2hrs, some of us decided to head back (the race would have been over by
then), since we had a long drive home. I went along, since I didn't have a clue
where I was and we were probably about 15+ miles out from the stagin/start
areas.

I should have stayed, because by the time I waited for the gas truck to come
back, the rest of the riders were also done, so I didn't really save any time,
but then who knew.

from what I can piece together the rider went down and probably broke her neck.
no idea whether she made it or not. kind of a downer. but it was that kind of
terrain, where if you rode too fast and crashed, you would be very messed up.
besides this injury, there was a head on between one of the racers and I think
event people/sweeper after the trail opened again. one probably got a concussion
(couldn't remember anything) and the other maybe a broken wrist. besides that, a
lot of riders who dropped out because of dehydration and heat exhaustion.

I felt a little bummed that I didn't wait for the trail to open, which must have
been a short while after I left, but then who knew. anyway, I finished 10th out
of 14 in my class, and 109th out of 190 overall for the day. I guess not bad for
my second enduro. well, that, and the fact that I didn't hurt myself. also, I
read some articles on enduro training and physiological aspects, and now I don't
feel so bad for being totally exhausted. basically, for the riders they tested,
they found that they go for typically 6hrs at 75% heart rate and 6-8mins at 90%
about six times during a typical enduro.

lesson(s) learned on sunday... 1. need to practice riding sand and whoops
spending less energy.

-ingo

Ingo....keep it coming!
Great job out there!
It is truly a vicarious experience to read your posts. I admire as well as envy
your foray into racing!

GoodOnYa!!!!!!

