Best of the COBDR (BoCOBDR): Prelude

[Rich_Strauss]

This is the first in a series of posts I’ll make over the next few days, detailing each day of the ride. Hopefully, the other riders will contribute their stories to these threads, or create their own ride reports

Route Overview (aka the Original Plan)

• Day 1: Lyons, through RMNP via Fall River Rd, pavement to Kremling, then pickup the official BDR route to Gypsum, then ride through Eagle and camp south of town.

• Day 2: Eagle to Buena Vista / Fourmile via Hagermen and Weston passes.

• Day 3: BV to Lake City via Cottonwood and Cumberland passes, Tincup, Pitkin. Camp along the river about 45 min outside of Lake City.

• Day 4: a version of the Alpine Loop, with unweighted bikes.

• Day 5: return via Black Sage and Old Monarch passes, lunch in Salida, then Aspen Ridge to 285. Ride ends at the pavement.

Admin and Logistics

• I created GPS tracks for the ride in Gaia, so riders could run Gaia on their phones and/or download the .gpx file to their choice of GPS.
• I created Rally Points (RP) at key terrain features, which the riders would use to quickly regroup / get accountability.
• Everyone was required to run a radio, InReach, and carry at least a half gallon of water.
• Food, tools, snacks, etc. The usual.

Ride Organization
I organized the ride with these objectives:

1. Everyone is free to ride their ride, with regards to pace, and “intent.” That is, fast guys who wanted to go off the front were free to do so, and slower, less experienced riders wouldn’t be pressured to ride at a pace they weren’t comfortable with. As a result, small subgroups of riders with similar ability and intent form themselves organically across the day.

2. Accountability is the responsibility of every individual rider, and of the smaller subgroups that form organically across the day.

3. Everyone is responsible for their own navigation. While each group would get accountability at the RPs, each individual rider was responsible for paying attention to and navigating via the GPS tracks provided.

In other words, I absolutely did not want to create a traditional Lead + Sweep situation, with 15 riders following each others dust, divorced from individual responsibility and relying on the ride leaders to “guide” them. No one is held back and no one is pressured to ride faster than their comfort zone. Anyone can stop when they want, take pics where they want, and ride their own pace.

In 2017 I rode 3000 miles of dirt, from Mexico to Canada, with 20 other big bikes, using this structure of self-reliance and small group accountability. It works but it requires each individual rider to think and be responsible for themselves.

With that, The Riders assembled at the Circle K in Lyons to begin an epic 5 days of riding.

From left to right:

• DJ, on a KTM 890 with Mosko Moto paniers
• Brad, aka Ratchet Strap (kneeling) on a BMW 750 GS with Lone Rider panniers
• Barrett (standing) on a DR650 with MM paniers
• Chris (standing) on KTM 701 with MM Reckless 40s
• Aaron (standing) on KTM 790 with MM Reckless (I think)
• Me (kneeling) on KTM 790 with Wolfman base and waterproof bags
• Dave, aka Fishsticks, (standing) on BMW 850GSA with MM paniers
• Steve (kneeling) on 701 with Wolfman base and waterproof bags
• Cameron (standing) on T7 with soft bags
• Joe (standing) on KTM 790 and Tusk panniers
• Emanuel, aka Yardsale (kneeling) on KTM 360 and NiceCNC soft bags
• Michael, aka Cool Mike (standing) on T7 with soft bags
• Matt, aka The Kid, (kneeling) on T7 with Kriega soft panniers.
• Mike aka Dick Mike, not pictured, joined us for Day 2.

COMING SOON: Day 1 – The Sorting

[mulebarn]

LOVE this photo!

[Michaelmichaelmoto]

It was a dark and stormy morning…

I’m fairly certain we had all been rained on before arriving at the initial rally point. This was an apt foreword to what would become the wettest ride on my record. There’s something to be said for making a plan and sticking to it, even when it becomes apparent a week in advance that you’re going to be damp in the woods for five days.

I’ve put a fair effort this year into seeking riding partners. Until this year I’ve been a serial soloist. Not just anyone will do. We don’t all want to have to have the same kind of fun. “Adventure” can be anything, from a marketing gimmick on a 390, to a full blown lost-in-the-woods after dark mechanical fiasco.

In my pursuit of group riding, I’ve had some misses. One ride earlier this year stands out (not with BCADV), at which the organizer stated “I think it rained last night, we had better stay off the dirt today.” What?!

But this was different. I was heartened to see this lineup of mean mugs and aggressively balding suburbanites voluntarily tempting fate on a gloomy Saturday morning.

It’s a silly game we play, adventure riding. Certainly each of these folks could have come up with a more practical expenditure of time and money. Or maybe something important was taking place, something worth the cost. I knew that any knucklehead showing up for a ride on a day like that, with a forecast as it was, may be seeking an edge like I was. I just want to know what’s possible, what I can do, what this bike can do, how far we can go, and to see and be among beautiful remote landscapes.

Did I pack enough or did I miss something? Is the compressor charged? Will I be warm enough tonight? All of that disappeared when we drove off. As one who has often chosen to ride alone, there is a giddy joy and momentum that comes from running with the pack, and the hunt was on.

Here’s my T7 loaded for bear, weighing in at 539lbs using the bathroom scale method.

[Esteban]

Mike, How was the wet wooly?

[Michaelmichaelmoto]

It was great. I’ve had one for several years on several bikes. If it’s actively raining I’m wearing rain gear. Water doesn’t soak into the sheepskin fibers, so it shakes off and dries very quickly. It makes long mileage days much more comfortable. I think of it like socks. Would you go on a long hike without socks?

[Ddejong]

For me the prelude to this ride started earlier this year when I stumbled on this group. I had recently upgraded my KLR to the GSA 850 I rode on this trip and had dreams of riding the BDR one day. I certainly didn’t think it was going to be this year. I rode a lot of dirt when I was a teen back in New Jersey, but that was 25 years ago or so. I was just getting my feet wet with riding off road again when Rich posted about this ride. I knew right away I wanted in and responded as going. I also got to work trying to get my skills and comfort level up for the trip, at the time Switzerland was half terrifying on this big bike. I took a one day course which covered basic body position, counter steering, rear wheel steering, etc which really helped my confidence. I spent the summer riding as much as I could on as challenging stuff as I felt comfortable with. It certainly helped me feel more prepared for what we were about to do but I still pulled up to the start full of anxiety. About if my skills were up to it, if I missed anything on the bike, if my camping gear I haven’t used in a couple years will hold up, and of course the rain. I’m no stranger to riding on the road in the rain coming from the east coast, but I haven’t rode wet dirt in decades. Let alone where we were about to go. But there we were ready to go, no turning back now. Weighing in at 595lbs using the bathroom scale method.