Trail Rider Magazine

Flashback! Just Trail Riding November 2018 5 A er a busy season of covering and racing organized events, there's something magical about ge ng back to doing some trail riding with a few buds. Oh yeah, we enjoy the fast- paced off-road lifestyle of riding and racing, but when the season starts to wind down, it's like a breath of fresh air. That's just what we did earlier this month. Back in February, I'd treated myself to a new Beta 500RR-S, with inten ons on doing some northern Maine exploring. "Hard Adventure" was the goal. With a fair amount of me and money spent on prepping the big Beta for some long-distance events, me just didn't allow, and unfortunate- ly the bike saw li le use. With the list of commitments now under our belt and with my bud Jimmy Myrick of the Trailriding Maine group tantalizing me by pos ng pictures of his epic events on social media, it was high me to break out the big bore and give it a go in the environment for which it was designed. With such a wet fall here in New England, Myrick and his crew had been exploring the woods of "Downeast" Maine. The term is actually nau cal in nature rather than loca on. In the warm months most suitable for sailing, the prevailing winds along the coast of New England and Canada blow from the southwest, meaning ships sail downwind to go east. As such, the northeastern stretches were said to be "Down East" in rela on to major western ci es such as Boston. The lure of Downeast Maine for a dirt biker is its sandy soil and long flat stretches of desolate dirt roads. Our ride began in the seaside town of Machias. With temps in the mid 30's, we were prepared and dressed appropriately, although li le did I know at the me that the retro Bell Moto III that I'd decided to wear would be such a perfect fit for this par cular ensemble. Our ride consisted of only three. Myself, Jimmy and my bud Kevin Deschambalt. With all three bikes plated, and GPS enabled, we were able to map out a route that spanned 160-plus miles of the most beau ful terrain northern Maine has to offer. The Downeast is unlike Maine's typical rocky, mountain- ous terrain. There's vast acreage of blueberry plains, uninhabited lakes, beau ful waterfalls and sleepy, quiet towns. As one who wasn't familiar with the area, as we logged miles riding further north, gas was a nagging concern. Fortunately all three bikes were equipped with large-capacity tanks, and the others in my li le group were well aware of our loca on. As fuel was running low, we popped out of a dirt road to the town of Grand Lake Stream to find a li le one-pump, general store where me stood s ll. With the grill fired up, we were treated to steak sandwiches and cold drinks. With bikes and bellies full, we headed in a southeasterly direc on where we hopped on a por on of Stud Mill Road, the longest dirt road in Maine. Ripping Stud mill was a hoot. Thirty-plus miles of straight sec ons, rolling hills and sweeping corners, the big Beta just ate it up. Kevin, a mul - me Red Bull "Rip to Cabo" finisher, re- marked that Downeast Maine is very similar to riding Baja without the dust and heat. As we logged mile a er mile at speeds we don't typically see on dirt bikes, I began to reflect on my choice of head gear —, yes, the Bell Moto III and how well it was working. It's always interes ng to me how we don't no ce something un l that something is removed. Typically as dirt bikers, it's a fa gue component. When removed, we wonder how we even dealt with it. It got me thinking. Today's helmets have incredible ven la on. Riding hot summer days, we really appreciate our modern helmets and how well the air flows through them. Back when the Moto III was the big thing, helmets didn't have any ven- la on at all. We didn't know any be er and suffered under hot helmets knowing nonetheless. Well, this was interes ng, as with temps now in the mid-30's and speeds well into the 70's, my head was warm and toasty. I greatly appreciated the old school design of the new, retro Moto III. It will forever be part of my cold weather dirt gear. Even though we covered just over 160 miles on an early November Sunday, the me flew by. Hi ng the trail by 10 a.m. and returning to the van at just past 4 p.m., the six hours spent behind the bars was a blur. I'll tell you what; it brought me back to the basics of why we ride dirt bikes. Trail Riding is fun!

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