Where to start?

[mynemesis]

Bought couple dirt bikes last month in the hope that I'd have something to do in the winter months. Haven't ridden dirt bikes since I was 13 (many years ago).
Wanting to ride trails really and have no desire at this point to mx ride.

I have a yzf250 and a rmz 450. I bought the 450 thinking it wouldn't be too much faster than my drz400sm I bought couple years ago...... Guess I learnt a lesson there didn't I.

So Riding the 250 for now seems prudent.

I'm wondering what essentials do I need for just riding around Woodhill and similar trails?
Obviously helmet and gloves go without saying.

Do I need Armour, knee braces and all the mx gear if I'm just riding trails?
Do I need proper mx boots?

Is there a noob instructional post I couldn't find?

Any help appriciated.

I'm gonna head out now for a quick ride and see what I learn my usual way (the hard way).

Cheers all.

[takitimu]

Bought couple dirt bikes last month in the hope that I'd have something to do in the winter months. Haven't ridden dirt bikes since I was 13 (many years ago).
Wanting to ride trails really and have no desire at this point to mx ride.

I have a yzf250 and a rmz 450. I bought the 450 thinking it wouldn't be too much faster than my drz400sm I bought couple years ago...... Guess I learnt a lesson there didn't I.

So Riding the 250 for now seems prudent.

I'm wondering what essentials do I need for just riding around Woodhill and similar trails?
Obviously helmet and gloves go without saying.

Do I need Armour, knee braces and all the mx gear if I'm just riding trails?
Do I need proper mx boots?

Is there a noob instructional post I couldn't find?

Any help appriciated.

I'm gonna head out now for a quick ride and see what I learn my usual way (the hard way).

Cheers all.

Armour is a good thing, a branch to your chest without it, isn't a pleasant thought.
Boots are handy when you hit things & really essential for when you hit a stump with your foot.
Knee braces will be alot cheaper than repairing ACL etc ( my knee would be in way better shape if I'd had them from the start, pod, asterisk are popular, I've got Mobius ).
Goggles are better than branches to the eyes.

I'd suggest training, there are few out there Broxy, Birch etc

Enjoy

[cods4]

I'm wondering what essentials do I need for just riding around Woodhill and similar trails?
Obviously helmet and gloves go without saying.

Do I need Armour, knee braces and all the mx gear if I'm just riding trails?
Do I need proper mx boots?

Is there a noob instructional post I couldn't find?

Any help appriciated.

I'm gonna head out now for a quick ride and see what I learn my usual way (the hard way).

Cheers all.

Bare minimum that I wear when I'm just going out for a blat somewhere is
Helmet
Goggles
Gloves
Boots
long sleeves and long pants.

These will reduce the major injuries in a crash, however as takitimu said armour is very helpful when you are in the bush or especially when following someone else as you will soon find out .
I've never worn knee braces and I have been lucky so far.
Don't cheap out on Boots and Helmet, they are the most important I reckon.

[FJRider]

Do I need Armour, knee braces and all the mx gear if I'm just riding trails?
Do I need proper mx boots?

Is there a noob instructional post I couldn't find?

Any help appriciated.

I'm gonna head out now for a quick ride and see what I learn my usual way (the hard way).

Cheers all.

1. Do not hit (or be hit) by anything (including the ground/rocks/tree's etc) and you wont need Armour. Riding really slow might help reduce the risk of this ... but that option is seldom taken.

2. Break down (or break something that you need to keep making the noise) and you have to walk ... a good pair of suitable boots for that ... helps.
Or just break down close to your home/transport.

3. Keep a diary ... but you will learn quickly. And remember what you should have done ... the next time.

4. Ride with a friend ... or with friends. The more friends ... the more help available.

[nzspokes]

Im rubbish offroad. So wear an armor jacket, knee braces, good boots and quality helmet.

[mynemesis]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice. I shot up to Woodhill sandpit today as needed to clear my head of some shit. Dropped into Torpedo 7 and grabbed a cheapie helmet and Goggles. Chucked my padded Cordura pants and my old courier jacket (20years old) my army boots and off I went.

WOW THAT WAS SOOO MUCH FUN! quiet (2 other people) so no pressure. Spoke to Thomas the guy working there and gonna grab some decent boots, Armour and knee supports (I've already got weak knees).

Can't express how much fun and how well it cleared my head. I'm hooked already.

No need to worry about essential gear, as I'm gonna get everything possible knowing the way I am.

Next question though if you'd be so kind?

Where else can you ride?

I know of sandpit and thundervalley. Any others?

[nzspokes]

Look on Silver bullet for farm rides. Great fun and on a lot of weekends.

[schrodingers cat]

Likewise, I recently decided to wind the decades back and return to the dirt
When I was a young-un, a cobber had a XR200RC.
It was such a great thing to ride compared to my chunky TT250G

Anyhoo, fast forward and I now have a couple of tatty Pro-Links (200RC and RD) in the garage as resto projects.
I've also got a twin shock 200A which someone has tampered with (RM125 forks, longer swingarm, 250R plastic tank) and I've been out getting dirty.

First ride was down the beach. Initial impressions were that these things were much faster back when (could be that it had to haul 2/3 the weight tho) but venture into the trees and its plenty fast enough thank you. I don't think I was much of a rider back then but I'm pretty tragic now.
Mind you, having a great time!

