Tips for slick roots?

[bdeezy400]

any tips for slick roots. where i ride they seem to get bigger and more slippery everytime i go riding.

[tirebiter]

Stand up, medium throttle, close your eyes and pray they aren't there when you open them.. ?

[z40004]

Hit them straight on with enough momentum to carry your rear wheel over them. ?

[sonorawfo]

Look well ahead on the trail, try and see them before you get there??, get up on the pegs and hit them as square as possible, let your momentum or speed carry over, if you have the traction lift the front wheel over and let momentum carry the rear wheel over till you get back on the gas!!. Only time & practice will get you through the tough stuff. ?

[87XR250R]

Make sure you have a fresh rear tire, and you see the good line well before you have a 300degree and 250lb XR sitting on your leg and you are looking for away from the oven that is your boot under the engine.

That said a fresh tire will allow you to keep the front end lighter and keep you from stopping due to lack of traction after your front tire hits the last root at the end of a long slipperly hill climb.

[OHVrider]

1. Throttle control

2. Depending on the bike, you might need to use the clutch to smooth the power out or prevent a stall

3. Hit them square, if at an angle, your front tire might slide down the root.

4. If you can, blip the throttle and lift the front wheel so it just skims the top of the root. This is easier on a big 4-stroke, smaller bike might require some clutch and practice.

Cheers,

[Tubo]

Lack power? Square up to the root or log. About 2' before the log compress your front suspension, pull up, and lean back while blipping the throttle. This will start your front end up as you contact the root or log and may get your tire over the log. You need at least enough speed to carry your back tire over the log when it hits. Practice and you'll feel the weight shift needed when your back tire contacts the log to prevent the front end from slamming down.

[12bridn]

If there are not too high, momentum and stay steady on the throttle. Too much throttle and the tire will spin and go sideways.

[XRZ4me]

Ok, all the above works on 1 root or log. What about when there's 3 of them, each a little over a bike length apart, each a different angle, snot slick with mud and big trees lining the trail sides? Actual condition where I ride, can take you straight to it,, after the 2 hog wallow mudholes and getting under the handlebar high fallen tree then straight to it.. ?

[barton]

Hit them at high speed, then pick your tumbling body up, get back on and go. At least that way, you'll have cleared them. ? :cry: ? Since you're going to wreck anyway, you might as well be on the other side of them when it's over! ?

Just kidding. Sounds like the place you describe will require exacting throttle control and lots of body english. Good luck.

[XRZ4me]

Yeah, lots of front to back body english and clutch to get each individual wheel over each root. Good clutch, throttle control, and no small amount of luck help too. When it's dry it's no problem but when it's been raining like it has here it's just another gnarly of many. ?

[xrvic]

I like to lighten the bike by standing up sharply just as i get to the root ( I also grip the tank with my knees ). Don't change the throttle position and stay light with my head over the number plate.

[Halfcab76]

Look well ahead on the trail, try and see them before you get there??, get up on the pegs and hit them as square as possible, let your momentum or speed carry over, if you have the traction lift the front wheel over and let momentum carry the rear wheel over till you get back on the gas!!. Only time & practice will get you through the tough stuff. ?

?

[smoker]

X4z4me: Ever try using the base of the trees as a launch pad or to ease the transition?

[2PLY]

Ok, all the above works on 1 root or log. What about when there's 3 of them, each a little over a bike length apart, each a different angle, snot slick with mud and big trees lining the trail sides? .........

Some good tips back there. for multiple roots, not logs, do as others said about compressing the forks and hit the roots on the suspension rebound with some body tugging back on the bars so the front tire skims the roots. Carry some speed and don't shut the throttle and don't add any gas.. You want to glide through them.

But now for the important part. Don't brace yourself against the handle bars and don't clamp your legs to the frame or tank. Give the bike room to tip between your legs and keep all of your weight out of the bars and onto the pges... EXCEPT.. When the rear tire is about to hit.. See if you can "unweight" the rear tire just as it contacts each root like helping the rear tire of a bicycle bump up a curb.. but make sure you don't press into the bars. The bars must be able to pop up with each root contact without your weight on them.

If you can give a tug on the bars before each root, that would be good as long as you remember to unweight your feet as the rear hits them.. Momentum and a light touch is your best bet.. stay off the gas and brakes.. and stay loose so the bike can twitch a little without twitching you..

?

For a single root: Unweight Unweight... or Bunny Hop if you can.. but now we're talkin Trials ?

[2PLY]

X4z4me: Ever try using the base of the trees as a launch pad or to ease the transition?

Sure do!! ? One of my favorite ways when going fast. Just make sure to turn toward the tree and then turn away at the trunk of the tree so that the handle bars clear. Do it so that the bike tips left or right but you stay upright.

The trail is not as worn close to the tree and the roots will not be so far out of the ground nor spread out as much. Just gotta tip the bike so the tires kiss the tree and not the bars.

[Tubo]

Sure do!! ? One of my favorite ways when going fast. Just make sure to turn toward the tree and then turn away at the trunk of the tree so that the handle bars clear. Do it so that the bike tips left or right but you stay upright.

The trail is not as worn close to the tree and the roots will not be so far out of the ground nor spread out as much. Just gotta tip the bike so the tires kiss the tree and not the bars.

How's that work with the tree growing on the inside of a turn?

[Burnrider]

You need enough trail to cut it outside first then into the tree base. Hitting the tree base gets your front wheel up without losing speed, this allows the rear wheel to carry the step root. If you hit the root square with the front tire it usually slows you enough to stop the back wheel below the root. It only sucks on the first hill or going back to the truck.

[2PLY]

How's that work with the tree growing on the inside of a turn?

Let's say a right turn:

Slow down, stay outside (left) at the start of the turn and then cut right to the tree (squaring the turn) Lay the bike over to the left as you reach the tree without turning until you've cleared your bars past the tree and then get back to turning right before you run out of trail. Do your turning by tipping the bike back and forth from one leg to the other... DO NOT try to lean your head and shoulders into the turn. Open your legs and don't clamp them to the tank or frame.

Most times, the center of the trail will be from 2 to 3 feet away from a tree and that is where the most tread wear is. the roots will be taller and more spread out. At the stump of the tree, the roots are close together and still burried under ground. If you can get the tires to track at that point without smashing the bars into the tree, you'll get away scott free. But you gotta tip the bike over to clear the bars QUICKLY.. Sort of like making a ski turn by setting the skis out to the side on the edges while your body stays more upright and away from the tree... Make sense?

[condog_aus]

My tip would be always offer flowers and a compliment about the dress or hair.

LOL. Sorry couldnt resist.