Australia is full of fascinating geological regions; did you know we have some of the oldest rocks on the planet? Rocks that have evidently waited 4.4 billion years to screw with your front wheel and mess up your day. Riding on large rocks can be a bitch, particularly if it’s a long section and worse if it’s a hill. If you do even a modicum of offroad riding in Oz then you will have to ride on loose rocks at some point and while it can seem less fun than a Woody Allen movie marathon, you need not fear constant crashing with these three super simple tips to improve your rock skills.
TIP ONE – Choose your path wisely
Look way ahead and spot potential lines as early as you can. Give yourself time to make adjustments and plot your ideal course. If other riders have gone before you, there might be a line with fewer rocks where they’ve cleared the way.
TIP TWO – No time for sitting down
Stand up. This is non-negotiable. Standing allows you to quickly react with body movement. It gives you a stronger centre of balance and lowers your weight to the pegs and not the seat.
Also, riding on rocks while sitting is just not great on your back, or if you still run an original DR650 seat, your arse.
TIP THREE – Get a grip
Grip the bike with your legs. You may be surprised by the amount of control you can exert on your bike just through your legs. It has a settling effect like giving a rowdy kid Phenergan. It can subdue an otherwise radical movement from the bike and help you maintain control.
But don’t worry if you look like a tossed octopus. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to work. If you’re dabbing your feet a bit then so be it. Try not to paddle as you’ll have little control over the bike but a foot drop here and there is no problem at all.
