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2010 Shenandoah 500, Mt. Solon VA - 10/2 & 10/3

Want to go for a DAMN Ride? So do we! :whoop:
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Bucho
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Re: 2010 Shenandoah 500, Mt. Solon VA - 10/2 & 10/3

Post by Bucho »

So by the middle of the afternoon, the group was down to Patrick, Sam, and I. We finally came to the Hero section. We went for it.

Here is the start.
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But first we take a quick break and Patrick calls into work and tells them he is still sick and wont be into work.
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Sam ducks under a log.
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A tough section w/ a couple of riders watching people struggle.
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A tough uphill corner that is much harder then it looks.
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After this it was just a short and extremely cold ride back to the camp. We finished the day around 6pm. We were all beat and ready to go home.
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Re: 2010 Shenandoah 500, Mt. Solon VA - 10/2 & 10/3

Post by Rut Row »

Early when we still had energy. This was a nice overlook after the first really rocky stretch. We were stoked that we made it and had a good idea of what we could do with the Wasp.

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Things I learned about trail riding on the Wasp...
1) Either slow down in creek crossings or tell passenger to wear wet suit under riding gear
2) ALWAYS take spare passengers! They wear out quickly...
3) Carry a spare tow strap
4) To be a proficient driver, one must be able to drive, brake and keep the motor running simultaneously whist going down knarly off camber loose rock hill
5) Avoid steep driver-side off camber sections unless you want to slide down the camber

so, the rest of the story. As Bucho said, we used a diesel pony motor to start it in the AM. Wingfixer towed us! When the CR500 is cold is is tough to start. However, once warmed up, it bump started most of the time. We became proficient at stopping at the top of hills

Uphill rocky stretches took some practice and with a lot of reassurance from Bucho, I started attacking them. It is amazing the amount of power that the CR500 puts out. We were flying up some of them and I pity anyone behind us - we were flinging some boulders out the back. The hack shock is intentionally soft and I always wondered if I had it setup correctly after the rebuild - and now I know - it is! Bucho said at speed, the hack would float over the rocks and he barely felt them. Going slow he says was rough.

Downhill wasn't too bad except for the really rocky off-camber stuff. I have new creases in the seat leather. It might have been easier if I wasn't so worried about keeping the motor running.

The rocky ledge Bucho mentioned took out a few bikes so I didn't feel too bad not making it. Even the bypass was a tough route but when the CR got into the pipe, LOOK OUT - we romped up through it.

The creeks looked a lot like this

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and these stretches of the trail were fun - I could have used more... :lol2:

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A good ride and lots of fun it was! :thumbup:
Ken
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Re: 2010 Shenandoah 500, Mt. Solon VA - 10/2 & 10/3

Post by Boom Boom »

Was that ATV section part of last years ride? :shrug:
I remember seeing it and thinking it looked like fun but did not see it on the route sheet.
Congrats to Ken and Phil for making a full day on the Wasp, my legs hurt just thinking about it. :thumbup:
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Re: 2010 Shenandoah 500, Mt. Solon VA - 10/2 & 10/3

Post by Bucho »

Can't say if it was part of last years or not. But you probably would have liked it. About the only part that would have challenged you at all. I think alot of us would have liked it better if it wasn't basically at the end of the day on Sunday when we were all pretty wore out. Though the 300 got me through everything on the first try! I was pretty happy w/ it.
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Re: 2010 Shenandoah 500, Mt. Solon VA - 10/2 & 10/3

Post by Grreatdog »

Seven times I rode this event and never had a flat. So I switched from centerstand to sidestand for this ride. I should have known better. I started Saturday with a front flat on the first trail. Two guys from Baltimore helped me grunt the LC4 up on some rocks. So I stuck with them the rest of the ride since they were pretty fast.

I rode to town Saturday night, to breakfast Sunday morning and to the Sunday riders meeting with no trouble. But then had a front blowout braking for the stop sign just over the bridge leaving the campground. I did an ISDE speed tire change back at my camp site and a sweep rider led me to Reddish Knob to get back ahead of the flags.

So I rode Sunday like a hare scrambles race alone. It was a little hairy riding that hard alone knowing nobody was behind me except sweep riders. After I passed a bunch of people I relaxed a little and caught back up to the guys I started with by lunch. I was glad for the Dual Sport Armory guys or I would have been out of tubes and CO2.

Next year I am adding a patch kit and hand pump to my flat tire stuff. And I am putting the centerstand back on the bike.

