That last few weeks have been an amazing blend of work and fun. Needless to say, I love hosting this rally; it’s great seeing the looks on people faces as they roll in from a ride on some of my favorite roads. The next best thing is spending the weeks prior pre-riding those routes to see what kind of condition the roads are in; which is how I’ve spent the last three of four weekends. For the next couple weeks, it’s mostly paperwork, marketing, and e-mail blasts, so “keep your ears on”, and without further ado, I’ve got news!

Sponsors!

We have some really awesome stuff to give away at this year’s rally! Red River Scramble has been a grassroots effort, so I can’t thank our sponsors enough for making it such a great event! Please go over to the Sponsors page, take a look at their websites, follow them on social media, and obviously support their businesses so we can keep their support for future rallies!

Return of the Bluegrass Scavenger Hunt

With 26 days to go until this year’s Red River Scramble, I’m excited to announce that thanks to REVER, the Bluegrass Scavenger Hunt is back again for 2019. This year, rally attendees will have two full days to find the best hidden gems scattered across Kentucky. Oxford Products has set us up to give away some really awesome prizes for the top three winners, including luggage, heated grips, and a Montreal 3.0 riding jacket for the grand prize winner! Head over to REVER and join the event challenge (HERE). For full details on the Scavenger Hunt, check out the details on the rally event page HERE.

Event Schedule

I’ve also posted the tentative event schedule up on RedRiverScramble.com. Per tradition, I will ride down Thursday morning to meet folks at Miguel’s Pizza for lunch. Check-in at Lago Linda Hideaway is not until 2 PM so I’ll probably ride around a bit before dropping my stuff off at the campground. As dinner time comes around, I’ll be setting up a booth at the pavilion at Lago Linda for registration.

A couple things of note, Lago Linda’s office is open from 8 AM to 5 PM, so folks arriving late will want to call the office and make arrangements for late check-in. With that, I will close down registration at around 8 PM to hold a riders meeting. For folks that can’t make it into camp Thursday evening before 8, I will do late registration Friday morning and Friday evening. If folks know they’re going to have a tough time making time frame, drop me an e-mail or a message on Facebook or Instagram, and I’ll get you sorted out. Check out all the details on the schedule page HERE.

Maps & Navigation

As soon as I finish pre-riding the last two paved routes from Beattyville, all of the “recommended” routes will be finished, and I will update the “Where to Ride” page on RedRiverScramble.com. As of this moment, the ADV loops are done and updated on the GPX library, and the paper maps are complete. That’s right, “by popular demand”, I have created paper maps for download. I plan on printing a limited number for the event; while I would love to provide a map for everyone, 17” x 22” paper is not exactly cheap… For folks looking for more twisty pavement options this year, stay tuned to the “Where to Ride” page as I expect to add three new loops; for the adventure crowd, download the paper maps and GPX files and get ready to ride!

Paper Maps
GPX Library
REVER Group

Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway

Speaking of adventure riding; I’ve added quite a few adventure routes to the library this year. Considering the wide range in difficulty on the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway (DBBB), I have re-baked the route in several flavors, that way riders of varying experience can enjoy sections of the trail based on their skill level. There are several ways to skin this cat, for folks that decide they just want to ride a loop that fits their skill level you’ll find the full “DBBB” loop, the “DBBB Intermediate Loop”, and the “DBBB Novice Loop” in the GPX library and on REVER. Be sure to check out the write-up on evaluating your adventure riding skills HERE.

However, if folks are feeling adventurous and/or are still not quite sure where they fall on the skill level scale, I’ve created the “DBBB with Options” Loop. Coinciding with my numbered description of each of the DBBB’s off-road section (HERE), I’ve dissected the DBBB to create “off-road options”. While not perfect, the idea is that each “option” increases in difficulty as you ride counter-clockwise around the loop. There is also a “DBBB Bypass” included in that GPX file (separate route on REVER), so riders can skip a given section and pick up the DBBB at the next option, or just enjoy the twisty pavement (and short gravel sections) as the bypass loop takes them back to Slade. (Note: You will need a GPS unit for this route)

The countdown has begun…

We’re inside of four weeks to go now, so I’m working hard on finalizing details, getting waivers and welcome letters printed, gathering prizes and trying to get all of this information published. I’ll be ordering the event “swag” here shortly, so if folks plan on attending, this is “last call” to get registered if you want to get an event sticker and so on! If you’ve got a buddy that’s been on the fence about attending, get them over to the registration page, and get them signed up. As always, stay tuned to the blog, and keep your eyes on your email, I have a few special things coming specifically for registered Red River Scramble attendees…