Excellent advice. CRA starts all classes 1 min apart , morning is peewees and afternoon is quads, Bike run at 11 or noon. You know what western Pa is like , real muddy in the spring and muddy in summer, ( except maybe if we get a drought, Yea right!) new tires or fairly new tires a must for novice riders. And some of the fast guys are pros and in it for points and money. They will pass you like your standing still, just stay focused on YOUR line....
yeah the guys that will run you and your bike over at any cost is honestly the reason i ve waited so long to get involved with any kind of formal racing. ill just have to keep my wits about me.
great point! i always wonder when passing other riders if they are going to decide to swap lines. do you guys bark or yell at people right before you pass? i see riders do that at times
Yes, but thank them for moving. If fast rider comes up behind you and your in tight woods section. Next available place, I point where want him to pass me.
I nod my head four or five times on the side I want someone to pass. At race pace I need both hands on the bars! I've raced a couple of CRA harescrambles in the past, there is some gnarly stuff at a few of those places. My advice would be to treat the guy in front of you as a fast riding buddy and go with him/her. You'll soon know where you stand. Don't try to hang on to the back wheel of someone slower than you, thinking you'll 'trail ride' and get experience or that you're tired enough and this is a good pace; what will happen is that you'll have to adjust to every mistake or line they ride and that's not a good thing. A lot of the pre-race thought process is just too much anxiety, wasting energy. Relax and tune in to your ride. Momentum at the bottom is what carries you to the top... but that 360 is a great equalizer! Also, don't get too hung up on bottlenecks. You'll be surprised at how easy some of those are to ride right past/up. Fatigue makes cowards of us all. Ain't that right, Vince?
No confidence is the coward maker... 360 slip in 4th n chugg away rarely do i need 2nd on my 360 in the gnarr, im always a 3-4 gear monster in open sections pinned still find me thinking am i in top try going for 7th thats just not there!, be hitting 85mph on the road in 6th garmin told me only been full chat on mile stints not miles n miles. People do pass you like your in reverse tho an im like wth how you got that amount of traction?!?
Do not look back. A overtaking rider has already chosen his line around you and thinking your moving out of his or her way just turned that into a 50/50 crap shoot for a huge crash. Don't over think this, just show up and pay your entry put your gear on and ride. By the end of the event almost all your questions will be answered. Like my high school teacher used to say "We can make plans,we cannot make results". Everything changes as soon as you drop the clutch with one small exception , the last guy who could not start his bike always leaves with a wheelie LOL. Just go have fun.
I've been fussing over my bike for the better part of this week. I think I checked everything twice, lubed everything real good, cleaned and oiled the air filter even though it was fine. Checked spokes three times per wheel. Spent over an hour applying number plate background and the steward supplied numbers. The battery is sitting on the tender, there's a fresh rear tire and a near new g216 fatty up front. Stripped all the street gear off and used a Zip Ty license plate frame to mount my plate (registration tags must be attached per race rules). Today I'm getting my gear all packed and ready to go, then I'll stare at my bike for a while to make sure I didn't miss anything. Funny thing is that the loop I'll be running tomorrow is shorter than an average day of riding with my wife, but I figure peace of mind is cheap insurance so I can focus on having fun tomorrow and stay on task. Getting pretty excited though! One thing I have heard over and over is if you show up solo and don't belong to a club, make sure you find one to register with as a guest for breakdown assistance. You don't wanna be the guy waiting for a sweep rider at the end of the day to send help. Plus if you need to pit these guys will help with that too! I haven't even loaded my bike up yet but already know I've got new friends to meet when I get there. Great to know you're welcome and there are fellow racers who've been in your shoes and are willing to help you succeed.
Reading all this has me stoked! Just signed up for my first enduro Sandy Lane with ecea in March Can't wait!
Got my finisher pin and didn't finish dead last, so mission accomplished for me. Next weekend is round 2.
Got a spot saved and friend who will pit you now all you have to do is show up next weekend in Barstow See you there John
Hoping I'll have a bike. Looks like it's gonna be close. It's been waiting for it's legs for 2 weeks. Zip Ty should have my boinngers done any day now. Been passing the time going through all the electrical and cleaning/ treating connectors, dropping in the Earth x battery, adding some radiator braces and guards and general maintenance. Aiming for a Saturday arrival to set up camp and test my new suspension and get used to it. For a little diversion I finally got some new tires on my Mustang so I show her a little love. These two wheel projects and rotten tires have had her shut in the garage for months.
Ride your own race, not that of the next bloke. Back off 10% to gain 10% Every minute fraction of a second gained by efficiency adds up. Grin but don't open your mouth
