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2016 24 hrs of Starvation Ridge


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 Well boys and girls its time to start thinking of the Starvation Ridge 24 hr race.  We have an ADV class for those like us who love to play hooligan on the Big ADV bikes.  

 Its one of those events that while racing it some say they will never be back, but as time nears they sign up and are ready for the fun. A challenge to man and machine.

 Teams can be up to 6 riders with 6 bikes.

 

 The first year we raced the big bikes Team Heavyweights raced the  Open A dirt bike class due to being the only ones on big bikes, Last year we had the guys from Black River ADV  join in the fun.

 

 Hopefully we can entice a few other teams to come on out this year. I dont have the exact date yet, it is generally at the end of OCT on or near halloween.

 here's a teaser to show you what its all about.

 

 Now get your buddies together and come have a blast with us!

 

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My only problem with this race is they consider a 690 to be a adv bike or big bike. It's not. They are way too capable and fast. Unless I'm wrong but i think I'm right in saying the 690 is in the adv bike class.

I don't know about that.  I think many have used the 690 as an adv bike but it is the 690 Enduro.  It certainly has the feel and construction of a smaller enduro bike like the 650.

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I don't know about that.  I think many have used the 690 as an adv bike but it is the 690 Enduro.  It certainly has the feel and construction of a smaller enduro bike like the 650.

Yeah I'm just saying that the 690s are being used in the adventure bike class in the race. I think it's a bit unfair to put a 300+pound single against a 500+pound twin. Even in rally trim a 690 is so light and fast compared to any adventure bike. It's just too much gap.

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My only problem with this race is they consider a 690 to be a adv bike or big bike. It's not. They are way too capable and fast. Unless I'm wrong but i think I'm right in saying the 690 is in the adv bike class.

 

I worked the rules to allow all real ADV bikes, some use 650cc class bikes and they should be included. It creates a larger field and should stimulate some to get involved.

A few guys entered the 690's in this years Desert 100, they only lost to the 990's by 45 minutes   :)  There hasn't been a 690 even come close to the 990's in any PNW race so far.

 

   Its not the bike its the guy behind the bars.  Ill take my 950/990 anyday.

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I worked the rules to allow all real ADV bikes, some use 650cc class bikes and they should be included. It creates a larger field and should stimulate some to get involved.

A few guys entered the 690's in this years Desert 100, they only lost to the 990's by 45 minutes   :)  There hasn't been a 690 even come close to the 990's in any PNW race so far.

 

   Its not the bike its the guy behind the bars.  Ill take my 950/990 anyday.

Damn 45 minutes! I've heard there's some fast guys on the big ktms out there but I can't see that happening. I mean where is someone making up the time against a bike like 690 with a 990? Over here on the east coast you can't out run a 690 with a big bike and in the desert to make 45 minutes in a 100 mile race you've got to be doing it in the tight stuff because 45 minutes in open desert it would be like 120 mph vs 80 on a 690. So it has to come down to the ride. I still think a 690 vs a 990 isn't a fair fight but you absolutely have to openn up the classes to get participants.

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Damn 45 minutes! I've heard there's some fast guys on the big ktms out there but I can't see that happening. I mean where is someone making up the time against a bike like 690 with a 990? Over here on the east coast you can't out run a 690 with a big bike and in the desert to make 45 minutes in a 100 mile race you've got to be doing it in the tight stuff because 45 minutes in open desert it would be like 120 mph vs 80 on a 690. So it has to come down to the ride. I still think a 690 vs a 990 isn't a fair fight but you absolutely have to openn up the classes to get participants.

The Desert 100 is a very technical course with little open riding. Probably the roughest desert in the country. I am proud that the rider who smoked the entire field including the real 450cc dirt bikes was my Son Wes. He came in 3rd overall in the single lap wave.  A heavyweight member and one very fast dude.

 I also just checked the official results looks like it was closer to 1/2 hr not 45 min.. my mistake..

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  • 2 months later...

