Rick's Rendevouz - MAY 16TH -20TH 2012

RIDES:

There are no official rides for the Eastern Rendezvous.
We have individuals who go on rides and welcome you to ride along.
No part of your attendance fee has anything to do with any rides.
All riders are responsible for their own actions.
Above all, ride safe.

Please do not post descriptions of other people's rides.
Instead, all ride questions should be referred back to this page (page one)
for the list of ride links which contain all info.


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Some of our ride leaders use the following
STANDARD RIDE RULES:

(Thanx to KnyBanjo for his suggestion of posting a single set of standardized rules.
These rules were developed for rides with 60 - 70 turns.
YOUR ride leader MAY choose to use these rules, OR his own depending on his route).


1. Please show up to your ride with a full gastank.

2. Please show up to your ride at least ten minutes before departure time.

3. In order to avoid delays during the ride:
a. No passing others in the group regardless of whether they are moving or standing still. If the rider in front of you stops, YOU STOP WITH HIM. That means that everyone behind you will stop too!
(Suppose the rider in front of you slows down because his bike is breaking down or because he has a flat tire. If you continue past him, the leaders see you coming and procede further and further from the problem. Confusion like this makes for a long day). If everyone stops, the leaders will return shortly.
b. If you want to swap places in line, please do so during a stop.
c. If you want to split early/mid-ride, stop and tell the sweep what you are doing so we don't spend time looking for you (and make sure you have the maps to find your way back to camp).

4. Ride at your own pace:
NEVER try to catch up to riders in front of you. Continue straight ahead. Someone will be waiting for you at the next left or right turn.

5. Safety:
Please leave plenty of room between yourself and the rider in front of you. When he has to slam on his brakes, he doesn't need you crashing into the back of him and ruining EVERYONE's day. Also, there is nothing worse than having to change the way you ride all day because of what's going on in your mirror. If a rider keeps getting too close behind you, flash your brake lights repeatedly as a reminder to BACK OFF.

6. Tire repair:
a. All riders with tubed tires should carry a spare tube the size of their largest diameter tubed tire,
(NOT just a tube patch kit, which takes longer).
b. All riders with tubeless tires should carry a plug kit.
c. Bring tire-pump if you've got one.

7. Cash:
Carry cash for gas please. Rural gas stations often do NOT take credit/debit cards.

8. No whining.



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THE RIDES (so far)
PRINT THIS OUT!
post #5 = KTM Mike's All-kinds-of-gravel-ride
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 845AM @ Mabe's Gas Station (3 mi. north of rally)
http://advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17444852&postcount=3

post #6 = Kny Banjo's Late Train
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 1030AM in grassy area behind Freeborne's MOTEL http://advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17444860&postcount=4


post #8 = AdvTenn's Singletrack&Guardrail Tour
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 9AM in parkinglot behind Freeborne's RESTAURANT
http://advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17444919&postcount=6


post #74 = BigDoc's Historicalride
SATURDAY 10AM in parking lot behind Freeborne's RESTAURANT
http://advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17483051&postcount=72


post #109 = Fe Man's Mindlesswandering&miscellaneoussceneryride.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY sometime after breakfast near the bikes
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17508122&postcount=107


post #329 = 257BOB's S.O.B. Ride
SATURDAY 930AM in grassy area behind Freeborne's MOTEL
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17743859&postcount=327


post # 709 = BackwoodsKLR's Earlybirdmostlypavementride.
SATURDAY 830AM on front porch of Freeborne's RESTAURANT
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=18111498&postcount=707

post # 1275 = Wlfman's 100% Street Ride.
Friday 830AM in grassy area behind Freeborne's MOTEL.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=18589555&postcount=1275

post# 1353 = Gaston Gagne's Tour de Escarpment.
Thursday 930AM in parkinglot behind Freeborne's RESTAURANT.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=18602412&postcount=1353



Want details for each ride? Click on each link above.
Not enough details? PM each Ride Leader so he/she will know what
to add.



Any others?
Post your ride anywhere on this thread,
then PM me the post# so I can link you in.

You can't have too many rides at these rallies.
More rides = fewer riders per ride = better rides.

Exploring on your own or in small groups is highly encouraged. Maybe you can learn enough roads to lead another ride next year?






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The rest of this is NOT required reading for ride participants, but may be of interest to those leading rides, or those thinking of leading rides in the future.
OK Kevin, you asked for it. Here it is:
My relay men allow me to be 2 or 3 intersections ahead of my sweep. Briefly: A relay man is in charge of a natural gap between riders of different speeds, NOT in charge of a group of people. If you are leading a ride of 2 dozen riders or more, and you ask each rider to wait for the rider behind him at every turn, IT WILL NOT WORK because there are too many people to screw it up, and you can bet, one of them will.