--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "cynicwanderer" <cyliax@...> wrote:
>
> ok, last weekend I went down to gorman to race in the hunry valley qualifier.
it's a two day race, but you can also ride either saturday or sunday, I opted
for sunday only.
>
> a qualifier is slightly different than a straight "enduro". it's like a ISDE
race. you have two basic section types. one is a transfer section, which is run
and scored like an enduro. I.e. you have to arrive at a specific time and points
are taken away if you are early or late. the other section is called a "special"
and it tests some aspect, typically in the form of who gets there first. you
check in, and you leave on 15sec intervals where the time is recorded. at the
checkout, they record you're arrival time. in this section it does not matter
what your row time is, it's first come first serve and fastest gets most points.
>
> the transfer sections are designed to get you between specials on trails/roads
that are possibly open to traffic and might have speed limits. sometimes, they
run really tough technical sessions to wear you out before the next special.
>
> keeping in mind, that this race is put on by SoCal desert racers to give the
opportunity to do some enduro style events. desert racers only know one speed
"go fast", so all of the transfer section basically were run as fast as possible
and then everyone would wait before the next check point, assembly your row and
then go in on the correct time. in a normal enduro, this would get you
disqualified. in this event everyone who was not late, got a perfect score for
the transfer sections and the race was won by how fast you can ride the
specials.
>
> for people that run the 2-day event, at the end of the first day, the bikes
have to go into a special impound section where you can only work on your bike
with your own tools/parts, and then the bikes are locked up until the next day.
on the next day, the bikes are rolled to the start and you have to do a cold
start, and the first test is to see if you can make it to the first check point
a few feet away in 1min. if you can't, then you are disqualified.
>
> the rest is typical, you have to get a sound/arrestor check. the 2-day people
also get parts of the bike marked, like the cylinder, that you cannot replace
for the whole race. dropped off my fuel on the fuel truck for later in the day.
>
> while riding to the sound check, I discovered that I had a rear flat. turns
out the valve had dirt in it and when I last checked the pressure the night
before, the valve got stuck open. replaced the valve core with the one from my
spare tire, and pumped up the rear using my little hand pump.
>
> the race had two loops. the first loop was open to everyone and the second
loop was closed to C class women and 60+ and 70+ riders and quads.
>
> we took off and most of the trail was wide and had some sandy sections, which
were interesting. no problems riding this loop, about 34miles, wasn't super
fast, but didn't crash either. I refueled in the pit area, had a snack, refilled
my camelback and had plenty of time to leave on time for the second loop.
>
> it started with a special section through sand. riding in sand isn't so bad
once you get going and have some room to wiggle around. just let the big go and
steer by transferring your weight, don't use the front brake, etc... well that's
fine, and then you add whoops, now you have to make sure you land straight,
since the sand doesn't have enough traction to correct, fine got the hang of
that... now we add tight turns... which are tricky, you can't use the front
brake to slow down, and if you go too slow, your front digs in. only way to
handle these, is to power through them... once you get the hang of that, soem
guy on a big desert bike comes flying past you with at least +20mph on you.
holly crap, I must be going slow... then we try some sandy single track, with
whoops, and tight turns. now you don't have wiggle room to build up speed...
anyway, it was several miles of that until the end of the special...
>
> a small transfer, going down a switchback trail with quad coming up the
opposite way. remember these trails are shared during transfers. we kissed
tires, but nothing serious. on to the next part. this starts off with some sandy
hill climbs, one awesome sandy hill climn, sandy drops, and a canyon, with a
split on the trail at the bottom that goes down this creek bed in the canyon. at
first it's hard pan with really tight turns, and vegetation (I'm glad I cut my
handlebars), turning into sand and then rocks/boulders in sand, for miles.
riders were stopped all over trying to catch their breath or cool their
overheated bikes. from what I gather, this was pretty tough technical stuff for
the desert racers. once we got past that, we took a blacktop road to a single
track in the los padres forest. there was a 25mph speed limit and two CHPs
clocking riders. a violation would be a ticket and disqualification.
>
> the single track looked to be really cool going up the side of the mountain,
with drop off to the left and cliff side to the right. with a couple of tight
turns. once we get on top, there as a group waiting. ah, another check point.
however, it turns out that a rider got injured ahead of us and the close the
trail until they could get the rider out. we heard the helicopter land, but
after 2hrs, some of us decided to head back (the race would have been over by
then), since we had a long drive home. I went along, since I didn't have a clue
where I was and we were probably about 15+ miles out from the stagin/start
areas.
>
> I should have stayed, because by the time I waited for the gas truck to come
back, the rest of the riders were also done, so I didn't really save any time,
but then who knew.
>
> from what I can piece together the rider went down and probably broke her
neck. no idea whether she made it or not. kind of a downer. but it was that kind
of terrain, where if you rode too fast and crashed, you would be very messed up.
besides this injury, there was a head on between one of the racers and I think
event people/sweeper after the trail opened again. one probably got a concussion
(couldn't remember anything) and the other maybe a broken wrist. besides that, a
lot of riders who dropped out because of dehydration and heat exhaustion.
>
> I felt a little bummed that I didn't wait for the trail to open, which must
have been a short while after I left, but then who knew. anyway, I finished 10th
out of 14 in my class, and 109th out of 190 overall for the day. I guess not bad
for my second enduro. well, that, and the fact that I didn't hurt myself. also,
I read some articles on enduro training and physiological aspects, and now I
don't feel so bad for being totally exhausted. basically, for the riders they
tested, they found that they go for typically 6hrs at 75% heart rate and 6-8mins
at 90% about six times during a typical enduro.
>
> lesson(s) learned on sunday... 1. need to practice riding sand and whoops
spending less energy.
>
> -ingo
>

I had a strap break and I didn't have a secondary strap (after that I now do) to
keep the beast from pitching backwards and out of the rail. I still don't know
how it went upside down and changed directions! The only part touching the
pavemnent was the left grip. It was a VersaHauler (I like the Versa Hauler
because I can still pull a trailer with it on)....I have another story about
losing a flatbed with  a pile of river gear (about 2K lbs)on Hwy 299 along the
Trinity River and I sacrificed the KLR (still on the carrier) to stop the
trailer (going solo at 60mph in the opposite lane) with a 15 passenger van
(loaded) from launching into the Trinity River! It bent the hauler and I broke a
turn signal! My '06 KLR has taken huge punishment over it's 30+k miles and keeps
on ticking!(it will always be a heavy, ugly, anachronism of a Dual Sport
bike!)....that makes me wonder if motorcycle owners start to resemble their
respective rides like dog owners?...(because, I just described myself!)

