You never know what you might encounter out on the trail: creek crossings, rocks, logs, mud
holes, that guy who escaped a prison in Pennsylvania and was hiding in the woods…
A trail ride can turn sour quickly if you find yourself forced to tackle terrain you aren’t
ready for. Attempting a technique for the first time over a sketchy obstacle eleven miles
from
the truck with the sun going down is not the most fun you will ever have on a dirt bike.
Riding
may just be a hobby for most of us, but taking it with a touch of seriousness will make your
hours on the bike safer and more enjoyable.
Practice these foundational riding techniques in a clear, open area with grass or soft dirt
(in
your yard or in a field at a riding park) so you will be equipped with essential skills
before
you take to the trails…so that an unexpected creek crossing—or an unexpected inmate—won’t
get
you.
Tip: All of these drills rely heavily on the clutch. Continuous us of the clutch can be
exhausting for your clutch hand—this is normal. Be patient and rest as needed between
repetitions, and trust that your hand will develop more strength in time. (If using the clutch
for anything beyond starting from a stop and shifting gears is a foreign concept, read What Clutch Control Really Means to learn more about this versatile tool.)
1. THE SLOW ROLL
WHY:
On the trails, being able to ride very slowly while staying on the pegs buys you time to size up
an
upcoming obstacle without having to come to a complete stop. It’s markedly easier to accelerate
toward an obstacle while rolling at 1mph than to take off from a dead stop. You’ll have better
balance, better traction, more time to build momentum, and better body position if you give
yourself
a rolling start.
Good balance skills at slow speed will also help you stay upright through rocky creek crossings
and
on off-camber hills.
HOW:
While standing on the pegs, see how slow you can go without falling over. This
requires
you to work the clutch to prevent the bike from stalling and also develops excellent
balance
skills.
Up the ante by practicing slow circles, opening your knees and allowing the bike to lean
underneath you. On winding hills or descents—especially switchbacks—having a good
sense
for how to lean the bike under you while turning will let you tackle these parts of the
trail more confidently.
Check out the below video for an explanation of the proper body position for turning at slow
speed.
2. EMERGENCY BRAKING
WHY:
Learning to be comfortable grabbing the brakes hard will—counterintuitively—actually make you
ride
faster. The faster you can stop, the faster you can afford to go.
Like with any skill, it’s better to learn the technique in a controlled environment than to
wait until you’re about to plow into a moose on the trail to find out that you don’t know how
to
comfortably slam on the brakes. The moose won’t be happy.
HOW:
Getting better at braking aggressively is simple: just practice braking aggressively.
Find an open area with moderate traction (a dirt parking lot or dry grassy field, to
start
with; you can move onto mud, wet grass, or gravel once you get comfortable for a bigger
challenge). Traveling in a straight line, accelerate to the speed you will generally be
riding (usually second or third gear, for most trails).
Prepare for braking by shifting your hips back over the rear fender, then use both
brakes
together to slow as quickly as you can.
Proper body position for hard braking.
Experiment with how more or less pressure on each brake makes the bike behave. As long as the
front wheel is pointed forward, the bike will continue to track
straight even if you lock up the brakes. Learn to feel when the brakes are on the verge of locking up, though, and try to
prevent them from doing so. When braking on slicker ground or while turning, locking up the
front
wheel is a quick way to find out what the ground feels like.
3. MINI PIVOTS
WHY:
This skill is extremely helpful when you find yourself needing to turn around on a trail or move
the front wheel sideways to avoid a rock or a hole you don’t particularly want to drive through. Being
able to move the front wheel left or right without forward motion buys you lots of options.
HOW:
While seated on the bike with one foot on the ground and the other on the peg, lean the
bike slightly in the direction of your planted foot.
Push down into the handlebars to compress the front wheel while simultaneously pushing
down into the peg on the opposite side of the bike with your foot. At the same time, rev
the engine slightly.
Shift your upper body back and pull back against the handlebars through straight arms as
the
front suspension starts to rebound; at the same time, release the clutch halfway and
close the throttle. (We do not need to fully release the clutch to
initiate this small movement, and we want to be prepared to pull it back in a moment
later.)
Once the front wheel pops up, pull upward on the handlebar on the side of the
direction you are going (if moving the wheel to the right, pull up on the right
handlebar) to bring the bike back vertical and allow the machine to land balanced.
This sounds complicated, and it does require good timing, but it’s easy to practice in the
driveway or in a parking lot. It is also the precursor to the also-useful-and-much-cooler pivot
turn.
See the demo of a mini pivot in the below video at 0:032.
4. LIFTING THE FRONT WHEEL (Precision Wheelie)
WHY:
For any obstacle larger than about 10 inches high, you’ll want to lift the front wheel slightly
before making impact with it.
The technique for lifting the front wheel is similar to the mini pivot above, except both
feet will be on the pegs and you’ll be rolling. We want to initiate the wheelie using a
combination of suspension rebound, body movement, and clutch/throttle.
But first: Why can’t you lift the wheel just by twisting the throttle?
It makes you gain speed, which can be dangerous and throws off your timing.
It risks breaking the rear tire loose (losing traction) and failing to lift the front wheel at all.
It makes it difficult to place the front wheel precisely on an obstacle .
Learning how to lift the front wheel without gaining speed, without losing traction, and with
good aim (to hit the obstacle where you planned) requires using proper technique. Nothing busts
your confidence faster than trying to lift the wheel before an obstacle, failing, and slamming
straight into it with speed. (But it makes for a great fail video!)
HOW:
Slip the clutch and roll at a moderately slow pace in a straight line. You do not need
to approach obstacles fast. (Unless you’re racing endurocross, in which case you’re
probably not reading this article.)
Rolling with the clutch slipping.
Bend your knees and drop your weight down into the pegs. This compresses both the forks
and the rear suspension. Rev the engine slightly, with the clutch still slipping.
Compress the suspension by dropping your weight down into
the pegs.
Right as the forks reach their lowest point (which depends on your bodyweight and how
hard you push into the pegs), shift your hips backward (NOT upwards), pull back on the
bars through straight arms, and release the clutch.
Release the clutch in time with the front fork rebound to
lift the wheel.
After the wheel reaches the desired height, shut off the throttle and bring your body
forward, paying attention to where your front wheel lands. As you get better, start
picking a spot on the ground a few feet ahead of you (a leaf, dark piece of mud, pebble,
etc.) and try to lift your wheel and land it precisely on the spot you chose.
Lifting the front wheel clear over the obstacle works on obstacles low enough that your skid
plate won’t catch (less than 12” or so), but on taller obstacles, you’ll want to touch the front wheel
so that it can deflect upward and give your skidplate and linkage more clearance.
When you hit an obstacle, try to strike the front wheel about 2/3 of the way up the face of the
obstacle. This contact height causes the front wheel to deflect upward, giving us a bigger wheelie for free: without any extra throttle. By letting the obstacle help do the work of getting our front wheel
as high as it needs to go, we limit the risk of losing
traction or increasing our speed.
Knowing you’ve worked to prepare yourself prior to tackling trails will help you ride with
more confidence, giving you a better day on the bike. Invest in yourself: dedicate some time
to these skill-building drills!
Photo courtesy of Mike Keller.
