by Tim
What’s your name?
-Tim Johnson
How old are you?
-30 years old
Where are you from?
-I am a native West Virginian who packed up and headed to North Carolina about 5 years ago
When did you get into the sport of hard enduro and when did you ride a dirt bike for the first time?
-November of 2019 is when I got into the sport of hard enduro
-I was around 18 or 19 years old when I had my first dirt bike
What bike do you ride?
-I own a 2018 Beta 300RR and a 2020 Beta 300RR Race Edition
What team do you ride in (if any)
-Allsport Cycles (Roanoke, VA)
How many hard enduro races have you entered (roughly, doesn’t have to be 100% accurate)?
-This was my third hard enduro race. I participated in Groundhog last year, COVID Crusher 2.0, and now the Bootlegger this season.
If possible, what would you characterize yourself as? Beginner, weekend warrior, ambitious amateur, semi-pro or pro?
-I would say that I am an ambitious weekend warrior that can occasionally sneak in a weekday ride from time to time. I have a flexible agenda within my career and 2020 allowed me to put some seat time on the bike and figure out the “Do’s and Don’ts” of riding.
What race are you going to talk about and what year did you do it?
-SEER Round #2 Bootlegger 2021
What was the race format like – how many days, hours or races did you have to do to finish/win the race?
-The race format was a single day race, dead engine start, individual rows and classes, a surprise extended 3.5 hour race time opposed to the normal 3 hour time frame.
What excited you the most about this race? Was it the terrain, the grip, the camaraderie, the organization, the weather, your own performance, or something entirely different?
-The fact that I brought my wife who took photos during the race, our two Newfoundlands, my father-in-law, and a great group of friends I ride with was what excited me the most. I also enjoy the SEER Family/Staff along with the regulars that help facilitate these events. Weather was also a plus, this race was postponed due to flooding, however, we rescheduled for a much better race day!
What kind of tires/mousse/tubliss/tube did you use and why? More importantly – would you recommend your setup or did you learn that something else would have been better?
-I run Tubliss front and rear. I run a Shinko 716 Fatty front and depending on conditions either a Shinko 505 Cheater (120) or an IRC VE33s Gekotta (110) rear. Pressure depends on the day, the terrain, conditions, and weather.
Was there anything bike setup-wise that you discovered to work great and that you’d like to share?
-Suspension is key, any brand of bike will suffice these days, making it yours with all the bells and whistles is great, however having a fine tuned suspension set-up is what I would say is most important. Luckily, I have a suspension professional near my hometown in NC (Jarred Daniels @ SR-1) feel free to give him a shout!
My race bike (2020 Beta 300RR Race Edition) had awful valving in the KYB front forks from the factory, opposed to my 2018 Beta 300RR that came with Sachs open cartridge forks which were great out of the box. Jarred fixed that issue no problem along with respringing the rear shock for my weight and riding style.
How tough did you find the track physically and mentally?
-This track had tons of round and slick rock gardens that were constantly popping up in each section. I joked and said, “Do you remember that one rock garden that began at the start of the race and was over at the finish line?!” Overall, compared to the last race (COVID Crusher 2.0) I would say this course had less flow and more consistently challenging sections. While Round #1 the hard sections were harder, but fewer, and the in between sections flowed well.
Mentally I felt well-prepared for this race, however I did not get the start I wanted. I was 2nd off the line which isn’t bad, however I hit a bottleneck at the first hill and got hung up in traffic along the singletrack coming to the first obstacle. I strategically picked my way through the carnage and passed several sitting ducks in that mess. At this point I had no idea where I was in the pack, but knew I was on the path to success.
Was the track easy to follow (markings or GPS) and was the difficulty level of the track what you expected, easier or harder?
-Very well marked track with white/red SRT arrows and yellow tape. While some racers still did not get the memo about NOT breaking the tape and going around bottle necks/traffic jams I always stick to the course and fight my way through the crowds.
Where did you stay during the race, was it a good choice and would you do it again? (camping, hotel, private etc.)
-I camped at the Trials Training Center campground located in Sequatchie, TN. They had full hookups (water, electric, and sewer) so this made things much easier considering I had 2 large dogs, my wife, and her dad with me.
What result did you get and are you happy with it?
-FIRST PLACE, and yes very happy, I will share the post I made to social media after winning my first race to shed some light on the topic. (See at the end)
Did you feel like you got a good value for your money at this race?
-Absolutely.
What would be your best piece of advice, to a person who is considering entering this race for the first time?
-Don’t stop, keep pushing! You do not have to be fast to win these races, you have to be consistent. Avoid bottlenecks, get creative, find a line, and send it!
What (if anything) would you like to see changed in the event to improve it?
-Prizes/payout for amateur classes as well. Not necessarily money, or anything or a mass monetary value but something for the overall top 3 in Bronze/Iron classes would be awesome (Tshirt, hat, race entry fee waived, etc.)
Would you do this race again and recommend it to other riders?
Oh yes, in a heartbeat. My body has challenged me in awful ways while beginning to race hard enduros. I have experienced pain and cramps in places I never knew existed. I have pushed my physical strength and abilities beyond their limits, pushing and pulling the bike is part of it, but I try to limit any off-the-bike efforts as it seems to drain my energy 10x as fast. In the end, it is totally worth it and I will keep coming back.
Finally, my story at the beginning of the 2021 race season:
Today, all of what I have been working for came full circle for me. I have been hoping, trying, and working for this and it paid off. I won my first hard enduro race at COVID Crusher 2.0, though it nearly killed me. First place feels good!
Nearly one year ago I entered my first hard enduro, the Groundhog Extreme at Rockcrusher Farms located in Young Harris, GA. I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into but my friends and I went and had a ball. I ran bronze class, barely finished 1 lap using the help/pull a buddy system with Bobby Thornton. I placed 30th out of 32nd with about 10 DNFs in my class.
I was disappointed in how my first race went, I pushed, pulled and dragged my bike more than I rode it. I was physically and mentally defeated. After COVID-19 hit and delayed/rearranged the race schedule for the entire season I decided not to race anymore but rather to focus on learning how to ride and putting in as much seat time as I could.
I began this journey in November of 2019. After starting to ride singletrack and later the harder trails and enduro style riding I never in a million years imagined I could be able or willing to ride any of what we do today. A year and 3 months later I have never been so happy with my riding. My second race outcome was a daylight and dark difference from my first.
With this being said I still have so far to go, so much to learn, and several items to improve on. My overall physical ability and fitness is terrible. I’m overweight and out of shape terribly. If I took that portion a little more seriously and gained some stamina, I would be so much better off. I felt somewhat between heart attack and asthma attack status during the majority of the race which was not a good feeling.
Thanks to all my riding buddies for pushing me to ride harder obstacles, try new trails, get out of my comfort zone, push my limits, and make me a better rider. I appreciate all of you.