Ouch! At least the injury happened before you took to the trails - I've ridden at Cadillac before with a guy who tipped over on the first big root-filled uphill and he snapped his wrist like dry kindling
So here's a quick run down on the day. Mike Roussey, my camera guy from the Taste Test and I rolled into the trailhead about 10:20, only to have the eager beavers bag on us for being late. Jeremy (the man mountain) was already geared up and ready to rip on his KTM200, and he'd brought Xavier along to sample the woods on a KDX215.
They were joined by Barry on his 06 EC300 with all the candy and Craig on an 02 EC300 that I mistook initially for a woods-i-fied YZ. About the time the trail maps were distributed, Aaron Wegner showed up on his D14 hare scrambles championship-leading scooter. Mike and I added a Sparky to his YZ250 while Aaron suited up, and then we set out after the four amigos.
The trail was PERFECT! Enough moisture to keep the dust down, perfect traction, not too hot - it was just one of those days
About four miles in I swapped my 2010 XC250 for Wegner's YZ, after which he proceeded to disappear into the woods - gone!
The cool thing about Cadillac is that its a 26 mile loop, and although we tired the moto-kid out, everybody made it back to the trucks for some benchracing and an ad hoc potluck lunch.
After lunch we headed back onto the trail, running 8 miles clockwise before turning back around, and swapping bikes along the way. It was cool to compare the 02, 06, and 2010 Gasser's back to back - you could definitely tell they were from the same family, but there has been significant refinement and improvement along the way. The Zokes on Barry's 300 were plush, but the Sachs forks on the new bike allowed for more precise placement on the trail, and no one complained about harshness over the roots.
Jeremy's KTM200 had a great motor teamed with a twitchy chassis, and the bars felt like ape-hangers. He in turn loved the XC but said it felt like a mini-bike ... no kidding! Wegner's YZ was interesting in that it was incredibly plush on the front end, but I had no idea where the front tire was ... except when I bounced off the trail into a stump
Surprisingly, my leg didn't come out of the boot in three pieces, and a week later the limp is almost gone. The YZ also rode front high/rear low and had a seat like a worn out sofa ... sometimes guys are fast in spite of their bikes ...
All in all a great day. Planning is underway for a similar ride next spring, and hopefully with some advanced notice we'll see some guys on old Montesas, Fantics, and Pentons
Craig made the trip from the Twin Cities, so we're looking for some riders who will beat that mark. Kentucky and Tennessee guys, that means you, and stop to get some buddies in Ohio or Indiana on the way.
barrys 300.JPG
craigs 300.JPG
jeremy ebtr.JPG
aaron and xavier.JPG
perfect day for gassers in the woods.JPG