Quantcast

Windham Patriot bike rally thread

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
The first year I think gwin won around 2:25ish. Its a really fast course, average speed for the pros, even through the "rock gardens" is like 20-25 mph+. Once they get up to speed they don't slow down until the finish, even the flat sections of the course are after big steep sections so you keep speed really easily. The mountain has decent elevation, the average time on the amateur course was 4-5mins, the pro course takes a bunch of fall lines so you lose all of your elevation in big chunks over the course of just a few seconds.
How's the amateur course look for an 8 year old kid? My son wants to race.

Oh, and if you're there and you want to you can take a spin on your old SE Lil Wildman
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
how good of a rider is he?
That's pretty hard to quantify.

He's ridden Upper Pro DH and Lower Pro DH dab free at snowshoe. He can clear about 50-65% of the jumps on Ball n Jack/powerline at snowshoe. He can clear all but the step ups on skyline at SnowShoe.

He's small, (55lbs) he rides 24" grom hit FSR.

He can do a 10 mile XC loop with me (locally on more than a few of our trails), but isn't strong enough to make all the climbs.

He races BMX a few times a year and usually ends up on the podium, but doesn't race expert class or anything like that.

He's finished mid pack just off the podium in the 12 or 14 and under dual slalom at the local ski hill (usually loses to a grom BMX'er and a few older kids)

He's raced DH before. Just not on "east coast rockz"
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
86,029
24,567
media blackout
That's pretty hard to quantify.

He's ridden Upper Pro DH and Lower Pro DH dab free at snowshoe. He can clear about 50-65% of the jumps on Ball n Jack/powerline at snowshoe. He can clear all but the step ups on skyline at SnowShoe.

He's small, (55lbs) he rides 24" grom hit FSR.

He can do a 10 mile XC loop with me (locally on more than a few of our trails), but isn't strong enough to make all the climbs.

He races BMX a few times a year and usually ends up on the podium, but doesn't race expert class or anything like that.

He's finished mid pack just off the podium in the 12 or 14 and under dual slalom at the local ski hill (usually loses to a grom BMX'er and a few older kids)

He's raced DH before. Just not on "east coast rockz"
never ridden snowshoe, so can't really compare. based on the old version of the course, there's nothing i can think of that would put him completely over his head so to speak based on what you've described. but that also depends on the changes they've made for this year's course (i don't know what it's like).
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
never ridden snowshoe, so can't really compare. based on the old version of the course, there's nothing i can think of that would put him completely over his head so to speak based on what you've described. but that also depends on the changes they've made for this year's course (i don't know what it's like).
Yeah, at least at snowshoe he can go "warm up" on other trails.

I've watched the video's again and again, I think he can make it down I don't see anything too crazy, but we all know how gopro looks, he'll just be slow, which makes practice difficult espescially when trying to stay out of others way....that said, we'll just take his stuff and do a coursewalk when we get there.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
86,029
24,567
media blackout
Yeah, at least at snowshoe he can go "warm up" on other trails.

I've watched the video's again and again, I think he can make it down I don't see anything too crazy, but we all know how gopro looks, he'll just be slow, which makes practice difficult espescially when trying to stay out of others way....that said, we'll just take his stuff and do a coursewalk when we get there.
this would probably be my biggest concern too. but if the ESC crowd is still anything like it was when i raced constantly, people try to be accommodating and are generally stoked to see young kids out riding
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
this would probably be my biggest concern too. but if the ESC crowd is still anything like it was when i raced constantly, people try to be accommodating and are generally stoked to see young kids out riding
well my wife or I always tails him in practice, he knows to find a bail out and move when he can, etc. He knows the drill, it's usually not too bad unless the course is just jam packed with people. He did race a pretty steep and rocky race last june, I was trying to find a pic of it for reference, but can't. It was a lower key event though, so traffic wasn't a concern.
 

Jim Mac

MAKE ENDURO GREAT AGAIN
May 21, 2004
6,352
282
the middle east of NY
My recollection is poor, but i recall the citizen's course being about 5 pedal strokes then just letting it rip. This was a while back at the 1st Windham WC, so maybe it's changed? Weather looks good thus far, but then again it's the Catskills...it'll change most likely.

EDIT: lotta shale, lotta red clay.
 
