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Off Road Racer's Corner ISDE, Enduro, Hare Scrambles, etc.


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Old 01-09-2017, 09:18 AM
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CDN Rick CDN Rick is offline
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Default 1st season racing. Wish me luck!

I'm pretty new to bikes in general. This season will be my third riding. My brothers have been riding for years though and they taught me to ride by saying "keep up or stay home". I'm sorta glad they did now because I had no choice but to learn quick. I finished my first "race" last year. 500miles in one day on a WR250R across half of Ontario. Placed 24th out of 38. Which I think is respectable for being my first ever race.

I just signed myself up for the Offroad Ontario circuit! They run a series of Xcountry events and a series of Enduro events. I was advised to run in Novice A for my first season and then jump up or down a class depending on how I do. The upside to Novice A is its part of the afternoon races. The downside is that we are last to go so the track will be ripped up by everyone else already.

I don't think I'll be showing up to every event. I just really want to sharpen my skills and see how I compare to the rest of the world. So follow me here as I try out my first season of racing. I'll try to post pictures and write-ups from every race I go to.

Any advice you have for someone getting into racing would be really appreciated. So wish me luck and health! Cya out there!

Here is the bike I'll be on. Its a mostly stock 2012 EC300. It'll get a skidplate and a new rear tire before the season starts.


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Old 01-09-2017, 11:41 AM
memphis2857 memphis2857 is offline
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Originally Posted by StubbornDutchman View Post
I'm pretty new to bikes in general. This season will be my third riding. My brothers have been riding for years though and they taught me to ride by saying "keep up or stay home". I'm sorta glad they did now because I had no choice but to learn quick. I finished my first "race" last year. 500miles in one day on a WR250R across half of Ontario. Placed 24th out of 38. Which I think is respectable for being my first ever race.



I just signed myself up for the Offroad Ontario circuit! They run a series of Xcountry events and a series of Enduro events. I was advised to run in Novice A for my first season and then jump up or down a class depending on how I do. The upside to Novice A is its part of the afternoon races. The downside is that we are last to go so the track will be ripped up by everyone else already.



I don't think I'll be showing up to every event. I just really want to sharpen my skills and see how I compare to the rest of the world. So follow me here as I try out my first season of racing. I'll try to post pictures and write-ups from every race I go to.



Any advice you have for someone getting into racing would be really appreciated. So wish me luck and health! Cya out there!



Here is the bike I'll be on. Its a mostly stock 2012 EC300. It'll get a skidplate and a new rear tire before the season starts.



I don't understand Novice A? So is it an A class? Or is it a Novice Class? Probably shouldn't be racing in an A class for your first year. Anyway good luck and have fun!!


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Old 01-09-2017, 04:22 PM
hadfield4wd hadfield4wd is offline
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The best advice I can give is the same I've gotten. I sounds trite but "To finish first, first you must finish"

This goes to 2 things.

1 - make sure your bike is in perfect condition. You don't want it causing you not to finish.

2 - conditioning. You need to be in as best shape as you can.
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Old 01-09-2017, 05:25 PM
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Originally Posted by hadfield4wd View Post
The best advice I can give is the same I've gotten. I sounds trite but "To finish first, first you must finish"

This goes to 2 things.

1 - make sure your bike is in perfect condition. You don't want it causing you not to finish.

2 - conditioning. You need to be in as best shape as you can.
I read a great quote recently, and I'm sure that I"m butchering it, but I'll paraphrase it here:

"100% body and 90% machine will beat 90% body and 100% machine every time."

Stay healthy, train smart, and ride smarter; but above all, have fun. If it's not fun, why do it?
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Old 01-09-2017, 05:42 PM
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Originally Posted by memphis2857 View Post
I don't understand Novice A? So is it an A class? Or is it a Novice Class? Probably shouldn't be racing in an A class for your first year. Anyway good luck and have fun!!


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Offroad Ontario has 6 race classes for men age 15-99

Novice C
Novice B
Novice A
Intermediate
Expert
Pro

I've been warned that Novice B is a huge class and you'll get jammed up in bottlenecks, and that Novice C is mostly teens and totally new riders.

They also have Vetern classes, Womens classes, and age 4-14 classes.

Does that clear it up?
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Old 01-09-2017, 05:45 PM
memphis2857 memphis2857 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StubbornDutchman View Post
Offroad Ontario has 6 race classes for men age 15-99

Novice C
Novice B
Novice A
Intermediate
Expert
Pro

They also have Vetern classes, Womens classes, and age 4-14 classes.

Does that clear it up?


Yes it does and I think you have been given some bad advice to start in the A class. Remember you can always move up a class but you can never move down. Start in the C class and if you kill it then move to B and so on. If you start in A and get destroy the competition it's going to give you a bad taste for racing and you will hate it. Just my opinion.


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Old 01-09-2017, 05:56 PM
Brian VT Brian VT is offline
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I chased enduro points for a few years. A friend, and (5 time?) ISDE rider Billy Burns, gave me some great advice. "Just keep moving."
My 1st few races I'd "blow my wad" early in a tough section that turned out to be a "points taker" that got tougher and longer than I had reserve for. There were times I stopped on the side of the trail. That costs you HUGE amounts of time. Better to creep along at any speed you can while you recover and work your way back up to speed. Don't stop. "Just keep moving."
Oh, and when it gets ugly...try to remind yourself that you're having fun.
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Old 01-09-2017, 06:12 PM
Brian VT Brian VT is offline
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Another thing...etiquette.
If the format you're racing has multiple classes running at the same time, let faster riders pass. Hopefully slower riders will do the same for you.
A faster rider will yell if you haven't heard him coming and prepared to let him by. You don't need to stop. Just look for a wide spot where you can give him room to go by or go wide in a turn and point for him to take the inside line or if it's tight woods then he may just bushwhack around you. Let off, if you need to, for him to get back on the trail.
If you see someone stopped, make sure they're not hurt. We want everyone to make it out ok.
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Old 01-09-2017, 09:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by memphis2857 View Post
Yes it does and I think you have been given some bad advice to start in the A class. Remember you can always move up a class but you can never move down. Start in the C class and if you kill it then move to B and so on. If you start in A and get destroy the competition it's going to give you a bad taste for racing and you will hate it. Just my opinion.


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Oddly enough in Offroad Ontario you can move either up or down once per season if the race officials allow.

I had two reasons for choosing Novice A. The less important one is because its an afternoon race instead of Novice B and C which ride in the morning.

The bigger deciding factor was because a guy I know who ran in Romaniacs who has also watched me ride and has raced in the same circuit said its where he thinks I'd fit in best.

If I get destroyed I'll chalk it up to my own incompetence and try to publicly blame it on my bike and everyone else cheating....
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Old 01-10-2017, 05:25 AM
PFD023 PFD023 is offline
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good luck and keep posting how it turns out!
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