The old 24/9 website is still up and it's not the one that counts. Go to the grannie gear website and click on the 24/9 mile logo for info. Registration is here:

http://grannygear.com/Registration/s...mile&year=2009

Pricing on the front page is off- the cheaper prices are listed further in and you are given a total before you put in your credit card number- 24 hour Solo freak is now 24 hour just for fun. listed as $280.00 on the front page, it cost me $102.00. The cheaper prices are good to April 15th. Not sure on the team members prices.

The course- I'll compare it to Sylvan Island since that's where we've been riding so far. 1 lap at 9 mile is 14.5 miles, almost 4 of the proposed race course laps on Sylvan. That means EACH LAP is like the sport race at the stampede, and the technical difficulty of one 9 mile lap is 10 times that of 4 stampede laps. Sections of rock areas where the rocks are 8 inches tall, as wide and long as the back of a truck and laying 1 to 3 feet apart. Turn onto a single track and 100 yards in the 1st rock is 8 inches tall, it's dark, and you're on your 4th sport race in one day, ask Hot Jonny how that can turn out! Don't eat right, you hit the wall, eat wrong and you're leaning against a tree trying not to shat on your pretty pink FORC socks.

Other sections are soil but are out of time for a bike, if you've never experienced this- it is the most exhausting section of single track you will ever ride, at 4 in the morning. Even above average riders give up and just walk the bikes at times. Flat ground but up and down 8-12 inches with no timing to the tires is the best I can describe it.

Another section last year had been logged, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it was tough. They use wood chips when they need to, a half mile of wood chips up hill will get your heart pumping. 30 miles an hour down a twisty pea gravel fire road, turn onto a down hill grass trail maintaining 30, and now it's a single track path, it's not straight, you're still going down and it's dark and you are over riding your light by about 10 mph. This will also get your heart pumping.

Next year we all may do a different one because they're raising the prices outrageously, so even if you go next year, this year may be the last big ballyhoo for FORC and PAMBA at the 24/9.

Don't miss it!!! Tons of class for 2-5 rider teams, 12 or 24 hours, sport and expert. Sorry, there are no beginner classes, beginners are discouraged from this event. You aren't a beginner. Join Us!!

I wanna ride my bike ALL DAY!! 24 hours at 9 Mile forest. July 25th @ 10 AM to July 26th at 10:00 AM, 2009. Last rider MUST cross the finish line after the 24 hours is up to be considered a finish.

-Vibrato