DS Ride 07 - Mar '07 - Orientation

MAKING “TALUS DROP” OUTA DUALSPORT:

WEST ANGELES LOOP A

What . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dualsport Ride, full day
When . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Meet Sunday, 04 March, 7:00 AM
Where . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meet @ BMW Ventura parking lot
Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laine_MacTague@verizon.net

A backward glance down 7n02, research ride, DSR 07

DS RIDE 07: ORIENTATION

The green sections of this document are different from previous Orientation documents. If you have not seen this document before, please read it all. Everybody read the green bits:


WHERE WE GO

Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County (in Newbury Park) @ 7:00AM Sunday March 4th. Show up on time with at least 65 miles worth of fuel. If you are coming from anywhere significantly east / south of the shop, contact me about a different meeting place if you desire (We are heading for the I-5 corridor).

This ride is a loop with about 70 miles of mostly contiguous un-pavement making up the mid-section. We will leave the pavement for the first time a little before entering Rowher Flats OHV area, which we will pass through on our way across the western portion of the Angeles National Forest. We exit the forest near Gorman, and pass through Hungry Valley on the way down the I-5 corridor.

The ride should take the whole day. We will be making a (non-obligatory) dinner stop in Castaic.

BTW: I usually have a GoogleEarth track of the rides done a few days prior to departure. I will email it to you on request (if you happen to know how I can post the .kmz file on the blog, let me know…).


WHAT GOES

We are well into the Series now. At this point, the more challenging sections of trail are extremely difficult to handle on touring style tires. 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Warm clothes
Vehicle registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Snacks / lunch
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-way radio

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
Pressure gauge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Passenger

Radios are coming in more and more handy, especially now that we are often dividing the group within the rides.

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 road 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.

The last person in the first group of riders sometimes forgets to stop and wait for the first person in the next group—likely because being in front, there was no one waiting for him, reminding him of the requirement. When in the lead in these situations, I will endeavour to signal to the riders immediately behind me that one should wait, if it seems necessary, by turning around and holding my palm outward, then pointing at the ground. The last rider in the lead group should stop and wait as discussed above.

The above information applies both on and off pavement.

— 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 without spreading the group out much.

— Passing —

Other vehicles — When the group is passing a slower vehicle, assume that the rider in front of you has no plans to leave room for you between himself and the vehicle he is passing, once he has passed it. It’s 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, I’ll letcha by. If you get to an intersection and aren’t sure which way to go, just stop and wait. 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.


Un-Pavement

Here are a few technical suggestions regarding off-pavement riding that I often forget to share:

At this point, we are still just developing riding skills, and aren’t focused on learning about longriding equipment. Consider removing extra items that won’t be much use on these short rides, but could easily get broken. The most obvious leave-at-home at this stage is saddlebags, but you might consider removing GPS units, extra lighting, etc.

Consider lowering your tire pressure before beginning long unpaved sections. It increases traction. I found that becoming more comfortable with partial traction saves me the stop and the pumping up the tires later, but until you are comfortable sliding around a bit, enforce a tire pressure stop whenever you like. Remember though: Sliding the rear end around can be extremely useful off-road, and just being comfortable when it happens is itself of great value. I think it is easier to learn this skill on fully pressurized tires.

Cranking up the preload on the rear shock provides a firmer, more stable ride on bumpy roads.

Turning that little flathead screw head on the bottom of your rear shock (I am talking BMWs here; I don’t really know re other makes) will also greatly improve off-road suspension. It is especially helpful on moguls. I recommend turning it completely in, for starters. Check your manual on how to do this.

You may want to bring along a wrench with which to remove and reinstall your mirrors. The mounting bolts are only about six bucks, but they are about the most likely thing to break when you tip over, and they are easy to remove and install.

If you have rubber inserts in your foot pegs, remove them – if not before leaving pavement, before leaving home.

We stand up a lot. If your brake and clutch levers are angled up high, sticking more or less horizontally off the handlebars, it will tire your wrists and forearms unnecessarily, to try to use the controls while standing. I found that turning them so that they angle downward from the bars (on my Dakar, about as far down as possible) makes controlling the bike while standing much less tiresome. You will likely need to loosen and lower the hand guards as well.

