PUTTING “DUAL” INTO DUALSPORT:
A PRELUDE
A PRELUDE
What...........Dualsport Ride, ½ - ¾ day long
When........Meet Sunday, August 6, 7:00 AM
Where...Meet @ BMW Ventura parking lot
Contact....Laine_MacTague@verizon.net
When........Meet Sunday, August 6, 7:00 AM
Where...Meet @ BMW Ventura parking lot
Contact....Laine_MacTague@verizon.net
DS RIDE 01: RECAP
ANOTHER DAY SEIZED!
Twelve riders left BMW Ventura at about 7:30 am and were never heard from again (—until later that day…). The Roll Call of the Valourous runs as follows:
Laine MacTague...Bruce Schubert...Craig Leonard
Dominique Audin.....Don Gordon....Grant Gordon
Jerry Hess...............Phil Wren....Robert Metzger
Roman Cooper....Scott Huelskamp...Dennis Cohea
Dominique Audin.....Don Gordon....Grant Gordon
Jerry Hess...............Phil Wren....Robert Metzger
Roman Cooper....Scott Huelskamp...Dennis Cohea
The early-morning start kept us out of the worst of the day’s heat later on, and made the slab-ride into the hills brisk and refreshing. The pace was quick up front, more relaxed toward the back, where Dennis Cohea kept a weather eye out for problems among the ranks. The riders strung out but kept track of each other, and regrouped often at brief stops. It was a morning of curving rural backroads with little traffic, the smell of coffee drifting across the road from homes hidden in the oak trees.
We picked up our National Forest vehicle permits at the Ojai Ranger Station and headed for the hills: As quick and nimble front-riders like Bruce Schubert showed us on the way up, highway 33 north out of Ojai is a motorcyclist’s playground of well-engineered curves, climbing for miles into the Ventura County backcountry. The road beckoned on, beyond our turnoff at Rose Valley, but the lure of wilder terrain was more compelling: After a brief stop the riders sidled down Rose Valley Road, adjusting suspension pre-load, standing on the pegs, taking in the smells of chaparral on a fine clear morning. A few miles down the road and we were through the access gate, parked at the base of a steep unpaved climb, adjusting tire pressure in anticipation. Ride leader Laine MacTague instigated a brief discussion of basic off-road technique, laid out the protocol for the ride, and we were on our way.
The off-pavement section of the ride consisted of a T-shaped set of fire roads, the leg of the T being the climb from Rose
Valley to Nordhoff Ridge, and the ridge itself making up the top of the T. One of the most challenging portions of the ride is on the lower section of the initial climb: One section is particularly steep, and sprinkled with fist-sized rocks in loose gravelly soil. Coming as it does so early in the ride, without a warm-up, this section can be intimidating. The group took it slow and steady, one rider at a time, with the result that everyone passed this crux and reached the ridgeline without a fall.
It was later, after we all got cocky, that we started taking soil samples. The group had turned east at the top of the climb, and maintained a prudent pace with many stops along the ridgeline. But this ride was supposed to be about learning the basics, and you don’t really know how much you’ve learned until you discover where your knowledge ends! We were riding a little more aggressively as we approached the east end of the eastward road. Dominique Audin was first off, on what must be the most challenging section of the entire ride: a deceptively steep section of loose gravelly soil and silt with odd-shaped rocks ranging in size from a golf ball to about a foot across.
A quarter mile back, while Dominique was dusting off and trying to absorb the good lesson, Roman Cooper was deftly skidding sideways around a ceanothus bush on his big 1200 Adventure, angling around a sudden 90 degree corner followed by a steep descent in a way that had the rider behind him picking his own lower jaw off the ground. Unplanned or not, that was sweeeeet! Roman’s story is an example of jaw-drop banking; if you pull off something that makes another rider’s jaw drop in awe, then you can faceplant later without becoming obligated to buy a round of drinks during end-of-day decompression.
We made the most of our snack break at the east end of the line by going over the skills we were learning and sharing our observations. The ride back to the intersection was a little quicker, and a little more playful; it looked like our practice was paying off. Riding in the dirt can be tiring work, though, and it was already midday. Some of the riders chose to head homeward from the intersection of the T. The majority chose to carry on westward toward the fire tower at Nordhoff peak.
The westward section
provided more varied terrain. The road was punctuated with deep drainage cuts, which amounted to one-sided whoop-de-doos about two to four feet tall. Simple to ride over at a slow pace, these offered more experienced riders the opportunity to practice their skills by riding over at higher speed. The road itself, after meandering easily along the ridge, wound tightly up Nordhoff peak, doubling back in such a narrow space that simply turning the bikes that sharply was a challenge. Roman’s jaw-drop banking paid off here – after his fall in a switchback, his drink money will go instead to a replacement auxiliary light mount!
Roman was not alone: At least four riders tipped on this section. Were we increasing our range of ability, or just tired, or both? Who knows, but discretion being the better part of valour, after a long break at the fire tower we decided to leave the remainder of the road for another day, and head homeward.
