TOP DEAD CENTER
Links to key info are here. Clicking them will change the info appearing below the table, or take you to the EarthRider website.
UPCOMING RIDES

'09 - 11 July - Adventure Day Ride - R2

'09 - 01 August - Adventure Day Ride - R3


Check the EARTHRIDER site
for more rides, tours, & classes


[No Intros listed? Check back in a few days!]
READ B-4 U RIDE

WHAT TO BRING ON A RIDE

SETTING UP YOUR BIKE

ADVENTURE DAY RIDE FUNDAMENTALS
PART 1. . . . . . . . . . .PART 2

Tall on questions, short on answers?
CLICK HERE to email EarthRider
Scroll to the end of this column for links to ride stories, photos, & video.

The Ventura County Adventure Ride Series - Introduction


Click Image to see most recently posted ride info
Welcome to the Ventura County Adventure Ride Series, sponsored by BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County, California. You don't need a BMW to take part in these rides; all dual sport riders are welcome. The goal of this repeating series of increasingly challenging day rides is – well, they're designed to be fun! We’ll take you out of Urbania and introduce you to some great dual sport riding areas, ripe for exploration. Each ride will take us into the beautiful California backcountry, riding with old friends and making new ones. Rides are rated with a (largely subjective) difficulty rating of R1-R9; R1 being improved dirt or well-graded fire road, and R9 representing challenge at the peak of ability of rider & machine. Expect the rides in this repeating series to be below R5.

Each series includes 3-4 rides. Singly, every ride is a new adventure; as a whole, each series has even more to offer: The slight increase in riding challenge over the course of each series provides riders the opportunity to gradually increase their riding ability in a non-instructional, learn-by-doing setting. The ride leader is eager to help riders improve; have questions about riding technique? Fire away!

Although designed with the novice rider in mind, the early rides always offer opportunities for more experienced riders to push themselves as well if desired. Likewise, more challenging rides later in each series often include go-arounds, allowing less experienced riders to join in a Series at any time, and giving them the opportunity to choose their level of challenge. Looking for the next step in adventure riding - or instruction to help you take that next step? Check out the EarthRider main site for course offerings, and more challenging (R5 and above) day- and multi-day rides.

This website is dedicated to the VCAR Series. The linklist in the left column will allow you to browse through past rides. Links to upcoming rides are found in the table at TOP DEAD CENTER, above. There you will also find links to pages of valuable information, and to EarthRider's main website. Take some time to browse around! At the bottom of this colmn you will find a host of links to past ride photos, stories, and even video.



High in the Los Padres. '08ADR 01


[Want to find out more about upcoming rides? Scroll back up to the TOP DEAD CENTER section.]

picture of the week (or vaguely similar time period. Click to enlarge.)


"The National Forest Service has installed Body Temperature Adjustment Stations throughout the Forest...". [DSR 02]

VCARS IN WORDS & PICTURES

Riders' Photos

DSR 02 - Richard Stark
DSR 06 - Terry Eannetta
DSR 09 - Vadim Gold
DSR 10 - Tony Lovegren
DSR 11 - Steve DeCosta
DSR 11 - Tony Lovegren
DSR 12 - Tony Lovegren

DSS 04 - Frederic Charpentier
DSS 05 - Frederic Charpentier
DSS 06 - Frederic Charpentier
DSS 06 - Tony Lovegren

DSO 02 - Steve DeCosta
DSO 02 - Paul "Capt. America" Beck

DST 05 - Arild Jensen

'08ADR 01 - Scott Leighty
'08ADR 02 - Scott Leighty
'08ADR 02 - Wayne Tidwell
'08ADR 03 - Paul "Magic Boots" Beck
'08ADR 04 - Steve DeCosta
'08ADR 05 - Wayne Tidwell
'08ADR 05 - Blake "Towstrap" Hill
'08ADR 06 - Frederic "Fredo" Charpentier
'08ADR 08 - Nick Sinclair

MISSED THE RIDE?
READ THE RECAP

DSR 01. . .DSR 02
DSR 03. . .DSR 04
DSR 05. . .DSR 06
DSR 07. . .DSR 08
DSR 09. . .DSR 10
DSR 11. . .DSR 12
DSR 13

'08ADR 01. . .'08ADR 02
'08ADR 01 (By Phil Houtz)
'08ADR 02 A B (By Phil Houtz)







Ride Slideshows

DSR 01-05. .DSR 06-10
DSR 11-13
DSS 01-05. .DSS 06-07
DST 01-05

'08 ADRs 01-03. .'08 ADRs 04-06
'08 ADRs 07-08

Riders' Videos

DSR 11 - Tony Lovegren
DSR 11 - Steve DeCosta
DSR 12 - Tony Lovegren
DSR 12 - EarthRider
DSR 13 - EarthRider

DSS 07 - EarthRider

DSO 02 - Steve DeCosta

DST 05 - EarthRider

Msc. Rides - Frederic Chaprpentier
Msc. Rides - Tony Lovegren

'08ADR 04 - Terry Eannetta
'08ADR 04 - Steve DeCosta
'08ADR 05b - T. Eannetta: 1 2 3 4 5 6
'08ADR 06 - Frederic "Fredo" Charpentier
'08ADR 07 - EarthRider
'08ADR 08 - Name


Visit EarthRider's
YouTube Channel



Community (Click to enlarge. [Er, to enlarge our community, come on a ride.])


Carrizo Plain survivors. ['08 ADR 04]

VCARS PORTRAITS

Click arrows to play. Click images to see large versions.



Movie of the Moment


When it comes to familiarizing oneself with the handling
characteristics of a new bike, Jason Len chooses the fast track. ['08 ADR 04]