Disconnect your ABS before leaving the pavement!

— Formation —

Standard — 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.

Two-by-two — 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.

Pace-line — Another formation we started experimenting with on DSR 05 is a sort of revolving pace-line formation. In this formation rider spacing is not a concern, but rider order is, and it changes continually: The lead rider pulls to the side after completing any section of notable challenge (a river crossing, difficult turn, rocky climb, etc), or just after a mile or two of riding. The following riders continue on with the rider who was previously second in line as leader. The previous leader watches to see that all riders come through the tricky section, and then joins on at the back, becoming the last rider. To do this well, each rider needs to keep track of how many riders are behind him at a given time.* This formation is valuable because it arranges that each rider is observed during challenging sections, the ride flow is not interrupted by repeated stops, it makes the ride itself feel more like a team effort, and each rider gets to experience leading, following, and sweeping. We have not tried this yet with large groups but it may prove valuable there as well.

Cruxes [A crux is a short section of trail that is much more difficult that the majority of the trail – so much so that many riders will want to stop and scout / discuss it before riding it] — 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.

— 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! If we are making conscious use of the Pace-line formation, though, the only passing is the entire group passing the leader after a tricky spot.

— 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). Feel goofy waving your arms around? Get a radio:

We always have new riders on these rides, and are creating experienced riders: As a result, we often divide the group for brief periods, when some riders choose an easier / more challenging trail than the main one. If someone gets into trouble while separated, radios will suddenly be extremely valuable. Bring one if you have one. Consider it safety gear. Speaking of communications, have a look at the Baehr Communication Systems equipment discussed here:
http://www.rawhyde-offroad.com/adventure_camp_tech.html
This might be a good idea, particularly when we begin doing multi-day rides.


PLANNED STOPS

1) P1 – Fwy 14 Sand Cyn Offramp gas stations – Fuel stop

We will be primarily super-slabbing from the shop to this stop. There are several gas stations here. Last I visited, Mobil was cheapest by a considerable margin. Here we will meet riders coming from the Far East and Deep South regions. The next fuel opportunity will be in Gorman—around 70 miles later.

2) P2 – Davenport Rd – QUICK regroup after group split for about 200 yards: I do a tiny dirt section here, just for fun, but it’s a little challenging. It includes a deep rut, a steep sandy climb with moguls, and a 20’ long, steep descent. If that sounds dicey, then when you see riders in front of you leaving pavement for the second time, turn right instead (on pavement), go 200 yards, turn left, go 200 yards, and meet us there. [For purposes of the rest of this list, I do not consider this tiny section a dirt (D) section.]

3) D2 – Rowher Flats OHV Area access road – Tire pressure stop. There is a spot on the access road that provides a panoramic view of the portion of the RFOHVA that we will be passing through.

4) D2 – RFOHVA – Regrouping stop. There is a slim possibility we will divide the group in the OHVA. Either way, we will likely string out the group a bit. We will gather at a point on a distant ridgeline I will point out from D1.

5) D2 – Boquet Cyn Tr @ Boquet Cyn Rd – Regrouping again after possible splitting the group on trails of, uh, differing difficulty (sorry: Can’t write, today…). There is a go-around for a significant (and challenging) chunk of the ride that starts here; we will discuss dividing the group again before leaving this stop.

6) D3 – 15w03 – Crux. I anticipate stopping to eyeball one or two somewhat intimidating climbs here.

7) D3 – House Tr – Crux. I anticipate stopping to eyeball one or two somewhat intimidating descents here. There will be points between here and the next stop where we will need to wait for each other at intersections (see HOW WE GO section; Pavement)!

8) P4 – If we can do that (wait at intersections), we won’t need to stop here…

9) P5 – San Francisquito Cyn Rd – Regroup. We cross a road here, and riders who opted to avoid the crux sections will be meeting us at this point—where we may split up again…

… And after a short distance, the group taking the more challenging trail will end up behind the other group on the same trail, so no regroup stop should be needed. For the rest of the ride, there will often be intersections at which we will need to wait for each other.

10) P7 – Ridge Route Rd – Regroup. This is many miles from the last planned stop; I am sure we will stop several times in between, as it suits us.

