25 hours of starvation ridge 2020

[bluefxstc]

 

[bluefxstc]

@Redwolf

 

[bluefxstc]

Now the fun really begins.

 

[bluefxstc]

We decided to forgo the night laps. We rode until about 2200 PDT, but the dust was so bad that anytime someone passed the visibility was zero. Making matters worse the wind died down so the dust just hovered over the track and you were left with the bad visibility until it settled which could take a while. One of the riders came off pretty hard, bike and rider are both ok, but we just felt the risk was too high and the gains too low to continue in those conditions. @Redwolf is out on the course right now. Sun is coming out and it looks like the moisture picked up so the dust is not too bad. Should be able to get at least one lap each in before the race is over.

 

[revoltlution]

Lol, it is never too early to start addressing solutions to the issues I had last year. My new “radiator” shrouds will definitely take an entire day to fabricate, but my knees will thank me for the rest of the time I own the bike.

Get some $100 knee guards and you can't feel the shrouds (i.e. alpinestars SX-1).

 

[revoltlution]

Sorry I couldn't make it out this year... F'n 2020!

 

[snydes]

We decided to forgo the night laps. We rode until about 2200 PDT, but the dust was so bad that anytime someone passed the visibility was zero. Making matters worse the wind died down so the dust just hovered over the track and you were left with the bad visibility until it settled which could take a while. One of the riders came off pretty hard, bike and rider are both ok, but we just felt the risk was too high and the gains too low to continue in those conditions. @Redwolf is out on the course right now. Sun is coming out and it looks like the moisture picked up so the dust is not too bad. Should be able to get at least one lap each in before the race is over.

Yeah no reason to chance it, that's the beauty of these 24 hour races, you can ride as much or as little as you want or are comfortable with.

 

[Jared]

Getting ready for the start. If you look close you can see the bike laying down and the riders gathering on the other side of the pond. About a 1/4 mile run and then race.
View attachment 6167

The jog in riding boots is an interesting experience before hopping on and being out of breath as you take off...we all enjoyed the event.

 

[Jared]

Get some $100 knee guards and you can't feel the shrouds (i.e. alpinestars SX-1).

My new shrouds work great; no knee discomfort after almost 100 miles in one day. I am thinking about knee braces and neck protection because, even though I don’t ride as hard as I did a couple decades ago, I am becoming more interested in reducing the likelihood of injuries.

 

[bluefxstc]

Sorry I couldn't make it out this year... F'n 2020!

Hopefully you will be able to join us in 2021 A great time was had by all involved in 2020.

 

[Redwolf]

Well, I guess I didn't do so well at updating my social media when distracted by motorcycles... But here's a shot of dawn over pit row

 

[bluefxstc]

This is the first video I have seen from the course. Not an Alta, but it does show a lap of the course if anyone is interested. It was kind of nice watching the video. I was so busy just trying to survive the course, that I never got a chance to look around when I was riding

 

[Redwolf]

I am working on the footage I took from 3 of my laps, it's going to take a couple days to see how much is worthwhile and put together something.

 

[Redwolf]

Here's a trimmed version of my first lap.

 

[Redwolf]

Some footage from my second lap, mid afternoon

 

[bluefxstc]

Not really about the race, but my Alta went over 5000 total miles during the race. The only things I have done to the bike are tires, some suspension work, lube and a once a year oil change. What ICE bike could still be somewhat competitive, not saying that I am competitive, but the bike is, after 5000 miles with almost no maintenance? Awesome bike!

 

[C5tor]

So what were some lessons learned about the course and the bikes. How did your batteries hold up? How did your charging situation work out? Was it fun?

I can't really tell from the vids, but the course seemed a bit hard to follow at times. Maybe it was a bit more obvious in person. Can't imaging following that track at night.

 

[Redwolf]

So what were some lessons learned about the course and the bikes. How did your batteries hold up? How did your charging situation work out? Was it fun?

I can't really tell from the vids, but the course seemed a bit hard to follow at times. Maybe it was a bit more obvious in person. Can't imaging following that track at night.

Batteries made one lap of the course with plenty of margin. We used 2 generators this year, but could have made do with one, if I had remembered to bring my splitter... And, yes, it was fun.

As for the video, the GoPro is an amazing piece of equipment for the money, but it sure sucks at giving the viewer a sense of how steep and technical the course was. One of the downhill sections was damn near vertical, but the camera smoothed it out to seem no more than a slight hill. As for following the track, that was no problem, it was very well marked. The only real problem with the night laps this year was the poor visibility from dust once the wind calmed down.

And, yes it was fun, did I mention it was fun?

 

[bluefxstc]

So what were some lessons learned about the course and the bikes. How did your batteries hold up? How did your charging situation work out? Was it fun?

I can't really tell from the vids, but the course seemed a bit hard to follow at times. Maybe it was a bit more obvious in person. Can't imaging following that track at night.

Bikes and charging worked great. Course was about 15-16 miles per lap. The three of us all finished with about 1/2 the battery left and lap times were 40-60 min per lap so no problem charging on 240.

I never really had a problem following the course, but there were times that I didn't know where the course went approaching a hill or corner so you had to slow down to figure it out. Dust was a problem both in the day, but especially at night. During the day we had a pretty good wind which cleared out the dust. At night, as @Redwolf said, it was brutal. The dust with the lights made the visibility virtually zero, add in the rocks and I thought it was down right dangerous, which is why we only rode 1 night lap each. It just wasn't worth the risk to us. Yellow filters for the lights might have helped and I have ordered some film for next year.

As for fun, it was a blast. At 61, I am never going to be faster than I was last year, and I am ok with that. Realizing that, changes the way I approach the race. It is not about wining, it is about not getting hurt and having fun. That doesn't mean I don't try to go fast, it just means having fun is more important than going fast so the race is a blast. If it takes an extra minute to transfer the transponder, so what. If the night laps are deemed to be dangerous and we don't ride them, so what. We had a great team and had a blast riding the course. I am sure we didn't win the lap count, but I doubt anyone had more fun than we did.

I don't think that next years race dates have been released yet. I would guess it is going to be October 30 & 31. I know I am going to be there, and I think @Redwolf and @Jared will also be there, so come join us. If we get enough interest we can get several pits together and have an Alta compound. Now that sounds like even more fun.

 

[Jared]

So, roller bearings on big end of crank supposed to be brown colored with flat spots and lots of extra lateral movement...not shiny, round with no play, right? Lol! Crankshaft that resulted in Silas’ “ride of shame”.