I have 2 Versa Haulers (both modified) and one lightweight aluminum unit.

--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "chriskep1" <chriskep1@...> wrote:
>
> I use a hitch carrier, too. May I ask how it fell off? I worry about that a
> lot. Nice to know it didn't do much damage.
>
>
>
> From: GCDSR@yahoogroups.com [mailto:GCDSR@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
> BigPoppaJah
> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2012 8:57 PM
> To: GCDSR@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [GCDSR) Re: New Handelbars for my klr
>
>
>
>
>
> Hey Ken,
>
> I switched to Renthal "Vintage Desert" bars after I dropped my bike off the
> hitch carrier on Mosquito ridge and dragged it upside-down for a hundred
> feet and only bent the stock bars. The vintage desert bend is dead-on to the
> stock KLR bend and a bit wider. The vibration reduction is amazing....(I'm
> on my second set...yes, they bend too!).  Graydon went to an ATV bend for
> his KLR and he loves 'em (very comfortable to stand up with); but, since I
> usually stay planted ....old school....I like the desert bend.  Bottom line
> is that I like the Renthals.
>
> Steve
> --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Ken D" <dolrhyde@> wrote:
> >
> > Last week someone decided that I needed to replace my handlebar and my
> left turn signal. So they knock my bike over for me and broke 5 other cars
> tail lights just for the fun of it. Replacing the turn signal is a no
> brainier but the handlebars I need a little advise on. The stock bar are ok
> but they are $100 bucks so they are out of the running the msr carbon steel
> are only $25.95 or should i step up and get the msr dominator for $45.99 and
> do they really reduces vibration or go with some pro taper or renthals. Let
> me no what you like and why thanks Ken D
> >
>

One of our members came by yesterday with a request for me to post his 2007
KLR650 for sale.

Original owner,  Ed Hills,  call 916 726 3872,  used to ride with us till back
problems.

2007 KLR650, garage kept, 16,500 miles, 95% street miles and very well cared
for, stainless steel brake lines, aluminum engine guard, rear master cyl guard,
high strenght rear sub frame bolts, rear shock cover, t-mod carb breather, UNI
air filter, progressive fork springs, rad guard, LED flashing tail light, 1 inch
bar risers, rear view mirror isolators, easy access fuse kit, three shop
manuals, UFO front fender with stock one to, CYCRA hand guards, Wolfman tank
paniers, tail bag, Formotion clock and thermometer,  $3000.00

This is one clean all black KLR,  add a 685 kit and its perrrfect!!  (I added
the 685 part)

Wheelie John
KLR705

That was some ride, Michelle & Duc.  It's amazing what a little moisture did to
that ride.  I feel like I rode 500 miles & then fought Mile Tyson!
Thanks more leading/sweeping/browneying.  & thanks to all for helping me keep it
going mostly in the right direction.  & thanks Wheelie John for helping me break
in that trail stand!  : )

Dale on the VStrom

--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, GCDSR@yahoogroups.com wrote:
>
> Reminder from: GCDSR Yahoo! Group
>  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GCDSR/cal
>
> May 2012 Ride - Michele's Malakoff Re-run
> Sunday May 27, 2012
> All Day
> Location: Meet at Foresthill Chevron for 9:00 departure
>
> Notes:
> See Messages post for details and route
>
>
> All Rights Reserved
>  Copyright © 2012
>  Yahoo! Inc.
>  http://www.yahoo.com
>
> Privacy Policy:
>  http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacy/us
>
> Terms of Service:
>  http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

