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I might be doing the hare scramble in Berthoud CO in 2 weeks.

1) any of you done that race before? Advice on tire choice, track type, anything else?

2) I've never raced anything other than MX back in '78-79. Ya think I should ride my KX125 or the KDX? I'm leaning toward the KDX because of the reliability, plushness (steering damper), bigger tank, etc. Plus, the KX is getting due for a new piston and that's just one more expense. I'm just looking to ride and have fun.

3) One more question! I'm 43.... Novice, Vet B, or Sportsman (what is THAT??).

for a hare scramble or enduro ride your kdx. You will be so glad you did.

o ya and your third question. I think it means you have a choice to race in those classes. You can race in the vet class which is probably 40+, etc, just pick the one you want to go in. i think thats how it works.

Hey NM,

I never rode there before, so I sent an email to a freind of mine who's kid races all the tracks around here. I'll let you know if I hear back. In general the conditions up here depend on whether they enhance the soil or not. If they do, they try to imitate sandy loam like california tracks, if they don't it'll be concrete with rocks, big sharp ones . I think berthoud is around 5000' so jet accordingly. The temperature in Colorado that time of year should be between 0° and 75° (some of you may think I'm joking - hehehe).

Good luck to you.

well he emailed me back saying he never rode the HS there. he said he thinks they have a website.. maybe you could google them or give a call. sorry.

I raced a hare scramble a couple of years ago. I was completely whipped!! Unless you are in great shape and can stay on your legs a lot, you may want to plop down on the KDX Kouch like I did.

I love my KDX for that!

I race maybe 4-5 times a year for fun.

It is important to have a camelback and a minimum tools set.
Here there is a club that offers race in team of 2.

4 hours by group of 2, or 2 hours alone.

Go at your own beat and keep power for the last minutes!
Stay on your legs like jason said!

You will do mistakes if you are to tired ,take your time

good luck....i gess you will sleep like a bayby that day

Website for Berthoud:
http://www.vdrmx.com/

But they really don't give much information. Click on "Track Layouts" on the main page and you can see the HS course- it pretty much covers all the MX tracks and then some boonie stuff.

In shape- I do alright. When I go to the MX track, I ride my KX125 for 45 min-1 hr, non-stop. Not at full race pace the whole time but I practice charging the corners, powering up the jumps, that sort of thing. Then I take a break and do it again, faster this time, in bursts of full race pace for as long as I can stand each burst. I also work on the Nordic Track, elliptical, and bike for 10-15 minutes each 4 times a week (I take a break the day after I ride). Today I'm going on a MTB (Marin FS- plush!!) ride, probably take about an hour, hour and half. But, anyway, I do think the KDX will be more forgiving and with what you're saying about "pacing", I think it'll be the better choice.

Got the camelback, got the tools. Gonna order the knee braces today- Asterisk Cells. Will spend the rest of the winter paying the bill.

Now lets see-Is it a fast track, if so the KX might suit you better, if it is tight, wooded, KDX all the way. Depending on your age. Vet class 30 - 39, Senior 40 -49, Super Senior 50 - 59, Masters 60 - 69, Golden Masters 70 till Death. Now they have A, B, C in all but Masters & Above. But check the rules of your area IE: Vet C 30 - 34/35 -39. The most important part is stamina, pace yourself, its not a 15 minute Moto.

Green Hornet wrote: 1) Now lets see-Is it a fast track, if so the KX might suit you better, if it is tight, wooded, KDX all the way.

2) Depending on your age. Vet class 30 - 39, Senior 40 -49,

1) well, that's what I'm trying to find out. I guess I'm going to have to do it the old fashioned way and call. The trouble with the KX is that it's getting due for a top end and I don't know if I have time/$$$ to do that. The KDX is good to go.

2) Age = 43. But what's the "Sportsman" class??

NM_KDX200 wrote:

Green Hornet wrote: 2) Age = 43. But what's the "Sportsman" class??

Look in the rules for your area

Hare Scrambles around here have nothing to do with 'track'...well unless you're calling thirty miles of trail 'track'.

'Sportsman' is usually for fun...any age, any bike...no points. Sportsman is also usually LESS distance than the bonafide clasees (AA EX etc). Sportsman is usually CHEAPER to run...'cuz it often does NOT require local district membership to run (like I said...no points).

Most wrecks take place real early on the first lap...the adrenalin of the start is wearing off..and one mile down the trail you do something stupid.

Your KDX is an excellent choice for 70-some miles of hare scramble. The KX will kick your A$$. That said of course having NO idea how your KX is setup.

A HS is a lot like the tortoise and hare story. You're better off with a pace you can keep up with than blazing through the first thirty miles..then foundering for the next forty!!

There's no timing, no charts. First one back wins. Probably a couple of checkpoints at least.

IF you just wanna have fun...Sportsman class gets you riding with less $$ spent..and you can still catch up with and blow by the classes that started in front of you...if you want to..and if you're fast enough.

Have fun!! Let us know how it works out!!

canyncarvr wrote: Your KDX is an excellent choice for 70-some miles of hare scramble. The KX will kick your A$$. That said of course having NO idea how your KX is setup.

My KX is actually a little soft for me. The former owner was 125 lbs and raced AX. I'm 165 and ride natural terrain MX. It works out okay- I'd like to move up 1 click on the springs. The KX is much stiffer than the KDX, though. The KDX has had suspension work and actually has better bottoming resistance than the KX.

It's becoming a moot point because my KX piston/rings won't be here until next Thurs and I doubt if I want to throw a piston in and race right away. I'd rather ride the KDX.

NM_KDX200, what is a hare scramble like in your area? I went to one and it was a 10 mile lap, and we just did laps. Some did more than others, but many did more than me.

Hare scrambles are laps like Jason pointed out. Maybe 10 miles, maybe 30 miles like in Carvr's area. But it is a sprint race, not a pace race like an enduro. The Hare lasts 1 and 1/2 hours. Who ever crosses the start finish line with the most laps after 1 and 1/2 hours wins. So try and cross the line just before the 1 1/2 hour mark so you get scored an additional lap. The way to tell who you compete against in your class is by the color of your # plate and the color of the numbers. Backgrounds and # colors designate what class you are in. No use beating yourself to pass someone who's not in your class, right? Coast behind them until someone in your class catches you, pass the guy leading you and let him run block as you then catch up to the next guy who can set a pace for you. That is, if you want to pace the race. When I ride a hare scramble it's full race speed for the full 1 1/2 hour except for gas stop. To prepare, carb up and hydrate or else when you hit the wall, (about 15 minutes in for me!!) you will have muscle cramps. Actually, I can keep the full tilt press on for the first hour, then it is my goal to make other riders in my class crash as they try and pass me. Yes, it's like roller derby that way. Anythng goes to pass a competitor. Just don't be in a hurry to remove your helmet at the end. Someone might want to poke you in the nose.

1 1/2 hours? Dang. I had to ride for 2 hours. GNCC's are 3 hours.

But that was on pavement, wasn't it Jason. This in the mountains on abandoned goat trails. Ha!!

But really, most scrambles are 2 hours, that's true. # of race classes may determine event duration.

Uhhh, yeah. Alabama is known for its paved hare scrambles and enduros.

I thought trails were against the law in CA.

They are. All races are now pirate races. Most are marked with skull and cross bones for course markers.

Alabama is not even well known for it's paved K-mart parking lots, let alone roads.