KTM MIKE'S RELAY SYSTEM:
One great thing about this system is that riders who are faster than me, can ride faster than me, without passing me.
The other great thing is that no one on the ride has to know where we are going but me.This system developed out of necessity.

Here's how it originated: Before the 7th Annual RenDezVous, someone kept posting that my ride was a "dirt" ride, when actually my RDV rides usually have some twisty pavement and lots of steep twisty gravel mountain roads with 60 - 70 turns at 60 - 70 intersections. On the Friday ride, a dozen riders showed up on knobbies and another dozen on street oriented dual-sport tires. On the gravel sections of the ride, a LARGE gap opened up in the middle of the pack, with the knobby riders up behind me, and the street riders way back with the Ralph the sweep. The front group had to wait waaaaay too long at each intersection for the others to arrive. So I asked Mango, a fast rider, to get at the back of group 1, and wait by himself at each intersection until group 2 arrived AND until he could see Ralph the sweep WAVE HIS HAND to let Mango know he could SEE him. For the rest of the day, at each intersection, group 1 left Mango behind, and Mango waited until Ralph could see him, and then Mango would abandon group 2 and race to the back of group 1, repeat, repeat, repeat.

Here's how it works now:
On my kind of ride, any group develops gaps between riders of different speeds. Let's say my group develops 2 gaps, A & B, forming 3 groups, 1, 2, & 3. I ask X-factor (who is faster than me) to find gap A, and he puts himself in it. Katoom gets into gap B, and Taz rides sweep. I wait at each of the 65 intersections until I can see X-factor wave his hand,
then I take off in a certain direction. X-factor waits at that spot until Katoom appears and waves his hand. X-factor now races after me and group 1. Katoom waits to see Taz wave, then heads in the direction X-factor went. Results: X-factor and Katoom get to ride as fast as they want after leaving each intersection. AND each rider knows which direction to go.
Fast riders usually think they want to get right up behind the leader. With this system a fast rider can ride faster than me if he wants, but he must change positions to do that. Lets say I have a fast rider right behind me in group 1 who wants to go faster than me, but slower than X-factor. He can get behind X-factor at the head of group 2, and race after X-factor after each intersection. If he is faster than me AND faster than X-factor, then he can ride at the BACK of group 1, hang out with X-factor at each intersection until the last second, and race after group 1 with X-factor behind him.

FOR SAFETY, ALL POSITION SWAPPING IS DONE WHILE STOPPED AT INTERSECTIONS.
Steep twisty bumpy gravel mountain roads are not good for passing, but with this system there is no need for passing. Since there are SO MANY intersections, positioning can be sorted out pretty quickly first thing in the morning. Now let's say we have a flat tire in the middle of group 3 (a COMMON occurance on these rides). As the Ride Rules say: NO PASSING. If the rider in front of you stops, you stop with him and everyone behind you stops too. So Taz the sweep and half of group 3 are stopped with the flat. Katoom can't proceed from HIS intersection because Taz doesn't show for 2 or 3 times the normal amount of waiting time, so he returns to Taz's location with the front half of group 3. X-factor can't proceed from HIS intersection, because Katoom doesn't show. So he returns to Taz with all of group 2. I can't proceed from MY intersection, because X-factor doesn't show, so I return to Taz with all of group 1. By the time I get back with group 1, Katoom is half way finished changing the tire, because according to the rules, each rider with tubed tires brought a NEW TUBE, not just a patch kit which takes longer.
At the time of the flat, I was 3 intersections beyond my sweep in this example.
This system keeps everybody moving, with short waiting times, and a lack of confusion WHEN things go wrong.

KTM MIKE'S RIDE
Standard Rules Apply. See post 2: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17444843&postcount=2



Please do NOT attend this ride unless you are proficient at riding in gravel, i.e. steep gravel, deep gravel, loose gravel, steep-deep-loose gravel, large gravel, small gravel, freshly-graded gravel, all kinds of gravel.
No gravel-newbies on THIS ride please.


Because my rides typically include 60 -70 turns, we use a relay system so that the frontrunners DO NOT have to wait for all riders at all turns. In fact, no one has to wait for long.

Those of you who have ridden "relay" or "sweep" on my previous rides, please PM me if you can help me on one or more days at this (2012) 11th annual RDV event. Thanx.






Meeting place, day & time: Mabe's Gas & Grocery 3 miles NORTH of the rally site,
8:45am Friday 5/18/12 & Saturday 5/19/12. No passengers please.

