On The Pegs September 2019 - Volume 4 - Issue 9 | Page 112

On The Pegs
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knobs. This is due to some requirements European countries have for off-road
competition. It also means the tires don’t last very long, since they’re the equiva-
lent of a worn tire before you even get it on your bike. If you like having any trac-
tion whatsoever, you need to have a new rear tire for the first five days, and at
least two or three front tires as well.
I was still high school age when I went on most of my ISDE adventures. Because
of this, my parents picked up the difference between the cost, whatever I could
make working part-time in the summers and what we fundraised. Therefore, until I
went to write this story, I didn’t actually know the dollar figure for a trip to the ISDE
cost. I was a little horrified when I found out, but as my parents said, “The event
may be expensive, but those memories are priceless. We never would have trav-
eled to those places or had those experiences otherwise.”
The ISDE is more than a motorcycle race. It is a chance to represent your country
in international competition and spend two weeks in a foreign country expanding
your own horizons.