If you’ve been following our blog for any length of time, then you know there are several ways to approach dirt bike racing. There’s everything from Enduro and cross-country riding to sprints and other time trial events.
What about Hare Scrambles?
These are races that don’t involve staggered starts, checkpoints, or the other racing features you’d find in Enduro. Here, you line every rider up in a row, and race to the finish in a cross-country, looped circuit. It’s a load of fun, and we invite you to find one of these racing formats with us in Colorado.
What are Hare Scrambles?
Since Hare Scrambles have a cross-country orientation, the race can cover lots of ground, up to several miles. Riders will race through long loops to achieve either a predetermined number of laps (for the best time) or to see how far they can go for a predetermined time limit.
They’ll usually last about two hours, giving the rider the chance to cut across all kinds of terrain and scenery: desert, mountains, woods, fields, and more. It’s a popular racing format that’s been around since the 1950s, and can facilitate dozens or riders all at once. Hare & Scramble mode is the quintessential “every man for himself” format, but there are also some similar variations of this concept.
What about Hound & Hare Races?
Hound & Hare races follow a similar format as Hare Scrambles, but normally cover farther distances (and fewer laps). By that, we’re talking about races that could go for dozens of miles, requiring all participants to be in stellar physical shape to have a chance. They call it “Hound & Hare” because of the way the leader gets out fast (like a hare), whereas the rest of the pack chase after him (like a hound).
In the old days, most of these took place in wide open deserts, where you’d have to endure lots of sand, low visibility, and the chance of getting lost. As you might have guessed, this racing method is better for intermediate and advanced dirt bikers.
Hare Scrambles vs. Enduro
Finally, there’s something we’ve mentioned previously, called Enduro. This also involves a lot of off-road riding, but usually involves at least some portion of public roads. Enduro also has checkpoints and various rules governing how fast you can go (with penalties for violating them). Also, an Enduro race, with all its checkpoints, will probably last somewhere between four to six hours (hence, endurance), significantly longer than a Hare Scramble.
Check out Colorado DirtBike Info for More Racing Opportunities
This is just a quick primer on Hare Scrambles, Hare & Hound races, and Enduro events. We can explain much more about these, and even sponsor training clinics to help prepare for them.
Your friends and Colorado DirtBike Info are always ready to show you the best racing opportunities all around the scenic Rocky Mountains. Contact us anytime to find out all about Hare Scrambles, Enduro, bike rentals, and everything else related to dirt biking.
