Easy Beginner Ride?

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Petard
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Easy Beginner Ride?

Post by Petard »

I called the shop and they told me that they are waiting for shipment of the skid plate I ordered. There is a possibility that I might receive the bike Friday afternoon, but it didn't sound super convincing :crybaby:

Anyway, assuming I do get the bike for the weekend, can anyone think of an easy area I could go to, not too far from YYC, to try out the bike? I was thinking of riding loops and hills and easy trails to get a feel for the bike, how it accelerates and brakes, how to shift, how I feel about planting my feet and getting used to the height of the bike and all of that stuff—even just putting it onto my truck and getting it down. I don't have a GPS and I want to be able to find my truck when I'm done :lol:

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erniebearskin
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Re: Easy Beginner Ride?

Post by erniebearskin »

Don't discount Wildrose MX, the hill track there is very easy terrain, the parking area near the hill track is sloped which makes loading very easy and despite being a little intimidating the first time going through the gates, the vast majority of people encountered at the track are very nice folks.

Hill track typically has very little whoops, ruts and no big jumps or jumps that aren't easily rollable. Couple of laps and you will be having a blast, its the easiest adult track in the park, so faster guys do expect slower folks and will just go around you without any fuss.

I think its a great choice to go and get used to a new bike. Also if you do have any small issues, you haven't traveled too far.

Have fun! :thumbsup:
Bikeless....

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Petard
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Re: Easy Beginner Ride?

Post by Petard »

No, I haven't discounted Wildrose, but I was thinking (wrongly?) that I might prefer to go into a gentle natural environment near Calgary :crazy:

I noticed some talk of the Porkies on another thread. That is likely kind of what I had in mind, at least, what I can see from the Cowboy Trail (Hwy 22) south of Longview. I know that when one gets further west, one approaches the more rugged terrain of the mountains along the gravel Hwy (9)40 (connecting Eden Valley with Coleman), but there must be some areas in the Bob Creek area, for example, that are accessible? Or even, not quite as far south? Or perhaps into the parched Badlands area east of the city?

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Re: Easy Beginner Ride?

Post by joshua »

Indian Graves south of Longview has a nice easy valley with some easy trails off of it, don't go when wet though as easily ruts. Turn West right before Chain Lakes Reservoir on 532 and follow for ~12km's where you can unload, ride on south side of the road follow the valley with the river.

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Petard
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Re: Easy Beginner Ride?

Post by Petard »

joshua wrote:Indian Graves south of Longview has a nice easy valley with some easy trails off of it, don't go when wet though as easily ruts. Turn West right before Chain Lakes Reservoir on 532 and follow for ~12km's where you can unload, ride on south side of the road follow the valley with the river.
Thanks! I've been up that road a way in my truck and it is an area I'd really like to explore... this weekend? It would be nice :thumbsup:

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Re: Easy Beginner Ride?

Post by trailguy »

If you go to Wildrose or any Moto track besides the obvious of not cutting across the track or going backwards [they all have directional arrowed signs] rule number one is never ever pull over for a faster rider coming up behind you, you will get plowed. Hold your line and they will commit to going around you. The reason you never want to pull over is the rider behind you has likely already committed to picking a line around you [likely at speed] if you guess wrong it can get ugly.

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Re: Easy Beginner Ride?

Post by Petard »

trailguy wrote:If you go to Wildrose or any Moto track besides the obvious of not cutting across the track or going backwards [they all have directional arrowed signs] rule number one is never ever pull over for a faster rider coming up behind you, you will get plowed. Hold your line and they will commit to going around you. The reason you never want to pull over is the rider behind you has likely already committed to picking a line around you [likely at speed] if you guess wrong it can get ugly.
Thanks for the warning :) I think I need a place with less traffic for my first few rides :smirk:

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Re: Easy Beginner Ride?

Post by Petard »

Hooligan wrote:Waiparous / Ghost area is also good. There are decent quad trails there that are not polluted with gigantic puddles (unlike the McLean Creek quad trails).
I barely know that area and don't have a clue where to go. I know the Ghost Dam, as it is a popular spot for bikers to stop and reconnoiter before heading to Canmore/Banff on the Hwy 1A. In my truck, I have taken the Waiparous Hwy 40 turnoff north and followed it up to the Sundrie turnoff. There is some beautiful landscape up there asking to be explored offroad!

Yes, I noticed, two Sundays ago, days before I purchased my Yamaha TT-R230, when I scouted the McClean Creek area in my truck, that the trails out there were mud-filled bogs. I could see that they needed a week or so to dry out enough to become useable.

As I drove in from the west on the Hwy 66, I could see a massive cloud of rising smoke and I thought there must be a forest fire, but it turned out to be a dust cloud generated by the hordes :crazy: The area was like a zoo! I thought McClean Creek might be better visited on a weekday :lol: Fischer Creek seemed a little calmer?

I can't wait to try some of these places out!!! :thumbsup: I had commitments yesterday and thought today might be a possibility, but I am still not comfortable at all with my skinny little tailgate ramp. I rolled the bike up it last night and got the bike just to the uppermost hump on the ramp where it flattens out to the tailgate. I could have gotten it into the box, but the thought of dumping it a second time on the way back out was not appealing. I just don't like the stepladder method! It is very clumsy and my bike is a lot heavier than I expected (nothing compared to my Yamaha Road Star, of course, but for rolling up a steep ramp, even this little bike does have a fair bit of heft). That girl in the DirtRider video must have arms the length of gorillas' and her bike must be very light.

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Re: Easy Beginner Ride?

Post by Petard »

Sounds good. Maybe a quad trail would be good to get my leg—wheels—on.

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