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2016 9th Annual Uncle's Around the Bend, Feb 25th - 28th, 2016

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Location
Houston, TX and Phoenix AZ
First Name
Peter
Last Name
Shaddock
It's Monday and we're shutting down to head to Big Bend. After tonight please make payment only by cash on site to Peter or Sid, and we'll take all your info there. If you have not received any emails, we are not expecting you, so please give us a courtesy call and let us know you're coming. 281-772-1211 Peter. Many thanks. We'll see ya'll in the Desert!!

Feb 25th - 28th, 2016

9th annual "Uncle's Around the Bend" Dual Sport and Adventure Bike Rally in Terlingua Texas, aka "Big Bend".

To register please fill out the form at the following link:

http://goo.gl/forms/G1VJLUppkF

If you are sending a check please mail it to:

Peter Shaddock
1523 Fairview Drive
Sugar Land, TX 77479


Key events:

HQ is again the El Dorado / High Sierra: http://eldorado-hotel.net/ They are gathering intel to get us a group rate ATM.

Wednesday Night: New Rider Dinner 7PM.
Thursday: New Rider Supported Ride 8 AM - 2 PM.
Thursday: Check in at El Dorado 3PM - 10 PM.
Thursday Night: Arrival Dinner 7PM to 10 PM. Drinks after if you must.
Friday: Breakfast, Starlight, 7 - 9 AM.
Friday: Desert Challenge 8AM - 6PM
Friday: Hang out on the Front Porch, 3PM - Sunset
Friday Dinner: Free to choose
Saturday: Breakfast, Starlight, 7 - 9 AM.
Saturday: ADVenture Challenge 8AM - 6PM
Saturday: Dos y Dos Challenge (< 200cc, but everyone is welcome) 8AM - 5PM
Saturday Night: Ceremony and Banquet 7PM - 10 PM
Sunday: Groups heading overnight to BB State park, but not organized.

New this year - arrive one day early on the 24th for:

Wednesday Night: New to Dual Sporting Rider Dinner, GPS primer, and slideshow.
Thursday: New to Dual Sporting Rider Clinic and "Intro to Uncle's" Supported Ride


A bit more detail:

New to Dual Sporting Dinner, Clinic, and Ride Wednesday evening / Thursday Morning: A new event for this year is focused at folks who are very very new to dual sporting and the Big Bend area. Your fee will go directly towards dinner will be at the Starlight Theatre (social hub of the Terlingua Ghost Town) where we will eat a fine meal at a big table in luxury and talk about the Big Bend area in general. We'll talk through the area, the roads, the skills needed, and answer any questions you might have. Bob (Tricepilot, our expert on all things Mexico) will be giving a show and tell on radios and bluetooth communication and the joys of travelling south of the border. Thursday morning we will head up a nice easy road north of Terlingua which after a nice scenic trip takes a turn to a bit steeper and more difficult, eventually crossing a nice wide but shallow river. As your skills are challenged we will be there to help coach you through the basics...how to go up and down hills, how to cross a creek, how to do a u-turn on a loaded bike, and if fate is not on our side, possibly a how to fix a puncture clinic. This event will be limited to 6 or 8, but with demand we can get more helpers involved. As of Feb 1st we have 3 or 4 signed up, so this will be happening.

"Early Bird" Plan Your Own Group Rides Thursday: Early arrivals on Thursday can meet up in Terlingua for some unofficial riding in groups. We'll have a station set up for early registration and point folks in the right direction for group rides. There is plenty to see and do, even if you just have 3-4 hours in the late afternoon. If you are participating in the challenges on both Friday and Saturday, this is the best day to try out a taste of Mexico.

Uncle’s Desert Challenge, Friday: For any dual sport riders wanting an extra dose of adventure, Uncle’s Desert Challenge may just be the ticket. The Desert Challenge is a one day long-distance dirt ride designed to test your skill and stamina. On Friday morning challenge riders leave at 7 a.m. to ride a specially designed timed loop course that is 195 miles long and consisting of 95% class 1, 2, and 3 roads. The course is long and difficult and will take most or all of the day to complete. Those riders who complete the entire course in the allotted time will receive a finisher’s award.

NOTE: Desert Challenge will need to purchase a pass for Big Bend National Park. I strongly recommend getting your pass before Friday morning if you are doing the desert challenge Friday, but you can get one at the gate entering on Friday if necessary. $10 for 7 days. http://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisi...servations.htm

Dos y Dos Challenge Saturday: The "Dos y Dos" (two by two) challenge is a 80% dirt oriented ride starting and ending in Rio Grande Village (east side of Big Bend National Park) with approximately 80 - 90 miles on less than 200cc bikes (But everyone is welcome). This is a challenge in line with minimalist touring blogs and forum posts for abuse of inappropriate equipment. Rides such as "Panama and Back on a Super Sherpa" and "Sydney to London on a105cc Honda callled Dot". The idea is not mine, but comes from Meriden's planned BW200 x 200 ride: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthre...&highlight=200 I had to rename it in honor of the sub 200cc bikes found zooming all over our southern neighbor's streets. This ride will take place mainly on dirt / gravel on the eastern side of the National Park and you will never find yourself more that 25 or so miles from pavement. Unlike the desert challenge, it will run up and back a lot of roads as to keep the total distance from ride HQ at a minimum. Sweep vehicles will run the course behind the last rider and provide pickup and delivery service back to civilization.

