ATV Florida Forum

*first I must say I am promoting quad membership for FTR*

I have some questions for ATV enthusiasts.
Do you belong to a ATV or off-road club?
Do you know there are clubs already established all over Florida?
These clubs are mainly made up of 2 wheelers. They need more quadders in them. They host several different types of off-road racing events including an occasional Fun-Run. There has been more and more membership and growth on event weekend has become a problem. Finding land to support these huge turn-outs is becoming increasingly harder and harder.
One way to keep the #'s down, thus camping and pit areas need not be so large, was to create the Quad series hare scrambles. There are other reasons. Purists wanting these events to be the way it used to be, without the quads trail to race on.(Quads really do present a bit of an unnatural challenge called the hump) I can understand and respect that. I would want that if I was a 2 wheeler.
Whatever the case may be, what I am getting at is this; if you have entertained the thought of being a part of something bigger, wanted to make a difference in the future of the sport/hobby, the opportunity is there. All you have to do is join up and be a part. Otherwise what is going to happen is the clubs will be made of 2 wheelers only and they will not even have to think about hosting an event for a quad.
If you were a part of one of these clubs you could begin making a difference.
Sadly it is happening. The two wheelers have all but succeeded in eliminating quads from the HS series. There is a proposal in the works right now. If that happens, the only thing left will be the QS series and MX.
I want more than anything to see the QS series work. The only way to do that is by joining one of these existing clubs. They feel we have ridden their coat tails long enough and if we can't sustain ourselves, so be it. If it does not work, guess what? No quad XC racing in Florida except one time a year(GNCC.)
What can I do? you ask!? start at top and re-read. You do not have to be a racer to have the opportunity to ride in places you would never be allowed to.
All you guys who say we should do this and that to get more places to ride, here it is.
Here is a link to clubs. http://floridatrailriders.org/ftr_clubs.htm (http://floridatrailriders.org/ftr_clubs.htm)
Join and they will become us.  :N
Brraaapppp!

Funny, nearly 90 views and not a single reply. I rode all day today with about half a dozen others. All we did was make our own trails through the woods so the racers have a 7 mile course to ride in Jan.
So all of you who are  :'( because of no place to ride WAKE UP! There ARE places to ride.

Hey thanks for the info... I found a group in my area that I will check with to see about membership. Looks like they are mostly bikes, but they allow ATV's as well.

Cool!
Here is the info for Apollo club
Apollo Motorcycle Club
Dan Graziano 
P.O. Box 8659
Cocoa, FL  32924 
321-635-8436
This is the same club that hosts the Rabbit run and the Pumpkin run. Great bunch of people. AND they have land to ride on.
I am sore today from riding all weekend  >:D

Yes, Apollo is the group... What the heck, right?
Thanks again!
BMD

 :( Hate to say it but I in December I sent a half dozen emails to different people from this list and only got one reply. We are a new family of quad owners ( bought 4 for Christmas ) and was looking for people and places to ride in the Lake Mary area... We've gone to OCN a couple of times but would like to find some places local where we could travel 30 / 45 minutes so we could ride for an hour or so. It's tough to justify driving 90 minutes each way for an hour ride...

I've spent HUGE amounts of time on the web trying to locate places generally to no avail. If anyone out there can help a dad trying to spend time with his kids with a semi local place let me know. ;D

Thx

Are there any clubs or anything for utility quads? It's kind of hard to ride with bikes and sport quads when you are on a 600+lb. machine with heavy tires and a high COG. haha. But my friends and I have been looking for more people to ride with because it seems like everytime we try to get a ride going everybody drops out and we end up with like 2 or 3 people which sucks. I don't understand these people that are paying a good chunk of money EVERY SINGLE month to just let thier quad sit in the garage!?!?! I ride every single chance I get. Now granted i'm kind of lucky due to the fact that I live in the ONF in salt springs so I can hit the trails from my house ;D

FTR has classes in the quad scramble series for utility quads, and at alot of these they have a fun run after the scramble that folks can ride the same course. There are classes for everything from the little ones to utility. 

can you ride the places you race on off weekends?

Typically no, Dreth.
The weeks leading up to an event has some riding, but you have to work. 
I wanted to ride and found there is little to no place to ride. So, I joined the only thing that could lead to riding. It is competetion, I know, but it is my other family. I love going and seeing HUNDREDS of friends. We all look forward to seeing each other and help each other out. If someone is not there, they are almost always asked about.
We got together today for the 4th "Quad Scramble" of this season. All I can say is it was awesome. The club that hosted that event has made some kind of arrangement with the land owner to go out and just ride on weekends. For you to ride, you would have to join South Area Quad Riders. There are many local clubs within FTR that have the same arrangements.
The competetion thing is not for everyone. But I see mostly families at these events.
Competetion through the woods is also not for everyone, but 212 of us LOVED IT TODAY!
Many that are helping to put these events on deo not race. They do, however, have more opporunities to ride than most.  :)
Gator97531, I hope your family was at that event in Myakka City today. There was something there for everyone.

the only club in my area is a motocross group.I dont care much about clubs anyhow.I just ride around and dont see why I gotta join a club or group.So far I have paid one fine for riding in the road.Its actually cheaper than going 75 or 100 miles to ride.I think we should be able to ride whenever and whereever we want.My machine is registered and I live in a agriculteral area so the cops need to back off and go deal with the real crimes.Dont really appreciate your pretentious holier than thou attitude either.You go ride in your club,but dont judge me for not joining the mob.

What?? Who's judging anyone?
You need to take your own advice.
I am glad you can ride on your dirt roads. Sounds like a lot of fun looking over your shoulder hoping "the man" isn't coming for you.
I can't remember seeing any holy stuff going on either, just a lot of smiling

cool,and i dont look over my shoulder ,I just ride.Also a deputy isnt "the man" ,he is "the punk" if he is bustin my chops for riding around my area.I do go to underhills a lot because I like to camp out and ride late into the night and drink beer.Dont want the punks givin me a dui.Clubs are fine for some,but some guys ,like me ,just dont do clubs real well.I do enjoy riding with others at underhills,and the mudfests now and then.I hate the loud go fast machines that go to those races.To loud and to stressful to ride with.