I’m planning to do this ride next year and it would be fun to bring a BCADV crew with me, so I’m putting it out there.
LAB2V is a 2-day dualsport ride always held on the Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving week. The ride was originally a desert race, from LA to Vegas, but the BLM got it’s BLM on in the 80s and it’s been a DS ride since, organized by AMA District 37. It’s been going strong for over 40yrs. For years I helped lay out the course, loaded tracks at the GPS table, and did the ride about 6-8x, I believe.
Day 1 starts in Palmdale, north of LA and rides to Barstow. It’s typically 140-200 miles of desert riding, depending on the course. Day 2 is Barstow to Vegas, entering the city via Red Rock Canyon. Usually 200-250 miles, finishing at the Orleans casino. Event banquet and awards afterwards. The event will transport a bag for you from Palmdale to Barstow then Barstow to Vegas.
The ride has 500-600 riders. The GPS tracks have Main, Hard ways and bailouts, turns are ribboned, and there are sweep riders. Also, as it’s in late November, the days are short, so a very early start and an “urgent” pace is required in order to not finish in the dark, especially on Day 2. Rather, it’s about excellent navigation and just keeping up a good pace, with very few to minimal stops. Required range is about 80 miles.
90% of the riders are on dual sports, but you’ll always see a handful of vintage bikes, hipsters trying to get it done on scramblers, maybe even a sidecar or two. There are always some ADV bikes out there too. Remind me to tell you about the year that Rawhide convinced the organizers to accommodate their crew of 40-50 riders on GSeses with hardbags…yeehaw.
The net is that this is just a very unique, epic, fun event. An adventure for sure, that rewards navigation, communication, efficiency, endurance, and riding skill.
As it’s point to point, the logistics are challenging, but here’s how I would do it:
- Trailer / truck to Las Vegas, staging vehicles.
- Rent a box truck (bikes and gear) and minivan (bodies), one way to Palmdale.
- Do the ride to Vegas, fall in on the vehicles, drive back to CO on Sunday.
As I’m good friends with the guy who lays out the tracks, I can get them early and pass on intel. I also know a couple double top secret squirrel workarounds that would get us to the bottom of the “Calico Steps” at first light, ahead of the ride, so we’re in front all day on Day 2.
Ride reports are being posted for this years ride on the FB Group here, if you want to get a sense for the character of the ride.
Yes, it’s over Thanksgiving weekend, so it significantly impacts family stuff, and yeah, it’s about a 12hr drive. But, IMO, it’s a definite must-do event and worth the effort.
It would be a cake walk on your 500, but I can lend you a vintage scrambler to ride if you want to make it “interesting”.
