Riding is Good. Ride Report (long)

 Six months after a knee surgery, I went riding yesterday.

I was riding my XR250 to work everyday, so it had street tires,
mirrors, blinkers, speedometer and licence plate. I spent saturday
afternoon removing these unneeded stuff, so I could crash and not break
them. We are in the rain season here. It's been raining almost
everyday. That's a perfect weather to ride, because it's not very hot
and there is no dust. I hate dust. Plus, the mud make interesting a lot
of boring larger paths we have to ride connecting the single track
trails. Another bonus of this ride would be that a lot of good riders
and a few unexperienced riders would be together. I had to go.

I woke up 5am sunday morning. Finished checking chain (needs
replacement!!), brakes and cables, while waiting for Eduardo (NX350,
which is a XR350 with e-start and better brakes), Beto (XR350) and
Gabriel (XR200R). We rode right from my driveway, turning left on the
first corner and getting into "lagoa do nautico", a small lake, where
poor people live in scrap wood houses. We slowly rode through the
alleys, trying not to stir too much mud and water and not make lots of
noise, as was sunday and I believe most people were still sleeping.
After one hour of mud riding, we got into a gas station on a busy and
large highway. There, we met Mauricio (XR250) - who is a very competent
A-Class motorcycle mechanic who will be attending "Rally dos Sertoes"
as a lead mechanic of one of the team, Joel (Husqvarna TE410 "Rally dos
Sertoes series"), his son Rafael (XR250), Pixote (DT200), Espalha Brasa
(alcohol powered XT225), a guy who's name I forgot (XT225). We were 10
riders.

Joel and Rafael knew a trail near, that I always heard about but never
went. We rode through cane sugar plantation service roads. By this time
of the year, with the rain, it is not user or mantained. It was fun. It
is large enough for a tractor, but it was so muddy and slippery, that
made an interesting ride. Well, after 6 months not riding, it sure had
to be interesting. We rode and rode, I nearly got lost. The highspot of
that trail is a very big rock that we have to climb. It is frightening,
because it has that green slime on it, looks dangerously slippery. I
don't have to say that, if you crash to right side, well, I promisse I
will pray for you... Not a problem there! Everybody went fine. Pixote
and Beto aren't good riders. They are completely newbies. Gabriel and
Mauricio are new to this kind of ride, but they know how to use a
motorcycle. Joel rides very well, as his 17 yo son, who is kind of
insane. The other folks are all experienced riders...


trail, crossing the railroad tracks and getting into the jar trail.
Eduardo leading, I going closely behind him. I heard a loud four stroke
coming on my left. I tought it was Rafael, but no, it was Mauricio.
When he was about to pass me, I saw a big, huge, mud puddle. I braked
gently and Mauricio revved up. I have never seen someone going so fast
on a mud puddle that big. The result was an awesome crash, who resulted
in a torn seat cover and a mud bath... Nobody hurt, Let's keep riding!
I know this trail very well. It is single track in a mud with sand
terrain, full of ruts and turns. I slowed down to let the other folks
who did not knew the trail go by.

We went for the Paiva beach loop. A trail which is wide sometimes, but
mostly narrow, in the middle of a rainforest, with lots of big trees.
After 20 minutes in the mud, we came to a closed gate. Oh well, let's
go back. Half way back, there is a place that there's no trees, just
that hard packed clay that looks like concrete. There is a natural
ramp, I practised some jumps in first gear, just to check if the knee
was really good. It is, for first gear jumps... I don't think I am
ready to hit the bigger part of the ramp, where a second or third gear
would make some quality air time... Joel decided to climb a sand dune
near. He made it like it was so easy. Well, I would make it easy with a
TE410 too... His son, with a XR250 made it too. Mauricio tried and dug
a hole on a spot between two rocks, he had to return. I tried and got
stuck where Mauricio stuck before me. Almost everybody tried, getting
stuck on the same spot. The sand was now loose, nobody would climb
that. Joel and Rafael came down and we resumed trail riding.

We went to Itapoama beach and met Barreto, who was gearing up to go on
a ride with his son. Barreto rides a new, completely stock XR250. His
12yo son has a "frankenbike", a XL250 with a XLR125 engine, with XR200
front suspension and disk brake... After 5 minutes riding, where there
was a step to climb, where Joel crashed in a funny way and other riders
needed help, Gabriel found himself with no clutch at all. The oil had
that funny asbestos smell. We turned back and stored his bike at
Barreto's house. Espalha Brasa offered to carry Gabriel up to "bar do
doido" where we would stop after.

