DigDug

Too many hobbies, too little time and $$$!!! But that DOES look like fun!

When my buddy Dan got his bike stuck in the wash, being good riding buddies, we did two things. 1 - stopped to help, and 2 - took pictures! This one seems ripe for a caption contest. What do you think? In light of the other thread, how about: "See why the riders instructions tell you to NOT cut off the established trail!"

Yeah, I'm sure there are all sorts of cool ways to do it. I didn't get a good look (it was at the rider's meeting), but it seemed like he routed it through the foam at the front, directly in front of your mouth. I'm going to have to play around and see what I can figure out. You want it easy to get at, but not annoying whe you're not using it.

I know every race is different. At Johnson Valley, I hardly drank on Loop 1 (fast sections, then technical sections, both had me wanting to keep both hands on the bars). Then loop 2 there was PLENTY of time to drink. Even if just while waiting for riders ahead to clear obstacles and bottlenecks. I'm hoping to come out. I have to get some work done on the bike and get the truck in to have a coolant leak fixed. If I can get all my crap done, I'll probalby just drive out Sunday morning since there is no bomb practice on Saturday.

If it's like the first two H&H Nationals of this year, you WILL have slow enough sections to put your tube in your mouth. I saw a guy at Spangler (National H&H #2 this year), that somehow mounted his drink tube inside his helmet so he didn't have to hunt for it while riding - I thought that was pretty slick. If you have a second camelbak, fill it and have it ready at the pits. If you're a drinker, you'll want all you can get for loop 2 (and 3 if you're doing it!)

Let's put this myth to bed.... I've been using a 76CSx for 2 or 3 years now, and was using (still have actually) a 76CS for 3 or 4 years before that. I have NEVER had trouble pushing the buttons and seeing the screen. I hear the above comment from 60-series users mostly. In the truck: Handheld mode: On the bike: This is the natural way to work the device - like a TV remote. Nice big buttons, eash to work with gloves on. Power button on the front face... The best part of the 76 series is the mount. Total wrap-around Ram mount, very bulletproof. My son flipped his bike, landing on the GPS, and the Ram ball broke, but the GPS didn't release from the holder. Look ma... no zip ties!!! Also, the all-in-one casing (aka, no external antenna to get grabbed and snapped off by your brake line) is nice too: To each their own. I fell into the 76 series by luck, actually. I got a great deal on one long before I got into dual-sporting and it just happened to work nicely on two wheels too! You can pick one up from West Marine for the same $199 (currently on sale) SDAR thread on 76Cx on sale West Marine's site And no, you don't need the 's' (sensors) model for dual-sporting (plenty of threads already out there on that).

Snopes says it's true... LINK HERE

[disclaimer] Nothing personal against anyone with my post, take this in a generic sense, please! [/disclaimer] Ok, so how many people that cut the corners KNEW they weren't supposed to and did anyways? 9 out of 10 would be my guess. Almost every rider knows they're supposed to stay on the trails when they're not in an open area! Just because the guy ahead of you did it, doesn't make it right for you to do it too. This seems to come up every year, and is mentioned by the rangers every year too. [soapbox] Those of you who did it, read the instructions, follow them, be courteous and stop screwing it up for everyone else and making Randy's after ride experience a headache to deal with! [/soapbox] One thing I found interesting was that, besides in the washes, those side trails hang around A LONG TIME. I'd have thought that all that rain out there would have cleaned up many of those, but they didn't. I was one of the first down many of the trails and was surprised (again, other than in the washes), at how little the rain had done to "wash away" stray tracks. I see why the park wants us to stick to the established two tracks now. I have seen, in my short 3 or 4 years of riding in southern California, trails closed due to irresponsible actions of offroaders, and it pisses me off!

Figures a guy that wears a pink tu-tu would have a dog named Buffy!

My friend, Scott, lost a tool bag (with tools and registration, etc) on the dirt section out of Ocotillo. We rode to the water tank and took Mortero Wash north to the highway. He had it at gas in Ocotillo.

