Glen Helen hills are steep - learned the hard way

you were hauling azz... probably a good thing it was uphill that you wadded.

Unless you have ridden these hills you will never know just how steep they are or how much effort it takes to ride them.

Paw Paw

Haven't ridden that track in a few yrs.. The up & down hills can be intimidating the 1st time you ride it. Good ride otherwise..

can only imagine the pucker factor, really want to do the Vet Championship there. Tried to go this year, but work couldn't let me off, planning for it next year. The video and course was pretty kool.

Good ride! Haha Carnage around 10:30 for those going straight to crash footage

Its funny when I bring less experienced riders there. They can jump most at milestone, but at glen Helen, they look at the hills, and say 'no way'! Haha

The helmet cam doesn't do the hills any justice of how steep they really are. Add the factor that it gets beat up towards the end of the day & it's definitely a challenging track. The track demands you to be in good physical shape.

It is a place I must ride, wanted to forever.

That looked like fun till you bit the dust, those hills are B.I.G.

Much respect! The ability to ride single track sections that fast just blows me away. Just to ride tracks at what I called fast, I’d have to do 20+ laps just to learn the track. I’d have trouble just staying on the course. Much respect!

I’ve only ridden these hills a million times as a SoCal local but it was bound to happen at least once!

I'm a squid, but on my 125 I should have clicked third and then ended up running out of power shortly before the top of one of those hills. I had to turn around to give it another run.

Hell yeah they are, so easy to loop out.

gpracer4224 wrote:

Watch on-board for the first lap of the Pro race at the Glen Helen WORCS race in the Pro 2 Lights class. Ended the day in 4th after launching my bike up Mt. St. Helens solo (end of video) and a slower than usual pit stop with no dry-break setup ready on the new KTM!

What bike are you on?

I had so much fun blasting those hills on my 125. Was a little worried about them before first practice , but ended up being the most fun parts of the track for me.

It's just about impossible to get your bike up and going uphill. Been there, done that, hated it.

reassuring to hear guys are there on 125s, when I go, that is what I am planning to run...thinnning the heard more than likely. I know the other old guys will kill me on the start and hills, but it is not like I am a threat for a podium. It will be a trip for the experience of this track.

Those hills are super fun to power up in the morning. But by time the sun starts setting behind them and the big ass square edge bumps that you can’t see form all the way up the hill. That’s when it’s not much fun anymore.

ob wrote:

Those hills are super fun to power up in the morning. But by time the sun starts setting behind them and the big ass square edge bumps that you can’t see form all the way up the hill. That’s when it’s not much fun anymore.

BINGO

gpracer4224 wrote:

Watch on-board for the first lap of the Pro race at the Glen Helen WORCS race in the Pro 2 Lights class. Ended the day in 4th after launching my bike up Mt. St. Helens solo (end of video) and a slower than usual pit stop with no dry-break setup ready on the new KTM!

Magic Man wrote:

What bike are you on?

3 Brothers KTM down in Costa Mesa is helping me out for the rest of this year and next year with a 2019 KTM 250XC

ob wrote:

Those hills are super fun to power up in the morning. But by time the sun starts setting behind them and the big ass square edge bumps that you can’t see form all the way up the hill. That’s when it’s not much fun anymore.

Haha , that is so freakin' true ob! It got sketchy for sure toward's the latter part of the day. On top of what you mentioned , I ( in 35 years or racing / riding ) had never ridden in high winds like that. It took a few people out over the weekend , including my buddy Chuck on Friday practice. 50mph , 10 second long gust on the bottom flat part.....we all basically stopped moving because you literally couldn't see anything in front of you. A few of the jumps were sketchy as well , with jumping from one side , and having your bike act like a kite and thrown completely to the other side of the track in a split second. All in all though....I can't wait to ride there again. I loved it there!

Thanks for posting, I always enjoy your videos. That whole loop looks like an ass kicker that would be a blast to ride.

every year that first turn get's narrower and narrower.. just insane...
?

gpracer4224 wrote:

Watch on-board for the first lap of the Pro race at the Glen Helen WORCS race in the Pro 2 Lights class. Ended the day in 4th after launching my bike up Mt. St. Helens solo (end of video) and a slower than usual pit stop with no dry-break setup ready on the new KTM!

your bike kept running?

I love riding at Glen Helen!

gpracer4224 wrote:

Watch on-board for the first lap of the Pro race at the Glen Helen WORCS race in the Pro 2 Lights class. Ended the day in 4th after launching my bike up Mt. St. Helens solo (end of video) and a slower than usual pit stop with no dry-break setup ready on the new KTM!

barnett468 wrote:

your bike kept running?

E-start came in handy right about then!

Downhills are nothing but straights that are slanted.

BobbyM wrote:

Downhills are nothing but straights that are slanted.

according to Gary Bailey...

BR8ES wrote:

reassuring to hear guys are there on 125s, when I go, that is what I am planning to run...thinnning the heard more than likely. I know the other old guys will kill me on the start and hills, but it is not like I am a threat for a podium. It will be a trip for the experience of this track.

I won a few +30 Intermediate races there on a 125. The trick is to minimize the loss going up (block like a mofo if you can,) And utilize your weight advantage in the braking zones. (In other words, haul ass down the hills and try to pass guys!)
Look for the outside lines to keep your momentum up and draw good lines around the square edges if you can, too.
That track takes a lot of laps to get it figured out.



PS EDIT: Start well to the left of the doghouse - about halfway out to the pits or more, then draw a straight line to the outside of the 1st turn. The first turn is so wide that you really aren't crunching down to 2/3 wide until well down the 2nd straight. I have run wide around lots of riders who slowed down looking for the inside line in the 1st turn.