DS Ride 09 - Nov '07 - Orientation

POLAR DUST? PULSAR DOT? DUALSPORT!

LOCKWOOD LOOP B

What . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dualsport Ride, full day
When . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meet Sunday, 04 November, 6:15 AM
Where . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Meet @ BMW Ventura parking lot
Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laine_MacTague@verizon.net

DS RIDE 09: 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:

Rides at this stage of the series are designed with intermediate / advanced riders in mind. Maps will be supplied, with the main route and go-around routes clearly marked. This should allow more advanced riders to maintain a pace they like, while allowing less experienced riders to join in on easier sections, and go around or catch up on harder sections, as desired. Other changes will be mentioned below.


WHERE WE GO

Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County (in Newbury Park) @ 6:15AM Sunday November 4th. Show up on time with at least 60 miles worth of fuel.

This loop takes us into Castaic, then onto some slightly whooped out sandy trails in Hungry Valley. From there, riders eschewing the go-around will take a long narrow steep winding rocky sandy twisty obstacle-benighted single-track into somewhere in Lockwood Valley. A short break there will see us onto a more sedate but still engaging jeep trail which will bring us to another short break in Frazier Park.

By “short break”, I intend a maximum 10-minute stop by the lead riders. A rider falling behind the leaders by more than 10 minutes on these sections may need to refer to the map or make use of a go-around in order to link up with the lead group.

Meantime, any riders having initially chosen the go-around route for this, the most challenging portion of the ride, will be able to reach either above-mentioned rest stop, or our lunch stop, well ahead of the other riders. Which stop to aim for will be discussed en route as necessary. All roads, however, lead to the Screaming Squirrel (SS): Lost, dazed, confused? Hungry? Head for the SS; sooner or later we will all meet up there.

After lunch comes another potentially challenging section of trail. About a half mile of highly technical, slow-motion route-choosing around loose rocks, sand, and ruts is followed by a (comparatively) breezy and fun riverbed run. The go-around for this section is also fun; a well-graded, potentially high speed fire road with several “lado”s and large water bars.

This section expels us into the Cuyama Valley, to face the brilliant paved riding that Hwy 33 has to offer between the middle of nowhere and Ojai. Ojai presents us several celebratory dinner options before disbanding to return home, hug our loved ones, and mourn the days’ casualties in our own private ways…

Casualties? Possibly. But never a man left behind in extremis – and we may even turn back and look for Angie this time if she has troubles… The 10-minute break plan mentioned above will be aborted if a rider gets into major problems:

We know from experience that riders do sometimes (for example) “navigate unsuccessfully”, their bikes ending up off the trail, upside-down against an oak tree 45 feet down a 30 degree embankment (see the DSR 04 Recap). Oddly enough, we also discovered that solving such problems is pretty fun, so if this or something similar happens to you (or someone you care about) during the ride, get on the horn and we will all come down and take photos and work out 3-to-1 force ratio hauling systems using a front wheel as a pulley and a rubber band and three shoe laces as rope, or whatever that special situation requires… and be late for lunch.

In order to get on the horn you will have to have one. Radios (walkie-talkies) and cell phones (the latter of which will likely not work when they are most needed) are MANDATORY for this ride, and will be turned on at full volume while we are on the most challenging sections.


WHAT GOES

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!
Cell phone
$5.00 (see Planned Stops, below)

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


HOW WE GO

Pavement

— Formation —

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.

At the start of each section of riding, I will designate a sweep rider. That rider will stay at the back of the group for that entire section of the ride. Every rider needs to recognize the sweep rider. If you drop out of the group for any reason, please alert the sweep rider (or me, if you can easily reach the front) – otherwise the group may end up spending a lot of time looking for a rider who simply went home…

There will come times when I at the front will be out of visual range of riders in the back. In this situation, go to long-range sensors… No! In this situation, when we make a course change at an intersection, or anywhere I think a rider out of sight of me might have difficulty figuring out which way I went, I will signal to a rider immediately behind me by pointing at the rider and then pointing at the ground. That means, “Wait here and direct other riders until you see the sweep rider.” The results of this should be that 1) everybody leaves the intersection in the right direction; and 2) the rider I pointed at is now in second to last position – right in front of the sweeper. That rider is welcome – once they have shown the sweeper the correct direction – to move back up through the ranks; could be fun… Which brings me to –

— 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. Keep in mind that if you are in front of me you have effectively left the group; if you miss a turn, well, see ya back at camp.

