1st Timers to a A4DE

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 A4DE 2010 for Rookies (and other information you need to know!) Well, the A4DE is fast approaching and I am receiving lots of phone calls about how the event runs and what  you need to enter the event. 

Keep an eye on the website www.a4de2010.com.au for updates! 

First, please read the Enduro and Reliability Trials section (pages 216 – 232 incl.) of the Motorcycling  Australia 2010 Manual of Motorcycle Sport (MOMS) rulebook. If you hold a current MA Licence you should  have received a copy recently, otherwise log onto  http://www.ma.org.au/AM/Template.cfm?Section=General_competition_rules&Template=/CM/ContentDispla y.cfm&ContentFileID=59234 . Read the whole chapter – it explains enduro first then the A4DE rules and  classifications. 

Also brush up on the All Disciplines section in the MOMS as well ( pages 91 – 105 incl.) for general rules  about motorcycling sport. 

Soon the Supplementary Regulations and Entry Forms will be published. The Supplementary Regs have  additional information specific to the 2010 A4DE, over and above the MOM's rules as listed above. You  must read these carefully as they will give you the schedule of “early bird entries”, normal entries, other  deadlines for the event and event procedures. 

DOCUMENTATION 

So... what do you need to do an Australian Four Day Enduro?? Aside from a passion of riding through the  bush, you will need the following documentation:

     1. Current Motorcycling Australia or Motorcycling New Zealand or FIM Senior National Competition  Licence. (To get this you need to join a club and complete the necessary paperwork) 

     2. Current RTA or equivalent (civil) motor driver's license with endorsement on it for the capacity of the  motorcycle you intend to ride. (just as if you were going to ride a road bike on the open highway) 

     3. Current MA, MNZ or FIM Club Affiliation Card – club named on card should match the club listed on  your MA Competition Licence. 

     4. Registered motorbike and all registration papers for the bike. For bikes not registered you will need  an Unregistered Vehicle Permit. These may be obtained through the RTA or through event administration at  a cost of $40.00. See supplementary regulations for more information on the UVP. 

     5. Proof of valid Ambulance Coverage – either card from your provider or in some states, a utility bill  that shows ambulance cover on it. 

Sort all this out NOW before you come to the showground (Parc Fermé) at Portland - “That card is in my  wife's wallet” is not a valid excuse for you not to have this stuff at sign-on! No documentation – no riding!! 

SIGN ON

Many of you have done club days etc. where you register on the day. THIS IS NOT THE CASE AT THE  A4DE. Sign on starts on Monday afternoon, 5th April and continues into Tuesday morning 6th April (closing  around 11.00 a.m. Tuesday) That's it! Check Supplementary Regs and Final Instructions for exact times.  You need to be there at these times or you will miss out, regardless if you have pre-entered. Please bring  everything from the above documentation list with you to sign on so we can process you smoothly and  efficiently. You will be given your Scrutineering Accreditation Card and riding numbers with the appropriate  coloured background at sign-on. 

SCRUTINEERING  

Scrutineering will be held on Tuesday 6th April for this day only! Your bikes must have a working headlight  and tail light (as per supplementary regs) cross bar pad, fitted side stand, 2 mirrors and a horn. Your bike  must also be nice and quiet – Noise Limit is 94dB(A) and all bikes will be noise tested during scrutineering.  You fail and you will have to fix it on the spot, by close of scrutineering Tuesday, before your bike is allowed  to be entered into the event.  

WHAT TO BRING TO SCRUTINEERING 

You need to bring many things to scrutineering! You will need:

     1. Your helmet 

     2. Your bike, complete with the riding numbers that you were given at sign on 

     3. Your Scrutineering Accreditation Card from sign on 

     4. Bike registration papers 

     5. Sense of patience as sometimes it can take a little time to get everyone through! 

IMPOUND 

So, you are signed on and your bike has passed scrutineering – what next? ALL bikes are now impounded  at the Parc Fermé. This is a restricted area and once impounded, you can not touch the bikes. Here they will  stay for the next few days until the race starts, out in the open, out in the paddock area. All bikes must have  an enviro mat under them in the impound and may not be covered, nor have the pipe plugged in any way.  Rain, hail or shine, it's the same rules for everyone, everywhere at any major enduro!  

