Nelson Rideouts - Where next?

[Woodman]

I bet you guys are jealous of me today, while you get to hoon around on trail bikes on an awesome track, I will be stacking wood whilst glancing occaisionally at my bike which is scattered all over the shed awaiting parts.
Yeah put that in your pipe and smoke it.

















BASTARDS

[A&R]

Right youse wusses...

There's going to be a "Trail Rider" class at the 4 X-Country races this season.
Starting off the back of the Juniors race and they're going to be 1 1/2 hour, non-competitive, no licence required and $30.

If you feel up to it then you can race the 2 or 3 hr afterwards for $notmuchmore (about $30 extra inc MNZ day licence).

The 4 stroke under 300cc class includes XR400, DRZ400, KLX400, DR350, TT350 etc.


3 rider teams as well. You all race and your points are added up...

3rd April for the first race...

This sounds good can make a trip up from Westport looks just about close enough. Where can I find more details Nordie? Have two kids on 85's and me on my kdx. Is this a race after or something? Couldn't find anything on silver bullet - my usual looking place. Do you have a SI list of events somewhere? Silver bullet tends to be mainly Ni events.

[warewolf]

Where can I find more details Nordie?

Nelson Motor Cycle Club website: nmcc.org.nz.

The club runs a 4-round cross-country series each year - plus the 6 hour. The dates are up on the calendar but not much else. Nordie's bro Shane is organising the XCs hence he may have info ahead of wider publication.

[topo]

You boy's just missed the best laidback i've ever done! great track with some flowing sections that even made me look like i could ride

What's the story padmei?

[Padmei]

Coming to vimeo near you....

[Padmei]

Is it usual to have the smell of Catrol R (or whatever it is) burnt into the nostril hairs? I swear everything around me smalls like it.

[Padmei]

Ok the story so far as the video gets uploaded to Vimeo.

I trailer trashed it out to Lamb valley, an hour south of Nelson. Arriving at the first pits it seemed like not many people were turning up - oh well...
A very angry official on a quad roared around telling everybody they were late & to keep left on the road...okaaaay...

Further up the road was the real pits that was chocka block. I paid the $40 & got instructions of the course. The official told me the first hill was the worst (the long dry one on the video). I waited & watched a few guys race up - didn't seem that bad. I got up piece of cake really.

After going up a few more rises & down some chutes I realised that the official mustn't have ridden this course as there were quite a few worse knarly bits. On the website it is advertised as a family friendly route - WTF? The only family I'd send in there would be my in-laws. Catching up to a few dads & daughters on lil wheels I was impressed with the way they were cruising the slopes & over obstacles at their own pace.

There were many shortish steep dry clay rises hidden around corners & a quick twist of throttle was needed to get a bit of momentum up. Luckily the berms helped with line selection & acceleration outof the corners.

I was riding my new to me KLX400 & was impressed with the bottom end torque. I had on a new dual purpose tyre which was adequate due to it's sharp edges however a fresh knobbly would have saved me a few moments of grief. The suspension seemed pretty harsh so some playing around should either help or totally stuff it up.

Some parts were extremely boggy. Before fording a river on the 2nd lap I spotted a bike stuck in the huge mud bog that the A graders were to follow. Good pic I thought. When I zoomed in, the familiar red & white TT looked well stuck.
Mwahahahaaha oh heavens above could it be true? The mighty Nordieboy was making like a elephant in the mudholes.
Not wanting to miss a minute of this I took a few shots & short vid before helping him get the sodden swamp monster out. Nordie wimpered a bit when he noticed a spot of mud on his boot - nevermind about me thigh deep in poo

After a breather he took off as I went on the more sensible B grade route. Now the track was marked with 2 orange arrows for the A grade & a very close coloured red arrow for the rest. I rode past Nordie & the one arrow showing the direction of the track to land plop in another bog WTF? This wasn't there on the last lap!! Nordie got revenge with the video camera as I tried to get out. Seems that one of the A grade arrows had fallen off the post causing a bit of confusion.

