Photography by Adam Booth and Jesse Ziegler
I absolutely dislike riding on group rides. They’re so bad. Yes, I’m an anti-social trail-riding princess. Riding trails with a group of more than four sounds absolutely terrible to me, most of the time. So why do I keep coming back to Nevada to ride with 150 people?
Usually it’s the dust that ticks me off on group rides. Of course the racers, slowpokes, crashers, unprepared monkeys, old people, young punks, loud bikes, the wrong tires, ugly gear, lost souls and everyone/everything not fitting into who/what I think should be on my ride usually shows up and ruins my picnic, too.
I’m like a big, ugly baby with a helmet and a fannypack. It’s not pretty.
Still, I really do love the Nevada 200 Trail Ride. And I feel lucky to get an invite every year and escape to the event. And I can’t wait to do it again. It didn’t hurt that it snowed and rained two days before the event this year, but it’s more than just good dirt and riding with buddies. I guess it just works for me.
Clearly, I’m not alone. The invite-only event (check out their Facebook page now if you want to be considered for next year’s ride) pulls in 150 riders from all over the world. This year, riders from Hawaii, San Diego, Nebraska, Northern California and South America were on-hand to get the Nevada 200 pin.
Casey Folks and Scot Harden have been meeting in Caliente, Nevada, for over 30 years to find and ride epic trails with some of their closest friends. They probably started riding here like I would—with a couple really good, dependable riding friends whom don’t deserve a punch in the chest protector every time they blow a corner. Quickly, this elite posse grew and grew by sneaky invite after sneaky invite. Eventually, what started as a small group of buddies out looking for some trail therapy in the spring, spun into an incredibly popular invite-only industry event with sponsorship, catered meals, impromptu awards, an Easter egg hunt, margaritas and a massive charity/goodwill influx into a rural Nevada community. It is a must-do long weekend ride chasing the best sand washes, two-track, single-track and bush-bashing Nevada has to offer.
The experience the trail-making duo of Folks and Harden, and their team of workers, provide is top-notch. Trails are marked well and riders, stagger-started in groups of two or three at the beginning of each day, can choose from the “A” ride or the “C” ride. The two rides separate and come back together at gas and lunch stops, sharing trail at times. All rides showcase a good sample of what riding in Nevada can offer—pine trees to cactus and sand-wash to loam, if you want to ride it, you can do it in Nevada with views for days.
The “A” rides are laid out and led by Harden and his friend Jack Johnson (an off-road racing legend who has won the Mint 400 both on a motorcycle and in a car). The “A” loop offers more technical trails and more abuse from less-manicured routes for those in need of a happy beating. Folks lays down the “C” ride with his posse and his son Daryl Folks from TRAC-ON led most of the sections this year. The “C” ride isn’t a very accurate name. It covers nearly the same distance as the “A” every time, and doesn’t skimp on the scenery or trail quality at all. It’s usually just a little more pleasant with fewer sticks and stones, per se, and miles of smiles.
This year, Cycle News utilized the great mix of trails and terrain to compare a couple bikes head-to-head. And that should tell you about the riding—it offers such a diverse mix of terrain and riding type that we can easily compare two bikes in a weekend. You will be able to read about the Beta 500 RS versus Husqvarna 501S in next week’s issue.
While the riding takes center stage during the weekend (200 miles will pull a majority, ya’ know), the hangout factor of the event shouldn’t be underestimated. A local campground plays basecamp and is a perfect spot to set up and laugh with your fellow riders, work on your machine, meet new friends and re-stock on calories. Sponsors set up displays and Beta Motorcycles even had a demo loop set up so riders could try out their different models after a ride. That’s a cool way to get people onto a new bike. KLIM is on-hand selling gear for those missing sleeves or gloves (it happens) and Motion Pro sets up shop to showcase their top-quality goods.
The small town of Caliente is really the hub of the entire event. Happy dirt bikers overtake everything from the three restaurants to the four-or-so hotels in town. And the VFW post might as well be the brain of the beast. Here, the event starts and concludes with festivities and “awards” that have to be seen to believe. Let’s just say you don’t want to be that annoying guy on the ride here, you won’t get away with it!
Yes, the Nevada 200 has cured me of my group-riding fears once again. See you in 2017, Caliente!
