GPS Navigation – Part 1

Preview of The Sasquatch Extreme GPS Hard Enduro 6/20/2020

The Sasquatch Extreme GPS is a Hard Enduro that takes competitors through the most extreme terrain the CMRA riding area in Tennessee has to offer. Guided by GPS navigation, competitors have 8 hours to attempt the completion of the epic 40 miles (~ 60 km) course.

Are you wondering how to navigate a GPS guided Hard Enduro?

This race is unique within the South-East, since there are not many other GPS hard enduro races offered on the continent.

Gary Barr and Derek Bratcher, SEER’s owners and race directors are busy finishing the tracks for round #4 of their SRT-SEER Hard Enduro series.

We asked them for an interview including 10 questions how to prep for the race. Read part 1 today, and we will continue with part 2 and 3 next week!

1. Which GPS device would you recommend for this race? How about using my phone? How large does the screen have to be?

‘There is no ‘one-fits-all’ answer, since it is an individual preference.

Personally, the SEER team uses the Garmin brand since it is extremely rugged. After many hours of operation in hard conditions they are holding up well.

We strongly recommend to stay away from touch screen models. If the screen becomes wet or dirty, and you try to clean the screen you can lose your track.

A phone might not be waterproof, has limited battery life and the larger screens can easily break.

For people with visibility issues, a larger screen can be read more easily.’

2. How do I get a track on my GPS? How do I stay on track?

‘Open the email we sent you with the tracks. There will be your race day track (eg. bronze.gpx) and the easy out routes (ez.gpx).

Download the tracks to your computer.

Connect the device to the computer using a USB cable.

Drag/ copy the GPX file from the computer into the folder labeled GPX on your device.

Unplug the USB cable, turn on your device and go into the track manager. There you should see the tracks you just imported.

On race day, you will repeat the last step (find the race day track) and enable it.

A little arrow is you, and in order to navigate using the GPS, you need to keep your arrow on the line (the track).‘

Stay tuned for part 2 which is going to cover Q/A regarding zoom settings and how to practice navigating without having to get on your dirtbike.

Cycle News – Covid Crusher Report

Cycle News 5-26-2020: “Fahringer Wins Covid Crusher Extreme Enduro”

Cycle News is best known for coverage of all forms of motorcycle racing and we are very proud to present SEER’s first article in their magazine! The magazine is headquartered in California, the same state our title series sponsor is located.

Cycle News Magazine 2020 Issue 21 – Page 28

Check out the Online Version of the magazine HERE

If you have a Flash player, you should be able to go to the magazine directly HERE

enduro21 – Covid Crusher Video Highlights

The word is spreading across the continents….

enduro21: “The Covid Crusher Extreme gave riders a healthy workout blowing away the Coronavirus cobwebs and can claim the unusual honour of being the only extreme event racing on the planet last weekend (May 23).“

ONLINE REPORT from May 27, 2020 on enduro21

Check out enduro21.com

The Covid Crusher Extreme: Race Recap

What a day!

The third SEER race of our hard enduro SRT/ SEER series is in the books!

Despite difficult times, SEER was able to put on a race at the Hollytree Offroad Park in Alabama. We extended our online registration and had an online rider’s briefing to take additional safety precautions.

A combination of lots of rain in the week leading up to the race and an extra downpour on race morning made some areas impassable. Several last minute changes, like moving the start area due to the rising creek, kept the course workers busy. Due to additional heavy rain during the race the trails got extremely slick and deep ruts formed.

95 riders from 17 different states were eager to get to the start line in Alabama, after months without much offroad activity. Riders from Texas to Wisconsin found their way to the Covid Crusher Extreme.

Some of them have never tried a hard enduro race before. Oh well, they got an extreme version for their first experience.

The waves of Gold, Silver and Bronze class riders started off with a two minute interval between the rows.

Other than a few Gold class riders crashing in the second turn off the start VIDEO, the majority of the riders left without any issues.

