Last minute details.

Last chance to save a few bucks because online registration closes at 5 pm today. If you show up on Sunday, registration is $35.00. The fee helps pay for insurance, food, supplies and t shirts and any extra funds raised go right back into the building and maintaining the trails. Support your local trail builders and have a some fun with like minded people.

The park gates open at 7:30 am, sign in follows shortly after that. No pets or glass bottles are allowed in the the park.We will have a riders meeting around 8:00 - 8:15 am. Remember the park closes at 6 pm and your car will get locked in. The weather should be perfect 60's to 80's.Make sure you have enough water to ride 3 hours or more, the only water source will be at mile 28. Carry a spare tube and a way to pump it up, the recent dry weather increases the number of sand spurs which can create slow leaks in your tires. Go tubeless! Grilled sausages and foamy beverages will be waiting for you at the finish which should be a lot of fun.
If you need a GPX file you can use the link to the ride previously posted. The Ridewithgps site allows you to create a file. The only issue is that the single track is not in detail, just the general direction is indicated. No worries though as that part of the course is well defined. So your GPS might beep for that section, just follow the trail, ignore your electronics for a little while and all will be well when you get out of that section. The whole course will be marked with easy to follow arrows painted on the ground and with signs. 

This years Piggy will be challenging for some but overall  a lot of fun.

Harden up!

Oink,Piggy.

6 days of training left!

I checked out some of the trails this week-end and they look great due to the recent rain which has helped a lot. The weather is predicted to be perfect next Sunday (60 for a low and 79 for a high). We made the homemade bratwurst this past week-end so the post ride cookout should be tasty. I am working on finishing up the trophies which are one of a kind. As a reminder, the course will be marked with painted hot pink arrows on the ground, so all you have to do is pedal and connect the dots. The two pictures below show you the range of the terrain you will cross with narrow tracks and wide open gravel roads. Don't forget to look up and enjoy the wild of Florida that few ever see. 6 days to go! If you want  more dynamic information check out the  Scorr Rider Facebook page. Eric

Route Preview

If you are curious about what Piggy's routes are going to be.I have links to the 3 loops.Keep in mind that the single track is not mapped in detail so add another half a mile to the totals .There are bailouts at 13,28,48 and 51 miles. A rest stop to remember around mile 26.Everybody does the same first 15 miles.The 40's and 60's do the next 11 miles together then they each go their own way at the rest stop.The 40's and 60's do the single track twice.The more difficult sections are on the River trail (not mowed with a lot of tall grass) and parts of Doe Hammock (a small bumpy section at the beginning).The rest is in the best shape we have seem.The single track should flow well.
It breaks down on the 60 to approximately:25 miles of hard gravel roads,6 miles of twisty single track,6 miles of bumpy track,the rest is smooth grass and dirt tracks.The unpredictable is the amount of pig damage as they can really dig up the ground.

SCORR.

the 20 :http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/340592483
the 40: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/340577869
the 60: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/340589359 

PS: Remember only 1 week left to sign up. Challenge yourself.
PPS: In the map option box you can add distance markers.

Time is getting short.

I rode the 20 miles loop of Piggy's Revenge this last week-end. It is a nice loop with only a mile or so of bumpy trail and the rest is smooth and easy to ride. There will be a bail out point at the 14 miles mark so average rider should be able to do it in around 2 hours of riding. During my ride, I crossed paths with a dozen deer, about 10 wild turkeys, several gators and the usual pigs roaming around. If you are a beginner or intermediate rider worried about the challenges of Piggy. the 20 mile loop will be a perfect ride to try and stretch you riding abilities. If you don't try something out of your comfort zone you don't improve. Consider challenging yourself and a friend in the only local off road endurance event. The whole course will be marked so you will not get lost and after the ride, you will enjoy some homemade sausages hot off the grill and take home a t-shirt to remember your accomplishment. Join SCORR for a fun day in the wilds of the Carlton.
You must sign up before the event.
All the money raised helps us improve your local trail system. 
Shortly I will determine the final routes for the 40 and 60 milers then I will start working on the GPX files.They will get posted soon.This year I have explored the whole property and picked the best routes possible.We will have a beverage stop around the 28-29 miles mark.Tommy O. will be there in his special oasis.He did mention something about dancing girls.It should be quite fun!
Eric

Piggy's Reconnaissance Rides

Over the next few weeks, I am going to ride the trail system and put together the three Piggy loops. I have a pretty good idea where I want to go. Part of the process is evaluating the condition of the roads and trails.Yesterday I covered 20 miles of the proposed route and because we had a very wet summer this year, things are just starting to dry out. The wet conditions have delayed the mowing by the County, so I expect some areas won't get mowed by the time we ride so expect some wet areas. There is nothing quite as exciting as riding in chest high grass, 3 inches of water and knowing you are on the alligators home turf. I will try my best to avoid most of those areas as I don't expect them to dry out by January 12th. Another factor in the route planning is that the Forestry guys are having fun making potato fields.Most of the time,they leave us a small edge to ride on. In the end, we will have a big loop with various turns that will determine your final distance. So if you feel like the pigs have the upper hand during the ride you can peel off and shorten your distance. Eric

Here is a potato field and yes, there is a trail just to the right a little ways up the trail.

 A example of a fast straightaways that hasn't been mowed yet.

 Can you see the controlled burn to the left?

Oink Oink!

Yeah, it’s on! Piggy will get his revenge for the third year in a row.

Can you handle pig ruts, sugar sand, smooth sections, 3 new miles of single-track, wild animals at every turn, nice cool weather, like minded cyclists, a serious challenge to your endurance and some homemade sausages at the finish?

The 3rd annual Piggy's Revenge will take place on Sunday, January 12th 2014.

We will follow the same format as in previous years where you can choose between three distance options: 60, 40 and 20 miles. The ride will be mostly in the Mabry T. Carlton Preserve in Venice Florida and will be just as challenging as the previous years.

Choose a gravel, cross or mountain bike as your weapon of choice. It’s very flat in this part of Florida but we make up for it with rough sections (think pig ruts new and old) and sugar sand.

The route will be marked with painted arrows and a GPX file will be available. Early January weather can be unpredictable since cold fronts come and go but regardless it will still be a lot nicer than the other 49 States.

We are planning to make the event bigger and better than former years. On a sad note the Park Managers are making us buy insurance, so a participation fee will be needed to help cover our expenses. SCORR (Sarasota County Off Road Riders) will help me with Piggy's Revenge this year. Tom is planning a water stop you won’t forget. Can Steve be beaten this year? Will the trails ever dry up? Will 12yr old Spenser return to fight the pig, putting some seasoned adults to shame?

Much more information will be available as we get closer to the start date.

If you are interested and have some questions drop me a note at Scorrider@gmail.com.

Pig Master, Eric

January 12 th 2014

We are back .
January 12th will be day.
The format will be similar to the past years.Three distances 60,40 and 20 miles.
More detail to follow soon.