Love riding on the road but looking to get some kicks in the dirt?
For anyone who follows VC on Instagram you’ll notice that over the last few years we’ve started dipping our toe (and now diving head first in a full splash, belly flop type fashion) into the world of dirt. It’s not that we’re losing our love of road bikes, custom bikes, choppers and, well, anything road based with two wheels…. It’s just that over time we’ve realised that different bikes = different ways to get different kicks, horses for courses so to speak, and riding dirt is definitely a way to seriously get your kicks!
We’ve had a ton of people ask us about our trail riding endeavours so here it is…. Our guide to getting started out in the world trail riding from our own beginners’ point of view.
FIRST UP, WHAT ACTUALLY IS TRAIL RIDING?
Trail riding isn’t actually off roading (contrary to popular belief and how a lot of people refer to it incorrectly) as you ride on legal roads and tracks called byways, hence the reason that if you wanna go trail riding you’ll need a fully road legal/registered/insured dirt bike… But a little more on that later.
When you’re thinking of trail riding think green open fields, rocky climbs, muddy paths, farm land, riding through rivers (or even just massive puddles) and even some road sections (especially in the UK) but these are always on legal byways so you need to get to know your stuff when it comes to where and what you can ride (again more coming up on that).
Next up, we’ll admit it, riding dirt bikes isn’t exactly the cheapest or most accessible hobby in the world (especially if you don’t live near anywhere some good byways, tracks or green lanes to ride like us… thanks London!) but, in this article we can hopefully show you some easier and more accessible ways to try it out if you have the inkling that you wanna give it a go. All while dispelling a few myths, giving you some tips on how to meet others who can help you on your way (and maybe even make it a little cheaper to get into when you team up with them) to the trails and beyond!
SO, HOW DID I START OUT?
Well, it all started about 5 years ago by having a few wobbles on my other half’s CRF250 which all ended in tears (and very nearly divorce) after a very nasty collision between tree and face (don’t worry, my FOX helmet was on at a the time and although I had no idea, I did have all the gear thank f*%k ). The bike felt far too tall for me, I lacked confidence and I pushed myself too far too fast (typical) and after the off I was ready to give up.
Enter flat track and a trusty CRF100. After getting to grips at multiple track days, private tuition at CHAMPIONS FLAT TRACK SCHOOL, and DIRT CAMP, I eventually started racing in the mini bike class at the UK based DTRA.This gave me an amazing grounding for learning some dirt skills in a controlled environment and on a small bike that I started to feel really confident on.
Next up, I asked around about the best non intimidating dirt bikes to go for and got myself a KTM free ride 350 and the rest is history! I now ride trails regularly and even made a move to North Wales so I can do what I love more! That’s literally how much I love riding trails now. So yes, I’ve gone from an absolute beginner with some pretty crap experiences in my back pocket to someone who counts trail riding as my biggest hobby. Total turn around! But this was all due to getting some good advice and some decent training under my belt before hitting the trails so hopefully I can give you a few of those tips that I received too.
ALL ABOUT THAT TRAIL LIFE….
So, what is the perfect trail bike to start out with? Well, everyone will have a different opinion on that, from those who prefer the classic old school twin shock machine, to those who prefer more modern enduro based bikes. We personally think some of the perfect beginner bikes are the KTM free ride and the Beta X-Trainer, which are both designed as first step bikes into dirt bike and trail riding.
KTM Freeride - 350 Four stroke
Beta X- trainer, 300 Two stoke
They’re slightly lower in height than many enduro bikes (great for shorter riders!) and although the engines seem on the bigger side they are pretty tame and perfect for anyone wanting to give trail riding their first go. They’re also a super fun bike for someone who is more experienced but wants to have fun on the trails as they are kind of a cross over bike between trials and enduro. The KTM Freeride comes in both a 350 four stroke model and a 250 two stroke model while the Beta X-trainer is a 300 two stroke that has been dialled down.
That being said, if you can help it, don’t go buying a bike without trying any out first. A great idea is to book in for some dirt lessons with a reputable off road school. This is good for two reasons: 1 - You’ll get to try and test out a dirt bike (maybe even couple of different bikes) and 2 - You’ll get some great tuition that’ll set you up for dirt riding. Win, win!
We’ve listed some of our fave schools further down for you to take a look at so GET AT THEM!
