We had nine riders total on our ride! It was very cold in the valley, and there was ice everywhere. Then we broke into the sun above the fog bank and it was beautiful. Still standing ice/frost stuff on the ground, and patches of snow, but at least it felt warm.
What a ride though. We did lose half our group about half way through. There was a gnarly hill, and four of our crew decided to take a different route. The rest of us polished off a 40 miler. We were planning on a 60 miler, but one of our riders was on a CRF 450R with a stock tank, so the sweat started to bead on his forehead at about 35 miles and we took the short way home. Still, it was a gorgeous ride, and it was a fun group of guys. Two Gassers, 5 KTM's, a Honda, and a Yamaha WR 250. Even cooler than that is 7 out of nine bikes were two strokes! ( A good day indeed when Gas Gas outnumbers two Japanese brands in a group ride.)
I had the opportunity to try a 2010 KTM 250 XC. I think that's a very nice bike. I love the clear gas tank, and I do believe they finally figured out the PDS rear suspension, I can't believe the new 350 SX is going to have a linkage. Just when they've figured it out they abandon it? Wierd.
In the end the only
disappointment
is that somebody actually said they hated me, and someone else said I wasn't a very nice person. What's with that?
Too bad not everyone got to climb the gnarly hill, that's all I gotta say.