Dirt bike recommendations?

[bosslady]

Next time I head to Thundercross I will let you know and you can tag along if ya want. Easier riding and fun.

Straight after you finish a ride try to get some protein to help recover faster, bicycle shops sell some products which are great for this. I use a athlete supplement while riding to help with dehydration. Are you using a camelback? I always do and am surprised how quickly 2lt of fluid goes. I used to get headaches riding before I did.

sounds good, let me know seems women are free so that's good. I don't have a camelback but I stopped fairly frequently back at the car and had some powerade. Point noted about protein.

For a first timer it looked like you were doing well.

Sand is a bitch, you need speed to keep the front up and out of the soft stuff and when learning, speed is the last thing on your mind and slowing down for the corners makes the front drop loosing more speed than you think.

The main parts of dirt are feet on pegs, knees and elbows slightly bent, and your head should be inline with your bars when standing.
When turning, weight the outside peg and move your weight over the bike (twisting to look at where you are going) and lean the bike over and accelerate out. (I hope this made sense)

Yes do get lessons from a good rider if you can afford them, i rode for 2 years all wrong and sometimes it is had to stop what is already learnt.

I have had coaching from Chris Birch twice now it it has made such a difference, the first one on one then as a whole group.
http://www.chrisbirch.co.nz/coaching
Power adventures also do a ladies only coaching that are supposed to be good.

Have a look through youtube as there are shit loads of training vids.

great advice thank you!

[Maha]

Thats not at the top of the Leigh hill is it Maha? Looks like that bit of road that heads back towards the dome forest.

No Lottin Point around the East Cape. Rode through/over a farm race, cattle stops, exposed tree roots and the track down to the bottom got tighter, once committed, there was no turning back.
Though we have the GN's down that Pakiri Hill road in the rain/sludge.

[unstuck]

No Lottin Point around the East Cape. Though we have the GN's down that Pakiri Hill road in the rain/sludge.

Thats an awesome road on a XR600, From Leigh to Pakiri. Well it used to be before Auckland moved up there. 7 min from the chippy at Leigh to home, which was about a k and a half past the hall.

[DJSin]

Great stuff Bosslady. You don't suck at all. You've got a bike, seem to be doing a lot of the maintenance, and are getting out there and riding it. Awesome!!!

Everyone was a beginner at some stage. Hang in there and you'll love it in no time.

BTW I see you went for the tucked in look

[bosslady]

Great stuff Bosslady. You don't suck at all. You've got a bike, seem to be doing a lot of the maintenance, and are getting out there and riding it. Awesome!!!

Everyone was a beginner at some stage. Hang in there and you'll love it in no time.

BTW I see you went for the tucked in look

yes someone told me newbs leave theirs out, lol

[motor_mayhem]

keep those feet on the pegs ..... especially when you have a bit of pace on as if you try to use them you WILL end up n the ground as you are moving to fast to support yourself with hem, easy to damage to yourself that way! Its not a motor cross track so feet should be on the pegs until you stop, Putting feet down while trying to move also takes weight of the rear wheel so you loose traction.... It takes time but that's what you want to try and do

Wouldn't agree with that. The biggest jump I ever made in my ability on a bike was by riding at a motocross track then transferring those skills onto trail riding. Motocrossers set out to carry as much speed as possible around the corners so they can be fast around the track but as a trail rider carrying speed and/or momentum around the corner can help you get through the next rutty section, hill climb or mud bog.

[Ocean1]

Wouldn't agree with that. The biggest jump I ever made in my ability on a bike was by riding at a motocross track then transferring those skills onto trail riding. Motocrossers set out to carry as much speed as possible around the corners so they can be fast around the track but as a trail rider carrying speed and/or momentum around the corner can help you get through the next rutty section, hill climb or mud bog.

Better tell this dude he's got it all wrong...

[Ktmboy]

I saw you out there yesterday and you seemed to be going ok for someone on L plates. Its like snow skiing. The first couple of days you really hate it, cold , wet , sore and totally out of your depth. It does get easier. Don't let the "sand" be an issue and get to you.

If I'm out there next time you are I'll help you out a bit if I can. If you get the basics right from the start them the rest will fall into place.
So far there has been a lot said by the rest on here and most of what they are saying is correct. Only problem is you now have about 100x things to remember .
Narrow a couple of basics down and get them right, then go to the next step from there. The human brain can only take so much info and act on it correctly.

Couple of things that I did notice...
- Eyes up/ head up,. You seemed to be looking down at the front wheel. There are no ruts on the yellow sand tracks you were on...its sand,. They might look like ruts but if you ride right over them they just cease to exist. Look well in front to where you want to go and not at the imaginary rut at your front wheel. Look to the next corner as your perifial vision will take into account all the humps, bumps and roots etc that you are about to ride over
- Bend your knees a bit more and transfer your wait to the rear(you seemed to be too far over the bars). Talking of rear, by moving your bum back you are taking wait off the front wheel therefore its not going to sledge all over the place. I know you are quite tall so it is harder for you on a 3/4 size bike.
- Elbows up and just relax a bit. Enjoy the ride and make it fun.
- Favourite saying " Sit down to get tired and stand up for a rest" Mind f#@K I know.

