Tuesday Tip - Mud Ruts
Chris
- December 02 2008
- 14,524 views
- 29 comments
Of all the types of corners, rutted ones are perhaps the trickiest and toughest to master. Throw in slippery, sloppy conditions, and ruts become even more difficult: mud ruts are always deeper, stickier, and more inconsistent than ruts that form in drier dirt.
Rainfall in Southern California not only dampened the race conditions at the Anaheim 1 Supercross Series opener last year, but the precipitation wreaked havoc on the dozens of local motocross tracks, as well. This particular corner is at Starwest Motocross Park, a Supercross-style track in Moreno Valley, California, and what made this rut extra tricky was the fact that it was in what is normally a nice, bowled corner. That being said, the rut was not carved straight into the track, but rather into the sides of the berm, making it more like a nine-and-three-o’clock affair instead of a traditional 12-and-6-o’clock rut. While most riders at the track struggled to make it through the foot-deep rut, Trey Canard ripped through it with ease, nearly dragging his Renthal grip.
1) “You always want to look ahead when you are riding, but this is especially important in a rutted corner. If you look down at your front fender, at the rut right in front of you or somewhere else that you don’t want to be, chances are good that you’ll end up either riding out of the rut or losing your balance. In this photo I am less than halfway through the rut, but I am already focusing on the jump that lies on the exit.”
2) “Keeping your outside elbow up helps you lean the bike over into the rut, and it also helps lean your upper body into the corner. The sharper the apex of the corner, the further you will have to get the bike leaned over.”
3) “I like to ride through ruts like this in the mat of the powerband: not all revved out, but not lugging, either. Keep a finger on the clutch in case you need to get the rpms and power up, but try to roll the throttle on smoothly to maintain the best control.”
4) “Weight the outside footpeg to help keep your bike clawing for traction. Get your boot up on the peg and ride on the balls of your feet. You don’t want your toes to get caught in the sides of the rut, especially if it is a deep one like this.”
5) “Getting your inside leg up and out of the way it crucial because if you drag your boot in the mud you will either get ripped off the back of the bike, or lose your balance and momentum. I stay centrally located on the seat, with my upper body leaned slightly forward to help the front end get traction.”
6) “My finger is not on the front brake lever because I was really feelin’ it when this shot was taken, but you can always drag the front brake a little to help keep your front wheel tracking inside the rut.”
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December 2nd, 2008 at 5:35 pm
sucks because canada has too much snow! so i cant do that, and there is anger because i really want to ride!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:21 pm
That sucks beacuse here in Canada i ride all year with no snow
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:28 am
not here in victoria suckers
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:22 am
Riding in the snow is a great learning experience, but I agree
still not as fun as riding in Florida would be right now.
Glad to see some Canadian’s on the site
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:00 am
At least you have Bueno bars in Canada!
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:56 am
Props to the Canadians, i’m here in fla.- i won’t even think about riding in the snow.. .that’s crazy!! too cold for this bro..
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Screw that, too humid in Florida. Go Gators though!!
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:55 pm
canadian motocross sucks anyways im canadian and ive moved on to the states. better competition and way better tracks
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
I’m from Denmark.. In the wither we drive all the way to Italy, just to ride
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Cycle ranch at floresville, Tx would be the best place to try this stuff at
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Here in Slovenia is now so wet, muddy and cold, but no snow.
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:47 pm
haha yea i wouldent mine spining a couple laps, stupid snow
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:33 pm
i wish the motocross season would start up again im sooooooo bored
December 4th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
sorry suckers! I live in the Mecca of moto-madness. Socal baby!! Where you can find a sick-ass moto-x track within 20 miles north, east, west,or south!!Plenty of real estate still available!! Buy some.
December 5th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
you can ride perfect in the snow when the snows the right condition:D
need a about a foot of powder. with dirt or grass underneath. anything but concrete or ice.
i ride my bike all the time like that
its like riding deep sand like gopher dunes except you dig down hit frozen dirt and hook right up
try it outttt
December 10th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
good ol vancouver island eh!
ive been riding track all week
January 11th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
this is really fun! i tried t last year and it really brought me out of the winter funk. Most wintertime fun i’ve ever had
January 21st, 2009 at 11:50 pm
in aus we dont need to worry about getting snowed out!!
haha
but its so hot here right now
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:59 am
we have them in oz 2!
February 15th, 2009 at 4:26 am
We’ve only got one track but Kuwaits so small it’s only 10 kms from wherever you live! I go everyday6 after work. Too hot in the summer though.
Kev.
February 26th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
hey that is a important fact of motorcross and thats what me an the boys from team SPOT ON racing have been focussing on lately.
March 5th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
yeah im from ontario winter blows
March 9th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Im From Manitoba Canada, al we can do here is go to the states for indoor racing or work out and get ready for spring. Snow needs to go away!
March 10th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
wastelands! rep the van island
March 31st, 2009 at 8:51 pm
dude colorado sucks ass
its either way to cold or to hot
and only a couple of good tracks
but you have to drive at least two hours to get to any of them. i want to ride some glen halen or something
April 14th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I live right by this track its sick as hell
such a fat set up
May 7th, 2009 at 6:25 am
fuckin oakanagan best place fo enduro and motocross in canada, fuck ya go B.C
July 17th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
ahh thats y i ride in so cal
September 16th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
MX is perfect here in Georgia.Great weather for riding.