EVENT GENERAL STARTING PROCEDURE

All riders will be issued with a daily schedule so you know what time you start and when you are due at all  the time controls throughout the day. This schedule will tell you about the course, how many kilometres each  section is (so you can estimate how much fuel you will need), how long you have to travel between time  controls and what time you will finish each day. You will fill out your event time cards based on this schedule  (more on time cards later!) 

Day 1 and you will have an “Enter Parc Fermé” time on your schedule. This is when you go into the impound  and pick up your bike. DO NOT START YOUR BIKE, nor work on it at all! At the “Work Area” time on your  schedule, you must wheel your bike to the morning work area where you then have 10 minutes to work on  your bike. Note: This is one of only two places where you can change tyres during the event – the morning  and the afternoon work areas, as well as general maintenance and precautionary look over your machine.  You will then be asked to wheel your bike to the start area where you will be instructed to take your place on  the “start line” - normally three bikes start per minute. YOU MUST NOT START YOUR BIKE UNTIL YOUR  START TIME COMES UP – i.e. when the flag drops on your grid. Yes, your bike will be cold ( that is part of  the event - the “cold start test”) but you have 1 minute to gently warm up you machine and pass the 20  metre line under your own motor, before you are off on your transport section and into the forest! 

It's a good idea to arrive at the Parc Fermé early Day 1 and watch how the Trophy Riders go through the  start process so you can get an idea of the procedure. It's easy when you see how it works! 

DURING THE DAY – TIME CONTROLS AND SCHEDULED TIMES (see also time cards and schedule ) 

Note: time control = control = time check = check point = TC (different terms for the same thing)

There are a number of time controls throughout the course- up to ten each day (see final instructions for  actual numbers per day – some locations you go to more than once). These are places where you can be  re-fuelled and eat and drink something. You may only be re-fuelled at these designated time controls (or at  the work periods at the Parc Fermé) and you must always have an enviro mat whenever you replenish any  liquids on your bike – even when you oil you chain! You are responsible to get your own fuel (and food) to  these time controls, the organisers do not transport rider's items. Most rider's have friends or relatives who  come along to the event and they meet them at the time controls with food and fuel. You may need to  organise this asap in case you have to band together with other riders to have a group area at the time  controls, e.g. so that one friend goes to Control 1. and another friend goes to Control 2. 

There are 2 types of time controls – service and no service (no parts, tools, fuel or oils can be supplied). The  start of a Time control is marked on the course by seeing white flags. No service time controls will have  white flags with a black cross on the flag. The white flags are about 200m from the time check part of the  control. Your supporters are between the white flags and yellow flags. Yellow flags are about 20m from the  time check (where you present your card). There is a display clock at the yellow flags to let you know what  the time is. Green flags mark the end of the time check and you are back on the course. This is a layout of  the controls with a list of what you, the rider, can and can't do and what your helpers can and can't do for  you. Please familiarise yourself with this layout. 

Insert image of the time card here.

If the activity is not listed under the assistance section then it cannot be done. Most common errors relate to  touching or holding the motorcycle when not related to an allowed activity, touching marked parts when they  are off the bike (like wheels) and lubricating the chain (rider must apply lube and spin wheel over an  enviromat). 

The time on your schedule will determine how long you will have to replenish at each time control. E.g. If  you arrive between the white and yellow flags at Control 1 at 9.50 am. And your schedule lists your time at  Control 1 as 10.00 am., you have 10 minutes to fill up and eat. Your schedule time is when you PRESENT  YOUR CARD TO THE OFFICIAL AFTER THE YELLOW FLAGS TO LEAVE the control, not when you arrive  at the control.  

If you are early to leave, or late to leave, you will incur a time penalty. E.g. If you leave Control 1 at 10.05  am and your schedule lists your time at Control 1 as 10.00 am – you have lost 5 minutes. You will incur a  five minute penalty PLUS you must remain on the amended time (5 minutes late) at every control thereafter  for that day.   

If you lose further time this day e.g. you leave Control 2 at 11.10 am instead of your scheduled 11.00 am.  (and taking into account you must stay 5 minutes late because of Control 1), you have now lost a further 5  minutes and now must remain 10 minutes late for the remainder of the day. 

