Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Riding Technique

On the subject of off-road riding, here are some videos a co-worker sent me detailing some of the skills needed. If you get past the dated styles (which for me really makes it better), the instruction is pretty good. I wish they had some sort of multi-cam approach where we can see what the rider is doing with the clutch, brakes, and throttle, but I guess the GoPro wasn't quite developed yet in 1986. On the upside, check out that first presenter's mullet. I'd give it at least an 8.5.

Part 1 (basics):


Part 2 (wheelies, powerslides, jumps, hill climbing):


Part 3 (hill climbing continued,hill descent):



Lessons learned:
1. Dirt bikes, while trickier to learn to ride, are way more maneuverable and far less likely to land on your head in an accident

2. Three-wheelers WILL kill you

3. Big Wheels are awesome

4. 80s hair might be poised to make a big comeback

I'll leave you with this, my homage to a lost era:


Yes, that's me, and yes, that picture was taken in 2012.