Afraid Not with Karen Ramsay

This entry is part 17 of 26 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #4

I’m not sure if it’s just me, but there are some things about riding that scare me witless. These include, but aren’t limited to: sand, clay, mud, bulldust, steep downhills, steep downhills with sharp bends and steep downhills with rocks, sand and sharp bends. And highways.

So inclined

The latest thing to send me into palpitations is Sugarloaf Road – the one between Paddys Flat and Drake in NSW. It wasn’t because the sign said ‘No Through Road’, or even that I’d held the clutch all the way in – while standing on the back brake around washouts, trees and rocks – to the bottom of a steep hill. It was the climb up the other side over a stretch of malicious rocks that constantly threw my bike from one side of the track to the other. When we eventually reached the top, my little Terra promptly took out an AVO against me for choking it all the way up the hill.

All the advice people give me goes out the window when fear sets in.

Recently I rode Oil Rig Road near Tullymorgan in the Northern Rivers region of northern NSW.

It was a steep downhill track with sand, large rocks and sharp bends. My head was saying,“Sit back. Shoulders loose. Look forward. Relax.” The reality was simply me holding on tight and repeating the mantra “Don’t fall off! Don’t fall off! Don’t fall off!” until I reached the bottom.

Truth be told

It’s a wonder I ride at all. I reckon it’s probably a bit like childbirth – once it’s all over and you’re sitting down with a cool drink discussing it and smiling fondly over the photos, it doesn’t seem that bad and you reckon you could give it another go. The closest I’ve ever heard a man come to admitting to this kind of dread is them casually saying, “I don’t like…” Now, if that’s because they’re really confident riders and nothing actually does faze them, then I’m really happy for them (and invite them to give birth some time).

On the other hand, while most blokes seem to like exaggerating about everything, I’m surprised by the number of riders I’ve met who downplay their riding ability. Like the one who told me on a trip to Cameron Corner he doesn’t like riding in sand so he just paddles through. How I was going to paddle through some 150km of sand between Bourke and Wanaaring I didn’t know, but in hindsight it might’ve been faster than the riding and falling I attempted. I naively expected to see him struggling along too, only to watch him standing confidently, waving and taking photos as he rode past.

I still reckon I saw his tongue hanging out like a dog on its first ride in the back of a ute as he passed me with no concerns about the sand.

Cornered

This leads me to the cornerman system. In one group I ride with the system we now use was instigated by one of the riders who’s more vocal about their sensitivity to dust and flying rocks than me. (Thank you! My son has a lot of dishwashing duty to make up for all his roosting past me.) It was after a day of using the more common cornerman system. This involves a lead rider and a sweep with everyone else in between. At a corner, the second rider waits there until the sweep comes along, then they re-join. Riders are constantly passing each other as faster riders overtake others when they’ve finished their corner duty.

An alternative was proposed which meant the more competent riders were up the front, and anyone who wanted to ride more slowly stayed further down the line. Once the order was established, it stayed like that and everyone knew who should be in front and behind them.

Each rider waited on the corner until their following rider came along, then the waiting rider headed off while the next rider took his turn on the corner.

As a slower rider, it’s nice not having to contend with the extra dust of people passing you.

Moving on

Whichever cornerman system is used, when used properly, it’s a simple way to keep an eye on everyone riding in a group and at their own pace. Riding on your own is great for the freedom and flexibility. However riding with others now and then gives you the opportunity to learn something from other keen adventurers, whether it’s a great track or destination, riding advice or information about what people have done to their bikes.

One day I hope to take my adventure riding to some more exotic locations and I want to have the skills to do that. I won’t be doing it fast because on the one hand I don’t ride fast and on the other I want to soak up every moment, confident I can make it through most riding situations I’m likely to encounter.

That’s why I keep riding in conditions and terrain that makes my blood run cold. I’m thinking about the day I’ll jump on a bike and head off across Australia or some distant continent, having the type of adventure that will have my parents and my kids shaking their heads in disapproval. In the meantime however, if I’m on a ride with you and I’m on a corner to get people to turn down a road called Sugarloaf, just be aware I’ll probably send you in the opposite direction.

Things I’ve learned lately

• My fear of highway riding stems from the acoustics in my helmet bringing me to the realisation I don’t have a voice like Jessica Mauboy (I thought I did)

• I would like someone to do a study into the correlation between a man’s claims of his ability and his actual ability

• Encouraging the kids to take up adventure riding means not having to worry about them turning your house into Party Central while you’re away (while the son likes riding, unfortunately I’m yet to convince my girls to get on a bike)

• People who don’t have an interest in adventure riding don’t know who Ewan McGregor is

• Don’t take Sugarloaf Road

• Eventually all that riding advice will transfer to riding skills…I hope

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