You may lose up to 1 hour on any day and still remain in the event – otherwise you “hour-out” and will have  to stop for this day. You may apply to restart the event – check the MOM's rules and supp regs for details on  this process. If you are deemed a restarter, you will not ride on Day 4 at the final moto. 

As you leave each Control you will be required to supply the officials with your time card to have your leave  time noted on the card. Please try to keep it clean and dry and not down the side of your boot (it's gross for  the worker's to have to touch it if it's been there!) Check what time the officials write on your card and if you  have any queries, ask the officials to note it on their master sheet and then move on. Do not hassle the staff  on site, there are procedures and ways to approach these hiccups after the end of the day's ride! 

TIME CARDS  

Time cards look something like this example below and are something every rider is required to fill out daily  (from the official time schedules) and carry with them at all times whilst on the course. These are your  checklist throughout the event. Make sure you put your name and rider number on it asap so the card can  be easily identified as yours! You would be surprised how many people do not do this basic function and it  makes it difficult for the scorer's to know which card is who's if there is no name or number on it. You hand  your card in at the Final Control at the Parc Fermé at the end of each Day. If you happen to not finish the  day, hand your card into the nearest Time Control staff so they know that you are safe and accounted for.  

If you lose your card, ask the time control staff of a new one. They will fill in your number and the arrival time  at the time control. They are not responsible to fill in other information for you. 

Below needs to be a image

NAME: ….............................................................. Rider  Number Start Time Rider's Score Card Sections  Time Distance Score Orig. Sched. Time Start Arrival  Time 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

SCHEDULE  this section will need the images added back in 

A schedule will look something like the example below. Reading across the top section, you will see that it  has what time the Parc Fermé starts – 7.00 a.m. In the morning. It also shows the section times – e.g. 60  minutes between each time control and the distance e.g. 28 klms between the first two time controls. From  this information riders can calculate how much fuel they will need to send out to the Time Control TC1 in  order to replenish for the next section to Time Control TC 2, and so on, for the day. This distance and time  combination will also tell you if there is less kilometres and more time allowed per section, the course will be  slower and more technical in that section i.e. the course between TC1 and TC2 is faster for example than  the course between TC2 and TC3.  Next section down is the rider number and their schedule times for the day. Reading from left to right you  will see that riders numbered 1, 2 and 3 will all pick up their bikes from the impound (Parc Fermé) at 7.00  am and then enter their 10 minute morning work period at 7.05 am. They will then walk their bikes up to the  “start area” and wait until 7.15 am for the flag to drop and then they will start their bikes and ride off to the  first Time Control TC1. For example, they may then arrive at TC1 around 8.00 am. where they will have  approx. 15 minutes to fuel their bikes and eat and drink something before presenting your card at the TC1  control table after the yellow flags at 8.15 am sharp to continue onto TC 2. This pattern is the same all day,  for all riders. Example of John Smith's Card – Rider Number 2 – as filled out by rider using the above schedule  NAME: ….John Smith................................... Rider  Number 2 Start Time  .7:15 am Rider's Score Card Sections  Time  Distance Score Orig. Sched. Time Start Arrival  Time 60 .8:15 1 41 .8:56 2 70 .10:06 3 Rider 2, John Smith, has remained on time all day, so his card will look like this when he hands it in at the  Final Control. NAME: ….John Smith Rider  Number 2 Start Time  .7:15 am Rider's Score Card Sections  Time  Distance Score Orig. Sched. Time Start Arrival  Time 60 0 .8:15 1 .8:15 41 0 .8:56 2 .8:56 70 0 .10:06 3 .10:06 However, Rider 4, Bob Brown, (example below) has not been so lucky and lost 5 minutes on the first section  – his card will look like this when he hands it in at the Final Control and he will wear a 5 minute time penalty  for the day. NAME: ….Bob Brown Rider  Number 3 Start Time  .7:15 am Rider's Score Card Sections  Time  Distanc e Score Orig. Sched. Time Start Arrival  Time 60 5min .8:15 1 .8:20 41 0 .8:56 2 .9:01 70 0 .10:06 3 .10:11 

PRE FINISH AND FINAL WORK PERIOD

At the end of the day you will have a pre finish control and final work period. The pre finish control is just  outside the Portland Showground and staff will hold you there until your scheduled time (same procedures  as at other controls). Once your Pre Finish time comes up, you will be instructed to ride into your final work  area where you have stored you gear and quickshade etc. (at the Container end of the showground). There  you will have 15 minutes maximum to work on your bike. You can change tyres, do oil changes, air filters  and all mechanical work on your bike. You may have assistance from helpers to replenish fluids (e.g. fill  your bike, fill radiator, do an oil change) but they are not allowed to do anything else to your machine. You  alone must do all maintenance, mechanical work etc. They can pass you tools and advise you on what to  do, but they must not lay a hand on your bike or you will be heavily penalised. Check the MOMS for what  helpers can and can't do. If in doubt, don't let them touch anything – do it all yourself! 