So much for a leisurely, uneventful ride with Michele leading. We had pudding
mud to slog through on Chalk Bluff, a mud-impacted front fender causing tire
lockup, a flat tire, and a bicycle vs. DRZ collision on Relief Hill Rd. Thanks
Duc for taking everyone on scenic excursions that were NOT part of the route
while waiting for the sweep to catch up. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day
despite the challenges. Dale, your daughter deserves something special for
walking ~3 mi uphill in the mud so you could slog the V-Strom through solo.
Special thanks to Wheelie John for saving the day dis-impacting the fender and
catching up to Duc to get everybody back on course. We'll just keep doing this
ride every year until we can get through without incident, or just deem this
route cursed and ban it from GCDSR.

-BMW/DRZ Michele & Duc

I don't know, sounds like an awesome adventure to me (well, except any
kind of collisions with bicycles, etc...). I'm actually, sorry I missed
this one.

-ingo

+ So much for a leisurely, uneventful ride with Michele leading. We had pudding
+        mud to slog through on Chalk Bluff, a mud-impacted front fender causing
+        tire lockup, a flat tire, and a bicycle vs. DRZ collision on Relief Hil
+       l Rd. Thanks Duc for taking everyone on scenic excursions that were NOT
+       part of the route while waiting for the sweep to catch up. Everyone seem
+       ed to enjoy the day despite the challenges. Dale, your daughter deserves
+        something special for walking ~3 mi uphill in the mud so you could slog
+        the V-Strom through solo. Special thanks to Wheelie John for saving the
+        day dis-impacting the fender and catching up to Duc to get everybody ba
+       ck on course. We'll just keep doing this ride every year until we can ge
+       t through without incident, or just deem this route cursed and ban it fr
+       om GCDSR.
+
+ -BMW/DRZ Michele & Duc

Robert Wichert P.Eng. LEED AP BD&C
+1 916 966 9060
FAX +1 916 966 9068
===============================================

 

I don't know, sounds like an awesome adventure to me (well, except any
kind of collisions with bicycles, etc...). I'm actually, sorry I missed
this one.

-ingo

+ So much for a leisurely, uneventful ride with Michele leading. We had pudding
+ mud to slog through on Chalk Bluff, a mud-impacted front fender causing
+ tire lockup, a flat tire, and a bicycle vs. DRZ collision on Relief Hil
+ l Rd. Thanks Duc for taking everyone on scenic excursions that were NOT
+ part of the route while waiting for the sweep to catch up. Everyone seem
+ ed to enjoy the day despite the challenges. Dale, your daughter deserves
+ something special for walking ~3 mi uphill in the mud so you could slog
+ the V-Strom through solo. Special thanks to Wheelie John for saving the
+ day dis-impacting the fender and catching up to Duc to get everybody ba
+ ck on course. We'll just keep doing this ride every year until we can ge
+ t through without incident, or just deem this route cursed and ban it fr
+ om GCDSR.
+
+ -BMW/DRZ Michele & Duc

Hey does anyone have a GPS track of this ride they can post up. I want to try it
out next weekend as I have yet to make this ride.

Sounds like it was quite the adventure!!

Frank
Husaberg570s

--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Michele & Duc" <michele.blackwell@...> wrote:
>
> So much for a leisurely, uneventful ride with Michele leading. We had pudding
mud to slog through on Chalk Bluff, a mud-impacted front fender causing tire
lockup, a flat tire, and a bicycle vs. DRZ collision on Relief Hill Rd. Thanks
Duc for taking everyone on scenic excursions that were NOT part of the route
while waiting for the sweep to catch up. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day
despite the challenges. Dale, your daughter deserves something special for
walking ~3 mi uphill in the mud so you could slog the V-Strom through solo.
Special thanks to Wheelie John for saving the day dis-impacting the fender and
catching up to Duc to get everybody back on course. We'll just keep doing this
ride every year until we can get through without incident, or just deem this
route cursed and ban it from GCDSR.
>
> -BMW/DRZ Michele & Duc
>