The Roll Call of the Valourous counts a dozen riders, but the Roll Call of the Unfallen is half as long. These riders returned home without succumbing to the wiles of gravity:
We picked up our National Forest vehicle permits at the Ojai Ranger Station and headed for the hills: As quick and nimble front-riders like Bruce Schubert showed us on the way up, highway 33 north out of Ojai is a motorcyclist’s playground of well-engineered curves, climbing for miles into the Ventura County backcountry. The road beckoned on, beyond our turnoff at Rose Valley, but the lure of wilder terrain was more compelling: After a brief stop the riders sidled down Rose Valley Road, adjusting suspension pre-load, standing on the pegs, taking in the smells of chaparral on a fine clear morning. A few miles down the road and we were through the access gate, parked at the base of a steep unpaved climb, adjusting tire pressure in anticipation. Ride leader Laine MacTague instigated a brief discussion of basic off-road technique, laid out the protocol for the ride, and we were on our way.
The off-pavement section of the ride consisted of a T-shaped set of fire roads, the leg of the T being the climb from Rose
Valley to Nordhoff Ridge, and the ridge itself making up the top of the T. One of the most challenging portions of the ride is on the lower section of the initial climb: One section is particularly steep, and sprinkled with fist-sized rocks in loose gravelly soil. Coming as it does so early in the ride, without a warm-up, this section can be intimidating. The group took it slow and steady, one rider at a time, with the result that everyone passed this crux and reached the ridgeline without a fall.It was later, after we all got cocky, that we started taking soil samples. The group had turned east at the top of the climb, and maintained a prudent pace with many stops along the ridgeline. But this ride was supposed to be about learning the basics, and you don’t really know how much you’ve learned until you discover where your knowledge ends! We were riding a little more aggressively as we approached the east end of the eastward road. Dominique Audin was first off, on what must be the most challenging section of the entire ride: a deceptively steep section of loose gravelly soil and silt with odd-shaped rocks ranging in size from a golf ball to about a foot across.
A quarter mile back, while Dominique was dusting off and trying to absorb the good lesson, Roman Cooper was deftly skidding sideways around a ceanothus bush on his big 1200 Adventure, angling around a sudden 90 degree corner followed by a steep descent in a way that had the rider behind him picking his own lower jaw off the ground. Unplanned or not, that was sweeeeet! Roman’s story is an example of jaw-drop banking; if you pull off something that makes another rider’s jaw drop in awe, then you can faceplant later without becoming obligated to buy a round of drinks during end-of-day decompression.
We made the most of our snack break at the east end of the line by going over the skills we were learning and sharing our observations. The ride back to the intersection was a little quicker, and a little more playful; it looked like our practice was paying off. Riding in the dirt can be tiring work, though, and it was already midday. Some of the riders chose to head homeward from the intersection of the T. The majority chose to carry on westward toward the fire tower at Nordhoff peak.
The westward section
provided more varied terrain. The road was punctuated with deep drainage cuts, which amounted to one-sided whoop-de-doos about two to four feet tall. Simple to ride over at a slow pace, these offered more experienced riders the opportunity to practice their skills by riding over at higher speed. The road itself, after meandering easily along the ridge, wound tightly up Nordhoff peak, doubling back in such a narrow space that simply turning the bikes that sharply was a challenge. Roman’s jaw-drop banking paid off here – after his fall in a switchback, his drink money will go instead to a replacement auxiliary light mount!
Roman was not alone: At least four riders tipped on this section. Were we increasing our range of ability, or just tired, or both? Who knows, but discretion being the better part of valour, after a long break at the fire tower we decided to leave the remainder of the road for another day, and head homeward.
The Roll Call of the Valourous counts a dozen riders, but the Roll Call of the Unfallen is half as long. These riders returned home without succumbing to the wiles of gravity:
Bruce Schubert.....T. Craig Leonard.....Grant Gordon
Jerry Hess...............Phil Wren......Scott Huelskamp
Jerry Hess...............Phil Wren......Scott Huelskamp
Everyone else engaged in either soil testing or foraging, or both, at some point. However, sheilds held at about 90%; structural damage to the ships was negligible, and everyone’s GS looked the better for dust and wear at day’s end.
What was the day’s end like, exactly? Scott lead the descent on his KTM, but barring that, imagine a haggard band of crazed Beemer pilots swooping down Highway 33, clouds of dust billowing off their clothing and throwing Harley-riders and crotch rocketeers alike into confusion as they fall upon Ojai’s Deer Lodge for a late lunch of barbequed tri-tip and Caesar salad, with all the sides you can carry to your table. The first glasses of water all tasted like shale, for some reason…
CONCLUSION
Favourite quote: “That was the most fun I’ve had on a motorcycle in 20 years.” – Don Gordon. Most pertinent quote: “That was a beginner ride?” – Phil Wren. Sounds like we need another “Prelude” ride. Besides, they’re wicked fun! Can do: Keep the first Sunday in August open.
What was the day’s end like, exactly? Scott lead the descent on his KTM, but barring that, imagine a haggard band of crazed Beemer pilots swooping down Highway 33, clouds of dust billowing off their clothing and throwing Harley-riders and crotch rocketeers alike into confusion as they fall upon Ojai’s Deer Lodge for a late lunch of barbequed tri-tip and Caesar salad, with all the sides you can carry to your table. The first glasses of water all tasted like shale, for some reason…
CONCLUSION
Favourite quote: “That was the most fun I’ve had on a motorcycle in 20 years.” – Don Gordon. Most pertinent quote: “That was a beginner ride?” – Phil Wren. Sounds like we need another “Prelude” ride. Besides, they’re wicked fun! Can do: Keep the first Sunday in August open.
