What: 2014 Curly Fern Enduro hosted by the South Jersey Enduro Riders When: Sunday March 23, 2104 Keytime: 9AM Where: Indian Mills Deer Club, Atsion Road, Shamong, NJ 08088 What: 80 miles of awesome in and around Wharton State Forest What to bring: Any registered and insured motorcycle that you care to flog for several hours Here is a link to our registration form and more information. http://www.ecea.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=27598
How does your event's trail compare to Sandy Lane? I will be racing Sandy Lane (first enduro of the year), and the SPER scramble on March 30th, trying to decide if I want to do this too. Is it all on state land (ie no singletrack)?
The current state of NJ enduros is that single track trail in the state forests is verboten. Happily, we have an agreement with the land owner adjacent to the start area that allows us to run a section of tighter single track. The Cutts family also makes an awesome endurocross section that you'll love. Beyond that, fast fire cuts are the dominant trail type for our run. Come on out, you'll have a great time!
The test can be downloaded from this link. It's at the top of the list of documents. http://www.ecea.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=24887 To get the answers to the questions, read the rule book here. The link is in the large paragraph on this page. http://ecea.org/ecea/?page_id=402 Show up early to the event and we'll score your test. If you pass (study hard! , we'll issue you an ECEA card with a number. You'll use this number to sign up for the enduro and subsequent ones. This is a fine enduro for your first one. The trail isn't too challenging (lots of fire cuts and sand), but there is a bit of rider skill involved in the enduro cross section. Still, don't be intimidated! The elements are not giant, do-or-die bike breakers. You might tip over a few times, but you're not going to ruin your day if you don't get through cleanly. It's fun! And it's so nice we do it twice! Ours is a timekeeping enduro, so if you want a good score, pay close attention to milage, speed, and possible check locations. If you just want a fun day in the saddle and you don't mind blowing a few checks, you can totally come out and just cruise. If you have no idea about time keeping, try to get on the same minute as someone who does. If no one on your minute has a clue about time keeping, then pick out someone on an earlier minute who does, and make sure you never pass him. Especially if you see him sitting on the side of the road, because that means he's running early, and you are too!
Sound good! Ama membership done, test downloaded... Have no idea about most of the questions though . Spark arrestor installed. Lights work. Bike runs and I think I finally learned how to kick start it Hopefully snow will melt by then! Do I need anything else for the bike? Route sheet holder? Sorry.. First timer here.. Don't care much about score, just wanna ride!
You can do a roll chart if you like, but you won't really need to use it. The trail will be very well marked with arrows and milage, so you can pretty much just follow them. A roll chart is nice to have, however, to know where resets (rest breaks) are located, and how far to the gas stop. I started out using a roll chart, but when I graduated to an enduro computer, I stopped using one. I now just tape an info sheet with the milages for resets and gas stops to my tank or bars and rely on the computer to keep me on time and the arrows to keep me on the trail. The answers to the test are all in the rule book, so take a look at that. Lots of good info there.
ks9mm, would you be interested in riding on a row together? I'm a midpack C-open rider, not slow but certainly not fast. I try to do basic timekeeping and I understand the rules, but I don't go nuts with it and I do burn an occasional check. I definitely am comfortable with getting the bike set up, what to carry, what to expect, etc. In the end I try to ride fast and do my best, but I am out there to have a good time. I am racing Sandy Lane the weekend before this, and the SPER hare scramble the weekend after, so there's a chance I won't be able to make it, but I probably can and I'd be more than happy to help you out.
Hey Kyle, that would be awesome! but I do not want to hold you up man! I just actually found out about Sandy Lane and wife prefers me to ride on 16 and not on 23...I might also try to do DS ride on the 30th. I am trying to figure out, what do I need to get there and ride safely. It would be awesome if there would be someone who can point me in the right direction and share some tips! I am also possibly riding with friend on gas gas 250, he is also new to dirt but is very eager. As far as gear is concerned, other than obvious helmet and boots, do you wear body armor? knee pads? camelback with some spares, tools, water, snacks? anything else I would need? Please keep advice coming
I'd offer to ride with you at Sandy Lane, but I preregistered so I already have an early row number on a full row. Gear wise, different people do different things, but for an enduro I wear a helmet, boots, compression suit (body armor), knee pads. I carry a Camelbak with water and some snacks, and a basic toolkit. Typically an enduro will have one or more gas stops; sometimes they are back at the start (so you can go to your car/truck), but often they are somewhere else and the club will have a truck that drives out there. For a remote pit, you'll need to leave a gas can on the truck in the morning before you start, and it will be out at the pit when you get there. You'll be riding all day, so you also need to have some semblance of a quick lunch, either in your camelbak or with your gas can. Usually you'll get a 30-45 minute break at the gas stop to fuel up, eat, look over the bike, etc. I'd be more than happy to how you and your friend around at Curly Fern. Unless you're really slow, there's no real risk of you causing any headache to me (or other riders). Everyone one a row will be together at/after each check, and then you tend to separate out over the sections due to speed, and then you all meet back up at each reset. Sometimes towards the end of the race the newer/slower guys will start falling off schedule and won't meet back up with their row, but that really depends on the way the club sets up the race and how aggressive the schedule is.
Thanks! Unfortunately I m sitting here with high fever . Where heck it came from?! Hopefully I will recover before weekend!
At The Curly Fern the gas stop is back at the start, so you don't have to worry about getting a gas can on the gas truck. Also then you can load your cooler up with any type of food, drink or energy replacement you like for the "lunch/gas" break. And there is an overwhelming amount of support as far trail crew and check point crew to help you along the way if needed.... I have been with SJER working the Curly Fern for 25 years. Long term forecast is putting the daytime temps in the mid to high 50's with a shower Thursday to keep the dust down and the traction good....
I am thinking about riding this just for fun, especially if I can hang out with ks9mm and his buddy. Always a good time riding enduros as a group!
Is it too late to get into this? I am doing a Basic RiderCourse 2 on Saturday as part of the process of becoming a MSF instructor But that leaves Sunday open :]
Definitely NOT too late. Your best option would be to sign up at the event the day before or the morning of. Key time is 9 AM, and signup will be rockin' and rollin' NLT 7 AM.
ahh i wanna ride had to visit ER this morning.. had nasty reaction to antibiotics... really, given the choice of "how do you want to go?" I would chose breaking my neck on the bike over allergic reaction to antibiotics!! in any case, I am way better now and still have Friday and Saturday to recover
Yes, this race (Curly Fern) is not until NEXT weekend! Sandy Lane is this weekend, but if you go to that race you'll be stuck riding by yourself because I am already preregistered (and on row 33, which ought to be "interesting"...)
Because I have B, A, and AA guys all around me (ie fast and super fast guys). It's going to be hectic up there, and I will probably be doing more getting out of the way than passing. On the plus side, the trail ought to be in really nice shape, not all churned up and whooped out like it can get at the back on a sand run.