On your schedule, the last Time Controls, Pre Finish and Parc Fermé times are listed like the example  below. If you happen to finish all your work on your bike within the 15 minute time allowed, you may go into  the Parc Fermé early. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME DURING THE DAY YOU CAN CHECK IN EARLY AND  NOT BE PENALISED!!!!  

This needs to be changed to a table!!!

33 50 15 13 25 0.1 TC 7 Forest TC8 Pre Finish TC9 Parc Fermé .13:30 .14:20 .14:35 .13:31 .14:21 .14:36 .13:32 .14:22 .14:37 

You hand in your card, park your bike back in the impound at your alotted spot, on your enviro-mat and kiss  your bike goodnight. Again, you may not cover your bike, nor plug the exhaust, it must be left on it's  sidestand with all it's mates!  

Normally when you hand in your card from Day 1 at the Parc Fermé control, you will receive you new card  and the new schedule for Day 2. Hang onto it as you will need it to fill in your time schedule when the  seeded start times come out early in the evening. You just finished Day 1 – well done!! So what else should you consider when doing an A4DE?? 

FITNESS AND PREPARATION IS NOT ONLY ABOUT YOUR BODY! 

Any endurance athlete will tell you that physical fitness is only part of the makeup of their success. You have  to be mentally strong to be able to cope with all the challenges the A4DE can, and will, throw at you. Not  only do you have to be able to ride, you must be able to navigate, calculate times and diagnose mechanical  issues should they arise. You need to pace yourself and ride smart, rather than ride hard – “to finish first,  you first must finish!” Even the fastest rider's may not complete the course if their mind or machine fails  on them.  

So make sure you are prepared. Do you know as much about your bike as you can? Sure, you can have  others verbally help you, but when push comes to shove – how do you get to that bolt in a hurry? Familiarise  yourself with your bike and it's characteristics so that you can know if and when there is a problem and how  to fix it. This will save a lot of anxiety and worry along the way if you are confident that your bike is tip top  and you can then concentrate on riding as well as possible. 

BE ORGANISED 

Your work periods are only 10 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at the end of the day. Use this time  wisely and have all your gear organised where you and your crew can find it. Have your stuff in crates or  boxes so that it is easily accessible in a short amount of time. Write lists so that your helpers know what you  need at the end of the day and where to find it. Label everything so that your airfilter, goggles or gloves do  not get mixed up with someone elses gear. There is nothing worse that trying to find a specific item in a  mountain of bike gear and parts if you do not know what you are looking for and it's all unlabelled. 

As mentioned before, you need fuel and food at all Time Controls. However, you only have one supporter  able to transport it for you – how are they going to get to all Time Controls for you? Solution... group  together with other riders from your state or club and work as a team. Your supporter then takes out 4 rider's  gear and the other three rider's helpers split up and go one to each of the remaining Time Controls to fuel the  group as a collective. That way you are sure you have fuel and food at each stop without your supporter  running themselves into the ground trying to beat you to the next fuel stop. 

Closer to the event, you will be advised how many Time Controls are planned for each day and you can then  work out how many fuel cans you will need. In the interest of the forest and environment, it has been  requested that all fuel be in small containers, not large jerry cans. Therefore you are required to use 10 litre  fuel containers during the event – not 20 litre containers half full! Remember, you must always replenish  fluids over an enviromat – riders will receive one at sign on and more can be purchased from Administration  during the event. 

Space in the Parc Fermé Work area will be very limited so we need everyone to be mindful of how much  room they require and please see Don Atkins when you arrive to have your spot allocated. 