And thanks for letting me join y'all around the fire. It was good to have some company.
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Re: 2010 Shenandoah 500, Mt. Solon VA - 10/2 & 10/3

Post by Wingfixer »

It was a great weekend! NVTR put on a great event, it was well organized with a great route that was well laid out. I think there was only one turn that I missed because of marking, there was a few I missed 'cause I was busy :roost: ing.

My turn in the hack was a blast for the 15 or so miles I rode in it. I can say it is a real workout and I have no idea how Bucho held in for the 130+ miles he was in. At one point we had stopped for a nav check and Bucho walked over and just collapsed on the grass, to be followed shortly by Kyler. That was when I took over for the rest of that leg until the lunch stop.

There where tons of good roads, water crossings, rocks and gravel but at the end of the day (weekend) we now know who the real DAMN HEROS are! Only three riders attempted and finished the "AA Hero" section; Phil (Bucho) Sam (BigBird) and myself. :gdog: I was reminded, again, why I want a Reckluse for the DRZ.

I was so busy rinding I only took two pictures all weekend, both crappy cell phone pics.

One of my favorite times:

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Chillin' by the camp fire.

Toilet accommodations on the road:

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It was good to see all the guys again, I am looking forward to the next one!!
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Re: 2010 Shenandoah 500, Mt. Solon VA - 10/2 & 10/3

Post by the dude himself »

Had a great time, minus getting bar-tagged 30 minutes in by some Asshat. I ran into some old friends at the riders meeting, and when I turned around the whole DAMN group was gone, so I rode with my buddies watching for the DAMN jerseys. We were turned away from the first option - there was a pretty decent backup forming at this point behind the tree. Not 10 minutes later some asshat tried to pass me on a steep downhill and ran himself off the side of the trail. He kept it upright, but just barely. Then his buddy came around me (I was going ~50) and tagged my left bar and pinky with his bike. Lesson learned - hands stay inside the barkbusters unless riding on road. I went down and cartwheeled once before sliding to a stop off the trail. The guy came back to see the carnage, but never offered an apology and took off before I was cleared to ride by the NVTR staff.

Lunch, that was the BEST food I've ever had on any kind of ride. I ate so much I had to take a quick nap under the bike before continuing on.

The afternoon I started to run out of steam mentally and physically. The 950 is a big bike, and as a dirt n00b I was pretty spent. I couldn't maintain the morning's pace and was pretty roughed up by going slow over the rough stuff. Speed is definitely your friend. When I had a hard time dismounting at camp I decided to head home early - Sunday would not have been fun in the shape I was in. I left around 7, and by 7:30 I was in my full rain gear with my thermarest wrapped around my torso to stay warm. The thermometer on my zipper showed 39 when I stopped for gas. Took a long lukewarm shower compliments of a broken mixing valve, and found a lot more bruising than I was expecting. Karen was excited to spend Sunday with me but I ruined my surprise - she had almost finished painting my home office while I was gone. What an awesome wife!

Thanks to Jason for the ride down, WingFixer for the oil, Greg for the advice, and NVTR for the awesome event. I think I'll sign up for just one day of the Hammer or Meteor, although the jury's still out on which one to ride.
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Re: 2010 Shenandoah 500, Mt. Solon VA - 10/2 & 10/3

Post by OTTO »

Bucho wrote:The ac
Here is a group picture, but somehow Sam/BigBird was messing w/ his bike or something and isn't in it.
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lk.
I'm still kinda new here so I don't know to may names. Can anyone tell me if they know about the condition of the center rider(flip'in teh bird) in this Pic. He went down near Rt33. He was in alot of pain with trouble breathing. It took us a good hour and a half to get him to EMT's thanks to some local Jeepers.

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Re: 2010 Shenandoah 500, Mt. Solon VA - 10/2 & 10/3

Post by trialsrider »

Whats that crap in front of the log? Did you guys build a ramp? :dry: This is off road riding, no ramps allowed :nono:

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Greg
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Sam had a slight bobble, but kept it on two wheels.
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Rut Row
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Re: 2010 Shenandoah 500, Mt. Solon VA - 10/2 & 10/3

Post by Rut Row »

trialsrider wrote:Whats that crap in front of the log? Did you guys build a ramp? :dry: This is off road riding, no ramps allowed :nono:
the ramp was there when we got to it. The course marshall made it I think. Bucho and I, being purists, refused to modify the lay of the land and left it undisturbed.
Ken
Die young as late as possible, remember who you were before the world told you how it should be. -- Barry Morris
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