How to not get run over ?

[goneorange]

Cross post based on suggestion of BajaBoundmoto -

Hi All -
So noob here looking for insight. I an turning 50 next year thought it would be interesting to ride the 1000, done lots of MX, Desert MC racing, long distance endurance and Rally stuff.

My concern is / are the Trophy Trucks, we will probably ride this as a 2 man team, and are pretty sure we will be caught by the fast trucks. I am pretty sure we will have no issue finishing as long as the bike hold up.

Does anyone have any insight on not getting run over ? Am I worrying about nothing ? Just never raced in a Race with such a diverse set of vehicles and competitors.

Thanks in advance for the insight.

GO

 

[El Mamito USMC]

ok. get a light on your back , camelbak or backpack, similar to the one BITD requires. second, there's a 99% they wont run you over at night due to the fact that youll see their lights from really far away and youll get out of the course ,

JUST MAKE SURE you get out and some space just in case there is any rock flying when they pass you and another truck migth be behind them trying to pass.

also train a lot for endurance since you want to do it just2 guys..

get a nice set of lights and a spare set.

when they pass you wait until the dust settles so you can see if any truck is coming and they see you..

thats pretty much it. also many good fans will let you know that the truck is behind you..

 

[goneorange]

Thanks for the help, even just night riding I run a flashing light on my pack.

As for training I totally understand, I am an ex-professional bicycle racer ( think tour de france stuff ) so training is high on my list, we are already training with weights, cardio and of course on the bike. Hopefully by April to by under 15% body fat.

Still deciding on what bike to sun but all the bikes I own have BD squadrons or multiple Squadrons on them now...

Maybe I am just sorta thinking about this like some people think about sharks, I could be eaten...

 

[dezert_nerd]

Move over as far as you can. Depending on where you get passed at on the course, you may have to stop and wait for dust to clear before going again. I got passed at V2R quite a few times this years by some of the unlimited vehicles and the dust is no joke. Way worse than I ever thought it would be.


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[goneorange]

Thanks dezert_nerd ... I just moved out of Vegas, sitting in the snow missing the dez at the moment ... I have done some of the Mran stuff, and watched a lot of the races with trucks, just never threw my hat in the ring with them.

 

[AngryShawn]

The 2017 B1K is a peninsula run so you will get caught by the trucks.
Like El Mamito said, if you are lucky, you will get caught after dark where their lights make it easier for you to know they are coming, much easier than relying on your hearing.

Some general tips that have helped me be safe and have fun:
Have your pit crew start giving you splits to the lead TT as the day goes on, so you know roughly when to expect them.
When the lead vehicles are getting really close, use convenient opportunities to check your six, for example, course switchbacks and when you have the higher ground.
Trucks and buggies make a LOT of dust so you'll see them from a distance, learn to judge the dust cloud size difference between a race truck/car and a quad.
Do all you can to get the h311 out of the way before they are on your tail, that way you don't slow them down and you can see them move past at race speed, which is very impressive.
If you do get caught, give a wave so they know you are there and pull off the course as soon as safe to do so
Get as far off the course as possible and stop to look back and see who else is coming
DO NOT proceed until the dust has cleared
DO NOT proceed until the course is clear
DO NOT jackrabbit when you get caught
If you can, do some longer mixed class races where you have the potential to get passed so you know what to expect
Use good common sense
Use good common sense
Use good common sense
Relax and have fun!

ps - use good common sense

 

[JDDurfey]

I will second all that was said above and in the other thread.

The only addition I have I stated in the other thread. DO NOT EVER STOP ON THE OUTSIDE OF A CORNER for a truck or buggy to pass you. If the driver is focused on you they can easily screw up the corner and run you over. Also, the flying rocks as they accelerate away from the corner will really really hurt! DO NOT PANIC when they catch you. You do not want to crash in front of a truck or buggy! And I will stress again, do not reenter a race course in the dust. The trucks and buggies all drive using GPS in the dust and you may just get run over and killed!

Keeping track of where the trucks are behind you is a great idea, but not very practical. Just ride your race. Plan on getting caught anytime after 8 hours of so. A flashing light on your back pack is a must. I like having a helmet light along with the headlights. When I was pulling a ton of miles back in 06 I had a Nite Rider helmet light. I liked it, but I ended up switching it off to keep it as a back up in case the other lights failed.

The biggest thing, is have fun. You may have to remind yourself of that a few times during the race. But after you will always look back at the great accomplishment and smile. The stories will last a lifetime. I could go for hours telling stories of my racing in Baja.

 

[TYork]

Wear minimum of two LED flashing lights. I had one on the bike, one down low on my pack and another about shoulder height.




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[Hog Wild]

If they do as in this past B1K (hopefully they will do better), SCORE will likely have a Stella device (electronic box, similar to RallyComp and Sentinel) on every bike and car. Among other things, it allows the cars to push a button when they want to pass, which sets off a very loud beep on your Stella unit. When you hear that beep, get out of the way. Make sure your Stella mount and power connection are rock solid so your unit is working when you need it.

 

[rustyb]

If they do as in this past B1K (hopefully they will do better), SCORE will likely have a Stella device (electronic box, similar to RallyComp and Sentinel) on every bike and car. Among other things, it allows the cars to push a button when they want to pass, which sets off a very loud beep on your Stella unit. When you hear that beep, get out of the way. Make sure your Stella mount and power connection are rock solid so your unit is working when you need it.

Out of maybe 10 times I was passed in the 1000 the Stella went off twice. Not sure if (co)drivers weren't pressing it or what but since I couldn't rely on it I still had my head on a swivel.

 

[BGRANT]

Remember, its a race not a ride.


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[trentk]

When we got caught by the leaders at the 500 a few years ago during the most high speed section I changed my entire mindset and stopped racing the race ahead of me and paid more attention to the race behind me. We had won the 500 a few years earlier but this time we had some downtime for various reasons. I turned off the highway onto Mike's loop and within 2 miles Jesse James TT went by me when I was pinned in 5th. I was doing 85ish, the truck was doing 110+ I suppose. There was no horn or no warning, just an intense rumble next to me and me shitting my pants. This changed my outlook.

We weren't in the chase to win so I dialed it way back and kept my head on a swivel, after getting passed like that with no warning I didn't trust that these guys would not run me over, accidents happen and this is the same spot where Norman ran over a quad racer a few years earlier. It sucks not to race full speed but I made it home to my family and that was most important.

Heres the vid of that section, its one of my favorite sections and it sucked not to race it full speed. You can see I stay off the course until I can see because these guys race full speed in the dust if there is one TT there is likely one right behind it.

The 7:22 mark shows the first pass that was very uncomfortable due to no horn or warning from the passing truck.


This link is editted down to just show the passes:

 

[richzajic]

Getting passed by lead trucks at night is easy
Big Lightning show comes up your ass and you know to pull over.
Nothing like Robby G passing you when you are wide open and so is he, Almost twice your speed.

 

[AZ7000']

No lighting cues for the 250, unless it is a really bad, no good, lousy day!

The Flip side is when the track is deep with 1-2' silty walls and the bike guy can't see straight let alone get out of his own way. Front cars and trucks are RACING!! SF has more lines then most but guys it is a race < your life. I always thought I would race it on a bike but after catching the guys checking a box on their bucket list I will never race on the same SCORE track as the four wheeled vehicles. Not saying you shouldn't but please, ser inteligente y muy cuidadoso!

See you donkeys there!