South Island deep shingle roads, post your riding tips here.

[NordieBoy]

Sometimes I think those roading guys hate us or something. I must try that lower tire pressure idea. How much lower?

What are you talking about? The road was brilliant.

I dropped them to 20 front and rear for that.

[Phreaky Phil]

Unless they've just been graded all the roads will tend to have a wheel tracks in them where the cars run and compact the stones or push them out of the way. this is where the best traction is. I'll usually try to stick in the left hand wheel line even in the corners (especially LEFT HAND one in corners) Crossing between wheel lines in deep shingle is where your most likely to come unstuck

[NordieBoy]

Racetech emulators would be really good on a surface like that. Set them quite soft.

Not often we strike that type of road surface up here. I did once, and how the hell I was upright at the end of it puzzles me - front wheel wanted to knife down deeply into it and duck and dive around.. Not amusing.

Steve

Intiminators are even more betterer

[NordieBoy]

Rosedale Road at the moment from the summit to the Jacobs Ladder end is slow twisty deep gravel

[Woodman]

Rosedale Road at the moment from the summit to the Jacobs Ladder end is slow twisty deep gravel

Tell me about it!!! Went down there on friday and was doing some cool 2 wheel drifty things round some of them corners. (possibly need a new front tyre)

On weighting the outside pegs, I have started weighting the inside peg coming out of corners and is way more funnerer in a rear wheel hanging out sorta way.

[cooneyr]

My tips - bit boring and practical really - no zen or praying.

1. stay loose and let the bike move.
2. use a bit of power to crossing any loose areas. I don't mean fistfuls and wheelies but enough to lighten the front end by extend the forks.
3. when cornering (even if crossing the centre strip of gravel) do the following
   
   • brake before the corner
   • lean the bike but keep your body reasonably upright by extend the arm on the inside of the corner - your body will still lean a bit. This is the opposite of road bike riders hanging off the inside.
   • gas it through and out of the corner - again to lighten the front end by extending the forks. Once you get the hang of this you find it becoming easier and easier to power slide around corners.

HTH
Cheers R

[That looks like fun]

[QUOTE=AlpinePossum;1129414906]http://ruina.tam.cornell.edu/researc...stability.mpeg


Bike stayed upright quite well until it ran into the white shed

[buggsubique]

My tips - bit boring and practical really - no zen or praying.

1. stay loose and let the bike move.
2. use a bit of power to crossing any loose areas. I don't mean fistfuls and wheelies but enough to lighten the front end by extend the forks.
3. when cornering (even if crossing the centre strip of gravel) do the following
   
   • brake before the corner
   • lean the bike but keep your body reasonably upright by extend the arm on the inside of the corner - your body will still lean a bit. This is the opposite of road bike riders hanging off the inside.
   • gas it through and out of the corner - again to lighten the front end by extending the forks. Once you get the hang of this you find it becoming easier and easier to power slide around corners.

HTH
Cheers R

wot he sed

[Transalper]

Buy the first www.dualsportriding.com DVD, watch and learn. (or get in touch and we can get a couple of us together to watch and discuss mine again)
Most your old and up and comming questions will be answered.
It's stuff most us have tried and now practice.
It covered this thread too.

[bart]

Riding gravel's easy. As long as you've got some kind of minimal control of the front, point it where you want to go and squirt the throttle. Control of the back end is optional.

Do your braking well before the corner while you're upright. Coast into the corner with minimal revs, and power out. Works for me, but I don't mind torturing my back tyre.

I find standing and getting my weight well forward can whip you around a corner real quick.

[Eddieb]

Buy the first www.dualsportriding.com DVD, watch and learn. (or get in touch and we can get a couple of us together to watch and discuss mine again).

+1

For those in Welly with the same questions I have this DVD also. We could do a DVD evening sometime if anyone is interested. I also have 2nd advanced DVD.

[AlpinePossum]

Buy the first www.dualsportriding.com DVD, watch and learn. (or get in touch and we can get a couple of us together to watch and discuss mine again)

Sounds interesting. I'd love to watch it. If you up to arranging something, I'm in... else I guess I'll have to fork out for my own copy.

Perhaps you should take up a collection so you can buy the advanced one as well. (Love to watch both!)

[Toureg]

If the gravel is that deep you aren't going to be covering that much ground anyway, take to the verge, it is easier on the body at the same pace.

[tri boy]

Racetech emulators would be really good on a surface like that. Set them quite soft.

Not often we strike that type of road surface up here. I did once, and how the hell I was upright at the end of it puzzles me - front wheel wanted to knife down deeply into it and duck and dive around.. Not amusing.

Steve

Quite common on the west Waikato back country.
The sound of rocks punishing the scramblers bash plate is a special kinda song.
Know what ya mean about the front getting nervous though. 205kg, and a 19'' front can have you working hard.

[Ruralman]

You forgot to mention body position. I've found in all riding, using your body weight to your advantage helps heaps. Get you arse off the seat and move around a bit. Also lets the bike take the punishment, not your body.

Couldn't agree more - there are times, especially on gravel on hills with corners, where you need to get your weight well forward (ie slide right up to the tank) and if you've got a pillion pull her forward a bit too, to get the front wheel to turn the bike properly. This is really pronounced on slightly off camber turns either going uphill or downhill.
It doesn't matter too much what the rear end is doing - you can be spraying the world with stones or just applying power to make it match the available traction, but you do want your front wheel to go where intended.
Theres the opposite situation of course with ruts, very loose heavy gravel with wheel tracks etc on straighter bits where its best to keep your weight well back and let the front wheel and suspension do their thing getting over and through it with the occasional application of power to help straighten out or push through.

I find it hard to think back to how I ride this stuff - just do it like I have for years. I do know though that the tensest moments always seem to happen when riding very cautiously and probably more tensed up, rather than more relaxed and free with everything

I agree with CooneyR - move the bike from side to side staying upright yourself, rather than sitting on it like you do on the seal

When it comes to which wheel track to take - if theres 3 wheel tracks (ie the cars use the middle one going either way) then I ride the middle one. Its the best packed down and usually the widest. On narrow windy roads I often use the right hand one and cross back just as I come into the corner - the reason for doing this is that it gives you much better vision through and around the corner for traffic/animals etc.
I think what I do to get over the gravel humps between the wheel marks is to power on on the hard stuff and then back off and almost coast over the ridge whilst hitting it at a bit of an angle so you get it over with quickly.
I ride standing up a lot on my Gas Gas whilst trail riding but never feel the need adventure riding unless perhaps going down hill over a slow technical ,rough section?