Doing it Colorado style

So what was I expecting? I honestly can’t remember. I mean the Wang Gang Gang is the cream of the recreational dirt bike clubs. And yes, the Colorado chapter are definitely Wang Gang Gangers. And yes, there is a smattering of ex-pat South Africans in the club over there. But they’re American! Surely they can’t do it like we can? I mean, let’s face it, who can? We are South African dirt bikers and we have the terrain, the buddies, the passion, and the will. Who can beat us?  Well, surprise, surprise! Before I tell you all about a fantastic dirt biking experience, let me clear a couple of things up.  Number 1: The guys up in Colorado Springs are true brothers to anyone and everyone who has an inkling of a desire for dirt biking. This can be seen by:

• The most awesome stores that stock every conceivable make of kit and accessory, parts and new bikes…..of all brands….under one roof. My credit card nearly took some serious punishment.

 

• The riding areas are government/municipal sanctioned and preserved stretches of ground that are named and maintained specifically for the sport. And they’re big. Names are like Pueblo Motorsport Park (where I was), Ruby Mountain, Bueno Vista, Trout Creek Trail, etc.

 

• Most importantly the way my wife and I were treated like family by every member of the Colorado chapter of the Wang Gang Gang (we had never met any of these guys before). There was not a thing they wouldn’t do for us, and when it came to the ride, there was no shortage of kit for me and I had a choice of four bikes to use……..unbelievable.

 Number 2: The guys in Colorado Springs can party it up as good as any of us in S.A. The fact that the first couple of hours of my ride on Sunday was achieved with Johnny Walker still doing a freakin’ route march across my brain after Saturday night is testament to that! Number 3: The guys in Colorado Springs can ride! Pueblo was not their ride of choice for me to join them on but, because of snowfalls, that was where we went. A few technical spots, mainly due to some fun and challenging hill-climbs, the rest is fast wide single track. These guys are generally fast, skilful and would do great on any of the local challenges we may show them – Kelvin Grove, Lesotho, Swaziland, etc. Anyway, let me tell you about the ride. We rode at Pueblo Motorsport Park on a bright, hot Sunday. Crazy to have snow at some the guy’s houses and it’s t-shirt riding weather an hour down the drag! The area is pretty high in terms of elevation, they’re at the foot of the Rockies. But for the Jo’burg lads, it shouldn’t be much of an issue the elevation is pretty similar. But it’s dry, very dry. I don’t know if it was the elevation, temperature, lack of humidity, or my grandpappy of a hangover but I nearly sucked my Camelbak inside out! The park itself is fantastic, you could get a good 2 – 3 hours of non-stop riding in without playing on hill-climbs or technical areas and without riding the same trails. The park also has a full motocross track and a racecar circuit. On the day of our ride it was pretty dry and dusty but there are a lot of shale areas so as dusty as it was, I wouldn’t say it was as dusty as a crowded De Wildt day when it’s dry. The team was quite big, all in there were 10 of us. I had the choice of a 2003 KTM 525 EXC, a 2003 KTM 300 EXC, or one of two 2000/1 KTM 200 EXCs. Obviously, since the 2003 300 is exactly what I have sitting at home in Johannesburg, the choice was not difficult. The same “unwritten” group riding rules that we have in S.A. seem to apply, you are always responsible for the guy behind you. Nobody leaves anybody stranded. Everybody is always only too happy to lend a hand if and when needed. The one thing that is very different though is that these guys don’t stop for beer during the ride. Only at the end. It was great to ride non-stop but a man does get thirsty! For the Colorado guys, Pueblo was pretty run-of-the-mill kind of riding. These guys prefer to do it in the mountains where there are far more technical challenges and a lot of tight forest stuff. For me though, it was new ground and I was in my element. Never mind the fact that the last time I rode was just before the MX GP at Sun City!!! I would compare the terrain to a cross between De Wildt’s dry sections and the Daytona stuff without crowds and traffic. Of course the camaraderie is exactly the same, so the war stories and jokes during and after the ride was great……as was the social scene off the bikes.  If there is one thing that I can say with sincere conviction about riding in Colorado Springs with the Colorado chapter of the Wang Gang Gang, it is “I will be back!!!”I know you guys read these articles so, once again, from Mrs. Tombstone and myself, a huge thank you to all of you for your hospitality, generosity and a ride I cannot wait to repeat. They know how to do it in Colorado. Keep the shiny side up and ride it like you stole it. Steve “Tombstone” Lauter