Suzuki 4 hour 22/8/09

[flyingcr250]

whos planning on doing this one? im trying to do as many of these events as i can this year.

http://www.epicevents.co.nz/page/40-Taupo-4-hour

[cheese]

Yeah i was thinking about the 6 hour, but It must have been already. Dam it. I seriously need to do some fitness before any race. I might just do the dead toad

[Shorty_925]

6 hourin Hawkes Bay is in October, first saturday of the month.

[flyingcr250]

Yeah i was thinking about the 6 hour, but It must have been already. Dam it. I seriously need to do some fitness before any race. I might just do the dead toad

whens the dead toad?

[camchain]

whens the dead toad?
Years going fast, Dead Toad just around the corner - August 16: http://www.waitematamcc.co.nz/events2.php?recordID=158

Anyone from here do it last year?

[chop]

Years going fast, Dead Toad just around the corner - August 16: http://www.waitematamcc.co.nz/events2.php?recordID=158

Anyone from here do it last year?


Yep i did....... great event

[secondfield]

That theiving bugger Reader is charging 95$ per rider for his shitty race.

What a pirate....

Oh - the winner gets $1000 prize money. Only ten guys should enter.

[xen]

Maaate you get 2 free tui's tho!

Hmmm might do dead toad, but what about the pussy pounder ride?

[B0000M]

That theiving bugger Reader is charging 95$ per rider for his shitty race.

What a pirate....

Oh - the winner gets $1000 prize money. Only ten guys should enter.

well thats $5 less than the tarawera 100.

and only $60 more than an ordinary epic event, which are always epic

[secondfield]

Maaate you get 2 free tui's tho!

Christ' thats insulting.

Rather piss in a cup and drink it. Probably stronger too.


well thats $5 less than the tarawera 100.

That's a true classic though - once a year, damn tough and they probably donate to charity(?)


which are always epic

Your kidding right?

Nah, Im being a bit cynical here now ..;)

[B0000M]

Christ' thats insulting.

Rather piss in a cup and drink it. Probably stronger too.



That's a true classic though - once a year, damn tough and they probably donate to charity(?)



Your kidding right?

Nah, Im being a bit cynical here now ..;)

im pretty sure ttbrc doesnt donate - but i could be wrong
epic is a business. it has full time staff. i support what they do, but at the same time their rides are expensive.
yes, tui is shit

[flyingcr250]

just finished my entry form, gunna iron-man it, i hope i know what im doing ha ha ha

[vazza]

$100 each? Geez. Thats an expensive weekend. Would probably cost me at least $300 to do the race. Might give this one a miss, considering theres the deadtoad on the 16th, and the woodhill 2man on the 30th.

[flyingcr250]

$100 each? Geez. Thats an expensive weekend. Would probably cost me at least $300 to do the race. Might give this one a miss, considering theres the deadtoad on the 16th, and the woodhill 2man on the 30th.

yea im doing those two aswell:blink:

[vazza]

Pay for me and ill go!!! :P!

[tommorth]

was thinking bout it but ain't payn near on a100buck for a arvos ride plus driving all the way down there
free sports for me this weekend going to atemp some scateboarding

looking forward to the dead toad though even went to the gym today

[flyingcr250]

Pay for me and ill go!!! :P!

ha ha ha i got van repairs to pay for.

[Armitage Shanks]

$100 each? Geez. Thats an expensive weekend. Would probably cost me at least $300 to do the race. Might give this one a miss, considering theres the deadtoad on the 16th, and the woodhill 2man on the 30th.

Any room for me and my KX500 to squeeze in ? Giving it some serious thought and, my thoughts only ( have'nt told the Missus ( ....:whocares:

[jt119]

ha ha ha i got van repairs to pay for.you got room for both bikes

[vazza]

Ahh looks like im gonna do it lol.

[flyingcr250]

Ahh looks like im gonna do it lol.

ha ha ha, i dunno if im doing the dead toad, but ive already paid for the 4 hour so i cant back out lol

[vazza]

deadtoad will be amazing, dont miss that one bro!

[flyingcr250]

deadtoad will be amazing, dont miss that one bro!

yea fuck it you talked me back into it. :scooter:

[vazza]

Is this an enduro or XC?

Cant seem to work it out on their page.

[flyingcr250]

looks like im heading down by myself now, who else is actually going to this??

[vazza]

Yeh im all paid up

[flyingcr250]

Is this an enduro or XC?

