Another 'non-AMTRA' ride, but still a goodie!
Stratford Vinduro 8th Sep 2013
Started the day with the alarm going off at 4am and quickly loaded up the TT600 for the long haul down to Stratford (near Sale). I had coerced my wife into coming along, so I had some company for the drive, plus she doubled as photographer and pit crew.
Driving along watching the sun rise, it became obvious that the weather was going to be kind to us.
We arrived at the Stratford property at around 7:30 and judging by the number of tents around, it seemed that many other riders had chosen to make a weekend of it.
The ride itself was broken into two loops – the actual Vinduro course of around 12kms, and an optional 15km forest loop for registered bikes that wanted to play in a more open environment.
Bikes in Parc fermé
Bikes were pushed into the Parc fermé holding area to await the cold start test that marked the beginning of the ride. After cold-starting their bikes, riders headed out in groups of three at one minute intervals.
Awaiting the cold start
The Vinduro course began on a sloped paddock, with bunting marking out the corners of the track lines. There were some open sections that allowed the bikes to be pushed up through the gears. At the top of the hill, things got tight, with the track zig-zagging back and forth through the gum trees that marked the paddock boundary.
Open paddocks
Tight lines around trees
Then it was into the scrub, with more tight, twisting lines through the undulating terrain – it was the classic ‘up hill and down dale’ scenario. Jumps were included here and there on the track, with optional lines around them for those that wanted to avoid getting airborne. There were a few decent hill climbs, including one with a wombat hole in the centre of it (which I managed to ride into!)
Ups and downs
Loose soil meant keeping up the momentum...
...but watch out for the wombat holes
After a few k’s in the scrub, it was into a taped off section of switchbacks though a young gum tree plantation, which was a bit eerie, as you got to see other bikes flashing back and forth around you on the other side of the tapes.
Playing in the plantation
Finally it was back out into another paddock and a chance to open up the throttle for the blast back to the start/finish line.
Yay – ‘freedom!’
As the day progressed, the rutted lines between trees began to fill with a soft, silty grey dust that filled the air as each rider passed. Surprisingly, this wasn’t really a much of a problem, as the track was long enough to cater for the 50 plus competitors that were out there enjoying the day.
Tony H (another AMTRA Vinduro tragic) dropped by to say hello, saying that he recognised the TT from my build thread on the forum. I wouldn’t have had much luck spotting him, as the field was very much biased towards the blue of old Yamaha ITs – they seem to be the mount of choice in the Vinduro world.
As I expected, the TT600 was a bit of a handful in the tight stuff, but excelled in the more open sections. It performed flawlessly for the whole ride, and we finished the day with 8 loops under our belt. My arms and shoulders have certainly had a good workout!
I'm looking forward to the next one!
Peter D