DON”T ONLY FUEL YOUR BIKE 

Some of the best rider's in the world have come unstuck with a simple mistake – they forget to fuel  themselves. Camelbaks are invaluable and snacks in your bumbag are a must. At the Time Controls make  sure you have food and fluids available and remember to eat and drink at every opportunity. There is  nothing worse than a sick, dehydrated rider – it is dangerous and can be life-threatening! Mix up your fluids  so that if you have “power” drinks in your Camelbak, you have water at the Time Controls. Too much of one  can either leave you with too much sodium or not enough electrolytes, its all about balance! Even if you are  late to a control, take that extra moment to shove something into your mouth to carry you onto the next  section. Recovery is also important. Eat as soon as you can after the event so your body will have time to catch up  on the energy it has used during the day. There will be food available at the Parc Fermé canteen and simple  bush catering/BBQ's at all Time Controls. Make sure that there is enough food and fluids for your supporters  as well, they can get dehydrated as well waiting for you in the scrub all day! There is an IGA supermarket in Portland and many other local eating places/RSL, Golf and Bowling clubs etc  for us to enjoy. Please make sure you utilise these local services throughout the event – this town is very  supportive of our sport! 

ITS ONLY MONEY!!! 

I know, I know – Enduro is not a cheap sport, but it is fun and a family activity for many of us. I have had  quite a few phone calls from novice riders re the idea of using mousses in their tyres for the event. Sure,  they are a bit pricey, but how good are you at repairing punctures in a hurry?? If you intend to ride on the  same tyres for all four days of the event, maybe consider investing in a set of mousses. I am not on any  commission for the sale of mousses. However, I have seen riders spend a lot of time and effort even getting  to an A4DE only to hour-out on Day 1 because they have got a puncture, then pinched their spare tube, then  pinched their 2nd backup tube and in the end not been able to complete the course on a frustratingly flat tyre.  A properly greased mousse will last you many months and I believe once you get used to them, you won't  even look at an innertube again! If you do go down this track, source your mousses now before the last  minute panic! 

I'M SO TIRED – WHERE CAN I SLEEP? 

If you have looked on our website you will have noticed a link to the Lithgow Visitor Information Centre where  Kellie and her staff are doing a great job finding beds for the masses. Their contact number is 1300 760276  and their website is 

www.tourism.lithgow.com. Call asap as much of the accommodation has been booked  already. 

THERE IS NO CAMPING WHATSOEVER AT THE PORTLAND SHOWGROUND/Parc Fermé. 

There are  no exceptions to this, so please do not ask us to break the rules for you. There are caravan areas/camping  spots in Lithgow and Bathurst so again, call Kellie for bookings of sites etc. 

WE ARE ALL REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR SPORT 

How easy is it for you to ride in your neighbourhood? If the answer is “not possible”, then you are victim to  the weekend warriors, with no helmets and noisy, unregistered bikes who have terrorised the general public  for far too long. Enduro and the future of our sport relies on good public relations with local groups and  communities like Portland and Lithgow. The Parc Fermé is in a showground in the middle of Portland – that's right – THE MIDDLE OF TOWN. Residents are only 30 metres or so from the wire fences that will  watch over your bikes. So it is up to us to all be considerate ambassadors for our sport. You and your  supporters, families and friends will be expected to be on their best behavior. We will be placing a curfew on  bike/work shop noise – there are no bikes, nor generators to be started before 8.00 am. in the leadup to the  event and no bikes, generators or noise in general after 8.00 pm. anytime over the week or so we are in  Portland. 

I KNOW IT'S OUR RELIGION... BUT 

Without getting into the whole holy debate, remember that many of you will be arriving in the  Portland/Lithgow area over the Easter weekend. This means that you will want to check out the Parc Fermé  and settle in and get a feel for the exciting week ahead. 

To respect the local residents and their Easter holiday morning (and so we can enjoy our own Easter Eggs),  WE ARE NOT OPENING the Parc Fermé to anyone until after midday on Sunday, 4th April. That is,  lunchtime Sunday is the first opportunity anyone will have to enter the Portland Showground – no  exceptions! Total lockout until all the chocolate is finished!  

Anyway, that is all the info I can think of for the moment - if you have any questions please do not hesitate to  call me on 0422 580 922 or email me on rlbraico@bigpond.net.au. 

Looking forward to working with you all, 

Lyn Braico A4DE Event Co-ordinato