Wicked stuff that RallyNavigator is!! I may have a new project to incorporate the software with I have to join in on that ride sometime in the future...
Following this thread looking forward to the Ride Report. Good luck fellas! Go Charlie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just had dinner with a rider (to remain nameless) and he had good things to say. He was impressed by the event and how it was put on. He also really seemed to enjoy the nav. Made a comment about the ride using a GPS track just wouldn't be the same. Sounds like it went well!
a picture ... thousand words... bla bla bla yea we had some flats, yea we bailed a couple, but we had a blast so I am happy.
I have self-hate issues for not attending this event. Raced a truck in mex instead, broke down, got hurt... next time I'll get me priorities straight...
Well, I must have had fun, based on the Mg. count of the Motrin consumed last evening... But I digress.. My hat is off to Mike Shirley for organizing and putting this on! I am inspired to add this to our event coming up in August, (carsontahoemoto.com). There is much more of Nevada to be seen, and this is a great way to do it! My ride began on Saturday at the awesome Double Diamond Athletic Club. My 950 was as ready as it could be, and I looked forward to a full day of riding. That ended around mile 40 above Virginia City, after I had reached my daily lifting-the-950 limit, which is three times..:huh. I realized right there, I was in the right event on the wrong scoot. So off I go, tail between my legs, back home to Gardnerville to pull a different weapon out of the shed, my trusty KTM 450MXC. Since Chris Blais did my motor, this bike is not a normal 450, so Sunday would be different... With bike in truck, I headed back to Reno to check in at the Extended Stay suites (cheep on the weekends...) and meet the survivors of Day 1. Over beer and pizza at Sierra Gold, we shared the days experiences and discussed a missing rider. (He showed up two hours late, so we rejoiced that we wouldn't need to go looking for the body that night). Sunday was a quick blast into Starbucks for breakfast and on the our departure point off Lemmon Drive and 395. I was last rider out, but began catching up to groups of participants throughout the day. I had no roadbook, so navigated using waypoints and tracking tire marks in the dirt. Our route took us north to Pyramid Lake, where we had pleasant conversation with the Tribal Police, great views of the lake, and Truckee River. The afternoon included an interesting loop into some sand dunes, relatively fast roads and two track. Rocks? Oh yes! I believe we may have violated a tribal garbage dump as part of one section, so I am glad the 450 is faster than an arrow. By the afternoon, our weather had gone from overcast to wind and rain. One group headed for their trucks and I paddled back up to Pyramid to the 3:00pm lunch stop. Sure enough Mike Shirley was there with gatorade and sandwiches. With everyone else accounted for, we headed back to the trucks and our ride was done. I'm inspired now to add Nav gear to the 450. The 950 will be retired to less 'technical' rides. I have certainly been bitten by the Rallye Raid 'bug' and this just served to whet that appetite. Thanks Mike! Stay tuned, August is coming...
I am really disappointed that I missed the ride. I pulled a muscle in my back while testing at the track on Wednesday. I have been laid up more or less since. It is a bit better now. I have one week to get mobile before we leave for Romaniacs so I am trying every legit and quack way to get better! I have the rally gear all mounted on the 525 and nowhere to go, such a pity. Glad to hear it was a good time for everyone.
Thank you Mike for putting this together!! I finally got a brief taste of a 'real' rally - including fixing flats, getting lost, blowing through turns, missing waypoints, getting stuck in sand, and having to bail out to the tarmac to get back to civilization at a reasonable hour. I am hooked! Thanks also to Jean-Luc, Christian, and Kristian for not leaving me to the vultures. xrjohnny, pilot of the 'Dirty Moroccan' - the xr650rally GRB (Ghetto Rally Bike)
We had an awesome time during this event! Low-key, great riders (well mostly) but no chest beating. Meeting new friends and re-connecting with some old ones... just great Road book rallyes are fun because navigation is sometimes like a treasure hunt. The directions can never be perfect over 400 miles so you have to use your best judgement sometimes, test options, check often... adds to the fun! I liked that it was not a race. Having time to enjoy the scenery and not stress for a puncture and such is more enjoyable for me. But the best part is that Mile knows how to but a ride with tons of variety in the terrain and challenges with a constant focus on making us enjoy very beautiful places.
I want to congratulate Mike on doing a GREAT job with Reno Rally. I had a blast!!! Day 2 was my favorite, with all kinds of cool and quirky places you would never find just riding around out there. Stump alley, skinny side wash, super soft dunes, “scary” downhills, scenic canyons, gated tire dump, lakeside dash past the cops (or talk with the cops, depending on your timing), etc. If you rode the whole route, you’d surely remember all these places. What’s the date for Reno Rally #2? I have boxes full of training roadbooks, covering the desert from Bishop to Yuma. They all want to be rolled into a 525 and go fast!
Mike, you wanted to see our pics, brace yourself Sheep and shepherd XWJohnny in one of the beautiful views of the first morning Dave with Reno in the background XRJohnny swearing that he will only use Michelin Mousse in the future One of the single tracks of Day 2