Sandy Patches ON THE ROAD

STRATEGIES FOR ADVENTURE BIKES

- Mike Carroll of ADVMotoSkillzZ

When you tell your friends the upcoming ride will have a few sand crossings, you will surely hear the usual complaints of "I hate sand" or "Sand is my nemesis." Here are a couple of tips you and your riding buddies can use to get through these tricky and often fear-generating sections as smoothly as possible.

But first, remember not all sand is created equal. Depending on where you ride, you may encounter anything from hard-packed beach sand to soft, powdery talcum. Every type of terrain requires a slightly different approach. Here, we look at crossing a short patch of the softer stuff built up across a trail. While standing, transition from neutral standing to a squatting-standing or “attack riding” position as needed:

TIP #1 STANDING RIDING POSTURE

Standing riding posture is my preferred technique when approaching a soft sand crossing. Standing on the pegs gives you several advantages:

• A better view of the crossing, allowing you to see the best line through

• Allows for more dynamic counterbalance inputs, as compared to sitting

• The lower leg grip used during standing allows for a more relaxed grip on the handlebars