We stopped on a gas station not far from Barreto's home, he had to fill
up. Then, we went through a steep singletrack downhil, where Beto
decided to check the grass closely. It took a time to kick start his
bike after that. From there, to zombie woods.

ZW was a mess, mud, mud and more mud. Sticky yellow mud. Barreto's son
got stuck on a deep rut, and I, trying to push him out, got myself a
mud shower. Oh well... The ZW uphill climb was nice, The inexperienced
riders, of course needed help, but it is an easy climb, first gear,
slow... Up there, we split. There is a nasty, long downhill there, but
also, there is an easy way. Eduardo was with poor brakes and decided
not to go. Beto declined going too. Too dangerous, he said. It was not
that difficult. From there, we went to the grass hill. It is a long
uphill on a, well, a grass covered hill. Everybody climbed great,
except Pixote, who's chain fell and jammed on the engine case. Mauricio
went down to help him. If anyone could fix that, Mauricio was the guy.
Great mechanic, great guy to deal with, great guy to ride with. I and
Eduardo - who met us there - waited in the top of the hill while the
other folks went to the "bar do doido".

Some riders are going on a race that is like this: They met at "bar do
doido" and everybody put R$5 in a box. That would be a little more than
USD2. So, they take turns in riding on a very tight single track race
course that goes around the grass hill, who makes it faster, gets the
cash. The grass hill is the most difficult spot of the course. We
watched a guy crashing hard, another one getting stuck while climbing
in the wrong path and a few riders who made it perfectly. After about
half an hour, Pixote was ready to go, so, we rode the rest of the "race
course" to "bar do doido".

"Bar do doido" is a little place by the side of a river. Every body
stops there for food and refreshments. He has great sea food. Joel,
Rafael and Barreto's son went for a loop on the race course, nobody won
the prize.

Now, the return home. Beto and Pixote said they would go straight to
Barreto's house, pick Gabriel's bike, they rode slow through dirt
roads. We went through the old lighthouse ruins, the mango tree forest
and I got stuck on a rut. Some people, who were hiking, helped me.
Thanks guys! Rafael tried to avoid a dog and crashed. The footpeg
thingy on the frame cracked a little, he hurt his foot, but after a few
minutes he was ready to go.
We climbed "alakazam" hill, a steep hill, I suffered on that hill a few
years ago riding a RM125. With the XR250, that was piece of cake, even
yesterday, when I had a 38t sprocket instead of the one I normally use,
48t. Everything that goes up, must go down. "Misericordia" downhill was
interesting. Eduardo was first, then Espalha Brasa second, Joel and
Son, Mauricio, the guy who's name I forgot and me. I crashed hard, my
back is hurting a little today, but it was great, falling over soft
grass. I had fun.


down at Gaibu beach. Rafael said it was enough for him, as his foot
started swelling. He bailed with his father after the Gaibu rock. We
rode through the volcanic rocks at Pedra Preta beach and arrived at
Barreto's house. After a few minutes resting and chatting, we decided
that we would tie Gabriel's bike on mine and I would tow him.

It was getting dark. I tried to go as fast as possible, but the jar
trail was muddy and difficult. We dropped the bikes a few times. No big
deal after all. We arrived home already dark, at about 7pm. More than
12hrs of fun yesterday. I am feeling sore, a nice feeling that I long
forgot how it was... Knee behaved good, but I feel muscle pain today.
Will have to eat a few bananas and take it easy for the next few days,
but I sure want to go again. Today, if possible. We rode more than
150km, make it 100+ miles... :-) My digital camera is trashed. I need
another one, but that will have to wait, as I can't afford a new one
right now, so, no pictures this time...

-- Tiago

 I'm glad to hear you are riding again. I like reading your ride
reports. OF





Tiago Rocha wrote:

 oldfart wrote:


Me too, especially about the mud.  Better thee than me!


Cheers, Bev
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Please hassle me, I thrive on stress.

 Nice report Tiago. Sounds like mud riding is your speciality.
--
Rick
2000KX250
Watch out for the mantis attack!!!

 very nide report Tiago.
Good to hear injury is well recovered.

Grtz, P1