What is adventure riding

[Jantar]

There have aften been questions asked about Adventure rides, what clothing is best, what tyres etc. Yets when the details are revealed, it appears that what is really meant is Trail rides with road sections to get there. So lets hear what your thoughts are on what adventure riding really is.

Personally, I see adventure riding as travelling to places you haven't been to before. Particularly going to out of the way places, taking scenic routes, and irrespective of the type of road to get there. It is long distance, semi-self contained riding.

Some discussion did start in http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=34702 , but please dont reply to such an old thread.

[Motu]

Well,organised Adventure Rides are generally as many gravel transport sections with the odd bit of seal to link up paper roads and farm tracks.Some are practically trail rides,some are mostly gravel....some have a sealed road only option.

My experiance started in the early '70's when we just rode our trail bikes to somewhere we could ride them.After many a ride home soaking wet and muddy on a damaged bike,we stripped our bikes down and bought an old International pick up truck to transport them....so we were out of adventure riding then I reckon.Still later I was riding mainly British bikes - and we rode them everywhere.We would ride gravel roads,we rode them up walking tracks,into forests,onto beaches and across farms.Big bikes on road tyres...I wouldn't take a dirt bike there these days.

These days I just just ride back roads to get to gravel,and try to get in as much gravel road riding until they take it away from me.There will always be off road riding,but our gravel roads are getting less and less....I aim to maximise my experience in my favorite medium.

My option which you have not listed is - Gravel,plus seal.

[young1]

For me it is;
Avoiding the State Highways
Taking the back roads
Going to remote settlements and historic places
Enjoyable roads and tracks to ride on
Going places that the majority of New Zealanders have never been (and most may not have heard of)
Meeting, riding and being led by fellow adv riders in their part of New Zealand (eg the various rides that were and are being organised through this forum)
Basically having a great time, with similar minded people where it is not all about speed from A to B.

[XF650]

Good discussion topic & helps justify why I have two adventure bikes -
The Freewind for long distance on all roads (in comfort) with the ability to do a little off road. The DT230 for all roads & a lot off road, but it's no tourer.
But I would prefer one bike, tyres, riding gear etc to do it all......

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Well not being a gravel rat, but if you get a sense of adventure from it then... maybe...

[tri boy]

Where's the option of:
Reaching far away country pubs to drink booze in?
NZ needs more pubs at the end of gravel roads, and farm tracks. (keeps those ponsey sprotbike riders away).

[marks]

I think that the adventure starts when the tar seal stops. If its tar seal its the "getting to/from the adventure ride" bit

[Howie]

To Me Adventure riding is traveling by the back roads, be they sealed or gravel, or a 4WD track, and even a little bit of single track stuff, it is as others have mentioned going to the out of the way places, and having fun getting to them. they can be long distance trips, or shorter close to home trips. it doesn't really matter which, The fun and enjoyment is in the ride to where your going, not just getting somewhere.

[Jantar]

I think that the adventure starts when the tar seal stops. If its tar seal its the "getting to/from the adventure ride" bit

Whereas I'd call that dual purpose rather than adventure. But that's why I started this thread, to canvas all thoughts on the subject.

[young1]

Whereas I'd call that dual purpose rather than adventure. But that's why I started this thread, to canvas all thoughts on the subject.

I agree Adv riding is different to trail riding. To me trail riding is far more extreme, mud holes, maybe having to walk your bike down a steep hill, more obstacles etc, (yes I know some adv rides may be like that!) that is why I have a DR400.

However a "dual purpose" bike can still be an adv bike!

[merv]

Adventure rides to me are the ones that cover quite a long distance with seal, gravel and dirt tracks used to allow us to enjoy the ride and soak up the scenery and because they are on much public territory require a road legal bike and some are the organised events pioneered by the Kiwi Rider 500.

Adventure ride to me by definition stops when the ride is a trail ride and those are generally gravel and dirt only, typically held on someone's farm or in a forest. I did a lot of trail rides up until a few years ago and they usually had me stripping all the vulnerable road gear off the bike when I had my Suzuki because it was equipped more road oriented and it was no point busting that stuff. On a trail ride thick mud, greasy slopes etc are the norm and so was arsing off the bike. That's where my old XR Honda was fanastic with its rugged but practical construction I never needed to strip it for trail riding and I never broke anything on it doing trail rides. Most people turn up at a trail ride without a road legal bike so you get a lot of MX bikes and quads at those.

On an adventure ride I try to stay on the bike and the route usually isn't that rugged anyway so I keep most bits intact. The other thing about the organised adventure rides is the route sheets you have to follow making it bit like a two wheeled version of a car trial. A trail ride is usually just follwo the leader.

Here's a couple of pics back when I had my Suzuki - firstly one is on Capital Coast 2003 fully kitted with mirrors, route sheet holder etc for adventuring http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/at...7&d=1137103420 and then the pic below is when I was at Tikokino on a trail ride bike fully stripped of mirrors winkers, taillight, number plate etc.

[oldrider]

Riding exclusively on sealed roads is "motorcycling".

Riding on seal, gravel and dirt, "formed or semi-formed roads" is "venture riding", irrespective of the bike you use.

Time and distance are irrelevent, just more or less of the same thing!

You can have a short venture or a long distance one, it's still a venture ride.

Very long distances could be better described as "venture touring"

Beyond semi-formed roads is "trail or off road riding".

Thankfully, manufacturers now make models specificaly more suitable for these individual choices. Cheers John.

[TgaAdv]

For me its more about off road riding and getting to remote locations without being too extreme.

My bike is not too comfortable to ride long distances on the road anyway. Im usually pretty muddy and dusty when i get home and the bike needs a good wash to get all the dirt and mud off.

[jafar]

Anywhere there is some kind of road will do. The more I ride the roads the more I dislike cars,so anywhere away from civilization even for a short period is Adventure riding.

[cooneyr]

This thread is very relevant to me given my web site. To me it is seal, gravel, and dirt that can be ridden without being so technical that the likes of a transalp, R80 GS or similar can be ridden without too much trouble. Anything where you are bashing through big mudholes, need full on knobblies, so steep you have to walk the bike etc but with sections of seal is dual sporting. We do some reasonably challenging stuff if you don't have the right skills but pretty much anybody should be able to ride an adventure ride on a big adventure bike without having to be an enduro ace.

Cheers R