Tips for a newbie desert racer....

[Greg]

Seems like we have a growing community of moto racers and a handful of guys that have been doing it a long time... it's no secret that I'm making the Sage Riders Enduro in mid-September my first race. My background has always been trail riding, the more technical the better. I'm not really comfortable riding balls-out thru the desert... so I have some work to do.

I figured with the guys that have just gotten into racing and the seasoned vets could share some tips & trick of racing... I have a lot of questions, feel free to add any info that may be important!



So, how important is dust control? I realize there will be all kinds of classes of racers and there will be lots of dust in the air. Does the air become bad enough at times that breathing without inhaling massive amounts of dust is impossible? And how about vision, are tear-offs for goggles a good investment?

I'm planning on adding a neck brace to my safety gear, but don't want to go all out on an expensive Leatt. I saw the EVS RC2 Race Collar and seem to think it'll do the job while not being too constrictive or breaking the bank, costing only $40. I think it will keep me safe if I get cut off and pile the bike up at speed. - http://www.allsportprotection.com/E...fs-AHYcTP_fOlVeIFg9lS7OBQSIag9MNn4aAgPa8P8HAQ

How about tools... do you carry tools and what do you take? Trail riding I take quite a bit, but would like to slim down what I have on my for a race... but still want to be prepared.


And lastly, hydration... sounds like this race will be 60 miles. I usually ride with a Ogio Flight Vest w/ a water bladder, but will leaving it behind for less weight. Should I bring along a small CamelBak to stay hydrated? Or just roll with the Flight Vest, carrying minimal tools and water?

 

[djgardner]

People will have different opinions on all this...but here is where I stand:

On tools...I care very very few, IF I carry anything (which isn't often)...8, 10, and 12 mm open end wrenches, and a couple allen wrenches, and that's it. (Some guys carry tire irons, extra tubes, etc. but I don't.)

On hydration...you'll need lots of water. I don't know what the ogio flight vest is...but you'll need at least SOMETHING with water in it.

On food...I carry a couple powerbars, and some other odds and ends (most notably Ibuprofen) things just in case I have a DNF. If you DNF, you could be sitting out there for a while-like hours and hours (Like I did at the Wendover race this weekend). So it's nice to have a little food (and water). Plus, I carry the ibuprofen in case I hurt myself...may as well numb the pain while waiting for some help.

I run tear-offs...but I feel incredibly guilty every time I pull one and drop it on the ground. So I do it as little as possible, and try and only do it at check points (hand it to a course worker) and in the pits, so I'm not littering all over the place. I wear Klim riding gear, which has a pocket and I try and stuff the old tear offs in my pocket...but, at speed, and with gloves on, it's not very effective. But not being able to see is dangerous, so I do it when I have to.

I don't currently wear a neck brace, but to each his own on that. Wear as much protective gear as you feel like you need. I wear the Fox Titan body armor...and won't ride without it...rather than a traditional over the jersey chest protector.

It gets so dusty you will be breathing massive amounts of dust (unless you are a fast guy like Paul, then you are kicking up the dust everyone else is breathing). It's just part of desert racing...

Other tips:

Pace yourself (your first race is a reliability endure so that won't be a problem, but in traditional hare and hound/Hare Scrambles this is important.)
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate...starting NO LESS than a week before the race (preferably two) I drink a gallon of water a day.
Have fun
Take mental notes on things you can improve on for the next race.

 

[Deleted member 12904]

So a couple weeks ago I crashed really hard. I was wearing the atlas neck brace DJ helped me get and it worked amazing! I had some good sized bruises on my chest and back but I could actually feel the shock transfer as my head broke my fall. So that's all the feedback I have on neck braces.

 

[djgardner]

So a couple weeks ago I crashed really hard. I was wearing the atlas neck brace DJ helped me get and it worked amazing! I had some good sized bruises on my chest and back but I could actually feel the shock transfer as my head broke my fall. So that's all the feedback I have on neck braces.

That's great! I'm glad that I had a small part in saving your life.

 

[Gravy]

It's going to be dusty, no way around it. The best way to get used to it is to ride with somebody fast and just stick in their dust until you get used to it.

I have tearoffs but never used them yet. I mostly just wipe my lenses with my soft gloves.

I carry a limited amount of tools and a powerbar and peanuts.

You'll be fine, just pace yourself and try to be consistent and avoid mistakes, even if that means waiting on a pass.

Wear all you pads and have fun!