9/9/2017 7:09 AM
Edited Date/Time: 9/9/2017 7:11 AM
rk337 wrote:
In my experience with going to an off road race and pitting alone, I would just go ask someone parked near me. Most people are more than willing to help out someone who needs it.
Leave the camelback on all race, you'll waste a ton of time putting it on in the pit, and can enjoy that water in the beginning as well so you stay hydrated vs drinking too much in the second half and getting a stomach cramp. I race 100 mile races all the time, a 2 liter system gets me through them and I usually have water left over
Pretty much parallel to what I was thinking. Most spectators in offroad are just kinda meandering around, so when a rider comes in they love to help. That being said, I have a few tricks that definitely help when I need them. This is just kinda a loose list and I'm sure it could be added too...
-Bring toilet paper.
-Keep everything such as fresh goggles, a snack such as a PowerBar, fresh gloves, a few tools, ziptys, duct tape, and whatever small things you think you might need in a Tupperware bin with a sealed lid. This ensures dust, mud, rain and such cannot get in and it simply cannot be kicked over. Make sure to mark it appropriately with flagging or paint so you can easily identify it when coming into the pits. Do the same with your fuel but put a large plastic bag over the end with just a single elastic to keep dirt, mud and debris off. When you come into the pits, pull the bag off with ease without having to worry about having to wipe it clean first.
-Depending in you pit, I saw it once at an Australian offroad race that most would dig a trench, tire width wide, a bike length long and about a foot deep. The rider would pull into the trench in the pit and kinda have a makeshift stand holding the bike up. This would also allow the rider to easily touch allowing him to lean/reach over the bike to grab his fuel can with relative ease.
-Have you real mechanical tools set back up at the truck. Extra wheels, tire irons, 8/10/12mm etc sockets are relatively laid out and ready to go. Will you need them, probably not. But in the event you do, everything is ready to go and won't require you to mess around.
-Let someone know where your information is such as drivers license, medical insurance, keys for pickup etc. Adding to that, make sure you put you spare change of clothes, especially your shoes in a location that isn't going to be a hassle to get at. In the event shit does go wrong, fiddling around looking for your shoes is not going to be too exciting when your hurt. Make it easier in yourself by preparing for after the race. If you do get hurt and someone has to load your bike, drive your truck, wipe your ass, everything will be easier for them too...
-Make a point to know one race official, or score person, a flagger, even a fellow racers. The more people that know you, the more people will know what's going on in the event something happens.
-Bring a fully charged phone, camera, or charger. Pictures and lots of them...