Lunch: Bring your own (Beef jerky, trail mix, or you can pick up something from Freeborne's or Mabe's to tide you over until the evening feast back at camp). We plan to eat lunch at the motorcycle campground gazebo over on Zion Road like last year, or wherever we end up due to delays.

Motorcycles: Adventure bikes, dual sports, Supermotos.
(No Crotch Rockets, No Full Dressers, No Cruisers, No Scooters, No Elephants).


Tires: Street oriented dual sport tires work just fine on this ride.
Knobbies are NOT necessary.


Gastanks: Be able to go 80 miles between fuel stops.






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The Late Train aka The Hangover Ride

Meet @ 10:30 Friday and Saturday (place to be announced)


In '12 I will be implementing Mike's 'Relay System' as well as the 'Standard Rules' as listed in post #2

CLICK HERE print it, read it, memorize it then learn it, love it and live it!!

(seeking reliable volunteers to ride relay Friday and/or Saturday...send PM)



Some history for the uninitiated:

2010 and the aftermath

2011 and it's aftermath

2012? stay tuned..

'12 scouting rides:
links
#1
#2
#3

I will once again seek out the absolute worst roads that I can find, potholes, chipseal, sandy apexes, off camber turns, blind turns, narrow, steep, dirt, gravel, deep marbled gravel, steep deep narrow marbled gravel with blind off camber turns and cows and tractors blocking the road just around the corner, dogs will chase us, big mean dogs looking for lunch, we will go deep into the hills where the locals are not used to having visitors......

Definitely NOT designed or geared for beginners or the faint of heart....but I do plan to sleep in and eat breakfast first.

Great!

What is the plan for food?

Congratulations for an 11th year!!!

Jacques Girouard

Friday-09:00
Meet in the parking behind Freebourns

Saturday- 09:00 Big bike and 2up (Ridgewood) BBQ Blowout If KTMmike or Knybanjo needs help reducing their group size on Sat. Then I will lead a big bike ride on Sat.

The Single track and guard rail tour! Friday only. The folks that take this ride on Fri. can return on Sat. and I can share notes and maps of single track that we may have missed.
I usually take a group out on Thursday afternoon for a big bike friendly ride. I plan to do that again this year.


The Friday ride will be best suited for 650's and smaller.

We will ride as much gravel, two track and single track as I can put together. So D.O.T. knobbies would be best, a good 80/20 will work.
Not much pavement! The gravel in the area will be a mix of hard packed, loose, rutted, freshly graded, deep and muddy.



PLEASE read the "Standard rules" in ktm mike's post #2.



Scout ride 1/25/12 http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=670524

Scout ride 3/12 http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=670524&page=2

Scout ride 4/19/12

future site for BPG's down' n dirty dual sport ride information, propaganda dispensation, and general point of reference.

This ride WILL involve lots of twisty paved & dirt/gravel roads, old abandoned trails, some hairy singletrack, somewhat epic hill climbs, etc. To be honest, an XR650 is about the biggest/heaviest bike that allows FAST FUN on the difficult portions. You can take a small GS, KLR, or similar machine, but ya better be nutso! :eek1

Man! Can't wait to see all you guys (and gals) again.

Ooooooohh Yeah!

Think I am gonna have to try and make this one....been too long since I had the pleasure of seeing some of you eastern FF's ---------so when the list gets going, put me on the list.......----- dangit, is it May yet ?????? Looking forward to it.

In!

Hunter

Finally, it is official. Been wondering what's going on. I'm in, - need to reserve the vacation time for that.

Screw you and your evil plans, I'm going second this time. Lose me and you're alone.

We're in!

Excuse me but, I always ride second and I never loose # three , so you get the three spot.

JD...I'd offer to buy you lunch if you can finally make it to the lunch stop but PARTY BOSS has suggested that I publish a waypoint for that!

Actually I may publish several waypoints just before the rally by pulling coords from google earth. Since I still haven't picked up a gps and google maps doesn't recognize some of the 'roads' I like to use...who knows, I may even pick up an old gps before then.

Hey banjo, I found a good deal on a water proof version GPS. Sometime I have to stop and refresh the page.

I tried using one of those to get to byob last summer!




...it may have been a bit too high tech for me though....know of anything more user friendly?

I hear ya!

Actually whether they're official waypoints or just intersections that DO have names, it would be helpful for getting scattered groups back together. You just know there will be more feudin' relatives along on the next ride too, right?

mine look like this too. It's a bit hard to see on my pic, but I tape (or rubber-band) my directions on the GPS holder... works like a charm but does not help against gravity