The riders had to conquer several very technical areas along a trail not allowing any rest between the sections. Gold and Silver riders shared the same, difficult track, and the Bronze riders got to bypass some of the most extreme parts.

Within the first minute all riders got to ‘Nico’s Valley’, a brutal rocky uphill creekbed. Half-way through the lap the racers were challenged with ‘Meltdown Mountain’. This was the most difficult part of the race, a steep uphill made of mud-covered rocks.

The third section ideal for spectators was ‘Copperhead Creek’, a pretty steep creek bed. Next to the pits, everybody got to watch riders making their way down into the creek bed, called ‘The Drop’.  

Without any chance to recover between the most challenging parts of the trails, many racers were exhausted after two hours. The white flag was shown after 2:55 hrs of riding time. Which meant the riders got the chance to complete another lap, as long as they could finish within the cut-off time of 4:00 hours. Many racers were brave and fought until the last possible minute.

The current SRT-SEER series leaders, Nick Fahringer and Quinn Wentzel provided a breathtaking battle. For hours, they raced close to each other. Frequently they had to show their excellent riding skills by having to pass other riders being stuck in difficult terrain. Nick Fahringer ended up winning the Gold class and Overall, with Quinn Wentzel second and Chuck DeLullo third.

The field in the Silver class was 27 racers, and the podium winners were Davis Jackson, Steve McNeal and Nathan Taylor. The largest class was the Bronze class with 42 racers and Wes Kelley, Chris Evans, and Jimmy Rose finished 1-2-3. Two female riders braved the conditions and battled in the Bronze class.

Check out the complete results HERE

Superb sportsmanship was shown by all racers in the difficult conditions. Many riders helped each other including the top pros.

The spectators got their money’s worth. Several accessible spots close to the paddocks made it easy for them to follow the race.

Official race pictures from Larry Mayo HERE

And the racers who came for an extreme experience went home satisfied. We got tons of great feedback on social media. If you have not done already, join our group ‘SEER-South East Extreme Riders Association’ on facebook.

See what other racers had to say about the race HERE

It looks like everyone is excited to try the next SEER challenge, which is going to be the Sasquatch Extreme GPS. A GPS guided event in Tennessee with a 40 mile loop on June 20, 2020.

Find more information and registration details for the Sasquatch GPS Extreme HERE

Our races would not be possible without the support from our sponsors and the many volunteers helping us! Thank you!

Grizzly Race Recap 2020

The first race of the new SRT/ SEER 2020 series! This was a highly anticipated day, from the riders, sponsors and race organizers alike.

Everybody got lucky with a race day full of sunshine! After weeks of rain and even snow, the weather showed itself from its best side and delivered a chilly, but sunny race morning.

Since the start was not before 11:00 am, it warmed up from the low 20s to the low 40s. A good temperature for a race which would definitely warm everybody up!

Registration

Online registration closed 2 days before the race, and there were 80 racers officially registered on Thursday.

It seemed like the great weather encouraged even more racers to show up. We ended up with over 40 (!) riders registering that morning.

T-Shirts

Here are the new 2020 T-shirts! They made it right on time to be ready for sale at the first event of the year.

For $20 you can show off as a SEER rider. On the back is a list of all 2020 races and dates.

Start in Rows

Each class started within each own row – 29 in Gold, 42 in Silver, and 56 in Bronze.

Gold started up front and with a 2 minute interval between the classes, Silver and Bronze took off.

All riders were pretty disciplined, and headed out without any difficulty.

Spectator Points

What would a race be without any spectators? Only half of the fun ;o)

Totally awesome, there was a very nice volunteer who shuttled kids and parents with a trailer and quad to all the ‘scenic’ points. Everybody really enjoyed it! Here is a selection of the fun sections spectators got to watch:

Derek’s Revenge
A steep, long uphill with lots of options. It was fascinating to watch the wide variety of skill levels. Some riders found lines nobody else saw before. And some riders worked together to reach the top.

Luckily only the Silver and Gold riders had to overcome this hill. Bronze riders got re-routed and had a few minutes to catch their breath.