When it comes to gear I've taken the 'shabby chic' approach. Everything is second hand off Tard Me
As you know, if you're patient and not concerned about fashion or colour co-ordination you can kit out for not too much money

So here's the view of an old fella who is well aware how much it would hurt/how slowly I'd heal


Safety Gear priorities (IMHO)
I wouldn't ride ANYTHING without these as a minimum:

0.5 Attitude
1. Long sleeves and pants
2. Sturdy footwear
3 Helmet
4. Gloves

Then I'd be looking to aquire the following:

5. Jacket
6. Goggles (I'm riding by myself at the mo so crap in the eyes is less of a concern)
7. Proper boots
8. Proper M/C trou

In future I think I'll definately take a view on some knee protectors
Finally, I'd look at armour.

The other thing that is immediately apparent is that some improved fitness would reduce the likelyhood of testing said safety gear.
Get puffed = shunt!

Its getting better, but a few times through a whoop section and by Wednesday my legs have locked up and I'm walking like a cripple.
Trying to up and down the steps at home is a nightmare.

Its bloody good fun but!

Go the old blokes

[schrodingers cat]

1. Do not hit (or be hit) by anything (including the ground/rocks/tree's etc) and you wont need Armour. Riding really slow might help reduce the risk of this ... but that option is seldom taken.

True that. Its like ski-ing in that you always seem to travel at a speed that is just beyong your current ability

[mynemesis]

Thanks again guys. Yep old man riding is fine on the road (for me) but throwing a machine around the forest is a whole new game.

I only rode 125cc 2 strokes as a kid and they were only on fairly flat suffolk field tracks. Today was brand new and hard bloody work. My legs and arms are whacked! But unlike many other things, I didn't feel tired while doing it. Which is how I know I love doing it.

I'm gonna grab some boots and Armour tomorrow and head back for another session! I'll research the best pair of knee braces I can find / afford over the next week or two.

Loving this! New obsession kicking in, in 3...2...1....

[nzspokes]

Thanks again guys. Yep old man riding is fine on the road (for me) but throwing a machine around the forest is a whole new game.

I only rode 125cc 2 strokes as a kid and they were only on fairly flat suffolk field tracks. Today was brand new and hard bloody work. My legs and arms are whacked! But unlike many other things, I didn't feel tired while doing it. Which is how I know I love doing it.

I'm gonna grab some boots and Armour tomorrow and head back for another session! I'll research the best pair of knee braces I can find / afford over the next week or two.

Loving this! New obsession kicking in, in 3...2...1....

Dont worry, you will wake up tomorrow feeling 10 years older.

But yeah, protect whatever you dont want broken. The Sandpit is a real workout.

[scott411]

winter around auckland normally means sand and woodhill, dont get to dissapointed if you struggle the first time out on the sand, its not an easy place to learn,

coming into spring there are a lot of good fram rides that you will enjoy,

good call on parking the 450 mxer, they are not the best to learn on,

i agree with teh above posters, boots are a must IMO,

MInimum gear i think is Boots, Helmet, Gloves , googles(or safety glasses) , long pants and shirt,

next nice to have are knee guards, and armour,

i have stopped wearing knee braces, and gone back to plain knee pads,

[george formby]

Helmet, boots and gloves is a no brainer, I also very quickly adopted a cheap-ish pair of knee guards, just padded velcro jobbies. When I started riding off road again my knees took a beating every time the bikes fell on them.

I'm trials / technique focused, speed is not in my vocabulary, so an open face helmet and decent safety glasses are doing me just fine. Suits my vintage, too. Just need a pipe and a Barbour. Having said that, my mate came off his trials bike in slow mo last Sunday and broke his shoulder so I'm looking at those body armour, jacket, under suit jobbies. It was a gentle lie down in kaikouya but something must have been lurking in it which stopped his roll.

Lacking anybody up here to learn from I watch these vids, some great info and a bit of humour.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJA...h1AEKY8vTEJPJg

Being a coward I practice new and bigger techniques on my trials bike then translate them to my early 90's 250 2t. I can get away with murder on the trials bike but the 250 sometimes gives the impression it wants to murder me.

It's great getting dirty again but as mentioned fitness is a biggie. I take plenty of rests, plenty to drink and some decent tucker. I've noticed the more my concentration fades the greater effect gravity has.

Most of my riding is at The Farm if your looking for a weekend away somewhere different. Trails from novice to Jarvis and a moto x track, too.

[flashg]

my mate came off his trials bike in slow mo last Sunday and broke his shoulder so I'm looking at those body armour, jacket, under suit jobbies. It was a gentle lie down in kaikouya but something must have been lurking in it which stopped his roll.

Impact is impact. I have the best body armour "LEATT"has to offer, it's a zip up top and has long sleeves. Armour is elbows, shoulders, back, chest. It's a good fit and doesn't move about, also very comfortable.
Last August I had an off at slow speed in a forest trail ride, (dalethorpe forest) front wheel taken out by a tree root, landed heavily on my shoulder and tore muscle from bone etc (one fucked rotator cuff) have now had surgery and will be off work and riding for four months.
All the best gear doesn't mean you won't get hurt.

[nzspokes]

All the best gear doesn't mean you won't get hurt.

Agreed. Just means the stuff on the inside is free to break without things from the outside passing through and helping the process along.