— 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

— Technical Issues —

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.

Crank up the preload on the rear shock to provide a firmer, more stable ride on bumpy roads.

You might want to turn 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); it seems to greatly improve off-road suspension. It is especially helpful on moguls. I recommend turning it completely to H, for starters. Check your manual on how to do this if unsure.

You may want to bring along a wrench with which to remove 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.

Remove the rubber inserts in your foot pegs – 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 find that when I turn the levers down so that they angle downward from the bars (on my Dakar, about as far down as possible) it 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 — This is the same formation as that described in the Pavement section; designated sweeper, leader posting a navigational guard at each course change.

There will be sections which do not include intersections, and at both ends of which we will be regrouping. Such sections can be ridden in no particular formation. A good example from last month would be Bouquet Trail from Sierra Pelona Ridge to Bouquet Canyon Road. I may likely start in front, stop to shoot, and end up in back, on such sections.

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 after a mile or two of riding at most. 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. Riders never pass each other, except to pass the leader who is on his way to the back. 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. This seems to work fairly poorly with larger groups. One of its main drawbacks is that it requires everyone to either know which turns to make, or to wait at every intersection for the “leader”, who could be anywhere in the group. It seems to work best with half a dozen or fewer riders on a section with few intersections and many short challenging sections.

*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.

— Sub-Formations —

Within the above formations, riders may like to experiment with riding in different relative positions:

Single-file — 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 and danger will likely force us to loosen up ranks considerably.

Two-by-two — Dust from other riders often keeps 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.

— 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:
This might be a good idea, particularly when we begin doing multi-day rides.


PLANNED STOPS [“2-3P” means “Second stop on the third paved section.” “D” = dirt]

1) 1-1P – Castaic – Fuel stop at the corner of Castaic Rd & Lake Hughes Rd. The next fuel opportunity will be in Pine Mountain Club—around 40 miles later.

2) 1-1D – Hungry Valley – We may be required to stop and pay the $5.00 entrance fee at the kiosk.

3) 1-3D – Hungry Valley – Getting through the trailhead gate will require a stop.

4) 2-3D – Lockwood Valley – This is our first 10-minute break, at the exit gate of the same trail.

5) 3-3D – NFS Ranger Station @ Frazier Park – Our second short break / regroup.

6) 1-4P – The Sign of the Screaming Squirrel – Lunch, Pine Mountain Club.

7) 1-5D – Qatal Canyon – We will stop where we exit the riverbed for our last 10-minute break / regroup.

8) 1-5P – Ojai – Dinner.

KNOWN HAZARDS

There is always the risk that the shop will not be opened in the morning, which could result in a serious caffeine shortage. I think this is unlikely to happen this month, but I would be remiss not to warn you of the possibility.

HV SVRA can be quite crowded. Watch and listen for oncoming traffic. Remember to signal the number of riders following you as described above (see footnote as well). Of course, we could run into traffic anywhere along the ride.


PRIMARY CHALLENGES

Challenges include – roughly in order of appearance – water crossings, sand, whoop-dee-doos, narrow trail gates, Dreaded Challenge Number 10, minus (for the most part) the sand, significant obstacles in a sandy undefined trail… and repeats of same.

DC #10 is the primary challenge. Sections of trail are narrow, steep enough to require inlaid honeycomb blocks, and traversing a very steep slope. Turns are often sharp. The key skill is the ability to maintain balance and maneouver effectively at slow speed. A lot of simultaneous use of clutch / throttle / brake / steering (and counter-balancing around turns) is required. Even doing this successfully, riders may need to pause at times, simply to rest the clutch hand.

Don "So Cool" Gordon struggles to regain the trail
after a moment's lapse in concentration.
Research Ride, DSR 09.