Hats off to all of the LMC members for a great day yesterday!
The weather was great. A bit chilly at the start, but it warmed up nicely after that. About the only negative conditions wise was the dusty.
We had a great time. My youngest son Mark and Comrade Mikhail rode with me helping to keep time for them. On the first loop, we zeroed every check, dropping 17 seconds on the one tie breaker check.
Second loop started out great, then went downhill. We zeroed the first check. Tthat check crew (Don Marsh and I think TCTrailer rider were there...not sure who else...) deserves the award for most entertaining Check Crew - nice hats! Anyhow, about 1 mile after that check we were all cruising along pretty nice - I got out ahead of the boys, then slowed down to let them catch back up...nothing coming...a handful of riders on later minutes come through...a few more others.... So I start riding back to find the boys (picking my way along the edges..dont like back tracking in these situations!). A short ways back, there was Mark sprawled out on the ground.
Evidently Mark's throttle stuck as he got into 3rd gear, just as the trail kinked a bit to the left...he went straight into a few trees - hit pretty hard. After a few minutes to see if he was OK, we sent Mikhail on his way, now 5 or 6 minutes behind. I stayed with Mark to assess the damage. His right wrist was hurting pretty bad (hmmm trying to copy my get off from last fall perhaps?) as well as his right leg. I got him more comfy then looked over the bike....one bark buster rather much knocked loose....and this is the odd one - the part of the gas tank that sticks upwards with the threads on it..sheared right off at the base! I asked Mark if he got that...uh...you know where...but nope that area was OK.
After a while Mark seemed to be up to trying to ride out - so I started to figure out how to plug up that gapping hole in the top of the tank. A bit of creative work with some zip lock baggies and duck tape took care of that (see the pic below).
Meanwhile, Mikhail did a great job making up time. He dropped I think...4 points at the next check, 3 after that...ended up buring the check coming out of the reset. He ended up (I think?) 7th place in the 201+, 16 yrs and older class. A pretty decent recovery after being so far behind. Great job for a first timer!
Eventually, Mark and I got on the trail after a sweep rider came by. After talking it over with the sweeper, we decided to simply back track the 4 miles towards the start. If Marks hand hurt to bad, we figured we could stop at a two track and I could go back to get the truck. He was a real tropper, and managed to ride all the way back.
I dont think anything is broken - just a nice sprain in his wrist. Leg seems fine now...but took solid whack on a tree. Good boots certainly helped prevent more injury there!
In spite of the crash time, and messed up gas tank - still a fun time. Mark is planning on being back in the saddle in time for the next FES event in June.
So...any suggestions on how to repair that tank? Would JB weld or other such product hold there? Or, just replace it with a new one? (I suspect that would be best..but I am cheap and want to fix it!)
Some pics attached
The 3 of us at the start, then two of the kids early on in each loop.
The next two pics are of that gas cap - amazing what a bit of duct tape can do for you! In the second one you can see how it is sheared off - it appears like it is still partially attached but it isnt - its just sitting there totall severed off.
The weather was great. A bit chilly at the start, but it warmed up nicely after that. About the only negative conditions wise was the dusty.
We had a great time. My youngest son Mark and Comrade Mikhail rode with me helping to keep time for them. On the first loop, we zeroed every check, dropping 17 seconds on the one tie breaker check.
Second loop started out great, then went downhill. We zeroed the first check. Tthat check crew (Don Marsh and I think TCTrailer rider were there...not sure who else...) deserves the award for most entertaining Check Crew - nice hats! Anyhow, about 1 mile after that check we were all cruising along pretty nice - I got out ahead of the boys, then slowed down to let them catch back up...nothing coming...a handful of riders on later minutes come through...a few more others.... So I start riding back to find the boys (picking my way along the edges..dont like back tracking in these situations!). A short ways back, there was Mark sprawled out on the ground.
Evidently Mark's throttle stuck as he got into 3rd gear, just as the trail kinked a bit to the left...he went straight into a few trees - hit pretty hard. After a few minutes to see if he was OK, we sent Mikhail on his way, now 5 or 6 minutes behind. I stayed with Mark to assess the damage. His right wrist was hurting pretty bad (hmmm trying to copy my get off from last fall perhaps?) as well as his right leg. I got him more comfy then looked over the bike....one bark buster rather much knocked loose....and this is the odd one - the part of the gas tank that sticks upwards with the threads on it..sheared right off at the base! I asked Mark if he got that...uh...you know where...but nope that area was OK.
After a while Mark seemed to be up to trying to ride out - so I started to figure out how to plug up that gapping hole in the top of the tank. A bit of creative work with some zip lock baggies and duck tape took care of that (see the pic below).
Meanwhile, Mikhail did a great job making up time. He dropped I think...4 points at the next check, 3 after that...ended up buring the check coming out of the reset. He ended up (I think?) 7th place in the 201+, 16 yrs and older class. A pretty decent recovery after being so far behind. Great job for a first timer!
Eventually, Mark and I got on the trail after a sweep rider came by. After talking it over with the sweeper, we decided to simply back track the 4 miles towards the start. If Marks hand hurt to bad, we figured we could stop at a two track and I could go back to get the truck. He was a real tropper, and managed to ride all the way back.
I dont think anything is broken - just a nice sprain in his wrist. Leg seems fine now...but took solid whack on a tree. Good boots certainly helped prevent more injury there!
In spite of the crash time, and messed up gas tank - still a fun time. Mark is planning on being back in the saddle in time for the next FES event in June.
So...any suggestions on how to repair that tank? Would JB weld or other such product hold there? Or, just replace it with a new one? (I suspect that would be best..but I am cheap and want to fix it!)
Some pics attached
The 3 of us at the start, then two of the kids early on in each loop.
The next two pics are of that gas cap - amazing what a bit of duct tape can do for you! In the second one you can see how it is sheared off - it appears like it is still partially attached but it isnt - its just sitting there totall severed off.