1st season racing. Wish me luck!

[CDN Rick]

I'm pretty new to bikes in general. This season will be my third riding. My brothers have been riding for years though and they taught me to ride by saying "keep up or stay home". I'm sorta glad they did now because I had no choice but to learn quick. I finished my first "race" last year. 500miles in one day on a WR250R across half of Ontario. Placed 24th out of 38. Which I think is respectable for being my first ever race.

I just signed myself up for the Offroad Ontario circuit! They run a series of Xcountry events and a series of Enduro events. I was advised to run in Novice A for my first season and then jump up or down a class depending on how I do. The upside to Novice A is its part of the afternoon races. The downside is that we are last to go so the track will be ripped up by everyone else already.

I don't think I'll be showing up to every event. I just really want to sharpen my skills and see how I compare to the rest of the world. So follow me here as I try out my first season of racing. I'll try to post pictures and write-ups from every race I go to.

Any advice you have for someone getting into racing would be really appreciated. So wish me luck and health! Cya out there!

Here is the bike I'll be on. Its a mostly stock 2012 EC300. It'll get a skidplate and a new rear tire before the season starts.

 

[memphis2857]

I'm pretty new to bikes in general. This season will be my third riding. My brothers have been riding for years though and they taught me to ride by saying "keep up or stay home". I'm sorta glad they did now because I had no choice but to learn quick. I finished my first "race" last year. 500miles in one day on a WR250R across half of Ontario. Placed 24th out of 38. Which I think is respectable for being my first ever race.



I just signed myself up for the Offroad Ontario circuit! They run a series of Xcountry events and a series of Enduro events. I was advised to run in Novice A for my first season and then jump up or down a class depending on how I do. The upside to Novice A is its part of the afternoon races. The downside is that we are last to go so the track will be ripped up by everyone else already.



I don't think I'll be showing up to every event. I just really want to sharpen my skills and see how I compare to the rest of the world. So follow me here as I try out my first season of racing. I'll try to post pictures and write-ups from every race I go to.



Any advice you have for someone getting into racing would be really appreciated. So wish me luck and health! Cya out there!



Here is the bike I'll be on. Its a mostly stock 2012 EC300. It'll get a skidplate and a new rear tire before the season starts.

I don't understand Novice A? So is it an A class? Or is it a Novice Class? Probably shouldn't be racing in an A class for your first year. Anyway good luck and have fun!!


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[hadfield4wd]

The best advice I can give is the same I've gotten. I sounds trite but "To finish first, first you must finish"

This goes to 2 things.

1 - make sure your bike is in perfect condition. You don't want it causing you not to finish.

2 - conditioning. You need to be in as best shape as you can.

 

[pscook]

The best advice I can give is the same I've gotten. I sounds trite but "To finish first, first you must finish"

This goes to 2 things.

1 - make sure your bike is in perfect condition. You don't want it causing you not to finish.

2 - conditioning. You need to be in as best shape as you can.

I read a great quote recently, and I'm sure that I"m butchering it, but I'll paraphrase it here:

"100% body and 90% machine will beat 90% body and 100% machine every time."

Stay healthy, train smart, and ride smarter; but above all, have fun. If it's not fun, why do it?

 

[CDN Rick]

I don't understand Novice A? So is it an A class? Or is it a Novice Class? Probably shouldn't be racing in an A class for your first year. Anyway good luck and have fun!!


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Offroad Ontario has 6 race classes for men age 15-99

Novice C
Novice B
Novice A
Intermediate
Expert
Pro

I've been warned that Novice B is a huge class and you'll get jammed up in bottlenecks, and that Novice C is mostly teens and totally new riders.

They also have Vetern classes, Womens classes, and age 4-14 classes.

Does that clear it up?

 

[memphis2857]

Offroad Ontario has 6 race classes for men age 15-99

Novice C
Novice B
Novice A
Intermediate
Expert
Pro

They also have Vetern classes, Womens classes, and age 4-14 classes.

Does that clear it up?

Yes it does and I think you have been given some bad advice to start in the A class. Remember you can always move up a class but you can never move down. Start in the C class and if you kill it then move to B and so on. If you start in A and get destroy the competition it's going to give you a bad taste for racing and you will hate it. Just my opinion.


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[Brian VT]

I chased enduro points for a few years. A friend, and (5 time?) ISDE rider Billy Burns, gave me some great advice. "Just keep moving."
My 1st few races I'd "blow my wad" early in a tough section that turned out to be a "points taker" that got tougher and longer than I had reserve for. There were times I stopped on the side of the trail. That costs you HUGE amounts of time. Better to creep along at any speed you can while you recover and work your way back up to speed. Don't stop. "Just keep moving."
Oh, and when it gets ugly...try to remind yourself that you're having fun.