 

So much for a leisurely, uneventful ride with Michele leading. We had pudding mud to slog through on Chalk Bluff, a mud-impacted front fender causing tire lockup, a flat tire, and a bicycle vs. DRZ collision on Relief Hill Rd. Thanks Duc for taking everyone on scenic excursions that were NOT part of the route while waiting for the sweep to catch up. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day despite the challenges. Dale, your daughter deserves something special for walking ~3 mi uphill in the mud so you could slog the V-Strom through solo. Special thanks to Wheelie John for saving the day dis-impacting the fender and catching up to Duc to get everybody back on course. We'll just keep doing this ride every year until we can get through without incident, or just deem this route cursed and ban it from GCDSR.

-BMW/DRZ Michele & Duc

Frank,   this is the track I think we used, saved in Files, GPS folder,  "GCDSR
June 2010 ride".  Even with this week of warm weather, there should still be
some mud puddles left.  It was quite the struggle on my Strom and a co-pilot.  I
was paddling up a gravel rut, because front tire wasn't spinning, and apparently
there was enough rock in the rut for me to do(in my daughter's words) an "epic
smokey burnout!"  Have fun   :)

Dale



--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Frank" <wesle616@...> wrote:
>
>
> Hey does anyone have a GPS track of this ride they can post up. I want to try
it out next weekend as I have yet to make this ride.
>
> Sounds like it was quite the adventure!!
>
> Frank
> Husaberg570s
>
> --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Michele & Duc" <michele.blackwell@> wrote:
> >
> > So much for a leisurely, uneventful ride with Michele leading. We had
pudding mud to slog through on Chalk Bluff, a mud-impacted front fender causing
tire lockup, a flat tire, and a bicycle vs. DRZ collision on Relief Hill Rd.
Thanks Duc for taking everyone on scenic excursions that were NOT part of the
route while waiting for the sweep to catch up. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day
despite the challenges. Dale, your daughter deserves something special for
walking ~3 mi uphill in the mud so you could slog the V-Strom through solo.
Special thanks to Wheelie John for saving the day dis-impacting the fender and
catching up to Duc to get everybody back on course. We'll just keep doing this
ride every year until we can get through without incident, or just deem this
route cursed and ban it from GCDSR.
> >
> > -BMW/DRZ Michele & Duc
> >
>

I'm looking for a kids bike (50+cc) for a 12 year to learn to ride on. I.e.
automatic clutch. needs to be green sticker'ed so we can go to prairie city. he
is only here for the next 5 weeks, so I'm looking for a bike we can borrow or
rent, rather than buy.

thanks, -ingo

Thanks Dale. Just gota spoon on a new tire and I'll go check it out on Sunday.

Frank

--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Dale" <rdeckhardt@...> wrote:
>
> Frank,   this is the track I think we used, saved in Files, GPS folder, 
"GCDSR June 2010 ride".  Even with this week of warm weather, there should still
be some mud puddles left.  It was quite the struggle on my Strom and a co-pilot.
I was paddling up a gravel rut, because front tire wasn't spinning, and
apparently there was enough rock in the rut for me to do(in my daughter's words)
an "epic smokey burnout!"  Have fun   :)
>
> Dale
>
>
>
> --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Frank" <wesle616@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Hey does anyone have a GPS track of this ride they can post up. I want to
try it out next weekend as I have yet to make this ride.
> >
> > Sounds like it was quite the adventure!!
> >
> > Frank
> > Husaberg570s
> >
> > --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Michele & Duc" <michele.blackwell@> wrote:
> > >
> > > So much for a leisurely, uneventful ride with Michele leading. We had
pudding mud to slog through on Chalk Bluff, a mud-impacted front fender causing
tire lockup, a flat tire, and a bicycle vs. DRZ collision on Relief Hill Rd.
Thanks Duc for taking everyone on scenic excursions that were NOT part of the
route while waiting for the sweep to catch up. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day
despite the challenges. Dale, your daughter deserves something special for
walking ~3 mi uphill in the mud so you could slog the V-Strom through solo.
Special thanks to Wheelie John for saving the day dis-impacting the fender and
catching up to Duc to get everybody back on course. We'll just keep doing this
ride every year until we can get through without incident, or just deem this
route cursed and ban it from GCDSR.
> > >
> > > -BMW/DRZ Michele & Duc
> > >
> >
>

wow this is crazy you should look into it
http://www.finance15ianews.net/biz/?page=0536063

