Hello Schmo's
Ridge Rider 3 – Toowoomba to Townsville – 30 Apr to 5 May
I wasn’t sure how I was going to be employed as a volunteer on the Support Staff to run this trip. 170 Riders with all makes, all models and 170 different levels of experience. What could possibly go wrong.
See captions below.
It takes a lot of Staff to keep this show on the road with so many moving parts. It works out that I was to be Jay’s (the Organiser) right hand man…I even had a different colour Vest so I stood out in the crowd.
Tyre changing prior to the Event and scrutineering to ensure the bikes are up to the task.
Moto Trekkin are completely self-sufficient and can operate off the grid where necessary.
Breakfast on Day One so Riders don’t have to scour the city looking for food to allow a smooth transition into the Ride.
Riders waiting for the start of Day One. The Riders are given a window to leave, usually between 7.00AM to 8.30AM.
The Riders use an App called GAIA (Pronounced Guyer) to navigate. Each day’s route is downloaded the night before. Each day there are ‘break out routes’ of differing difficulty to challenge those Riders who want to be stretched and get out of their comfort zone.
The break out routes have four different gradings with the Black break out only for the most experienced.
One Rider took the wrong line and overcooked a corner. His bike had to be recovered by winch fitted to a Support Vehicle.
His crash resulted in a badly broken leg. His Ride was over. We have a Paramedic who travels in a Support Vehicle to provide immediate first aid. An Ambulance was called to transport this Rider to Hospital.
Each Rider is checked in at end of day…no man (or woman) is left behind!
Some bikes were damaged but only because Riders did not ride according to the conditions. Dented rims were common place on many bikes.
All the Support Staff worked like Dogs to keep the Riders on the road…the Show Must Go On!
One Rider had starter motor problems…we tried to push start the bike to keep him on the road.
That failed so we had to get creative…using a Support Vehicle to bump start the bike using a tow rope. It can be risky and should only be attempted by those with a certain skill set.
I saw some photos of what I was missing out on by not attending as a participant…it made me sad!
We had time to do a tour of the Bundaberg Rum Distillery. An interesting history.
On the Fourth day, one Rider took the wrong line and got all crossed up in some sand.
He broke 4 ribs and broke his collarbone. Broken collarbones are a standard injury for a lot of Adv Riders caused by trying to break their fall with an outstretched arm. He was taken to Mackay Base Hospital by Ambulance.
The long 3 day road drive back to Moto Trekkin HQ near Newcaslte, NSW.
We had motorbikes to deliver en route and spent one night at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast.
Final unpacking and unloading at Moto Trekkin HQ.
As a group, the Riders covered over 450,000km so it’s no wonder we had a few ‘offs’ and some injuries. 6 did not finish but that is to be expected with such a large group of riders while traversing some difficult terrain in some cases. Providing support to an Event such as this as Crew proved to be a tough gig; long days, little sleep and constantly on the go. The only reward was the smiles on the faces of the participants and the positive feedback after the finish. A lot of the Riders (over 100) were repeat customers so Jay and his Team must be doin’ something right.
See you on the other side!