Guys Diner
A rocky section, again, with various lines, but none of them looked too inviting…

Luckily it was not as long as its big brother ‘Carl’s Diner’, which is an ugly section at Erzberg. At Guys Diner, most riders got out of it after a few minutes of pulling and pushing.

The Grizzly Creek
This was out of a spectators perspective the toughest part of the race. A nasty creek bed with large rocks, having to go up and down. Not only wet (and cold), but also super slick, and LONG!

It did not help that it was at the end of each lap, where every rider was already pretty worn out and tired. Which made this section THE magnet for spectators. Plenty of cheers and encouragement tried to keep the riders going…

Bronze riders got a taste of the Griz by riding a short piece in the middle.

Awards
A special race needs to have special awards. Once again, Jason from Tennessee did an excellent job and cut out cool looking Grizzly trophies.

Those went to rank 2-4 of each class. The class winners received a special glass trophy supplied by Roger Smarr in memory of his friend Guy Anderson.

Shout Out To Volunteers
This race would not be possible without volunteers! They are willing to sacrifice their Saturday.

They get up early, stand in the cold and point you in the right direction.

No matter how tired or hungry they are themselves, they work hard without any complain! A big shout out and thank you to all of you who volunteered your precious time and energy!

Picture Time!
Check out our official SRT/ SEER race pictures. Larry Mayo is our go-to-photographer who supports the entire series and provided all the pics for the website. He did not shy away from climbing rocks and creek beds to find the best spots to get you in front of his camera. Here is the link to his pictures PICTURES

Come Back For More

Thank you for all the feedback on social media! Plenty of racers had a great time and enjoyed the challenging course. We hope you are ready for more and will come to our next race!

Groundhog’s registration is already online. Race day is March 15, 2020. Registration
We are working to get the Sasquatch registration up soon. Race day is June 6, 2020.

See you soon!

About SEER’s Blog

SEER is a group dedicated to the posting of videos, pictures and discussions that display the sheer pain and enjoyment of extreme enduro riding and competition.

Every hard enduro rider has many stories to tell. About their bike, about the trails, about the difficulties they had to face, about… Tell us yours!

Join us on Facebook SEER-South East Extreme Riders Association

2020 SEER schedule

Updated schedule!

We are very excited to announce that we are having a 8 race series.

2/15 The Grizzly Run
3-5 Mile lap Extreme hare scrambles
Winchester, TN

3/15 The Groundhog
3-7 Mile lap Extreme hare scrambles
Young Harris, GA

4/25 The Spring Chicken
5-7 Mile lap Extreme hare scrambles
Gardendale, AL

NEW DATE! 6/20 The Sasquatch
40-50 Mile lap. Extreme GPS guided event Winchester, TN

8/1-2 Battle of the Goats
5-15 Mile lap. Extreme hare scrambles
Brushy Mountain, NC

9/5 Saddleback Extreme
10-15 Mile lap. Extreme hare scrambles
Bedford, KY

9/19 The Nite Squatch
35 Mile GPS guided loop. Event at night
Winchester, TN

10/17 The Cliffhanger at Hollytree
3-5 Mile lap Extreme hare scrambles. Event at night
Hollytree, AL

10/17-18 Series Ending Awards Party/ after the Cliffhanger, plan to stay up late!

Each of these events we believe will offer something unique and challenging and the combination will be a series that will test the skills, stamina and determination of the most hard core extreme enduro enthusiasts.

We are very happy to be partnering with some established events and some new venues. Details on each event will be posted soon, in the mean time get off the couch and get ready!

Gary and Derek
SEER Board of directors

From racers for races

Scouting new sections

Riding is our passion.

We work hard on providing an excellent race experience for our riders. Which is the reason why we do lots of riding ourselves. We permanently look for new trails and challenging sections we can built into our race courses. If a section is included in our tracks, we promise that we have ridden it as well. OK, we might have dragged our bikes across it ;o)

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