If you've ever ridden a multi-day enduro, you know the riding is only half of it. At the 6DAYS, the rest happens in the work area: checks, air filters and tire changes you do yourself, against the clock, every single day.

At this year's 100th edition in Portugal, Team Rabaconda's Will Sievenpiper, Jhak Walker and Colton Shields did all of it, and came out on top. The three riders won the overall Club Team Award at the race where Rabaconda got its start.

A Club Team win by 1 minute and 40 seconds

Team Rabaconda clinched the Club Team Award by 1 minute and 40 seconds after six days of racing. Walker and Sievenpiper also finished second and third in the Club Team Award's individual classification.

"I’m super excited that our team was able to get the win and all finish very well personally! Huge thank you to Rabaconda!" Walker said.

Dust on a different level

The riders knew Portugal would be sandy. Nobody told them they’d spend six days riding inside a cloud.

“This was my third 6DAYS,” Walker said. “It was what I was expecting getting informed it was going to be sandy, but the dust was on a different level so that I did not expect.”

Sievenpiper said riders “were basically just blind each day. Even if you took off third Club rider, you still couldn’t see much.”

Shields agreed his second 6DAYS was tougher than he expected. “It was definitely a little more gnarly then I expected with the conditions and the transfers but was definitely a cool experience all around,” he said. “The dusty conditions were insane this year and for me the most difficult part was getting the bike to the finish and that aspect of the race taking a lot of my focus.”

The format added pressure as the week went on. “You really had to make sure you left 100% on the track because the days got shortened due to conditions to try and get the times you wanted,” Walker said.

Changing your own tires, every day

At the 6DAYS, riders do their own maintenance in a 15-minute window at the end of each day. That includes changing tires, servicing the air filter and anything else the bike needs before the next day. There's no crew to hand it off to, and no one is coming to save you.

That makes the tire change one of the most repeated jobs of the week. Ask any enduro rider how they feel about tire changes, and you'll usually get a sigh.

Sievenpiper, in his second 6DAYS, said quick, reliable tire changes were one less thing to worry about over six days of racing.

"Nobody looks forward to changing tires, but it's pretty simple with the Rabaconda," he said. "It's about 6 to 8 minutes and you're done, with front and rear tires mounted on the bike. I wouldn't be changing my tires every day if I didn't have the Rabaconda."

Walker, in his third 6DAYS, enjoys it. "It's actually something I find very rewarding," he said. "Using the Rabaconda makes my life so much easier, and I find it very fun."

For Shields, also in his second 6DAYS, each tire change means one more day done. "I definitely look forward to the tire changes at the end of the day because it marks another day finished and closer to the end goal of finishing the week. I also enjoy that aspect of the 6DAYS as we don't have anything like that here in the US," he said. "Most riders can agree that the Rabaconda is something that we couldn't live without."

What the riders are taking home

Both Walker and Shields came away with lessons any enduro rider can use.

"I learn something new every 6DAYS. This one I really learned to have fun with it and the days are much more enjoyable and making sure to give yourself enough time so you're not in dust, even if you're told to go but to do what's most safe for yourself," Walker said.

"I learned a lot this 6DAYS about the event and about myself," Shields said. "I struggled this year to ever put in a solid test that I was happy with, and I let it get to me a little too much. Going to work on staying focused on the goal at hand in the future at 6DAYS and in general for all my other races. I also need to learn to have a little fun with it and let the past be in the past and move forward."

Where it all started

Rabaconda started in 2013 with one tool: the Dirt Bike Tire Changer, built for 6DAYS racers. Backing a 6DAYS team on the sport's biggest stage is Rabaconda's way of giving back to the racing community that helped build the brand.

"Winning the Club Team Award at the 100th 6DAYS is a huge moment for everyone at Rabaconda," said co-founder Tõnu Kallast, a former 6DAYS competitor. "This event is where our story started, so seeing Team Rabaconda on the top step, and knowing our tools help them get there, is incredibly rewarding. Congrats to Will, Jhak and Colton on a fantastic week."

Often called the Olympics of Motorcycling, the 6DAYS is the world's oldest off-road motorcycle race, putting riders and bikes through six straight days of hard racing.

The same tool, in your garage

You don't need to be racing the 6DAYS to have a long day end with a tire change. Whether it's a weekend trail ride, a hare scramble or a multi-day trip, the job is the same: break the bead, swap the tire, get the wheel back on the bike and get on with your day.

The Rabaconda Dirt Bike Tire Changer is the same tool Team Rabaconda used all week in Portugal. It's portable and built by riders who've done the job in the dirt.

Shop the Rabaconda Dirt Bike Tire Changer:

US, Canada and Mexico

Rest of the world

Congratulations again to Will, Jhak and Colton. See you at the next 6DAYS!