New (Prospective) Member - Stockwell, London

[Marsh]

I went on a days training with Jason from http://www.tricksinthesticks.co.uk end of last year and loved it, but living in a flat makes it a bit of a pain to get a bike etc. Anyway I’m biting the bullet now and trying to get everything sorted. This is the only off road experience I’ve had, and it’s fair to say there was a lot of paddling! I’ve seen there’s a training weekend in the middle of March, is this the sort of thing I should be trying to get onto?

I’ve not got a car/van licence so I’ll be riding to the lanes, I’m assuming this is going to mean 4t only?

Looking at something like this: http://www.motorcyclenews.com/bikes-for ... f/3413210/

I’ll also be needing to rent a garage to store it in - what do people do for cleaning bikes? I’ve not seen any available with a water supply yet.

Cheers,
Phil

[Dominic]

Hello and welcome Phil,

Training is always a good idea and the Sweetlamb training in Wales is certainly very good. There are also other schools closer to home (Desert Rose for example).

If you are riding to the lanes then common thinking is that a 4t will be better on the road. I have had both 4ts and 2ts and the 4t felt better on the road. This is often because modern 2ts are more focused enduro bikes while 4ts in the shape of WRFs, XTs, CRLs etc are less enduro-focused and slightly more multi-purpose. Of course you do get focused 4t enduro bikes and I am generalising so others may disagree with me. For riding the lanes you dont need a focused enduro bike... but they are more fun... and it is well known that real men ride 2ts

As for cleaning, I find that a jet wash on the way home is the best bet for many reasons.

[stevent]

Phil
I used to live in Brixton and used to ride out to the lanes. For long stints on the road you I suggest a dual purpose bike. I have got a Yamaha WR250R which I used to use for both trail riding and commuting. I recently got an a WR250F as well so I only use the WR250R for commuting now. The F is much more capable off road, but not suited to longer stints on the road. The WR250R is the best 250 dual purpose in my opinion and I'm happy to hit the A3 and ride down as far as Alton. There is also the Honda CRF250L. I used to park in the street, chained to a street light. The bike was stolen once but an Almax Chain, cover and Tracker are good defences. There are quite a few jet washes on the A24 between Dorking and Stockwell, to clean the bike off. You'll need a license --- if you don't have one then you could get a Yamaha DT125R --- that is what I started trail riding on with my L plates... it is more than capable at doing all the lanes. If you want to talk through give me a call.
Steven 07796 172397

[smokinrider]

Your best bet would be a trail bike rather than an enduro. It will have a key and steering lock and more user friendly service intervals. Yea it might lack a bit of power and suspension and will be a bit heavier but it will probably be easier on your pocket in the long run.


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[Stewie]

Hello and welcome,