technical rider , you may save energy in the rocks , but you may not be that quick . You need to be aggressive to attack the rocky terrain , but have a bike control skill set that allows you to work with your machine to carry speed and momentum . The second you ride beyond your skill set , the rocks can put you on the ground . If you ’ re being cautious and lacking momentum , the same can happen , just with a more graceful tip over ( we all know the feeling of reaching for the ground and it surprisingly not being there ).
I knew I needed to find a delicate balance for the long weekend , leaning a bit more toward the cautious side . I wanted to finish the race , so that meant I needed to keep myself and the bike from hitting the ground . I also wanted to push myself , so that meant focusing on the trail ahead . Being a Louisiana native and current Texas transplant , I don ’ t have years of riding in rocks to fall back on , nor do I get to practice them on a regular basis . This added to the challenge for me , but it was a welcomed one . I hit the ground way more often than I wanted to , but I kept my spirits high by reminding myself I was here for the fun and that just riding a dirt bike in the Rocky Mountains is a win in and of itself .
WHEN ADVERSITY STRIKES
I did have two major mishaps that could have ended my weekend with a long wait for a chance to return back to the campground . The first of the weekend happened in Test 4 . We started the test in a boulder field that
ON THE PEGS // PAGE 42