[bosslady]

I saw you out there yesterday and you seemed to be going ok for someone on L plates. Its like snow skiing. The first couple of days you really hate it, cold , wet , sore and totally out of your depth. It does get easier. Don't let the "sand" be an issue and get to you.

If I'm out there next time you are I'll help you out a bit if I can. If you get the basics right from the start them the rest will fall into place.
So far there has been a lot said by the rest on here and most of what they are saying is correct. Only problem is you now have about 100x things to remember .
Narrow a couple of basics down and get them right, then go to the next step from there. The human brain can only take so much info and act on it correctly.

Couple of things that I did notice...
- Eyes up/ head up,. You seemed to be looking down at the front wheel. There are no ruts on the yellow sand tracks you were on...its sand,. They might look like ruts but if you ride right over them they just cease to exist. Look well in front to where you want to go and not at the imaginary rut at your front wheel. Look to the next corner as your perifial vision will take into account all the humps, bumps and roots etc that you are about to ride over
- Bend your knees a bit more and transfer your wait to the rear(you seemed to be too far over the bars). Talking of rear, by moving your bum back you are taking wait off the front wheel therefore its not going to sledge all over the place. I know you are quite tall so it is harder for you on a 3/4 size bike.
- Elbows up and just relax a bit. Enjoy the ride and make it fun.
- Favourite saying " Sit down to get tired and stand up for a rest" Mind f#@K I know.

Everything wrong, nothing right... I had absolutely no direction or help whatsoever really, not even told how to stand or when to, basically no idea what to do sigh... and told to just get on it and go, i thought the person i was with was going to teach me, never mind... felt quite out of my depth and stressed out especially when I got lost! feel quite disheartened now but I think that's the exhaustion, body ache and random cold that turned up talking. Ah well.

[nzspokes]

Everything wrong, nothing right... I had absolutely no direction or help whatsoever really, not even told how to stand or when to, basically no idea what to do sigh... and told to just get on it and go, i thought the person i was with was going to teach me, never mind... felt quite out of my depth and stressed out especially when I got lost! feel quite disheartened now but I think that's the exhaustion, body ache and random cold that turned up talking. Ah well.

My first hour up there all I wanted to do was go home. But I couldnt find the car.

They got some advice from other riders and it got better.

Listen to ktmboy, hes knows a thing or two about Woodhill.

[leathel]

Everything wrong, nothing right... I had absolutely no direction or help whatsoever really, not even told how to stand or when to, basically no idea what to do sigh... and told to just get on it and go, i thought the person i was with was going to teach me, never mind... felt quite out of my depth and stressed out especially when I got lost! feel quite disheartened now but I think that's the exhaustion, body ache and random cold that turned up talking. Ah well.

My Bro probably has more skills info if you want I could get him to search them out it you want more reading....... If we could tee a ride with him he will point out things if you wanted.

[leathel]

Wouldn't agree with that. The biggest jump I ever made in my ability on a bike was by riding at a motocross track then transferring those skills onto trail riding. Motocrossers set out to carry as much speed as possible around the corners so they can be fast around the track but as a trail rider carrying speed and/or momentum around the corner can help you get through the next rutty section, hill climb or mud bog.

May have worked for you but you need to learn to ride feet on pegs first!

Then for me its not about hitting things at speed but picking your line.....and keeping the feet on the pegs to keep the traction going down and using the weight on the pegs to steer the bike as well, I don't ride to race but to have fun and motocross doesn't appeal to me getting up hills or through bogs I have never had a problem with

[pete-blen]

It sounds to me as you started her in the deep end...
find somewhere with a harder more stable surface..
let her get use to the bike moveing around under her
with out haveing to deal with front end wash outs..

Yer be ok... yer need the right surface to learn on first off..
Thats all it's going to take...

[buffstar]

Everything wrong, nothing right... I had absolutely no direction or help whatsoever really, not even told how to stand or when to, basically no idea what to do sigh... and told to just get on it and go, i thought the person i was with was going to teach me, never mind... felt quite out of my depth and stressed out especially when I got lost! feel quite disheartened now but I think that's the exhaustion, body ache and random cold that turned up talking. Ah well.

well, you DID have another girl who was willing to help you out and give you some tips..... & trust me when I say a girl describes things differently than the boys

[bosslady]

My Bro probably has more skills info if you want I could get him to search them out it you want more reading....... If we could tee a ride with him he will point out things if you wanted.

wouldn't hurt, I'm home sick today so could do with some reading eh!

It sounds to me as you started her in the deep end...
find somewhere with a harder more stable surface..
let her get use to the bike moveing around under her
with out haveing to deal with front end wash outs..

Yer be ok... yer need the right surface to learn on first off..
Thats all it's going to take...

who are you talking to? lol, the person who took me out doesn't use this forum, they're an mx rider. But yes I would agree.

well, you DID have another girl who was willing to help you out and give you some tips..... & trust me when I say a girl describes things differently than the boys

Do you mean midget? I didn't wanna spoil her other plans but if I'd have known what would happen maybe I would've anyway lol.