Cant seem to work it out on their page.

they said it was an endurance race

[flyingcr250]

they said it was an endurance race

just got this email from nick reader

Suzuki Four Hour - 22 August 2009
News item - 12 August 2009
By Nick Reader

The Suzuki 4 hour track is looking fantastic. The tracks have been bulldozed very carefully and have had a level bar dragged over them 3 times to make a great riding surface. Plus we got a 4WD to compact the whole track! It is going to take some punishment so we have given it the full treatment!

Here is how a lap will go. Shot gun start, 300m straight, left turn, down into the first MX section, back past pit lane, into the 2nd MX section and then into the forest. 3km of pumice roads are next with chances to pass. Then enter the first real bush section which goes for 5km in and out of small gulleys, heaps of flow, across the road to the 8km mark, into the 'fridge door' section which has some nice 4th gear forestry tracks mixed with 3rd gear flowing trail, drop into 'sandy gulley' and get on the gas (this will get bermed and whooped I reckon), up beside the native bush and don't overshoot into the water reservoir!!!, over Roto a kui road to drop into the 'Jumps' track (don't over jump), wind down to the douglas fir track at about the 16km mark for some roller coaster action, across Kiri Kiri road, then up the other side onto more roller coaster style tracks (3rd to 4th gear), the farm edge appear on your left and you are almost home. Through the fence and into the 2km MX grass track where you make like Townley and strut your MX skills. Across the finish line and now should you pit or not?? Would be a bummer to run out of gas.

The track is around 25km with some minor changes in length possible. We think this will take a fast rider about 30 minutes.

We have 150 entries so far which is great. I am sure we will get pretty close to 250 riders lining up 22 August.

[vazza]

Flip so keen. Dunno about the MX though. I have like 0 MX experience haha. Cant jump! LOL

[camchain]

Nick Reader's on to it with that sort of promo. Any dirt biker worth his salt will be salivating after reading that. Entry fee not chump change but look at all the work that's going into the event. Good on him.

[tommorth]

thats a great write up if it was local i'd be doing it but i'm to poor /lazy

[xen]

thats a great write up if it was local i'd be doing it but i'm to poor /lazy

me 2 :( :(

[flyingcr250]

sooooo keeeen!

Suzuki Four Hour Tips for Novices

By Nick Reader - 14 August 2009


A four hour race can be a bit daunting if it is your first competition so here are some tips to help make your race day go well.


Training

There are only 7 days to go so it will be tough to get any decent fitness gains from now.

If possible you should try to ride or race this weekend and give your body a good workout.

If you are doing the Suzuki 4 hour as an individual then ride for 4.5 hours this weekend at 90% max pace with only very short breaks in between refueling. This will help your fitness, bike skills, mental concentration, confidence and mental toughness.

If riding as a team, then ride the duration that you will ride on the day. Ie Ride for 1 hour then have 1 hour off. Or 20 30 minutes on and 30 off. But make sure you do 2 hours of riding total.

The week leading up to the race should only involve a small amount of training. Ie 1-2 30 minutes sessions - either running, swimming or mountain biking etc at about 90% effort. The reality is that you will be busy at nights preparing your bike and packing your gear so you won't have much spare time.

What ever you do, you must have 2 complete days of rest before the event so you have heaps of energy on the day.

Bike preparation

It has to last the distance so you need to show your bike some love. Check over everything basic like nuts and bolts, oil, coolant levels etc. Use loctite on the important bolts including seat bolts.
Use an O Ring chain and steel sprockets otherwise your chain will stretch and maybe come off.
Fit some decent hand guards preferably with an alloy insert. A rock or tree might hurt your hand or bend your bars and hand guards might prevent this. Acerbis are the market leader for hand guards.
If you ride a MX bike, maybe gear it up a little to mellow out the power delivery and increase the top speed. Often one tooth on the front is the cheapest and best option.

Your suspension will take a hammering over this race as the bumps develop. As a minimum, make sure your bikes static and rider sag are correct and that your fork clamps are mounted on the forks at the right height to balance the suspension. You don't want 30mm of the fork sticking out the top of the clamps because this gives the bike head shake and could spit you over the bars at speed! Your suspension should have had a service no more than 5-10 hours ago so that it can do its job. There is still time to call Richie at Moto SR. 07 3080310.

Tools

Just take the very basics with you (2-3 Allan keys, 10mm, 8mm etc) and not a full tool belt. You should be able to limp back to the pits with a flat tyre and change it there. You don't want the weight of a full tool belt.