NOTE: Dos y Dos Riders will need to purchase a pass for Big Bend National Park. We will stop as a group on Saturday morning's trek to Rio Grande Village (RGV) to get passes. $10 for 7 days. http://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisi...servations.htm

Uncle’s Adventure Challenge, Saturday: Are you interested in the Desert Challenge but don’t have a dual sport bike and don’t want to attempt it on your big adventure bike? The Adventure Challenge is designed for adventure riders who want an extra challenge with their rally. Uncle’s Adventure Challenge is a one day long-distance mixed dirt/pavement ride designed to test your skill and stamina. On Saturday morning challenge riders leave at 7 a.m. to ride a specially designed timed loop course that is 313 miles in length with a mix of class 1 and 2 dirt roads and generous portions of twisty asphalt. The course is long and difficult and will take most or all of the day to complete. Those riders who complete the entire course in the allotted time will receive a finisher’s award.

NOTE: The Adventure Challenge does not go into Big Bend National Park so no entry permit is required in order to participate in the Adventure Challenge.

"Last Member" Group Rides As some of us don't have that far to travel back home, and we may be riding our bikes home, why not spend the morning taking the scenic route with a group headed your way? I'll be creating a list of guys wanting to ride east, north, west, and possibly even south out of the rally on Sunday so you can get your plans firmed up.


Previous year's ride reports if you need convincing:

2015 http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101960
2014 http://twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1243096#post1243096
2013 http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1119626#post1119626
2012 http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70212

And for the uber planners, the planning threads:

2015 http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99466
2014 http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89071
2013 http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79499
2012 http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67094

Prices for 2016, unchanged:
Rally Registration $90.00 - Rally, Tee Shirt, GPS Tracks, Welcome Dinner, Catered Group Breakfasts, Banquet.
New to Dual Sporting Dinner and Clinic / Ride $30.00
Desert Challenge $15.00
ADVenture Challenge $15.00
Dos Y Dos Challenge $15.00
Shirt Long Sleeve $5.00
Richard's Big Bend Ride Guide $25.00

Richard, AKA Trail Boss, who usually runs this rally adds:

The basic format for Uncle's rally is a 4 day general rally gathering in Terlingua. The rally begins Thursday evening with a dinner. Friday and Saturday are ride days - riders self-organize into groups and ride wherever they want. The rally ends on Saturday evening with a banquet.

The entry fee for the rally ($90) covers the cost of the 2 dinner meals (Thur and Sat evening), the cost of the 2 breakfast meals (Fri and Sat morning), and a rally t-shirt. (For those doing the value comparison math in their heads, calculated the evening meals at $15 per person, the breakfast at $13 per person, and the rally t-shirt at $20. Then add in the cost of running the rally (hired help isn't free), donation to TWT (the forum is not free), and the cost in time/effort for Pete to plan, organize, and run the rally).

For those who want to participate in an organized ride (the rally doesn't include organized rides), Pete has planned 3 organized rides. Additional costs are incurred to put on those organized ride in the form of permit fees (the National Park charges a fee for organized events), sweep riders, a rescue vehicle (for those rides where a rescue vehicle is included), and finisher awards. The decision was that only the riders participating in the challenge events should pay for the additional costs incurred for those events versus increasing the rally fee for everyone.

When the rally was first started, it didn't include any organized rides. It was a rally only.

A few years later the desert challenge was added for those riders who wanted to test themselves with a long, demanding, time-limited ride.

Then the adventure challenge was added so riders on big adventure bikes that wanted to would have an opportunity to test themselves on a long, demanding, ride.

The Dos y Dos was added last year so riders on small bikes would also have a fun ride they could challenge themselves on.

In the past about half of the riders participated in one or two of the organized rides. The other half chose to continue self-organizing into small groups and picking their own route each day.

I hope this helps clarify the rally format and answers the question as to why there are separate rally and ride fees.
 
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In

So is Subcomm, but I'll let him speak for himself :lol2:

Ed29 will remind me to get gas at Rio Grande Village this time :giveup:
 
Saving the date, and now I have a milestone for getting my F7 up and fully running for the dos y dos!

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
 
Peter does not waste time...early open the topic to push people to make arrangement on time... so I guess with the early advice, there will be not excuse... :)

I'll be tracking the track...
 
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I only make rain happen the first time. Should be safe this time. Calendaring for possible gonna-do! (Bring the 150, just in case...:rofl:)
 
In for sure...and im glad I got the dates now so I can plan around it...looking forward to it big time....
 
Definitely want to go. Have to wait until my 2016 work schedule is produced then I can put in for vacation.
 
Love the dates. IN.

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We have great dates for everyone
 
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