Who knows? I think it's just because they're trying to clear out their backlog of the 76 series. Garmin markets the 60 series as an outdoor/hiking unit and the 76 series as a marine unit (it floats, etc), even though the screen size, software, operation, memory, etc are identical. Same unit, different case. West Marine probably bought more of the 76 series since they're a marine store. Also, this one on sale is the non 's' model. Personally, I don't think you need the sensors unless you're going to be doing a lot of hiking (and even then, just bring a cheap compass - it works better and doesn't die when the batteries go out). You won't even use the compass during dual sport rides! I prefer the 76 for a dual sport unit. It's case seems more rugged (no "external" antenna) and the Ram mount is MUCH more secure than the 60 series (no zip-tie required!!). At $200, if you're looking for a GPS, get out there and grab one!

Great dash. I feel sorry for the riders that bailed out due to the weather. Yeah it was a little cold, and a lot wet, but the riding was awesome! I left my camera at camp on Saturday, but here are a few from Sunday:

It's still listed on the website at the same price for anyone that is interested - I'm not sure if it's available at that price in stores. This is THE dual sporting GPS at a great price! $199.00 LINK HERE

Lean idle circuit (could be low speed jet or fuel screw). The other thing it could be is that the needle, in fact, is sticking. Check the slide for free movement as well as the clip on the needle. On my 450, the needle wore and the gap the clip fit into was widened out - causing the exact same problem. That was UNTIL the clip let loose and the needle stayed down, requiring a trailside fix.

When was the last time the seals and oil were changed on those forks? If it's been since '02, they were probably long overdue anyways. I agree though, kind of frustrating to find out about it only after they already have your bike in there and not when you called to ask "How much is this going to cost me?" Out of curiositiy how much are we talking here?

Hmmmm.... Tempting....

Didn't someone get a ticket last year from a state park ranger for non-DOT tires?

Nice!!! Hey kkug, I think youre kkug stickers might just have some competition if we get some made with that mugshot! No, it means you shouldn't leave it alone on the side of the road anymore!

A few more things for you to look at when if you're interested after the Dash, Randy... Big Bear Trail Riders site uses Club Express for their dues. It's a pretty slick system. Sends reminder emails, receipts, etc. It says as their pricing plan is reasonable too (for less that 500 members, they charge 40 cents per member per year). You can do online signups for their rides there too - not sure what they charge for that service though. I also got talked into riding a D37 Hare and Hound this weekend and the club putting on the race is using Eventbrite for the signups. I don't know what the backend looks like to the organizers, but the front end was sweet for me signing up. Their pricing page says using the system is free for a free event (I suppose if you're making money on the tickets, they want their cut - 2.5% plus 99 cents).

+1 + another 1 !! I had a radiator that had a branch shoved through it (don't ask!). Myler's soldered up the punctured channels as well as straigtened the sides, fins, etc. VERY quick turnaround and good price.

Our teacher asked us what our favorite animal was, and I said, "Fried chicken." She said I wasn't funny, but she couldn't have been right, because everyone else in the class laughed. My parents told me to always be truthful and honest, and I am. Fried chicken is my favorite animal. I told my dad what happened, and he said my teacher was probably a member of PETA. He said they love animals very much. I do, too. Especially chicken, pork and beef. Anyway, my teacher sent me to the principal's office. I told him what happened, and he laughed, too. Then he told me not to do it again. The next day in class my teacher asked me what my favorite live animal was. I told her it was chicken. She asked me why, just like she'd asked the other children. So I told her it was because you could make them into fried chicken. She sent me back to the principal's office again. He laughed, and told me not to do it again. I don't understand. My parents taught me to be honest, but my teacher doesn't like it when I am. Today, my teacher asked us to tell her what famous person we admire most. I told her, "Colonel Sanders." Guess where I am now...

Dug, will you be meeting us at the Blu In ? (across the street in the big dirt area) ? Yeah, that was our plan. 9:30, right?

DigDug plus 1 in if you don't mind, Randy? Black Silverado diesel pickup with Louisiana plates. I'll be on the 450 and a buddy on a Husaberg will be carpooling with me.