SO WHERE EXACTLY CAN YOU RIDE IN THE UK?
Green-laning and the law
Ok so, this is a BIG one… Actually, in the UK, it’s EVERYTHING! First up, Trail riding is not ‘off-road riding’. Off road means exactly that. A track or private space designated for riding/competing like an MX track or private enduro facility is off road. In trail riding the routes used are all public highways with vehicular rights therefore the motorcycle and rider must be fully legal (you must have your licence and your bike must be fully road registered with a number plate, Taxed MOT’d and insured as per all road bikes).
The routes used for trail riding mostly consist of roads called Byways or Open to All Traffic (BOAT) and Unclassified County Roads (UCR). Other unsurfaced lanes and rights of way are not usually open to vehicles. BOATs are marked as such on Ordnance Survey maps, while UCRs are shown as Other Routes with Public Access.
Green lanes are sensitive environments and the TRF (Trail Riders Fellowship) has a Code of Conduct to ensure the right to use them isn’t compromised by careless behaviour. It’s good to have a look at this before heading out on the trails (find it on the TRF website) but also nothing is better than a bit of common sense when you’re out riding. If you’re riding a two stroke revving constantly and riding places you shouldn’t then you’re gonna draw unwanted attention and ultimately this gives every dirt biker a bad name and can eventually lead to byway complaints and closures, and no one wants that.
A bit of common courtesy to other byway users like horse riders, walkers etc. also goes a hella long way so be chill and the byways will be there for us all to keep enjoying :)
Finding where you can and can't ride is a little bit of a dark art when you’re starting out, however, once you begin to understand how to find Green Roads by understanding their markings on maps and checking their legal status you'll find that it all starts making sense. The next stage is actually planning a route, from a short half day to multi-day trail riding adventures.
First up is your standard OS paper map. If you’re a bit of a geek about maps like we are then it’s great idea to get a map of the area where you’re planning to ride and familiarise yourself with the area, and check out a possible good route by looking at the by way markings (usually marked by a green line with crosses along it as in the guide above).
Next up, there are motorcycle sat navs that you can use off road. A favourite amongst riders is the Garmin Montana but at a spenny £400 upwards it’s a big investment if you’re just starting out. Also, sat navs unfortunately don’t have OS maps so if you’re riding and want to check that you’re on a byway you won’t be able to check on your sat nav, meaning you’ll have to know that the route you’re planning to ride that day is a legit right of way before you download it and head out.
Don’t fancy shelling out for an expensive off road sat nav? An awesome app that we’ve found a godsend for finding and logging trails is the View Ranger app.
If you download the app you can track and plot your routes as you ride them (great for revisiting places you wanna ride again), share your routes with others and search for other peoples ride routes for green laning and adventure riding in the UK. View Ranger is free but you can upgrade and get OS maps included. We did this as, although you can follow routes easily without the OS map add on, sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish whether the lane you’re on is an actual byway and the only way to find out is by seeing the markings on an OS map (and believe us you don’t want to be getting your giant paper fold out OS map out half way around trail). It’s well worth the £22 a year to have it all on your phone.
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Wanna see some tried and tested off road routes in the UK? Search for VC London in the View Ranger app where we’re loading up the off road routes we’ve been riding!
(Disclaimer: VC aren’t affiliated with the View Ranger app. We just found it the best app for keeping a track on where we’ve been and some ideas of where to go on the trails here in the UK.)
P// AMANDA FORDYCE
GET GEARED UP
Believe us, falling off freakin’ hurts even in mud so try to protect yourself with a good helmet, proper boots, riding trousers, body armour of some sort, knee and elbow pads (these may be integral to some jackets and trousers). The pointy bits of your body hit the ground first, so if you have padding on, this won’t end your day. We wear either a FOX Proframe or an ATWYLD Barricade armoured shirt under our jersey and it does the trick perfectly for the trails. If you can’t afford new, its always worth checking out eBay, especially for second hand mx boots but NEVER buy used helmets…duhhhhh. We recommend always wearing eye protection – at best you will get flies in your eyes without adequate protection, at worst you could sustain serious eye damage from stones or a pointy piece bramble flying at you outta nowhere.
Wanna see what kind of gear we ride trails in? Check out our VC guide to off road gear HERE!
