Tight muddy corners - sliding the back

[Simmo737]

All hail the land plane and harrows, can't agree more, just check out what my club has to repair. It's national comp, and the bad suff is all on private land owned by club members, but this is what happens.....


http://www.transmoto.com.au/publish/videos/10125913/Exclusive---2012-AORC-Rd1&2,-Dungog

excuse the soap box rant but ...
I belong to a club that puts on several large rides a year and see the time and effort they put into trail work and landowner relations ..

Keep in mind that the brake slide/rear steering technique can raise hell with trail erosion. On a track/ competion event sure, dedicated ohrv area umm ... maybe .. someone still has to fix that trail. On a recreational ride put on by a club on land they don't get to use every day ... ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! If a landowner goes out and sees what 200 brake sliding, throttle twisty dirtbikes have done to his land .... chances are he won't be inviting them back! I've ridden behind some guys that are one man trail wrecking machines. Just something to think about when you are roosting merrily along.
That's someones dearly loved personal possesion flying out from under your back tire

 

[singletracker]

There's a section in this video where I am working on sliding the backend. It may not be right, but this is how I practice sliding the back.

http://youtu.be/rSkVLiiZXew

 

[GMP]

Those trails are very nice. Now, how would you handle them if they were tighter (I'm sure you have tight stuff), wet, muddy, leaves, and the real wrench in the works, studded with softball to basketball sized rocks? No clear line through the turn and maybe no smooth trail for a mile. Too rough and slick to just blast out WFO. You can't lean into it very far, as the first hit will break front traction and take you out, and there is no good place to fall. This is where you are somewhat forced to stay more vertical and kick the tail out to line things up, retain traction with the throttle/clutch and move out smooth. The NETRA guys know what I'm talking about. To be fast I think you just have to try and master a few styles and adapt to the terrain without thinking about it.

 

[singletracker]

Those trails are very nice. Now, how would you handle them if they were tighter (I'm sure you have tight stuff), wet, muddy, leaves, and the real wrench in the works, studded with softball to basketball sized rocks? No clear line through the turn and maybe no smooth trail for a mile. Too rough and slick to just blast out WFO. You can't lean into it very far, as the first hit will break front traction and take you out, and there is no good place to fall. This is where you are somewhat forced to stay more vertical and kick the tail out to line things up, retain traction with the throttle/clutch and move out smooth. The NETRA guys know what I'm talking about. To be fast I think you just have to try and master a few styles and adapt to the terrain without thinking about it.

Most of my trails are tight single track, but my wife was in a hurry so I didn't get any shots of that.

I was basically working on balance and sliding while standing, so when I get in the woods I can slide the rear with confidence without sitting down in every corner. I try not to brake slide, so I slide during acceleration when needed to make the corner a little faster. I find that riding slow, and working on balance/clutch/throttle control helps me when the pace picks up and the trails get more technical. I usually do some sort of slow riding or technical riding either before or after I make some hot laps in the trees.

Unfortunately, we don't have many rocks around here to practice on. On the the other hand there aren't many in the races I go to either. I have to admit hitting them at speed makes me a little nervous, since I don't have much time riding them.

 

[Jakobi]

I hear you. I'll plow through mud, pine needles, wet roots, over logs.. Throw big loose rocks and no clean line into the mix and my riding style falls apart really quickly. On the bright side I find there's still usually a clean line through the rocks, it just takes more focus to find it.

 

[GMP]

Cleanest maybe, but its still not clean. The thing with rocks on the tight slower trails is that you have less momentum to stay on top, and have to let the bike move around a bit more. You have to get used to feeling somewhat disconnected. Suspension is VERY important, and deflections shatter confidence.

 

[Jakobi]

I should try and post up some video of the rocky trail we have here in North Australia. Its not what I would specifically call ST and far from what I'd call tight. It is rocky though! I am quite comfortable in letting the bike work under me. Riding mud and ruts is very similar in that the bike is going where it has to before it hooks up to drive. I think you nailed it with the suspension. Mine is still the std Sachs valving and very stiff. Really beats on me especially at slower speeds.