Onwards & upwards the track flowed. There were some dust clouded descents with me riding on the very weak back brake, scared of face planting. Some parts of the track really had me out of my comfort level & pondering if I was actually enjoying it.

Luckily there were only two places that worried me. Both bogs with steep ascents after them. Nordie helped me up both of them & in turn I helped the next poor barstards get up.
The comradarie experienced was fickle. There were those that would give encouragement & a push (& give Nordie some fuel for the trip home) while there were also a large number of cocks Some dick tried to pass a line of us riding patiently behind a father/ kid duo & ended up riding off the track ending up sumped out on a pile of branches - if I was closer I'd have pushed the lil prick over the bank.

Halfway thru the 2nd lap Nordie & I changed bikes. Frickme I'm glad noone had a helmet cam on them as I couldn't get control of the TTs front end. There were bloody limbs flying all over the place as I tried to hang on while the bike made full use of the track Eventually my arms & legs got tired from being flung in a weird Scottish dance & settled down to their proper positions & I crusied back to the pits for a well earned sandwich.

Time was running out so the third lap would be a quickie. The stars must have aligned themselves & I ran that loop reasonably effortlessly. I had an off in a usual spot, catching the inside of the rut with the front tyre. I was learning to use the throttle to get out of trouble & it was working.

There was a shoulder height ramp on the back half of the course which I hit pretty confidently, got some good air & hardly even felt the landing - nice

I felt a lot better after the 3rd lap & left the pits for the cruise home feeling tired yet satisfied. I will be honest & say that parts of the track scared the crap out of me I wondered if I was getting too old for this carry on - a nice cafe run oin the airhead seems much more civilised

As far as doing the cross country races this season - I'll think about it. Today wasn't as easy as I thought it'd be & the idea of having some meatheads roosting me as they fly by doesn't really appeal at the mo. Still I may forget that in a few weeks...

[NordieBoy]

I find I have less meathead roosting moments in races.

The Trail Rider class goes off just after the juniors and you shouldn't really be lapped.

I'd be tempted to do that one and pootle around the main race with the camera.

[NordieBoy]

Nordie got revenge with the video camera as I tried to get out. Seems that one of the A grade arrows had fallen off the post causing a bit of confusion.

Arrow fallen off?

Halfway thru the 2nd lap Nordie & I changed bikes. Frickme I'm glad noone had a helmet cam on them as I couldn't get control of the TTs front end. There were bloody limbs flying all over the place as I tried to hang on while the bike made full use of the track Eventually my arms & legs got tired from being flung in a weird Scottish dance & settled down to their proper positions & I crusied back to the pits for a well earned sandwich.

Having a front end that's predictable is over rated in my opinion.

A knobbly on the back of the KLX would have made a hell of a difference.

[Padmei]

Having a front end that's predictable is over rated in my opinion.

.

The frontend was predictable- I wasn't

[NordieBoy]

The frontend was predictable- I wasn't

Yes you were

[NordieBoy]

The courier just dropped off my new front brake pads
Could have done with them yesterday though

Now for some rear shoes...
The pedal had a lot more movement than it did before yesterday.
Dirty water in there and a heavy footed rider will do that though.

Did you know you can get grooved racing shoes for an AG100 farm bike

[Padmei]

Ok I admit it - I'm a pussy.

If you watch to where they are all waiting,you may wonder why they don't all say "Hey what about we get a few guys together & lift the bikes instead of drowning them individually?"

Amazing location but bloody scary

[NordieBoy]

Meh.
This is gnarlier...

[NordieBoy]

If you watch to where they are all waiting,you may wonder why they don't all say "Hey what about we get a few guys together & lift the bikes instead of drowning them individually?"

Amazing location but bloody scary

Use a KTM 65cc and carry it.