Fuel

The lap is exactly 25km. Can you do 2 laps or just 1 before refueling? Know how many minutes your bike can do at race pace. Then get your pit crew to time your first lap then you will know if 2 laps are possible. If in doubt, fuel every lap.

Goggles

I rate roll off systems as they give multi clear views. Ironman riders should have 1-2 spare sets if you can afford it.

Starts

It will be a start with a dead engine and hands on the rear mudguard. Practice until you get 10 in a row perfect. Does your bike start well with ¼ or full throttle? Does your bike start in gear EVERY TIME? Do you select 2nd or 1st off the start line? Stay calm, be methodical and get your weight forward when you accelerate.
Novices can start on the back row for a low stress start.
If you get a bad start, look well ahead and try to pick a way though any possible crashes. The first 4km is pretty open so there will be chances to pass.

Mind power

Concentration is critical to riding fast and safe. Develop some key words and talk to yourself during the race. My words used to be, stand up, look ahead, early gas, attack.
If you get a rubbish start, stay calm and positive. It is a long race and you do have time to make up positions.

Body fuel

You need energy and hydration on the day. Get some good carbohydrate foods into you the week before and especially the day before the event. You know the good stuff, pasta, potatoes etc. Plus get some fluid in you. You know you are hydrated if your urine is clear. On the day use a sports drink that has sugars, some electrolytes etc. Don't worry if you are a bit nervous and don't feel like eating the day of the event. Just have a banana or muslea bar, but still drink.

Wear a CamelBak. Individuals will need 2-3 litres. Even if you are riding as a team, wear a CamelBak all day because you need to rehydrate in between stints on the bike. Put a diluted energy drink in the reservoir because you will need some sugar.

Stay calm

Be 100% organized for the event so you are not rushing on the morning.



Focus

If you are a team rider, keep track of time so you are not surprised by your team mate flying into the pits to find you with no helmet on or not read to refuel. Remember this is a team sport.

Team riders and laps

Most average riders will ride 2 laps each for their first stint then drop to 1 lap each after the 2 hour mark due to fatigue.

Riding tips

The Suzuki 4 hour track has a mix of fast pumice roads old logging tracks and tighter bush sections.

On the faster pumice roads you should be able to sit down and get on the gas, but it often pays to be standing so you can react to upcoming obstacles (water ruts etc)

The old logging tracks might get rough so you will need to stand up over the bumps, keeping your weight slightly to the rear of the bike and grip the seat with your knees.

The tighter bush sections can be ridden seated or standing. There will be heaps of berms I reckon and not many ruts. For berm turns, choose a line that gets you onto the berm early, lean with the bike into the inside of the turn then get on the gas early and smooth. Look to the exit and stay with the berm (don't turn to the inside and fall off the berm)

The track will get rough towards the 2nd half of the race so a strong standing riding position will be required. You can lean back and try and skim across the whoops, but this does take quite a bit of energy. Look for smooth lines on the extreme left and right of the track, but take care that you don't strike a stick or rock.

Try to ride smooth to save energy. Sit down where you can get away with it to conserve energy.

Look well ahead always to pick lines and keep up the speed.

Enjoy it

[flyingcr250]

:spanking:i hope this one goes better for me:spanking:

[theblacksmith]

looks like im heading down by myself now, who else is actually going to this??

Are you doing this solo or with a team mate?
A mate of mine is pulling out I think.

[vazza]

Will be an epic weekend. 3hour deadtoad was hard enough! This will be death! keen as =)

[flyingcr250]

Are you doing this solo or with a team mate?
A mate of mine is pulling out I think.

gunna iron man it:niceone:

[flyingcr250]

woooohooo!! $382 to fix my bent rear wheel, boy this 4 hour better be woth it lol

[theblacksmith]

woooohooo!! $382 to fix my bent rear wheel, boy this 4 hour better be woth it lol

Fark! Im glad I fix my own shit or my hobby would be stamp collecting probably!

[theblacksmith]

gunna iron man it:niceone:
Good on ya mate - I shall see you there. Im in a team and racing on a KTM 520. Should be good fun. Flick us a text mate - be good to meet up at last.
0210 222 3696

[flyingcr250]

Good on ya mate - I shall see you there. Im in a team and racing on a KTM 520. Should be good fun. Flick us a text mate - be good to meet up at last.
0210 222 3696

yea man will do.
im gettn all keen for this thing:2guns: