A long, long weekend
Posted: 10:09 am Aug 04 2021
In Canada we have a holiday on the first Monday of August.
And in tune with the long weekend, comes two day race events. Although they were treated as two separate races, with no overall weekend title to be had.
I packed up Friday morning, got my second vaccination then headed to the race.
They parked us in a gravel pit, and I would have to ride to the start. It was fine for me, but it would mean a 25/30 minute walk for anyone wanting to watch.
The Saturday we ran the course backwards of the year prior. Although that didn't mean anything to me, other riders liked the change. Sunday we were to run the opposite way.
The course was unbelievably rocky. I had never ridden on terrain like it before. 8"-10" rocks some would stay put, others would bounce and move under you.
This weekend was easily the most difficult time I've ever spent on a dirtbike. I completed two laps before going down and bruising my knee on the frame and my elbow on some rocks. It was my sixth time dropping the bike, and I decided that I would safe myself and the bike for another day and decided to pull off. I believe that getting my second vaccination made me more tired and that contributed to my energy levels.
After getting back to the truck I loaded up the bike and decided that I wasn't going to race Sunday. My knee had swollen up some, and I don't wear knee pads (well I didn't, that's changing now).
Saturday night we got about an inch of rain.
Sunday came around and I was feeling very energetic and surprisingly not very sore. So, I unloaded the bike and got ready for the race. I discovered that they weren't going to change the direction of the course, they instead made it 1km shorter and added a river section about 50' long. After your second lap they opened a small dam and let more water through. I felt better riding, although my lap times were slower. It also took me longer to get comfortable on the bike. I completed two and a half laps before hitting a tree and breaking a toe.
The beginning of this video shows the river at low water. Skip to the end and you'll see the river at high water, you'll also find a clip of a pro being good at riding dirtbikes, and when I broke my toe.
And in tune with the long weekend, comes two day race events. Although they were treated as two separate races, with no overall weekend title to be had.
I packed up Friday morning, got my second vaccination then headed to the race.
They parked us in a gravel pit, and I would have to ride to the start. It was fine for me, but it would mean a 25/30 minute walk for anyone wanting to watch.
The Saturday we ran the course backwards of the year prior. Although that didn't mean anything to me, other riders liked the change. Sunday we were to run the opposite way.
The course was unbelievably rocky. I had never ridden on terrain like it before. 8"-10" rocks some would stay put, others would bounce and move under you.
This weekend was easily the most difficult time I've ever spent on a dirtbike. I completed two laps before going down and bruising my knee on the frame and my elbow on some rocks. It was my sixth time dropping the bike, and I decided that I would safe myself and the bike for another day and decided to pull off. I believe that getting my second vaccination made me more tired and that contributed to my energy levels.
After getting back to the truck I loaded up the bike and decided that I wasn't going to race Sunday. My knee had swollen up some, and I don't wear knee pads (well I didn't, that's changing now).
Saturday night we got about an inch of rain.
Sunday came around and I was feeling very energetic and surprisingly not very sore. So, I unloaded the bike and got ready for the race. I discovered that they weren't going to change the direction of the course, they instead made it 1km shorter and added a river section about 50' long. After your second lap they opened a small dam and let more water through. I felt better riding, although my lap times were slower. It also took me longer to get comfortable on the bike. I completed two and a half laps before hitting a tree and breaking a toe.
The beginning of this video shows the river at low water. Skip to the end and you'll see the river at high water, you'll also find a clip of a pro being good at riding dirtbikes, and when I broke my toe.