FIND YOUR CREW
So you’ve been to try out riding off road at an experience day or off road school, you’ve had a go on a bike, you’ve found and bought your first bike or a friend is willing to let you have a go on theirs on the trails….. So what now? We’ve said before and we’ll say it again, social media is a godsend for finding others to ride with so check out some riding groups of facebook or link up with some mates that already ride.
Next take every bit of advice you can get. Seriously! Talking to people that know their shizzle about trail riding will be worth it. Try go out with some trail riding groups across the UK like the TRF. They are a world of knowledge and experience and are super welcoming to new comers .They’ll also be able to point you in the direction of the right kit to buy and may even know somebody that is selling a bike that’s right for you.
Trail riding is just about having fun on a dirt bike, spending time with your mates and generally messing about like you’re a teenager again. It is not racing, it’s not competitive and it’s definitely not going as fast as you can through sensitive landscapes. If you want to go race – join a race club. Also ,when you do get round to buying a bike, don’t think that having the latest enduro machine is important. While there will be people on newer machines, the majority will have bought second-hand and had their bikes a while. As long as your bike is reliable and can handle the terrain that you wanna ride its all good.
One tip for trail riding with experienced people is try not to turn up on a bike with stuff wrong with it before you even start out. Your new mates will forgive a few mechanicals, but if you arrive on something that can barely make it out of the car park, you are not going to make yourself popular. Also make sure you’ve got a full fuel tank the you turn up and a few trail snacks to share at break time (you’ll thank us later) !
When you go out for the first time introduce yourself to the run leader and tell them you are a novice and haven’t much off road experience – don’t lie about your abilities as it will bite you back on the very first tough lane – if in doubt underpromise and overdeliver!
GET SOME EXPERIENCE
Before starting out on the trails you might wanna consider going along to some off road schools To try out dirt bikes and also to learn a thing or two from some experts before hitting the trails or buying your own bike! We are very lucky in the UK that there are a lot of amazing schools that cater for everyone from complete beginner to riding up to in enduro pros that wanna work on their skills.
Here we’ve listed a few links to our favourite schools in here in the UK. This is by no means the be all and end all and a great way to start Iff road before getting on the trails might just be round the corner from where you live so do you research and have a look to see if there are any local schools that cater for beginners in your area.
Dirt riding for complete newbies / Trail riding and Enduro skills schools:
PACK IT UP
So what do you physically need to go trail riding? Well, a lot more than a usual ride out on the road that’s for sure. As your bike (and potentially you) are gonna take a few knocks, especially at first when you’re still a little wobbly, there are a few bits to have packed in your backpack that could be that all important lifesaver on the trails.
A basic kit as well as a mini tool kit is a great idea so here’s what we take along in our backpacks:
Hydration pack / back pack (or similar) and water (lots of water!)
Our Bridgestone mini tool kit (f you’re headed to Camp VC this year and are one fo the first 50 ticket holders you might be getting one of these bad boys too!) In it we have:
Reversible end screwdriver – crosshead and flathead
Leatherman multi-tool including sharp knife
Spoke spanner
Front Sprocket circlip
Sockets – Torx 45, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm
Spark plug
8mm spanner
10mm spanner
12mm spanner
2 x 6″ adjustable spanners
tyre tool
Tyre lever
Also great if you have the space are:
Electrical tape and Cable ties - Saviour of many a trail ride mishap and a great thing to always have on you!
Handle bar mount for your Phone
USB Battery pack - For your Phone
Snacks / energy bars/ a can of Red Bull (believe us you’ll need it!)
A towrope or strap! If your bike dies mid ride you might need someone else to tow you back to safety….It happens
Mini first aid kit
A clean rag - Put this on your handle bars wedged in the front on a wet day. Use it to clean your goggles as you go. LIFESAVER!
GET READY FOR THRILLS… AND ALOT OF SPILLS
OK so this is sometimes a really tough one to admit, but first time out you might struggle. Hell, even the second, third, fourth and fifth you still probably will! If you genuinely can’t get up a steep hill or rocky climb, don’t be afraid to admit defeat and let somebody else either help you or ride the bike up for you. It’s a far better option than bashing yourself and your new bike to hell in a stream of more frustrating fails. You will get better over time. Practice makes… well, better!
FINALLY
You will fall off!
You will break bits of your bike. And you never know those bits may need mending to carry on
But, you will freaking love it if you find some ride buds and do it the right way!