Well another 24hr in the books. I cant say this one was fun, even remotely fun, but Mother nature sometimes throws us a curve ball and we do the best we can.

 Team Heavyweights again took the top honers with a 5 lap lead on the only other team crazy enough to ride ADV bikes at a Dirt bike 24hr event.

 There are a ton of photos out there but these were the ones I had readily available to share.

 

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IMG_20161029_121958303.jpg

 

IMG_20161029_214251431.jpg

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Here's the ride report I did for the Black River ADV team that unsuccessfully challenged the Heavyweights this year...again.

Summary:

- LAPS finished: 6 (John for 3, Adrian for 2, Lee for 1)

- LAPS Started: 9 (Lee with an overheat, Andrew with a lost transponder, Cory with a front fender packed and wheel immobilized)

- KM Adrian completed: roughly 60

- KM indicated by front wheel spin: 40

- Time Brian tapped keg and poured his first beer on Saturday: 0815

- On Sunday: 0900

- Kickass kegs sponsored by Konflict Motorsports and Suspension and Jeff at the Harmon Tap Room: 1

- Bikes starting: 5. Andrew and Lee on KTM 950 Super Enduro x2, John on KTM 950 Adventure S, Adrian on BMW F800GS, Cory on Honda Africa Twin

- Bikes finishing: 3. 950A, 950SE, F800GS

Conditions were absolutely horrific. Craptastic. Temps hovered between 43-55F and if it wasn't raining, there was heavy fog on the course. Despite a forecast calling for a dry day, it stopped raining just before the race. The course dried a bit, however, far from improving things, the ground transformed from slime into a tacky grease that stuck to everything. Friends who wondered at my final lap time of 2:21 (after a first lap of under 50min while dry) last year got a good taste of how difficult Starvation Ridge is when slimy. Laps nearing 3 hours were not uncommon. From unofficial conversation around the pits, the attrition was significant, though I don't know how it compares to other years. Felt like there were a lot less people this time around, and I have a feeling that has to do with the absolutely miserable conditions last year. And the year before. And before...

Yep, this is the Starvation Ridge 24-hour race!!!

http://www.dirtrider.com/features/24-hours-of-starvation-ridge

Team Black River ADV faced off again against The Heavyweights this year, with a slightly altered team lineup. With me injured and only able to support rather than race, Andrew Salinas was the only returning rider and served as unofficial team captain. Cory Hanson and Adrian Tobler comprised the Canadian contingent, while Lee Bissinger upped our hooligan quotient and John Golden rounded out the "quiet hero" factor after we found him by posting the equivalent of a personal ad on ADV Rider. Mike Sclater and I served as support and concerned ourselves with scraping mud and drinking beer. I wandered around a lot and just bullshitted with people. The pain of a broken collarbone is insignificant next to the pain of attending a race and not racing. Oh, and riding around in a minivan. That kind of sucks.

Lee led off with a very impressive lap on his Super Enduro, nearly catching the hole shot on launch. Adrian followed on the F800GS and reported that the only thing worse than the first 3 miles was the last 17! John came next on the 950 Adventure. He had a helluva time but powered through and no doubt improved his mud-handling capabilities during the course since he was able to knock out two other laps with better times. Cory headed out and the mud immediately packed his fender on the Africa Twin so tight it stopped the wheel at about mile 3 of the 19 mile loop. With his parents there to see the launch, Lee ran out for the next lap, only to return suddenly with an overheating bike. On closer inspection, he had coolant in the oil. Blammo, bike done. Not sure if that was a failing water pump seal that led to an overheat which burned the head gasket and caused even more bypass, but the radiator was empty by the time he arrived. With Lee unexpectedly back, Andrew scrambled to depart early. I specifically secured his transponder in his pack, but after several crashes it apparently fell out (though the radio stayed put in the pouch!). A sweep rider returned it and John headed out again with it while we attempted to find Andrew. We couldn't catch him, but we did watch John pass the north checkpoint completely sideways and fighting the grease-like mud there. He honked merrily on his way by. Attaboy! John eventually returned and Adrian headed out on the F800GS for another lap in the dark. Conditions were terrible at this point, with alternating slime and lug-packing grease compounded by a thick fog that our ultra-bright lights transform into a white wall about 2 bike lengths out. Absolutely miserable.

