Dumb Question

R

rsteiger

New member
So let me start by saying I rode my first Enduro at 18 I think and that was in 1978 on an IT175.. did not finish.

I loved the idea of doing an enduro and had an older buddy who was showing me the ropes. Rode two more enduros (didn't finish either one) and then my buddy moved away and work and school started kicking my ass then marriage and a daughter..

Like John Lennon once said "Life is what happens when you are making plans"

So fast forward 31 years later and I but my first motorcycle in a long time - a DL650. Great bike to get back on the street again but maybe not so much playing in the dirt with.

After buying a few used DS bikes a friend of mine decides he wants to sell his lightly used 2001 XC250. So I buy it. It is a bit dated but I go about getting the suspension set up and take it out to a couple of ORV Parks and in about a year I begin to bond with it. Thing is I think that I am a better rider now than I was when I was 19 - well at least in technique since I have friends now who have helped me with that a bit. Endurance wise my 19 y/o self would have a field day with me now.

So I am getting the bug to ride in an event again and started checking things out. The problem is the format looks nothing like it did when I was 19 - back then it usually was a 90 or 100 mile ride with a gas stop and all sorts of time stops. Now it seems more like a Hare Scramble than an Enduro.. not that I am complaining but just wondering where to start.

So where does a man in his mid fifties start riding in these events and not get ran over by everyone else. I am not doing this to win a damn race but rather finish one first and just enjoy the challenge and satisfaction that I can still do something like this.

Any suggestions?
 
Join a club and enter clubman events to get the feel. Concentrate on finishing events opposed to winning until you get fit again and get good armour. They don't let you in races with jeans and gumboots these days.:rolleyes:
So have fun, as you surely will.
 
2taddict said:
Join a club and enter clubman events to get the feel. Concentrate on finishing events opposed to winning until you get fit again and get good armour. They don't let you in races with jeans and gumboots these days.:rolleyes:
So have fun, as you surely will.
Click to expand...

No worries about the gear... being older also comes with some wisdom as well. LOL.
 
rsteiger ,

I used to race enduros in the 80's and 90's. Got out of it while working on a career and a few years ago got back into it. I know what you mean about it being like a hare scramble. I like the time keepers better myself. I don't mind racing against a clock but having to ride full out is not my cup of tea. I don't bounce like I used to. I still enter enduros now and then but don't worry about getting run over. Those young and fast guys or girls are pretty good about going around you. For the most part I go for the ride and when I feel like it I'll twist the throttle in the sections I find fun. Just ride, get good exercise and have fun. That's what its all about.

Cheers
 
FAMILY ENDUROS!!!
They are layed back and loads of fun. It's great to see that I am not the only old fart that is reliving his childhood dreams of being Roger DeCoster or Dick Burleson. Congrats on getting back to riding.
 
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When riding enduros just sign up for one of the back rows and have fun like your planning and just ride and don't worry about check ins special test or free ride just ride and stop when you want and go when you want after your fitness starts getting better and if you want to ride to place in your class just start getting an earlier row but typically not in the 20's or 30 rows or you will spend your whole day moving over.
Congrats getting back into riding its the best fun.
 
90-100 miles is a lot and sounds more like a dual sport. Most of ours are 60+/-, but are more technically challenging single track than fire cuts or dirt roads.

Ever think about a hare scramble? 1.5 hours around 25-35 miles. I prefer hare scrambles, you are never far from your truck or civilization in case of emergency and you are done in under 2 hours and have the rest of your day.
 
Back when I was in my late teens I joined a club in the Illinois an Indiana area. If I remember right the first enduro was 90 miles with one or two fuel stops. I think I made it 40 miles before some guy came along and DNF'd me... or something like that.

I remember teaming up with an older guy on a Husky who had lost 1st and 2nd gears. He coached me through some of the more technical stuff and we managed to get back. Was just thinking this was all before the days of GPS and I was following trail markers which I would miss every so often and have to back track - don't think I had a roll chart holder back then.