 

[GMP]

We have a lot of those wider but very rocky erroded trails. Some were old abandoned roads from many years ago that nature has taken back. Actually quite dangerous because of the potential speed. One main reason I moved to GasGas awhile ago was that the bike was ridable in this stuff with stock suspension, not perfect, but ridable. Better than a multi time revalved KTM PDS at the time.

 

[singletracker]

Guys, I'm definitely not a pro caliber rider.

I'm a mid pack Senior A hare scramble racer, and top B level enduro racer based on last years results. I'm hoping to move up the pack this year, but only time will tell.

If I get a chance I'll get some footage of what I consider single track and post it.

 

[jgas]

Singletrack is self explanatory. 12" wide on the ground and no more than 40" wide at the bars for the majority of the trail. If you can ride an ATV through it, it can't be Singletrack.

Single=1, not 2.
Track= A depression or trail worn into the ground that can be used to navigate the terrain. Usually marked by ribbon, arrows, paint, or simply by it's very nature.

Singletrack is not singletrack if you can drive an ATV through it, or a 4x4 vehicle. Around here, it is very rare. We keep getting it destroyed into Twotrack by non-singletrack vehicle users. Usually ATV, but sometimes 4x4 vehicles. They don't get far down it, but they encroach for a hundred feet or so leaving a visible track. Then another Twotrack user goes another short distance and pretty soon what was once Singletrack is widened out and becomes little fun to ride, and impossible to maintain.

To me, true Singletrack is by far the most fun type of trail. It is the most challenging, fun, easiest to maintain, most sustainable in the long term, and it's up to us who make, maintain, and use it to keep it from being destroyed.

Ok, puttin up the soapbox.

Jeff.

 

[Jakobi]

Are you saying you can't have a single track in a field then? Potentially anything could follow it?

Some sections I refer to as single track are wide enough to fit 2 bikes side by side if required, but typically only have a single line through it.

 

[singletracker]

Singletrack is self explanatory. 12" wide on the ground and no more than 40" wide at the bars for the majority of the trail. If you can ride an ATV through it, it can't be Singletrack.

Single=1, not 2.
Track= A depression or trail worn into the ground that can be used to navigate the terrain. Usually marked by ribbon, arrows, paint, or simply by it's very nature.

Singletrack is not singletrack if you can drive an ATV through it, or a 4x4 vehicle. Around here, it is very rare. We keep getting it destroyed into Twotrack by non-singletrack vehicle users. Usually ATV, but sometimes 4x4 vehicles. They don't get far down it, but they encroach for a hundred feet or so leaving a visible track. Then another Twotrack user goes another short distance and pretty soon what was once Singletrack is widened out and becomes little fun to ride, and impossible to maintain.

To me, true Singletrack is by far the most fun type of trail. It is the most challenging, fun, easiest to maintain, most sustainable in the long term, and it's up to us who make, maintain, and use it to keep it from being destroyed.

Ok, puttin up the soapbox.

Jeff.

Everyone has their own interpretation of singletrack. I proved it by starting a thread on another forum a couple of years ago, and a lot of people posted pictures of what they considered singletrack. Much of it was a single beaten in path through an open field.

My interpretation is similar to yours though.

 

[Jakobi]

Is this? .. Could probably fit a few bikes in there.. Lol

 

[singletracker]

It is if you think it is.

My singletrack has sections like that, but it may have some trees barely wide enough to fit through around the corner. Either way it looks like some good times!

 

[Jakobi]

Yead definately tight sections where you have to feed the bars between trees. Other sections where it opens up where bog holes form and people keep making tracks around. Round the next coner and there'll be a big tree down and you bush bash a new path around. Around another 2 bends and over some roots to be greated by a jumpable tree. Woot! I love single track. More roots and trees the better!