Last edited:

demo 9

Turbo Monkey
Jan 31, 2007
5,910
46
north jersey
Not sure what class he's in, but it just seemed *really* slow in parts (which to be fair, may just be the video feed or something). As in almost jackalope slow. But I also remember it being about a 2 minute track, and I think he got down ~2:30", so you very well may be right.

Regardless, its WC racing and my stoke meter will be pegged on Saturday.
I hold a pro license. I am not as fast as gwin nor pretend to be. In the test event with a "safe no risks" race run placed midpack in a local pro race. I am the track builder so i was happy they even let me take a run. The track is exceptionally greasy in this video and i am not very good at those conditions. I was 25 back from cam cole who won with a 2.38

Hope that clears some stuff up for you guys
 
Last edited:

demo 9

Turbo Monkey
Jan 31, 2007
5,910
46
north jersey
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10204216867201878&id=1336831012&notif_t=like_tagged&ref=m_notif
 
Last edited:

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,616
5,938
in a single wide, cooking meth...
See, proof positive udi is correct and crazy amounts of rearward axle path doesn't make you any faster :thumb:

Seriously tho, I have no doubt you're legitimately fast and helmet cam vids can mask steepness, greasiness and speed. And in a way, the course reminds me of my local hill which is relatively short, but definitely has some slick spots that make you check up a bit. Plus, I've been watching msa vids from ratboy and hart vids from earlier in the week, so my speed scale is way off at the moment. And congrats on a solid run.
 

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,616
5,938
in a single wide, cooking meth...
speaking of beer.... backpack full as you walk? is it "allowed"? are there beer stations

because this is america
Umm, walk? Really? This is, afterall, Murrka. You see, walking up a hill is considered "exercise" in some places, and we don't want to give people from other countries the wrong idea. The only answer is a cooler of Bud Lite Lime Straw-ber-rita (<-- that really is a thing apparently), couple packs of cigarettes, a plastic grocery bag filled with uncooked hotdogs and this:

 

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
speaking of beer.... backpack full as you walk? is it "allowed"? are there beer stations

because this is america
That's what I did the first two years and not a single person said anything, I was probably 1 of 48059 people doing that exact thing. There is usually a DJ and beer/food stand about halfway down the course at the road gap during race runs.

My best advice for optimal viewing is to get to the top right as the ladies are starting to go down and slowly hike your way down the hill. Pull up the qualifying results on your phone before you go up so that you can look at it and know who is coming down next so you can catch your favorite riders. Plan it so that you get to the finish area with 10ish riders left, it's a lot of fun to be at the bottom when the fastest riders come through and the leaders are changing up. I was at the bottom both times Gwin came down last with the fastest times and it was amazing, so much fun.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
86,029
24,567
media blackout
That's what I did the first two years and not a single person said anything, I was probably 1 of 48059 people doing that exact thing. There is usually a DJ and beer/food stand about halfway down the course at the road gap during race runs.

My best advice for optimal viewing is to get to the top right as the ladies are starting to go down and slowly hike your way down the hill. Pull up the qualifying results on your phone before you go up so that you can look at it and know who is coming down next so you can catch your favorite riders. Plan it so that you get to the finish area with 10ish riders left, it's a lot of fun to be at the bottom when the fastest riders come through and the leaders are changing up. I was at the bottom both times Gwin came down last with the fastest times and it was amazing, so much fun.

my only problem with the backpack solution is needing a bigger backpack.

i'm on the fence about going.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
86,029
24,567
media blackout
as of right now i have no place to stay, sleeping in the car isn't an ideal option, which leaves me at a day trip with 8+ hours of driving
 

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,929
674
as of right now i have no place to stay, sleeping in the car isn't an ideal option, which leaves me at a day trip with 8+ hours of driving
Isn't the east coast tiny? Can't you get from the bottom of the panhandle to the top of Maine in 8 hours?
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
86,029
24,567
media blackout
JonKranked; If you don't go how will this ever happen?
crabjoo hasn't invited me to his tent yet.


random story: a few years ago when i lived in LA me and a few friends went to big bear for riding. turns out the town was having a oktoberfest thing that night, so we decided to stay and party. one of my buddies wound up going back to this chick's tent to hook up with her. another guy went back to another girls cabin, turns out her parents were there that weekend, and it made for a very awkward morning. :rofl: