DS Ride 05 - Jan '07 - Orientation

PUTTING “ALSP” INTO DUALSPORT:
SANTA LUCIA LOOP A

What . . . . . . . .Dualsport Ride, full day, novice / intermediate
When . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meet Sunday, 14 January, 7:00 AM
Where . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Meet @ BMW Ventura parking lot
Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Laine_MacTague@verizon.net

DS RIDE 05: ORIENTATION

From now on I will colour sections of this document that are different from previous Orientation documents. If you have not seen this document before, please read it all:

WHERE WE GO

Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County (in Newbury Park) @ 7:00AM Sunday 14th January. Show up on time with about 150 miles worth of fuel. After taking the scenic route northward, we will be stopping at rider Don Gordon’s house in Santa Barbara for a brief warm-up, and to meet riders coming from Santa Barbara and points north. If that is where you are coming from, let me know and I will put you in contact with Don for directions to his house. We will not be making a fuel stop in Santa Barbara. However, if you meet us at Don’s, you will be quite safe with 70 miles of fuel in your tank.

This ride is made up of alternating paved and unpaved sections. We will explore the mountains surrounding Santa Barbara, the Santa Ynez Valley, the National Forest to the north and east, and eventually Cuyama Valley. Expect the opportunity for a late meal in Ojai. In the interest of not starving herbivorous riders at the Deer Lodge, I scouted out a pizza restaurant and a Mexican restaurant on the Promenade, which is probably less than a mile out of the way for riders returning northward / westward from Ojai.

The ride should take the whole day, and days being as short as they are, these days, I expect it will be getting dark as we head homeward.


WHAT GOES

Generally speaking, we have progressed to the point where knobby tires, while still not a necessity or requirement, will make a notable difference in the ease with which you can handle the trail. Consider blowing the $200 for a set of knobbies, either now or in the near future; they will continue to look more like necessary equipment as the Series progresses. If you have never tried them on your GS, you owe it to yourself to experience the difference. I know the shop has a lot of TKC 80’s in stock right now…


YOU MUST BRING . . . . . . . . . . . . .YOU SHOULD BRING
Proof of insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Basic tool kit for your bike
Water (I bring a 3L camelback) . . . . . . ATGATT
Driver’s license . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pressure gauge
Vehicle registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Snacks / lunch
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-way radio
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Warm clothes – mountains in January…

YOU MIGHT LIKE TO BRING . . . .I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU DON’T BRING
Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saddlebags
Air pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100% street tires
Cash (in case of restaurant stop) . . . . . .Saddlebags
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Passenger


HOW WE GO

Pavement

Ride at a pace you are comfortable with. Never leave an intersection without making sure that the rider behind you sees you and knows what direction you are going. This will allow us to all ride our own pace and string out if need be, while still assuring that if any rider requires assistance, the rest of the group will be made aware of it. Remember, when you reach an intersection where some one has been waiting for you, that you may need to stop there and wait for the rider behind you as well! If we all follow these rules, you may see no one ahead of you on a curving road, but you will always see some one when we make a direction change. Also, you may be required to wait a few moments now and then if you ride quick, but you can always ride at a pace you enjoy, and still stay with the group.

— Formation —

The basic group riding formation is familiar to most riders. The lead rider rides to the left (usually) of the lane, with the second rider to the right and a few lengths back. The third rider is a similar distance behind the second, and so on. When the road gets more technically demanding, open up into a single-file formation. When we come to a stop at an intersection, tighten up into a two-abreast configuration at the stop. This will help us get through stops intact.

— Passing —

Other vehicles – When the group is passing a slower vehicle, assume that the rider in front of you has no plans to leave you room between himself and the vehicle he is passing, once he has passed it. Its nice when the rider in front of you can leave you a space to follow behind, but it is not a requirement, nor is it always even possible. Look out for yourself.

Other riders in the group – Ride your own pace, and let others do the same. If you are behind a rider who is taking the turns a little slower than you would like, you should feel comfortable tapping your horn / flashing your lights to request to pass. Likewise, if a rider is maintaining position right behind you in the turns, keep an eye out for his high beam; if you see it, or hear a horn, slow and let the rider past.

The leader— Honk or flash, just like with any other rider. I’ll letcha by. If you get to an intersection and aren’t sure which way to go, just stop and wait if. If you miss a turn when out of sight, however, you have effectively left the ride (and are welcome to rejoin, of course).

— Communication —

I have included links on the blog (in the sidebar) concerning hand signals for riders. We seem to make use of them rarely, but it is nice to know it when the rider in front of you is waving for you to pass him, and not swatting at bugs. The ability to recognize a quick obstacle warning from the rider in front of you is also quite useful. The MSF-USA link is particularly valuable in this regard.

— Planned Stops —

First paved section: Stop at Don Gordon’s in Santa Barbara for refreshment and to pick up additional riders.
Third paved section: Stop in Santa Ynez for fuel.
Fourth paved section: Stop in Los Olivos for snacks, wine tasting, debauchery, wheelies down the middle of the street, etc.
Fifth paved section: Stop in New Cuyama for fuel (if necessary).
Sixth paved section: Stop in Ojai for hot food and big fish stories.

