(Not finished, just 'saving'...) My first 'Timecard enduro'

[G]

Went along to a RAF Ardura timecard enduro today.

As is typical with me, I was up until well after midnight finishing off the bike preparation - and still hadn't managed to successfully start it either.

Getting up at 7:30 meant just over six hours sleep which was less than ideal; I continued the trend with a pack of (German Smoked) ham and most of a box of very manly 'french fancies'...

Get there and sign on, as well as being given basic instructions on how the time card works and where I should write in the times for my own information.

Timecard enduros work on a points basis; as with trials, more is bad.
You get points for starting each lap too early or too late.
My first lap is supposed to start at 10:26. Following that, the next lap 40 minutes later, then 35 minutes after that, then 30, 25, 25 and 20 minutes consecutively.
I've entered in the lowest class; 'clubman'; the higher classes get more laps and the time they have to meet per lap is reduced even more.
On the first two laps there's also a timed 'special test' section; which I believe is used as a 'tie break'.

Before the racing has even started I haven't made a great start by being awarded 80 points; turns out you have to have working lights on the bike as well as the correct colour number boards.
Being a 'real' enduro, this stems from the days when the machines used were more road-biased and it was part of the challenge to have everything working as it would on the original bike I believe.

Trying to find one of my knee armour's, I'm already sweating - not a great start when I haven't even sat on the bike.
With fresh fuel the bike has started fine, so I jump on it and suspect get some more points as I am two minutes late already!

About 100 meters in the bike cuts out - won't restart. Look down at the carb to see fuel pouring out. It does get a stuck carb some times, so I give it a couple of taps with my first to no avail.
While trying not to drop the bike I grab a mallet-head sized rock just out of reach and this stops the stream of fuel and the bike starts second kick.

I quickly get to the 'special test' and it seems being late hasn't impaired my time as there's a queue waiting anyway.
This section is timed with a proper timing gate at the start. We are let through one at a time with maybe thirty seconds to a minute interval so that riders don't hold each other up. I check and it's only timed on the first two laps.
I'm expecting a minute or two's riding, so when it's going way past five minutes, I wonder if I've skipped a bit of the course. A while later I do go through the final section with the time keepers.

It would have probably been a bit quicker, but I'm definitely noticing my lack of fitness and generally riding like a pussy anyway - only ridden (non-trials) off road a couple of times in the last few months and that was just laning and a play at four marks, so I'm a bit rusty.
I do also tend to find that at any enduro event I'm not very 'warmed up' for the first lap - both technique and fitness; possibly the two having a negative affect on each other.

While a lot of the riding is through woods, there's plenty of variation, including some 'hard options', with a longer but easier route. It was suggested that you try the hard options on the first lap, when you've got the most time.

The first hard options brings me to a tree lane down in front of another still-planted tree. The right hand side looks a bit lower, so I take that.
Haven't had enough practice with the trials bike, so I stop and flick the front onto the log then down the other side. Not sure how tall it is, but it's certainly more than the ground clearance on my KTM - I go to push the front over while standing on the log, but the marshals that are positioned there help the back end over.

I decide to avoid further ones that lap.

Being an army training ground, there's a variety of dead armoured vehicles littered around to the sides of the course.

As the lap goes on there's more sandy sections and I'm definitely well out of practice. While I'm crawling along with the front all over the place, one of the first group on their second lap (they would have left ten minutes after I started) comes flying past one one wheel, nicely 'floating' on the sand, while I'm fighting it.

[Blue_SV650S]

come on, keep going!!
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The purpose of life is to fight maturity.

[farmerdave]

And...............

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

^^^He died.


Pat
Food poisoning

[edit] Oh he is alive or his family are sorting out his BCF account
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[drzsta]

you didnt enter in the clubman class, you entered in the sportsman class, came last.
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Current Bikes - BMW S1000RR ‘17 & KTM 690 SMC-R ‘12

[G]

Yea, my mistake - shows how much I know about such things - I did specify the 'lowest class'.
Quite happy with my result considering how long it is since I've properly ridden a bike . Not the first or last time I'll come last - finishing will do me fine - as opposed to about half the other competitors in my class that didn't finish at all!

Were you riding there?

[drzsta]

my dad is a member of the Raf enduro club, i wasn't there myself.
we often find ourselves "going it alone" as it were as other members deem events such as the snow run too difficult
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Current Bikes - BMW S1000RR ‘17 & KTM 690 SMC-R ‘12