was this a "Beginner" GS ride?

[slide]

OK, I am caught. It really wasn't a wallaby, but a bandicoot. I blew the tale up a mite to give it some color.

Also to confess up properly, I did leave out the part where you needed to catch a dingo by the tail and teach it to sing 'Waltzing Matilda'.

[crofrog]

Originally Posted by tallpaul63

It removes a lot of the anxiety from the equation to learn this stuff on a smaller, lighter bike with street legal knobbies, a motorcycle that you can pick up easily, that's not too pretty, with cheap plastic bits and hand guards, skid plates etc. A bike that you can drop and shrug about it. For me, that's a DRZ 400. Cost me two grand. Can sell it later for a wee bit less. Cheap fun!

You can use those skills with a bigger bike in time.

Good luck to you!

The DRZ is indeed a tank, although I'm not really sure I'd call light...

Also, try the non-dot knobs. Who cares if they're DOT once you're through inspection. If you're going to get traction might as well get loads of traction.

[Aquanout]

See, the truth is way stranger than fiction, don't you feel better?

[slide]

Good to get the truth of those nasty bandicoots off my chest. So, yes.

[AviatorTroy]

Originally Posted by bully1

I reckon that you need to harden the fuck up, if you want to take a bike off road then be prepared for the unexpected, always be aware that cattle , deer, kangaroos, emus and all sorts of animals will be in your path, get used to it or stay on the bitumen where supposedly rational thinking humans will still wipe you out.

You should be thankful that you were asked to go on the ride , you could always have been out there with a bunch of mates and had the same thing happen, did the "instructers"get paid for their time or where they doing for club members ?

Don't look to blame others because your expectations weren't met . If you were not out doing massive hillclimbs and riding in rocky creekbeds then it was a beginners ride.

That is one of the best quotes I've ever heard around here. I mean, if you don't challenge yourself and ride with people that are a lot better than you then how would you ever expect to improve your skills?

[AdventurePoser]

Originally Posted by slide

Good to see someone else taking this tack. My first off the pavement ride was a real beginners' ride. We had to ride up a dead tree which was perfectly vertical for roughly 90' and then spin on the rear wheel to return downward - all without a single dab. If we dabbed, the instructor would fire his SMLE at us for the rest of the time on the tree - not aiming to kill but only to maim.

After that, we had to strap our bikes on our back and climb a 40' cliff not using pitons or other assists. After than we had to ride through the 'dust bowl' which is fine lava particles in a huge hole 100 yards across and 50 yards deep meaning we were submerged for a good deal of the time.

The survivors had to find a female wallaby over 2 years old, run it down with the bike killing it and then the rider had to eat its heart raw.

That's a real starter ride, mate!

Hey, I went on that ride too! Didn't much care for the wallaby heart.

Steve