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micheaux dual sport
micheaux dual sport
Is any one going to this ride, ridden it before ? This will be my first organised dual sport event. I was wondering how the ride will be run? The flyer says it is 150 miles long. The longest I have done on a bike is about 80 miles. This was all dirt, no roads. What is the terrain like in that part of PA.
Re: micheaux dual sport
when is it? got a URL?
I've been there. it is 99% dirt/gravel roads. You aren't supposed to run the power lines but some do.
I've been there. it is 99% dirt/gravel roads. You aren't supposed to run the power lines but some do.
Ken
Die young as late as possible, remember who you were before the world told you how it should be. -- Barry Morris
Die young as late as possible, remember who you were before the world told you how it should be. -- Barry Morris
Re: micheaux dual sport
Michaux is a great run and the only time of the year you can legally ride the good stuff they have. It is rocky, believe the roll chart, if it say "A" level it will be brutal for the average rider and sure death for those not used to rocks.
Any of the C level trails are ridable by anyone with a dirt bike, and the main course can be riden on Adv. type bikes. Make sure the bike is legal, Mark and Skippy are two hard working guys that do a great job every year.
Its August 10th but is pre sign only and usually fills up quick. I may still go but twisted my ankle this weekend and might not be up for it.
Any of the C level trails are ridable by anyone with a dirt bike, and the main course can be riden on Adv. type bikes. Make sure the bike is legal, Mark and Skippy are two hard working guys that do a great job every year.
Its August 10th but is pre sign only and usually fills up quick. I may still go but twisted my ankle this weekend and might not be up for it.
Re: micheaux dual sport
heres a write up i did for the 05 Michaux DS
After consulting “The Book of Excuses” I concluded that soaring fuel costs, forecasted temps in the 90s*, a stick in place of clutch lever bolt and a wore out rear knobbie (plus a few other issues) did not exempt me from a killer event like Michaux Dual Sport. Twelve miles west of Gettysburg, PA, in Michaux State Forest it is touted as America’s Oldest Dual Sport.
The warm temperature allowed me to convince myself that riding my bike there would be a fun choice. After getting enjoyably lost somewhere between Falls Rd. and Cordoras State Park, I finally made it to the start, fashionably late as usual, around 10:30ish. The sweep crew had already left but one lone soul was left behind to pull arrows, when he gave me the “go ahead” that was all I needed. I swiftly accelerated away from Mr. Sweepcrew and on to the first A option (which I lied and promised to skip to get further ahead), a short ways into this trail I knew I had made a big mistake. A bunch of slippery ass rocks where 150 other bikes had already been, wrestling the XR628 thru there was quite a chore, made even worse by my general stature and a bald rear tire. After getting out of that section I had some doubts whether I would be doing many options that day. I catch my breath on some easy fire road and trail sections then fool myself into another Option section. This goes much better, the section is drier, traction is good, 2nd -3rd gear stuff, now this is getting fun.
After a few navigational mistakes and rerunning a missed option section, I come across a lone older gentleman that ended up in a nasty A Option trail by mistake. Although in good shape and a confident rider, the 75 year old Jersey sand flea was admittedly out of his element in the PA rocks. Since there was no one else there or coming, I couldn’t just leave him, I ended up riding his XR250L through the rocky stuff so he could walk. A good mile walk back to the stuntbike and away I go. Once back on a main trail he was fine, I was back to playing catch up with anybody, and hopefully make lunch. At lunch there were zero bikes, none, and the guys were just about finished wrapping up from the feast when I pulled in, Chubbie’s were kind enough to pull back out some pit ham and beans, they let me fill my camelback with ice and guzzle ½ gallon of tea before heading off to the AA Option right after lunch.
I thought the after lunch AA section was the best section of the day, handlebar tight, technical, enduro trails with lots of twisties and do or die sections, it would of not been fun with a bunch of C riders in the way but wide open it was a blast. Huffing and puffing from the woods work I pop out up the mountain on a fire road.
Just then a helmetless hero flies by sideways on a quad, as he was going my way I perused. Forgot to mention that I switched my fuel to Reserve back in the AA section, a few miles of hot pursuit and I remembered that too, as I drifted to a dead stop. Not even any fuel to slosh from the other side of the tank, When does it end? Thankfully it had been all uphill since lunch I turn around and drift back downhill, asking the only two people I see for gas, I finally make it back to the lunch stop, a mountain biker took pity on me and drove me to a gas station. Later I saw that I needed one more mile to make it to the gas stop. “Missed by that much.” Rest of day was pretty uneventful rode all the options except the last one when it started to storm pretty bad. Back to parking lot everybody gone except for the event holders and a long time dual sport rider/Vintage guy named Paul, we call him Double O 7. Shielded from the rain by a big pine I take a couple of swigs from 007’s plastic bottle of vodka (where is my beer man or bloody cooler?) and figure it is not going to get any drier and head home, but it does get drier, almost total dry by Falls Rd.
