Shale Shaker

[Braap791]

Any news if this event is going on still?

[AJRJ]

According to their website, it's a go. I had talked to them last week and they were thinking they may have some issues, but they must have got them worked out.

[5Lgreenback]

This event is a go rain or shine? I imagine they received quite a bit of rain last night and more today?

[dirtyboy]

I can see no information that it is cancelled. I assume it's on and will travel down there. A CXCC event probably wouldn't be cancelled at the last minute or if it was it would be well published.

[5Lgreenback]

Sounds good. I'll be there. Ill be the guy with no clue what he's doing or what to expect, in beginner class.

[cerealkiller]

What's a good amount of time to budget for the trip down? Looking at the directions it seems like it isn't too far away... But I've never been there.

[dirtyboy]

Google says 3h31m so I'm guessing nearly 2h45m

[cerealkiller]

Perfect. Thanks!

[cerealkiller]

Also... What sort of terrain can I expect? Will this be fast like porcupine hills or heavy trees like the dirty moose?

[cerealkiller]

That race was brutal.

[erniebearskin]

HAHA, you're alive to write about Jared. Do tell for those of us that didnt make it down....

[Jonny5]

I feel like I missed a good one.

Jared, how did that skid plate make out?

[RJHenry]

That race was brutal.

I don't know what you are talking about.

[Grimlock]

I gassed after the first 14km.

Turned into a team race after that. Three of us teamed up and managed to finish in five hours. Picked up a stray 30B rider that ran out of fuel about 5km from the end too. The young intermediate rider with us gave him enough fuel to make it to the finish.

I also was privileged to have a first hand view of Ben Rego riding out the bulldog hill. That was unreal!

All in all I had a blast even though that loop was way over my head. Just making it to the finish was a war of attrition. Have to thank my "teammates" though. Without their help and awesome show of sportsmanship, I never would have seen the finish.

Can't wait to do it again next year!

[cerealkiller]

The race alternates between mud, rock and roots. A little dirt now and again would have been nice.

My troubles started early. I was racing with the juniors this time. Right off the start, one of them ran into me. Somehow my clutch got messed up in the deal, so I spent 20 mins or more stuck on the first hill trying to get it to work again. The auto clutch didn’t work the rest of the race, but I did get to keep riding.

There’s some great scenery in this race. Weakened from the mud and roots, I spent quite a lot of time looking at it.

I ran out of water after about 2 1/2 hours in. Normally that would be fine. In this case I still had hours of riding to go.

A couple of the downhill sections (or two parts of the same downhill depending on how you look at it) seem designed to murder. Even bulldogging proved treacherous. I'm pretty sure the skid plate is the only part of my bike that is undamaged. I managed to break off my rear brake spring, gas cap vent, a number plate and scratch... everything. There was a fellow at the bottom in worse shape though. His sprocket was bent in half.

One painful obstacle after another, I continued on with the race. Some sweepers found me wheezing near the end. I couldn’t summon the energy to start the bike so they tried to convince me to take the quad trail back. Instead I continued on the trail until I hit a tree and fell down a ravine.

Sometime later I got the bike back on the trail. There was a big log to cross, so I tried to impress some spectators with my endurocross skillz. I cleared the log with speed and ease, then ran into some rocks on the other side.