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New bike?

Posted: 04:07 pm Jul 23 2012
by Racing220
Yesterday I raced a 40 mile enduro/hare scramble, and I got beat bad. Beside I few rider errors, my front fork busted, and I kept getting past by ktms, 4t's and a few times by better riders. Should I consider a faster bike, for better races or just keep the kdx and get beat more?

New bike?

Posted: 04:16 pm Jul 23 2012
by rbates9
No offence but the bike is not holding you back as much as you want to think it is. Ok, maybe this time with a broken fork but for the most part you can't put all the blame on the bike. :wink:

Re: New bike?

Posted: 04:22 pm Jul 23 2012
by Racing220
I take responsibility for not being the best, but with bike roaring in third, this yz just passed me almost two easily

New bike?

Posted: 04:34 pm Jul 23 2012
by SS109
What do you mean by the "fork busted"?

The KDX is more than capable of racing against the latest and greatest machines out there. Every weekend I get the chance to push my skills against some damn good riders (A and B level guys) riding a variety of bikes. Some of the bikes:

KTM 300xc, 250xcw, 200xcw, 525(???)
Honda CR450F and CR450X
Yamaha YZ250 and WR450
Husky TE310 and TXC310
Suzuki RM250

My old '90 KDX is more than capable of running with any of those bikes depending on what rider is on them. I can run with all the B level guys but not the A level guys. The A guys don't run away from me but there is no way I can challenge them at my skill level. This past weekend I passed the KTM300xc rider and was glued to the tail of the KTM250xcw rider! Proud day for me! :supz:

My point being, and I'm not trying to put you down but, I would say you either need to work on your skills, fix whatever is wrong with your bike, or a combo of both. If you want a different bike then go for it but I doubt you'll be significantly faster on it compared to your KDX in proper working order.

Re: New bike?

Posted: 04:48 pm Jul 23 2012
by diymirage
yup, with the proper suspension set up and a few go fast Mods KDXs are the thing to beat in these harescambles

(on a side note, this busted fork is a perfect excuse for a front end conversion)

New bike?

Posted: 05:01 pm Jul 23 2012
by KDXGarage
What is an enduro/are scramble? I know what each is separately. I raced one of each on my 1994 KDX200. I was by far the biggest problem. (same as now when I race MX)

I know that if I were to hop on Ryan Villopoto's bike (google him), it would not win m any races. If you got on Charlie Mullin's bike, do you think you would win then??

Re: New bike?

Posted: 05:10 pm Jul 23 2012
by Racing220
The race is part mx track, and part really sandy hills

Re: New bike?

Posted: 05:27 pm Jul 23 2012
by SS109
Racing220 wrote:The race is part mx track, and part really sandy hills
Here in AZ we call that a GP (Grand Prix). Again, my KDX is more than up to it as long as we are not talking Supercross type jumps. The KX forks swap I did really helps in the MX part! :mrgreen: Any KDX can be setup for darn near anything fairly reasonably.

New bike?

Posted: 06:25 pm Jul 23 2012
by KDXGarage
It sounds like you could beneit some from a MX bike for that kind of course, but if you are like me, it is more rider fault than bike.

Re: New bike?

Posted: 10:55 pm Jul 23 2012
by Racing220
I think the others are right, what do you think I should do as a daily practice routine

New bike?

Posted: 06:53 am Jul 24 2012
by KarlP
what do you think I should do as a daily practice routine
Ride, a lot. And exercise. And ride a lot.

The only way I know to do well in a 40 mile race is to be able to routinely ride 40 miles at race pace. This is not a level that is easy to get to and I bet most of the guys you rode against weren't there.
Around here 40 miles means 2 to 3 hours.

What usually happens to me at a race like that is in the first half I am getting passed a lot. In the second half I am doing the passing because the other guys in my class are worn out.

Our first enduro is at the end of September. It is a tough one and will be ~ 50 miles. I'm already preparing for it.
Saturday I walked a 4 mile trail up and around a good size hill. Monday I walked 3 miles on some trails behind our place, carrying and curling a 15 pound weight. I'll swim at the Y and keep working at it. I want at least an hour a day of elevated heart rate and breathing.
As September approaches I'll switch to riding more and more until I can go 20 miles, gas, 20 miles without it killing me.
Everybodies terrain is different. 20 miles here takes me an hour and a half, it takes the A guys an hour and a quarter.

Keep working at it. You may well need a new bike but I bet you, physically, aren't there yet.

My first HS in 1996 was three 9 mile laps. I was done after two and went into survival mode for the last lap.

Re: New bike?

Posted: 11:00 am Jul 24 2012
by SS109
Racing220 wrote:...what do you think I should do as a daily practice routine
OK, I'm an opinionated bastard, and long winded as well :mrgreen:, so take my advice for what it is worth!

Physically, like Karl said, get your self active as much as possible. Walking or jogging is a good start. Getting a mountain bike and riding hard really helps with conditioning as it gets your heart rate up and some of the skills transfer over to dirt bikes as well. A MB will really help build up your stamina when you can't ride your KDX. Weight training can help as well but not like most people do. Don't try for max weight for 10 reps BS. All that does is build bulk and helps contribute to arm pump and you'll fatigue even faster. For example, doing arm curls, my way is that I would rather do 50 reps at 20 lbs than 10 reps at 60 lbs. Endurance is the key over brute strength. Also, when first starting an exercise routine, I believe in working out a day then off a day. This allows your muscles time to heal between work outs and you will be less prone to injury while you are getting into shape. I would do it that way for the first month and then you can see if you are ready for an everyday schedule. Just try to work out different muscle groups on alternating days, if possible, with weight training. Diet is also important. It doesn't have to be a special diet or anything just eat a balanced diet and you should be fine. Consulting a doctor/nutritionist would be the best as they can test you and see what you really need diet wise. Hydration is extremely important so pay close attention to it.

Skills wise.... practice, practice, practice! I do figure 8's as slow as I can to promote balance. I also do them as fast as I can to learn to control the sliding of the rear for turns and it will help teach you the limits of your tire's traction. Shane Watts also has a good balance thing he teaches. You lock up the front brake and then try to get moving with it locked and keep your balance. I practice hard front brake only stops to build confidence using it. Make sure to use both brakes when riding. Dragging the rear brake lightly through a turn helps keep the front end planted. As soon as you are ready to roll on the throttle then stop dragging the rear brake. Try looking down the trail and not 10ft in front of you. Look where you want to go and you'll tend to go there. Don't fixate on things you don't want to hit. If you do, 9 times out of 10 you will hit them! Get up off your seat, up on the pegs, keep your weight balanced over the bike and let the it move under you when in the rough stuff. Try to find a group of riders that are faster and ride with them every chance you get. I it will help push you and give you a barometer of your progress.

There are many more facets to conditioning and skills building. All I gave you are some of the basic stuff I have used successfully to get up to mid-pack B rider speed/skill. Attending one of the riding schools would probably be a good idea. Attend any free riding clinic (even MX) you can would be a good idea as you will almost always learn something new.

Re: New bike?

Posted: 06:41 pm Jul 24 2012
by Racing220
Ok thanks a ton for the advice!!

Re: New bike?

Posted: 11:03 pm Jul 24 2012
by the machinist
Broke your fork? Is this a chance for me to clean out my garage?, oh HELL YEAH! What do you need to fix your front end?
-Matt

Re: New bike?

Posted: 10:32 am Jul 26 2012
by Racing220
I don't know yet, but it's leaking oil from the top and bottom