From picture in post above, helping out deep in the single track. They were in a really bad spot to get out of if it couldn't be patched up. I've given out a few of those JB Weld epoxy sticks in my 5 years of riding. Never leave home without it. Our own trail side repair, changing a clutch pack on the DRZ in 20 minutes. Finished 1st in Bronze. Only 2 teams of 11 finished but kudos to ALL that were brave (crazy) enough to take the start. Donkey also gets to wear the medal, he ran flawlessly. Game face after 23 hours, not too dusty... leading has it's advantages.
We finished and Won iron class ! Loved it again this year too sore to type lol need more beer ! Congrats to everyone that gave this tough day a try !
I ride a 2 smoke and I was impressed that I remembered a spare spark plug.... I don't even keep a spare clutch at home!
Also I wanted to know what was up with Gold class being cut short what was that all about. Does that sort of technically mean that Silver was a longer harder event? Or all the harder options for Gold earlier on in the day made up for the lack of 70-80 km but they missed in the end?
Before the lunch stop Eric, said he though he felt his clutch slipping but wasn't sure. Since he had brought almost a complete bike in spare parts, he chucked the clutch pack in his backpack. Lucky he did because Lee being Lee, saying that the afternoon was easier (not true) sent us into a mud bog that killed the clutch on the DRZ. I'm impressed with the design of the casing on that bike, it's like the KTM factory rally bikes where you only have a cover to take off to get to the clutch not a complete engine casing.
There was a miscommunication. The Gold and Silver had 2 rime cut off points one was the entry to trail at 11:00 he other was from a certain check point at 1:15. Somebody at a check point thought they were the 11:00 point so after the gold team had done the trail and gotten out to the check point there were told to go home you’ve timed out, when in fact they were still good. Team 150 rode home on the bail route. The other 2 gold teams did not make the entry point of the trail before 11:00 and bailed to their support trucks to head home. The silver team, smoke em if ya got em, was the only team to ride their complete route in those categories this year.
I feel for Team 150, because I know they are great riders and would have loved to do the complete event. But I gotta question if they’d have been able. We were nearly two hours ahead of them on course, and we finished with only an hour and a half until the 24hr mark. They had more, and harder, terrain than us to do in the pitch dark. I don’t see how they would have been able to make up that much time in one leg of the event. It seems logical that they would have houred out anyways.
There was one other cut off point that might have come into play on them as well. You guys got past it just in time.
I have a question....why is the route advertised as one length but ends up being a couple hundred k more? Route corrections? That seems like a lot of extra k....but coming from where? Unless I am completely mis-understanding the whole thing.
It changes in length depending on what class you ride. The easier classes have more mileage, but the terrain is easier as well.
Also the mileage is given as a gps route mileage, from base camps. When it actually comes to earth all those little turns in the trail add up.
I saw Lee at the Snowmobile / atv show. He said there’s going to be the option to enter as a single rider for 2020. You will need to have Garmin in reach or spot tracker.
Hurrah! Looks like he's getting tired of my nagging, I've been asking him for the past 5 years to allow solo entries to the event. The first year he had the 2 classes (new adventure class) I even challenged to do it on one fill-up of fuel (it was effectively a 750km route) to try and spark an interest in solo efforts at Dacre. This news will re-affirm my entry for next year. :)
No you are miss-understanding Lee. Doubt whatever he says, it will be worse or more of... or both. Unless he says it's going to be a shit show, then it will be a shit show.
Hey guys, anyone here ride the Gold class in 2019? If so I have a couple of questions. Please let em know, Thanks Greg.
I rode 98% of it. Silver in ‘19 was identical to Gold with a few sections pulled out. We rode more of Gold than anyone else did. What’s up? I’d be glad to help anyway I can.