11) P8 – EOL, 8n01 – Regroup near the aqueduct by I-5 outside Gorman. We will likely make a fuel stop in Gorman before continuing south through Hungry Valley on the homeward leg. We could possibly make a restaurant stop in Gorman, although stopping in Castaic would leave no more unpaved sections after dinner (Well, I can always find one more little section…).

12) D8 – Tire pressure and regroup stop. Most likely at the end of the gravel road as we exit Hungry Valley.

13) P9 – I-5 – no stop, watch for unexpected exits…

14) D9 – Dirt bypass of I-5 into Castaic – Pace-line formation through the water crossings will eliminate the need for full stops (see description in Formation section above).

15) P10 – Dinner stop in Castaic. Restaurant TBD.


KNOWN HAZARDS

RFOHVA is likely to be more crowded than BCOHVA was last month. Watch for oncoming traffic (often it is about three feet tall and 6 odd years old, so remember to look down), and remember to keep track of your position in our line. You should signal the number of riders following you as described above (see footnote as well).

The third dirt section begs one to ride fast. Watch for oncoming traffic!

There should be one more rain, four days before out ride. I expect a few mud puddles. One is enough. Wear your waterproof socks, or whatever. In my experience, mud is as slippery and less predictable than snow (for you DSR 04 veterans).

Much of D7 is silty. Dry silt is tricky, a bit like sand. Damp silt seems to provide easily controlled partial traction; it’s pretty fun! Wet silt, more or less fine mud, is horrible. It causes unpredictable sliding, and cakes up in your tires. I hit one such patch yesterday. Again, I anticipate similar conditions on Sunday.



PRIMARY CHALLENGES

Climbs and Descents.

RFOHVA will not present a significant challenge – unless a significant number of riders really want it to – in which case it will provide the most challenging climbs of the Series, thus far. Sane riders will be able to watch from the ridgeline as a handful of lunatics dash themselves to bits on steep sharp rocks in attempt after hopeless attempt to gain the summit via a narrow, mogul-infested trail…

Honestly, I researched the area yesterday. The easy option is fun for anyone, and the second “easiest” trail—although I didn’t fall riding it—was indeed the most challenging riding I have done. If a lot of riders want to try it, we can give it a shot…

The real challenge will be the climbs and descents of the third unpaved section.

The climbs are, in my opinion, more intimidating to look at than they are to ride, but they are committing. We will treat them as cruxes, going one at a time and stopping at bottom and top.

The descents scared me, 5 months ago. I descended at a snail’s pace and wrote about how to do that in a blog post (search for descents on the blog, or check through the Skills articles). Yesterday I was down the first section before I realized it was one of the descents I had been so intimidated by—all this monthly ride stuff must be paying off! On the less bright side, I have no idea whether to tell you they are really hard, or not that bad, now. Confident riders descend in front, and I will hang back and ride the descents (there are three short ones) with less experienced riders, treating them as cruxes.

Which brings me to the day’s big bypass. These steep sections are in the middle of a long dirt section, which means that the paved go-around is also long. It is, however, faster. If you are concerned now about these steep sections, I suggest waiting til we get to the beginning of this dirt section. Decide there either to go around, or to go have a look at the steep bits. If you go have a look and decide not to ride them, you should be able to backtrack, complete the paved bypass, and meet us at about the same time we emerge from the hills.

If you bypass the cruxes, look for this, after leaving Green Valley on San Francisquito Rd.
We will regroup just beyond those lights. Research ride, DSR 07

If, after reading them, you have anything to add to the Skills posts in the blog archives, please don’t hesitate to append comments to the posts. Likewise, I would appreciate urls of other web pages with good information.


Consider yourself oriented. See you soon!


* You should always do this when off pavement: It is a common courtesy on narrow unpaved or challenging roads to alert oncoming traffic to how many riders they should expect to encounter behind you. You do this by holding up a hand with the right number of fingers extended (if there are more than five riders following you… improvise). If, by the way, the road is so challenging that you can’t spare a hand to alert an oncoming rider, it might be best for you to slow down or stop for the rider to pass.

It says on the map, "Beyond these switchbacks, there be silt..." Research ride, DSR 07