Ocala FL

[smdub]

Riding the SurRon more has further reinforced my realization that due to my mountain bike upbringing I simply may never be good at finding/using a foot brake. Old dog/new tricks something or other they say. That big long up/u-turn around the tree/down the steep hill trials section near the Dupont estates in DE late last year also cemented in my mind I had to do something. I stuffed it three times coming down that darn hill and it would have been a cakewalk on a mtb (just going down, I would have been panting hard pedaling up it.) Anyway, I've been eyeing the Clake for years and the AUD is fairly weak against the USD so I thought screw-it, I'm trying it on the new bike. I even jumped in w/ two feet and did NOT get the dual footpedal control - its going to be removed. Only problem is that if I like it I'm going to have to buy another for the '19 Sherco.

[smdub]

ClutchDumpinDan is posting pics over on ADVRider.
https://advrider.com/f/threads/frederic ... t-39476214

This one was funny. I come zipping around a corner to find Dan laid over and signaling me to go around wide. Of course it's REALLY deep out wide and I drop it too. We were laughing our butts off.


Had a good first day being introduced to sand. Did 17mi before lunch then went out again to do a different loop, got lost several times (even w/ maps and GPS), and ended up doing another ~43mi (I probably won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow.) The trail maps are 'not to scale'. FWIW, We were the only vehicle at the trailhead parking all day. Saw three ATVs, one UTV, and nearly ran into one motorcycle on the single track. The little 150 has more than enough guts to pull through the deep stuff - I shouldn't have been woried.

[Bucho]

Sounds like a cool trip

[Bork]

Oh mannnn! This thread is killing me, missing Dixie Dual Sport event, in my old back yard. Phoo, tell Swampy and Swampet "hello" for me! You guys going to hang out at the Sertoma Youth Ranch campgrounds? Sat night used to have a nice ho-down,videos, flee market and such. Its just cool to hang out in camp grounds with the other riders, and chew the fat. Thanks for the sand nap pics. How much water this year? Some years are rerouted due to too much & some years are dusty ya never know until the day before, especially if a squall comes through the night before. Lunch at the lake pavilion or the little cabin off the road? Ms Linda company used to barbecue up the bestest! ribs, but I think she may have passed on. ENJOY! and more pics please.

[smdub]

Well, we somehow got out of bed and did it again today. Rode all of the single track on the map and then the Hog Valley(?) mixed use loop. ~25mi total. My legs and back are DONE. Miles and miles of whoops on the single track (this is not an exaggeration). On the last mi or so before we got back to the van, I fell in a deep corner to the right, picked the bike back up, kickstarted it, and promptly fell over to the left before I had moved:) Will have to make it a kayaking day tomorrow.

Saw a good number of bear tracks today. Chased a turkey down the trail yesterday. No gators yet. It's quite dry. Saw a group of 3 quads and one big SXS. When we were getting ready in the morning, two guys on big ADV bikes rode up and turned into the single track (KTM 790 & 1090). They started about 30min before us and it took us maybe 5min to catch them not very far in. They were in for a rough day... (but big thumbs up to them for doing it! Was their first trail.)

This place would be impossible w/o GPS. So many unmarked (extra) trails and the map not to scale. Nothing like Hatfield/McCoy where all the markers are plentiful and clear.