The landscape became more and more fantastic, while the road became increasingly more difficult. With dirt or gravel, you can average around 40 or 50 mph...cautiously. However, sand is another story, especially on a fully loaded 500 pound bike. For your average street rider, having the tire slip out from you is a definite "oh shit" moment. As a racer, you become accustomed to having the tires move around underneath you, as you are pushing the limits of the tire's traction. In the sand, its like having the front tire in a never ending "oh shit" moment. You can be going completely straight and the front tire (and handlebars) are going in all different directions. You have to train yourself to not overreact, let them move around, and to stay on the throttle. Even with being a competent off road rider, I must have almost crashed at least ten times that day because I would get up the speed on the gravel or dirt, but then suddenly the road would turn to sand. Perhaps the day was a little tougher than usual because I had gotten sick from dinner the night before and was unable to eat or drink much of anything all that day. Despite the brutal riding, I wouldn't have missed the experience for anything. The river crossings, boulder fields, and roads to nowhere are just a few of the things that make this a unique adventure.
The landscape became more and more fantastic, while the road became increasingly more difficult. With dirt or gravel, you can average around 40 or 50 mph...cautiously. However, sand is another story, especially on a fully loaded 500 pound bike. For your average street rider, having the tire slip out from you is a definite "oh shit" moment. As a racer, you become accustomed to having the tires move around underneath you, as you are pushing the limits of the tire's traction. In the sand, its like having the front tire in a never ending "oh shit" moment. You can be going completely straight and the front tire (and handlebars) are going in all different directions. You have to train yourself to not overreact, let them move around, and to stay on the throttle. Even with being a competent off road rider, I must have almost crashed at least ten times that day because I would get up the speed on the gravel or dirt, but then suddenly the road would turn to sand. Perhaps the day was a little tougher than usual because I had gotten sick from dinner the night before and was unable to eat or drink much of anything all that day. Despite the brutal riding, I wouldn't have missed the experience for anything. The river crossings, boulder fields, and roads to nowhere are just a few of the things that make this a unique adventure.
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