At this point, two bikes were down. The AT clearly wasn't going back out because the low fender renders it useless in these conditions. Lee's SE wasn't going anywhere with cappuccino oil and a self-emptying radiator. All riders were completely destroyed. Each return necessitated about 30-45 minutes of clean-up to get the radiators cleared and major systems cleaned up. Teamwork made it all possible, but we arrived at the consensus that the fog rendered it pointless to continue, with riders likely exhausting themselves to turn incomplete laps. We decided to wait for daylight. I experienced a case of deja vu from, 2015 at about 3am.

With nothing better to do, I linked up with Roy Pachulski to help with his sweep duties for a few hours. Even in a side-by-side, the going was rough. We rescued an iron man rider with a blown radiator hose (or radiator? impossible to tell while caked in mud) who was so exhausted in his failed attempt at lap #8, he elected to just leave the bike out there and return in the morning. I give that dude (Jeremy, son of the course photographers, #154-I) some big props because he was clearly working hard.

The morning brings hope. It also brings more damned fog, a light rain, and temperatures around 43F. Yeah, the morning brings more misery. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. No one was terrifically motivated. We persuaded John that he was the only hero we had, and the team needed a hero to be on the course when time expired, ergo... The rules say, you could run a hundred laps, but if you don't have a rider on the course at the end, you get a DNF. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. It's amazing how many riders suddenly show up in the pits 5 minutes after the course closes. Almost as if they ran an entire lap and stopped just short of the finish to wait for the clock to strike 10am. Hmmm.

John grudgingly accepted his role as hero and savior and headed out at 0908, just behind Richard Miller from the Heavyweights. We next saw him at around 1140. He'd turned a final 2.5 hour lap and was absolutely beat. Smiles and congratulations all around, we shook hands and snapped a photo of a victory, even without trophies.

Until next year.

Thoughts for next year:

- the fire extinguisher and firefighter backpacks were great. A pressure washer would be better.

- need more muck-cleaning instruments. Wooden spoons perhaps? Shaved down ice scrapers?

- We've got to get someone with an RV on board again. Sleeping in the car or truck sucks. Kinda cold. And wet.

- One of the other 6-man teams ran a pattern that greatly increased time between laps for riders to recover. 1,2,1,2,3,4,3,4,5,6,5,6 means that riders 1 and 2 have 8 laps to relax and a 4-lap window to stay geared up. Great idea

- EZ-ups are awesome. Especially the one with the sides. A frame tent could be better.

- Propane fire ring is a must. The propane cone heaters just don't quite do the job, and there's something about fire that just perks people up.

- IRC M5B rear tire is the heat for this terrain. I'll likely pair that with an S12 front or Goldentyre GT216AA if it's going to be gooey next year. Terraflex rear tire is ginormous and throws absolute geysers of roost on a big bike. Good lord!

- Radio communication or cell tracking or something like that with the rider would be a heck of a lot easier. It would have been nice to tell Andrew to cut short his lap after he lost his transponder and a sweep rider brought it back to us.

- a junky old fanny pack for transponders would probably be the easiest solution

- muck boots. Wellies. Whatever. Insulated rubber boots for traversing the slime. How have I lived in WA for 5 years and not come to own a pair?

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Love to see someone else show up and give it a shot. You can't tell me only 10 dudes in the country were willing to give it a shot on big bikes this year. Where are you big bike heros?

Rogers, I'd love to see a 1200GS team, but I frankly don't think it's possible. I don't say that lightly either. Pro teams were turning 2hr laps on 450s this year. The course was utterly brutal. If it's possible, I doubt you'll find 6 guys willing to do it. Be interesting to see an attempt though.

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