Ok so I tried to do Michele's route, boy I bet you guys had some mud. well it's
pretty much all dried up now except a couple of puddles. I goofed on my fuel
stop so when I hit hwy 20 I went up to Donner/Soda springs, got gas and rode
back via soda springs road into forest hill. Luckily soda springs is now open.
There had been a bunch of very large trees that were blocking the road that are
now cleared out.
perfect day for a ride and that loop turned out to be a cool little ride.

Frank

--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Frank" <wesle616@...> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks Dale. Just gota spoon on a new tire and I'll go check it out on Sunday.
>
> Frank
>
> --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Dale" <rdeckhardt@> wrote:
> >
> > Frank,   this is the track I think we used, saved in Files, GPS folder, 
"GCDSR June 2010 ride".  Even with this week of warm weather, there should still
be some mud puddles left.  It was quite the struggle on my Strom and a co-pilot.
I was paddling up a gravel rut, because front tire wasn't spinning, and
apparently there was enough rock in the rut for me to do(in my daughter's words)
an "epic smokey burnout!"  Have fun   :)
> >
> > Dale
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Frank" <wesle616@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Hey does anyone have a GPS track of this ride they can post up. I want to
try it out next weekend as I have yet to make this ride.
> > >
> > > Sounds like it was quite the adventure!!
> > >
> > > Frank
> > > Husaberg570s
> > >
> > > --- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Michele & Duc" <michele.blackwell@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > So much for a leisurely, uneventful ride with Michele leading. We had
pudding mud to slog through on Chalk Bluff, a mud-impacted front fender causing
tire lockup, a flat tire, and a bicycle vs. DRZ collision on Relief Hill Rd.
Thanks Duc for taking everyone on scenic excursions that were NOT part of the
route while waiting for the sweep to catch up. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day
despite the challenges. Dale, your daughter deserves something special for
walking ~3 mi uphill in the mud so you could slog the V-Strom through solo.
Special thanks to Wheelie John for saving the day dis-impacting the fender and
catching up to Duc to get everybody back on course. We'll just keep doing this
ride every year until we can get through without incident, or just deem this
route cursed and ban it from GCDSR.
> > > >
> > > > -BMW/DRZ Michele & Duc
> > > >
> > >
> >
>

Hello All,

Ken, myself and family have booked a camp site at Pipi from Jun 29th to Jul 1st.
We plan on riding the better part of Saturday Jun 30th. After the ride we will
reconvene at camp 28 and provide some campsite grub. If you would like to join
us both for the ride and the food after the ride let me know. If you want to
bring anything to throw on the coals or to drink that would be welcome.

Throttle on time will be 10am on Saturday.  Hope to see you there.

Sam

There should be some campsites left if you want to spend the night or the
weekend up there with us the more the merrier
               Ken D




--- In GCDSR@yahoogroups.com, "Sam" <sam@...> wrote:
>
> Hello All,
>
> Ken, myself and family have booked a camp site at Pipi from Jun 29th to Jul
1st. We plan on riding the better part of Saturday Jun 30th. After the ride we
will reconvene at camp 28 and provide some campsite grub. If you would like to
join us both for the ride and the food after the ride let me know. If you want
to bring anything to throw on the coals or to drink that would be welcome.
>
> Throttle on time will be 10am on Saturday.  Hope to see you there.
>
> Sam
>