Weston Beach Race 2024

5 Things I wish I'd known (or rather that turned out important)... 

1. If you can, carry a butt-pack with spare levers/brackets in and a socket. Stuff breaks easy first lap or two when it's bedlam on the dunes. Pushing a bike back from the top end of the beach isn't cool. 

2. Put a longer peak on (or tape on an old goggle lens to yours) to help shield you from some extra sand. 

3. If you think you have enough goggles, you don't. Have about ten sets if you can or someone who can clean a set off for you in the pits, sand in your eyes hurts like shit. Armor vision strips over the lens is good, have loads of roll-offs. 

4. Old pair of tights off your mrs over the air filter and rad covers (or get proper covers).

5. Wrap every electrical connector or plug/loose wire in electrical tape. Twice.  

There's a couple extra too, duct-tape around the top of your boots helps keep sand out your boots which helps. Have spare gloves for pit stops especially if it's wet. Last one off top of my head, but pretty useful - Don't trust a puddle that's over 2ft. You've no idea if it's eight foot deep or two inches, and the only way you'll find out is when you hit it. If you find someone of similar pace to you, latch onto them and let them do all the pathfinding, if they sink, go someplace else!! 

After the race, no matter how clean you think the bike is, it ain't. Strip it to the frame, re-do all your linkages etc, new chain and sprockets. Scoop (sand) tyre helps a shit-load. 

It's an absolute blast, properly nuts and like nothing you'll ever do again. Enjoy it and don't take it too seriously and most of all, be safe. You ain't winning it so don't ride around taking stupid risks. I can't help on the pit stuff etc I've not been anywhere near it for a long time but your entry pack should explain a lot of that stuff. Oh and good luck! 

Nothing to add except that I'm jealous!

Done it a few times, here are my tips:

Scoop rear tyre, heavy duty tubes, 14psi. I got a rear puncture first time I did it, no issues when using suggested set up.

Fresh clutch before, friction plates at the minimum.

O-Ring chain, with steel sprockets front and rear. Put 1-2 rides on the complete set up before so it beds in. Set it to normal tension.

Handguards.

Drop your forks through. You never really turn as such at weston, just remain upright and go round corners in deep square ruts. You will be happy for the raised front end when you drop over the first monster dune. A high front end keeps the bike stable which is beneficial everywhere. The Weston sand is constantly trying to eat up your front wheel. I'd go in a few clicks on fork comp too.

The straight takes 1 minute to get down, the lap takes 10-30 minutes to compete. Gear for the track and not the straight (so use stock gearing)

Tights/Mesh over the rad louvres. And blank off all the major openings into the airbox. It still needs to get air, but you want to block or at least cover any direct openings to the filter. I had good luck with putting a filter cover on, attached to a piece of string I taped to the back mudguard. Pull it off at the half way point and get a fresh filter.

Use old tie downs/rope and make a grab handles through your subframe at the rear and the triple clamps at the front. Makes lifting the bike out of sink holes and other sticky situations a little easier.

Neon vinyl on the plastics so your mates can see you when you need dragging out of a dune.

Jetwash the bike as soon as you get off the course. First time I did it, I packed mine in the van and drove 4 hours home after the race, and by the time I got home the sea salt was already attacking the metal. Once you get home, strip it down and do it again - you'll be finding sand in every corner.

Rope handle on the forks either side of the front plate so you can be pulled up dunes.

Duct tape round any gaps in the airbox

Redirect the breather hoses up high so they're not dangling in water if it's wet. The ruts get wheel deep in places and they fill with water.

Most important: on the first lap, keep close to the barriers and not down the middle of the course. If a dune gets bottlenecked and they open a barrier to clear it, you'll be stuck in no-mans' land if you're in the middle with a hundred bikes either side of you. Obviously they might open the barrier on the other side, but at least you've got a 50/50 chance.

Lastly; you'll learn a ton over the three hours so you have to go back again next year to do it properly :-)

Use a Funnelweb filter. 

I have done it a few times and can say you’re your bikes best hope of finishing. 
Be mechanically sympathetic on the track. Don’t over use the clutch. 
Don’t let it boil up if you get stuck in a queue or on a dune.  
And give the bike a good service before and after.

Might be a good idea to throw a cooling fan on it sounds like.

I would agree with everything except the gearing, unless you are just going to ride the straight, at a steady speed. 

Fresh gloves and goggles at every stop, fuel light at the start and stop early. If you get stuck lift the bike out, you will kill a clutch trying to un bury it. 

Spare gear lever , and tools to fit it. 

I even know folk that have sat out the first hour, and let it all settle down before going out

Always pick the water over the deep rut, 95% of the time , the water is inches deep, and the rut is bottomless, watch video of Ty Kellet, and see how he never takes the main line anywhere that is flat. 

Take a phone with you even if its a shit nokia in a waterproof bag. 

Do not leave your bike unattended. 

Drink heavily the night before. 

Anyone local know of any place that would rent a bike out to say... a Canadian wanting to fly over and compete? 

Haha I don't know of any but the race trashes bikes even if they're prepped well. It'd be expensive..! But good luck if you find someone and let us know how it goes. You'll love it - it's insane

I was hoping to fly over to Sweden this fall and race the Gotland Grand National on a rented bike, but it didn't work out. It was 900 euro for the race. I'm hoping to try and race at least one race in Europe every year over the next few years before I'm too old to be competitive lol. 

It looks like a blast anyway!

Ive done it 4 times over the years. 

Best advice is have a curry and 15 pints of Guinness the night before, seems like its the standard prep for half the field. 

Also make sure you wash it straight after, coat it in wd40 and wash it again the next day, ive done it on 3 new bikes and they were fine afterwards. 

🤯

What day is the solo adults class? Sunday? I may have to make the trip now. Dammit Bam Bam 😂

I just read on some FB post that Justin Barcia was racing this race this year ? 

Yeah main solo race is Sunday 

Lots of good advice here I have done the race many times,

If your bike has a side stand you will need to remove it before scrutineering and tape any lights up, take a bit of 4x2 to use as a prop for your bike in the park ferme, an old glove over the exhaust or a waterproof cover also helps with the British weather and the fact your bike sits in all elements and weather on the sea front from the Friday until race time on the Sunday.

Friday is always a fun day such a buzz in the whole paddock lots of stories and beers.

Have fun is the main thing the pro riders will find a way past and will come past at speeds that seem unbelievable.

I’ve done it around 15 times, 4 or 5 on a solo and this will be my 11th on a sidecar.

It’s mega fun but be careful at the start, it’s a lot of bikes going in every direction out of the parc ferme before you even get onto the beach, I’ve seen levers broken off, a radiator ripped off, crushed expansion chambers and even broken bones before even hitting the sand… 

You aren’t going to win but you are going to have a blast 😎🤙

First post, i use to be here years ago but I have been away from the sport for a few years as well!  My names DJ, from TX.

As an american, how does one figure out the logistics of knocking this race off their wish list?  Im sure you might buy a bike there? Shipping seems very expensive, but this whole idea seems expensive so maybe im already off from the start haha.  Im not sure youd be able to rent one just to ruin it as they know what it will be going through...  Would be cool though, and much easier to worry about.

Its been on my wish list for more than a decade now, so if there are any locals there that have info, and possibly know anyone around there, promoters, who like bringing or help bringing americans over to come compete in their events.

Thank you, that would really be great to get some powerful information on actually doing this race as an american.

I'm pretty local to the event I can recommend a decent bike shop to purchase a bike and sell the bike after would probably be your best bet.

Drop me a message as if it's som thing you are serious about doing I would like to help.