 

[Brian VT]

Another thing...etiquette.
If the format you're racing has multiple classes running at the same time, let faster riders pass. Hopefully slower riders will do the same for you.
A faster rider will yell if you haven't heard him coming and prepared to let him by. You don't need to stop. Just look for a wide spot where you can give him room to go by or go wide in a turn and point for him to take the inside line or if it's tight woods then he may just bushwhack around you. Let off, if you need to, for him to get back on the trail.
If you see someone stopped, make sure they're not hurt. We want everyone to make it out ok.

 

[CDN Rick]

Yes it does and I think you have been given some bad advice to start in the A class. Remember you can always move up a class but you can never move down. Start in the C class and if you kill it then move to B and so on. If you start in A and get destroy the competition it's going to give you a bad taste for racing and you will hate it. Just my opinion.


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Oddly enough in Offroad Ontario you can move either up or down once per season if the race officials allow.

I had two reasons for choosing Novice A. The less important one is because its an afternoon race instead of Novice B and C which ride in the morning.

The bigger deciding factor was because a guy I know who ran in Romaniacs who has also watched me ride and has raced in the same circuit said its where he thinks I'd fit in best.

If I get destroyed I'll chalk it up to my own incompetence and try to publicly blame it on my bike and everyone else cheating....

 

[PFD023]

good luck and keep posting how it turns out!

 

[CDN Rick]

What kinda tires do most people run for hare scrambles and Enduro's? I'm used to running tires like the MotoZ Tractionator. But I guess I don't need DOT rated tires for this kinda stuff.

 

[Brian VT]

I run a Dunlop trials tire everywhere except the, appropriately-named, Sandy Lane enduro.

 

[CDN Rick]

I run a Dunlop trials tire everywhere except the, appropriately-named, Sandy Lane enduro.

Really? Typical terrain?

Ontario can be a crazy mix of wet loam, lots and lots of small to medium size rocks, hard pack dirt and some small area's of deep sand.

 

[Brian VT]

Anywhere there might me rocks and/or roots. Especially wet ones.
I'll never go back to a knobby (except for once a year at that sand race I mentioned).

 

[CDN Rick]

Anywhere there might me rocks and/or roots. Especially wet ones.
I'll never go back to a knobby (except for once a year at that sand race I mentioned).

That's the small and medium size rocks that Ontario is just chock full of. Especially up north. Good to know. I know some friends have run MotoZ mountain Hybrid tires with great success on fun bikes. Maybe I'll have to give one a try.

Here is a pic of one.

 

[ScottyR]

How old are you? If you havent raced at all, I would go in Nov B if I was you. The Nov A class is pretty quick and riding in the afternoon is not a good thing in mid July when it is 30c and humid.

As far as tires, there is no right answer. Go see Rob Lang and pick up a set of the new Michelins. He just had 3 skids of them dropped off this week.

Good luck!

 

[CDN Rick]

How old are you? If you havent raced at all, I would go in Nov B if I was you. The Nov A class is pretty quick and riding in the afternoon is not a good thing in mid July when it is 30c and humid.

As far as tires, there is no right answer. Go see Rob Lang and pick up a set of the new Michelins. He just had 3 skids of them dropped off this week.

Good luck!

Hey Scott. I'm 27 years old. Lee Martin from RallyConnex is the guy that told me to race in Novice A. I'm pretty used to riding in heat. My brothers and I enjoy spending summer weekends in Calabogie riding the technical stuff. I placed 24th out of 38 in the last Dacre on a WR250R. Maybe I am outclassing myself. But Its kinda hard to know until I'm actually riding.

I've been buying MotoZ Tractionators from Rob. I was chatting with him at the supershow this weekend about getting a new piston kit for my bike. He is supposed to call me back this week when the gaskets are in. I'll ask him about the Michelins then. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Wimpy525]

Anywhere there might me rocks and/or roots. Especially wet ones.
I'll never go back to a knobby (except for once a year at that sand race I mentioned).

Is that the Black and Blue Enduro?

 

[Brian VT]

Is that the Black and Blue Enduro?

Yup...and I got my 1st High-Point that day. (C class)
That's my favorite NETRA enduro.

 

[Dirt Dud]

It runs Nov 12 this year we may need studded tires to stay uprite ! It is not very far from me so maybe I will make it there this year