Good times.
 
ramcclure200 said:
When riding enduros just sign up for one of the back rows and have fun like your planning and just ride and don't worry about check ins special test or free ride just ride and stop when you want and go when you want after your fitness starts getting better and if you want to ride to place in your class just start getting an earlier row but typically not in the 20's or 30 rows or you will spend your whole day moving over.
Congrats getting back into riding its the best fun.
Click to expand...

This^^^

Or, go to a local organized trail ride event & try to ride the whole thing at a good steady pace without taking a break except for a fuel stop and a quick bite to eat. If the trail rides in the US are anything like they are in Ontario, they'll approximate the length of an enduro and use similar trails and terrain. There will also be a buch of fast riders at them.
That will give you an idea of how your conditioning is and your skill & speed, without having to deal with special tests etc.
 
Family enduros are a great way to get back into it. Don't forget to wear all of the protective gear. We don't heal as quickly or fully as we once did. Think of all the fun you will have achieving your goal!
 
I have not raced either of those. I hear swimming hole is a good course. I think you will be fine to drive home from any of them. It looks like my "return" will be one of the Sparta races.
 
3beejay3 said:
This^^^

Or, go to a local organized trail ride event & try to ride the whole thing at a good steady pace without taking a break except for a fuel stop and a quick bite to eat. If the trail rides in the US are anything like they are in Ontario, they'll approximate the length of an enduro and use similar trails and terrain. There will also be a buch of fast riders at them.
That will give you an idea of how your conditioning is and your skill & speed, without having to deal with special tests etc.
Click to expand...

Come ready to race.
Mentally, physically and mechanically.
I dont think either of those scenarios land you where you need.
This is a very intuitive thing.
You will know when you are ready.

Biggest issue I have with top 2 scenarios is your own safety on the course(I.E. can you protect yourself against faster riders and lappers.)They will be coming through on the move.
And will you be an obstacle on the course.An impediment or danger to other racers who have put their time in.
And you cant just stop where you want and when you want and do whatever the hell you want outside of the parameters of any given event.Thats total crap.
Just saying.
 
gasgasxc said:
Come ready to race.
Mentally, physically and mechanically.
I dont think either of those scenarios land you where you need.
This is a very intuitive thing.
You will know when you are ready.

Biggest issue I have with top 2 scenarios is your own safety on the course(I.E. can you protect yourself against faster riders and lappers.)They will be coming through on the move.
And will you be an obstacle on the course.An impediment or danger to other racers who have put their time in.
And you cant just stop where you want and when you want and do whatever the hell you want outside of the parameters of any given event.Thats total crap.
Just saying.
Click to expand...

The guys riding enduro events not A grade mx. If you cant ride arround a course without running into slower riders or those with mechanical problems imo you should not be allowed in a club or event to start with.
 
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2taddict said:
The guys riding enduro events not A grade mx. If you cant ride arround a course without running into slower riders or those with mechanical problems imo you should not be allowed in a club or event to start with.
Click to expand...

Then you also know it wont be the faster riders going down.
 
rode my first enduro on an twin shock cr 250.. back in the late 80's... dnfd also... not bike related... rider quit.

now at 52 i have rode 2 enduros in the last 3 yrs.. imho, the new restart format is awesome.. i am not the fastest nor the slowest.. rode in the 50 + sc class.. placed 8th which i was very pleased with.

if i rember correctly, the last one was 60 some miles on the short course.. actual test sections mileage was about 49, the rest was transfers between checks.. the longest test section (race) was 13 miles.. i have a bud i ride with all the time.. this was his first enduro.. i put him in front of me at each start.. rode his back fender until he messed up and passed him.. he returned the favor every section.. we finished 13 seconds apart.. they had to set up 2 gas stops because of how the mileage ended up.. we only needed one, so we had tons of rest time..

i am certainly not in the best shape of my life, but we ride a ton, so i have learned to conserve energy on the bike.. If you are on pace on the new format, you will get passed by a few fast guys behind you... we did every section.. one of them was a kid we ride with alot on a worn out kdx....
enter one.. get your body ready.. get your bike ready... go have fun.. carry essential trail tools.. snacks and so on...dont ride over your head..
 
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