ADV Rider #65 issue

Two Sandy Days With Miles Davis. Thrills, spills and Giggles.

Words and Images: Holly Fields

In issue 59 of ADVrider, I wrote about my journey into adventure riding. Like all things regarding adventure riding, even though we develop our skills and competencies, there will always be more to learn. My biggest nemesis, which I suggest is not mine alone, is sand. The rotten stuff brings out the whole fight-or-flight response in me with a stronger emphasis on the flight. If I am to do a planned adventure trip that includes central Australia, my response needs to be more fight. Fight the urge to run from sand but become more at ease and not drop the bike every 5 seconds. I don’t want to learn in the outback by trial and error in some seriously remote locations without the support of a trainer and a long way from help if I damage myself or the bike. This had to change. I contacted Miles Davis via Velomoto to see if he could offer private tuition. He suggested that if I could get a small group together, it would indeed be possible. A quick shout-

out to Women’s Adventure Riders Australia and the Melbourne Branch of Ulysses via their Facebook pages generated a good response. In the end, with a couple found by Miles, we had our group with riders from Tasmania, Victoria and NSW. This included 6 ladies and 2 men signed up. A location was found in Gippsland and a date set. It was on.

The group arrived with varying levels of experience in sand. In my case, I’d previously injured myself in the sand and the memory of the pain remained in my subconscious. Since then, if presented with sand ahead, I might as well step off the bike and let it fall because my fear would ultimately have the bike napping and my confidence floundering even more.

To add to my fear, I was still recovering from knee surgery and had just been able to stand on the pegs for the first time a couple of weeks earlier. Not wanting to hurt it before it was fully healed, with all honesty, I was the slowest rider in the group but hey as Miles

Above: It was truely thrills, spills and giggles. Right: Donna in action.

said, we will all get something out of the course and there is no pressure. If my knee had enough, I could still watch, listen and learn.

It was great that most of us met each other the night before at the motel and by morning we were checking out each other’s bikes and owning up to our fears with lots of nervous giggles. I was delighted to realise we had a great mix of characters in the group and would have lots of fun regardless of any sand anxiety.

Miles was true to his word. Day one was a half day with a briefing, and a quick run-over about the correct ergonomics for the bike and body position. Then we

Photo Rick Rycken u

headed into the Holey Plains State Park to gauge what levels each of us was at and to slowly introduce us to sand riding via varying levels of sand, starting with a gravel road, then onto a thin layer of sand and some deeper sections. Our first real task was to master paddling the bike through the sand. It’s important to judge the conditions and to know when to paddle along with our feet as there are plenty of scenarios where trying to stand on the pegs is risky or just plain stupid. The whole point is to arrive at point B unscathed.

As we progressed along the track, we were introduced to a variety of obstacles such as whoops (a series of small moguls), steeper hills and washed-out sections. For some in the group riding straight sections was more comfortable but for me, it was the opposite. I was very uncomfortable with stretches of straight sand, however with the familiarity of negotiating obstacles such as tree roots and washouts, wasn’t noticing the movement in the sand as much. It’s all psychological, so there was an element of chatting to myself in my helmet.

When we completed the larger track loop, the group broke up into three separate groups, those who wanted to tackle the larger loop again, those who wanted to only go over the whoops (MX

A masterclass from Miles. Miles having some fun on the whoops. Holly getting some instructing from Miles about riding in sand.

term for a set of bumps in the track; like riding over waves), and three of us who opted to stay at the meeting point with the van. I chose to stay at the meeting point. This choice allowed me to ride a smaller loop at that location, with whoops, tight corners, tree roots, steep drops and rises all with varying depths of sand, at my own pace. I started mostly paddling, but by the time the other groups returned, I was smiling from ear to ear continually completing the loop, standing on the pegs with increased speed. My learning style of hanging back and riding at my pace works for me. I learn the skills, may not be the best at the end of the course, but go home to practice, practice, practice what I have been told and shown. Miles catered to our variety of learning styles and needs. No one felt left out. At this point, it is important to highlight that when learning new skills such as sand, despite the temperature being in single digits with little to no sun, it’s typically essential to de-layer. I was down to a T-shirt with all my jacket vents open, wearing light comfortable well-vented gloves and taking my helmet off to cool down at every opportunity. Our bodies were operating at a heightened level, being challenged, both mentally and physically, thus heating up like we were in a sauna.

Photo Rick Rycken

Equally essential is to have a hydration pack on. It only takes minutes for a dry mouth, and it doesn’t take long for dehydration to cloud the mind and zap the energy. A bottle is unsuitable as hydration needs to be constant, not just when you stop for a break.

The next day we rode out to Krusic’s Ride Park where we had booked the park for our private use. Unfortunately, on this occasion, it had rained heavily and many of its tracks had a clay mix, which made it like an ice rink, despite being ridable it was deemed counterproductive for building our confidence.

It did, however, leave us with the main sand track, which had been groomed the day before for our use. I was now facing my biggest ADV fear, deep sand.

We started with the essential skill of how to get you and your bike out of a bogged situation. It was a skill I was to use again later that day and can happily

report, that without any help I got myself out. Importantly, we were taught how to use the throttle to help rock the bike and reduce the physical effort that can otherwise be dangerously exhausting. On the track, Miles guided us through the skills of standing, looking ahead, body position, getting the rear tyre to grip, throttle control and gear choices. With every lap, the competencies and grins grew on all the riders. The Lego man stances on the bikes were disappearing and we were starting to relax, adapting our body position and weight as the bike moved in the sand, to dance with the bike.

Just as crucial as knowing the skills to ride along a sandy track or patch, it is vital to be able to enter or exit tracks from the side if needed, especially if avoiding difficult or dangerous sections. Like many sandy tracks, our track had a tall build-up of soft sand on the side, with some corners cut over 1.8m deep into the hill.

Above left: Holly having fun.

Above: Sarah and Donna enjoying the day.

Top right: Miles showing position and throttle control with Keri.

Right: Dropping the bike is all part of the learning process.

Far top right: All smiles and muddy boots with Sarah.

We were shown how much power is required to ride over the soft mounds, drop down into the sand track, cross the mushed-up track and ride back out up and over the other side. There are times when riding up a steep section requires the body weight towards the back of the bike instead of the usual front to get the rear tyre to keep traction. Initially, it looked terrifying to me, but starting with the smaller mounds and drops I was soon enough tackling dropping down and up heights, at least as tall as me, that I didn’t think I or the bike could handle. It was a fitting way to end the course.

What did I get out of the two days, the knowledge of how the bike behaves in the sand, how my input can improve control, subtle skills to reduce physical effort, when to not stand on the pegs, how to recover if I do get myself bogged, and how to get myself out of sandy track onto easier ground.

was still the timidest rider of the group but had made significant improvement and gained enough confidence/ knowledge to go home to practice, practice, practice as I stated earlier. That’s how I get better at being adventurous. Others were taking on each challenge with confidence and unconstrained enthusiasm. Ultimately, we all got what we had hoped for and more. Everyone left buzzing, knowing we had some incredible adventures ahead.

A bonus was to meet some amazing women and men with the same goals for adventure, travel, exploration of places less travelled, and a well-developed “do it, do it now” attitude.