10 Rules For Getting Better ADV

 

RIDE WHILE YOU CAN… OR… JUST GET OUT AND RIDE!

 

1. STAY POSITIVE…

While some say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. I am simply reminded that you have to BELIEVE in the ride to enjoy it. By staying positive, the ride will be better for you and your mates. How YOU feel influences the way other riders feel around you.
REMOVE THE HEADPHONES… Seriously? You are listening to a podcast, or your favourite music and the world is literally at the end of your fingertips. When you are on the bike, be ON the bike. Not in your HEAD.

2. RIDE WITH THE BEST…

Like any sport or activity. The best way to improve your skill set is to mix with people who are not only like minded, but who can inspire you to step outside your comfort zone, and literally, show you a better way… to ride.

3. NEVER STOP LEARNING… READ SHIT____ WATCH SHIT____DO SHIT!

Everybody learns differently. But however you learn, by taking in the knowledge of others, by reading how to improve your skill set, then watching how other people perfect those turns, wheelies, log-jumps and water crossings. Only by applying what you have learned, failed, tried again, and succeeded, will your ability and confidence grow.

4. CONSTANTLY QUESTION…

Remember as a child, you had so many questions. A constant yearning for learning. A restlessness that allows you to absorb information and grow. The more questions you ask of yourself and others, the more you will eventually separate the bullshit from fact and experience. There are NO stupid questions. ONLY stupid answers. All you have to do is commit to working out which is which, and hope it doesn’t kill you trying.

5. RESPECT & MANAGE YOUR EGO…

Ego is the “I”, the centre of your belief in yourself, your opinion and your constant companion. Don’t allow this to become “HUBRIS”, because you will only wear your friends and your welcome down. Also, EGO can get you in trouble and bite you on the arse when you least expect it.

6. EMBRACE JUXTAPOSITION AND IMPROVE YOUR RIDING POSITION…

While two riders may look like they have a similar ride style, up on the pegs, working the bike… The subtle differences between being too neutral (Meerkat), or weighting the outside peg into a corner, or placing weight forward over the handlebars (Tiger), to maintain your front tyres contact patch. This is what makes all the difference between a good rider and a better one. Stay active on the bike. Exaggerate your riding position and style, until it becomes natural. Be a Tiger, not a Meerkat.

7. NEVER EXCLUDE…

You want to be included, you want to include your friends. One thing about riding ADV is it is an equaliser. We all started somewhere along the pipeline of experience. By including other riders into your world, you never know who is the next person that will help you lift your bike up, or help pull you out of a bog. Who will be your new best friend?

8. STAY INSPIRED…

There is an old saying “Stop and smell the roses”. Early days, I have been on rides where the action is so fast, so determined, that it all flashes past and you have simply failed to take any of the trail in at all. Remind yourself that we ride ADV to get out there, to experience the beauty and landscape we are IN. Take in the view, stop and admire the landscape and history of wherever you find yourself. Smell the roses. Stay inspired by everything around you, not just the two wheels under you.

9. RESPECT DON’T REVERE…

Listen to everyone, but recognise that not everyone is an expert, or sometimes, even understands what they are trying to explain. Admire ideas, suggestions and thoughts. Respect people's skills, suggestions and ideas, but don’t kiss arse and revere the person dishing out the advice. Some of the best riders I know are not the best people I know. Some of the best people I know are still learning and growing, even as they inspire me to be a better person and a better rider.

10. FINALLY…

Make your own mistakes. Remember it is not “IF” you have an accident riding, it is “WHEN” you have your first accident, that you might have your biggest lesson handed to you. How you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back on your bike. This is when you will understand, there are no rules, just engagement. RIDE YOUR OWN RIDE.