“If It Won’t Do That, I Don’t Want It” is what I kept telling myself all day, I said it as the XR628 pulled out for a Sunday morning hell ride to the 2005 Michaux Dual Sport. If It Won’t Do That, I Don’t Want It, as I passed each wheeled obstacle impeding my forward progression, oblivious of painted lines. If It Won’t Do That, I Don’t Want It while WFO, cringing at the rattle emitted by the runaway valve train I was on, wound flat out on boring sections of Whichever Rd. I repeated the mantra while being stung by oversized raindrops, I repeated it again as I wheelied out of a gas station down Lincoln’s Highway near Gettysburg, filling the 4 gallon fuel tank a third time. And I spewed it yet again as I pulled back into my shop, butt totally sore, hands totally numb, camelback totally empty and myself totally wiped out. Yet extremely pleased I did not bail on a beautiful day.
After consulting “The Book of Excuses” I concluded that soaring fuel costs, forecasted temps in the 90s*, a stick in place of clutch lever bolt and a wore out rear knobbie (plus a few other issues) did not exempt me from a killer event like Michaux Dual Sport. Twelve miles west of Gettysburg, PA, in Michaux State Forest it is touted as America’s Oldest Dual Sport.
The warm temperature allowed me to convince myself that riding my bike there would be a fun choice. After getting enjoyably lost somewhere between Falls Rd. and Cordoras State Park, I finally made it to the start, fashionably late as usual, around 10:30ish. The sweep crew had already left but one lone soul was left behind to pull arrows, when he gave me the “go ahead” that was all I needed. I swiftly accelerated away from Mr. Sweepcrew and on to the first A option (which I lied and promised to skip to get further ahead), a short ways into this trail I knew I had made a big mistake. A bunch of slippery ass rocks where 150 other bikes had already been, wrestling the XR628 thru there was quite a chore, made even worse by my general stature and a bald rear tire. After getting out of that section I had some doubts whether I would be doing many options that day. I catch my breath on some easy fire road and trail sections then fool myself into another Option section. This goes much better, the section is drier, traction is good, 2nd -3rd gear stuff, now this is getting fun.
After a few navigational mistakes and rerunning a missed option section, I come across a lone older gentleman that ended up in a nasty A Option trail by mistake. Although in good shape and a confident rider, the 75 year old Jersey sand flea was admittedly out of his element in the PA rocks. Since there was no one else there or coming, I couldn’t just leave him, I ended up riding his XR250L through the rocky stuff so he could walk. A good mile walk back to the stuntbike and away I go. Once back on a main trail he was fine, I was back to playing catch up with anybody, and hopefully make lunch. At lunch there were zero bikes, none, and the guys were just about finished wrapping up from the feast when I pulled in, Chubbie’s were kind enough to pull back out some pit ham and beans, they let me fill my camelback with ice and guzzle ½ gallon of tea before heading off to the AA Option right after lunch.
I thought the after lunch AA section was the best section of the day, handlebar tight, technical, enduro trails with lots of twisties and do or die sections, it would of not been fun with a bunch of C riders in the way but wide open it was a blast. Huffing and puffing from the woods work I pop out up the mountain on a fire road.
Just then a helmetless hero flies by sideways on a quad, as he was going my way I perused. Forgot to mention that I switched my fuel to Reserve back in the AA section, a few miles of hot pursuit and I remembered that too, as I drifted to a dead stop. Not even any fuel to slosh from the other side of the tank, When does it end? Thankfully it had been all uphill since lunch I turn around and drift back downhill, asking the only two people I see for gas, I finally make it back to the lunch stop, a mountain biker took pity on me and drove me to a gas station. Later I saw that I needed one more mile to make it to the gas stop. “Missed by that much.” Rest of day was pretty uneventful rode all the options except the last one when it started to storm pretty bad. Back to parking lot everybody gone except for the event holders and a long time dual sport rider/Vintage guy named Paul, we call him Double O 7. Shielded from the rain by a big pine I take a couple of swigs from 007’s plastic bottle of vodka (where is my beer man or bloody cooler?) and figure it is not going to get any drier and head home, but it does get drier, almost total dry by Falls Rd.
“If It Won’t Do That, I Don’t Want It” is what I kept telling myself all day, I said it as the XR628 pulled out for a Sunday morning hell ride to the 2005 Michaux Dual Sport. If It Won’t Do That, I Don’t Want It, as I passed each wheeled obstacle impeding my forward progression, oblivious of painted lines. If It Won’t Do That, I Don’t Want It while WFO, cringing at the rattle emitted by the runaway valve train I was on, wound flat out on boring sections of Whichever Rd. I repeated the mantra while being stung by oversized raindrops, I repeated it again as I wheelied out of a gas station down Lincoln’s Highway near Gettysburg, filling the 4 gallon fuel tank a third time. And I spewed it yet again as I pulled back into my shop, butt totally sore, hands totally numb, camelback totally empty and myself totally wiped out. Yet extremely pleased I did not bail on a beautiful day.