— Known Hazards —

After leaving Don’s we will spend some time on some rough, twisty, pot-hole-ridden pavement; keep your eyes peeled. This is an excellent section to know how to wheelie on, by the way.
There will be a similar though less challenging portion of pavement after the fuel stop in Santa Ynez.
One week ago there was still ice in a few spots on Hwy 33. If we get more weather before the ride, there may be more. Aywhere over 4000 feet is definitely suspect.
There is one turn, low on Hwy 33 bound inward to Ojai, which is notably more challenging than any of the others and often catches riders unawares. Be, uh, ware. Wares. Wared.


Off-Pavement

— Formation —

Single-file formation will allow maximum maneouverability for avoiding obstacles. At slow speeds on easy terrain, we can ride closer together, but as speed increases, dust will likely force us to loosen up ranks considerably.

In the past, dust from other riders has kept us widely spaced. A workaround is to ride in pairs. Ideally, the more experienced rider rides a few bike lengths behind and to one side of the less experienced rider. The front rider has only the road ahead to worry about, and the back rider has the road and the front rider to watch out for. The back rider can adjust his distance from the front rider such that billowing dust passes below his face. This formation is never a requirement, but can be fun, and will serve to keep us a little closer together. This is not a safe formation at high speeds: If the road becomes straight and level enough to allow a significant speed increase, this formation should be abandoned.

In the past few months, a few riders have taught themselves enough about handling their bikes, that they are now capable of safely maintaining significantly higher speeds than was typical during the first rides. I expect some riders to want to continue to stretch their abilities. As a result, the group may become well strung out along the longest unpaved section. It will be important to remember to wait for your following rider – regardless of how clear it is to you which way to go.

— Passing —

Remember to let other riders ride at their own pace, whether slower or faster. Passing on fire roads may requite the slower rider to stop briefly, depending on the terrain. If Phil comes up behind you on his 650 and honks, let him by!

— Cruxes —

The lead rider generally stops at the beginning of a particularly challenging section of trail in order to allow other riders to gather. This way, information about the best lines can be shared. The lead rider then rides through the crux, stopping just past the end of the difficulty. Riders then follow, one at a time, through the crux section. This ensures that if a rider has trouble in the crux, help is available from both directions. We go one at a time so that if one rider falls in the crux, the next rider is not obliged either to do the same, or ride over his downed comrade.

The second unpaved section included – last I saw it – quite steep, rocky, sometimes rutted wet descents. It has likely seen some repair work since then, but we may treat portions of it as cruxes.

The fourth (longest) section of the ride has a few streambed crossings in it. I recall them as being dry, but quite rocky. We will likely gang up on these as well – especially if there is water in them!

— Communication —

The information we want to share off-pavement is sometimes different from what we communicate during a slab ride. A good example is a group of riders on a hilltop staring at a downed rider a quarter mile away where the road climbs up the face of the mountain. I would like to adopt some SCUBA signals for this sort of situation, until something better comes along: If you are concerned about a rider at a distance, put your hands together over or on top of your head, forming an O (for “Okay”) with your arms. If you see some one giving you this signal and you need assistance (or simply, if you need assistance), wave your arms around over your head. If you are okay, make the O sign (and remember not to wave your arms, but hold them steady for a moment in an O position).

During DSR 04, radios came in handy on several occasions. They are a good idea, though not a requirement. I think they will become more useful as we progress, and I intend to bring them along this time. We still have new riders, and are creating experienced riders: I expect we may separate a bit now and then, to allow each other to control the level of challenge we attain. If someone gets a flat while separated, the radios will suddenly be extremely valuable. Bring one if you have one. Consider it safety gear.

— Planned Stops —

2nd unpaved section (Refugio Road): Regrouping stop at beginning.
3rd section (Catway Trail): Same.
4th section (mountains after Los Olivos): Stops at all water crossings. Regroup on Sierra Madre Ridge (When you can see the Cuyama Valley, you are there).

— Known hazards —

Nothing not already mentioned. Watch out for the usual suspects: Deer, other off-road vehicles, etc.

— Primary Challenge —

Ha ha ha!.. You are all doomed…

Last month was supposed to be ascents but ended up being snow. Unless the weather alters things again, the main challenge on DSR 05 should be the river crossings. Without water, they will not be huge challenges. There is no interesting weather on the schedule at this time; I expect fairly dry crossings.

There is also the early rocky descent to consider, although I don’t foresee it being seriously challenging. Generally speaking, this should be an easier ride than the last two.

Having said that, I should add that I just researched a section of the Cuyama River that we can ride – the last unpaved section of the day. It is very sandy, basically trackless, and entirely optional: Those of us who desire it will have a go, but it is not a requirement. I expect some of us will skip it, some will immediately dub it “So Cool,” and disappear upriver, and some will have little idea how to handle it but will give it a shot anyway. I intend to hang around the latter group, alternately giving constructive criticism and laughing wickedly.

Riding this was an amazing experience. If you ride this section, you will almost assuredly make serious leaps in competence with steering with the feet, steering with the knees, steering with the rear tire, rapid analysis of and reaction to approaching terrain changes, body positioning, and you will be pretty used to partial traction as well. I feel like I made a quantum leap in skill level in about four miles.

Some of you are making use of the Skills documents in the blog archives to teach yourself better off-pavement riding; the most important skills to practice for this ride will be Wheelies, Steering with Feet / Knees, and Sand. If you have anything to add to the Skills posts in the blog archives, please don’t hesitate to append a comment. Likewise, I would appreciate urls of other web pages with good information.

Consider yourself oriented. See you soon!