So I've probably watched as much helmet cam footage as the next guy but still have some questions about snow specific things like steep decents, decending around trees. I learned a lot about sledding with videos like schooled plus went to a three day course with Dan Adams which was awsome. Looking for some basic DO NOT's and some helpful DO's. Do guys ever straight line it down hill like on a sled or too much worry about the single ski finding something unfriendly so you keep a bit of sidehill to it? Going out for first ride this weekend with the sledding crew and trying to not look too bad as I want to convert a few of them. Everyone in our sled crew rides a 450 on track, off road, and sand dunes and they're all excited to take a ride on the horse. The easier I make it look the better.
Riding Techniques
- Thread starter albertaguy
- Start date
carve like you would skies or snowboard
good vibes
try and pick a good sno bike area to ride, like off the truck and onto snow not icy trail to the high country. better some flat ground and open so you start by riding around in a nice big white fluffy park,
try not to fall over tooo much, so: stop and park in deep loose snow when possible and on a slight hillside better than flat ground ( its not a snowmobile ), sledders pick flat spots, bikers pick hill sides ..... or they will learn to.
get on the bike on the uphill side.......dah, with kick starter if you must on the downhill side, comes natural after awhile, so you got to think before you stop, until it comes natural.
trying to impress making some sweeping turns and you might be going a little to slow, to not fall over into the turn, keep weight on the outside footpeg and body over top side of seat, don't try and flat track it, you'lll probably going to fall to the inside of the turn and no foot down on the inside ( very amature looking ) and likely to having you leaning too far inside and slow dumb inside fall down.
Don't go where the sleds go, have them follow you, then they will want to try, so some easy sidehill, left side on the hillside, most feel most comforable there.
Choose nice warm day with 10.3 inches of new dense fuzz on modest base.
try and pick a good sno bike area to ride, like off the truck and onto snow not icy trail to the high country. better some flat ground and open so you start by riding around in a nice big white fluffy park,
try not to fall over tooo much, so: stop and park in deep loose snow when possible and on a slight hillside better than flat ground ( its not a snowmobile ), sledders pick flat spots, bikers pick hill sides ..... or they will learn to.
get on the bike on the uphill side.......dah, with kick starter if you must on the downhill side, comes natural after awhile, so you got to think before you stop, until it comes natural.
trying to impress making some sweeping turns and you might be going a little to slow, to not fall over into the turn, keep weight on the outside footpeg and body over top side of seat, don't try and flat track it, you'lll probably going to fall to the inside of the turn and no foot down on the inside ( very amature looking ) and likely to having you leaning too far inside and slow dumb inside fall down.
Don't go where the sleds go, have them follow you, then they will want to try, so some easy sidehill, left side on the hillside, most feel most comforable there.
Choose nice warm day with 10.3 inches of new dense fuzz on modest base.
R
Rush44
Well-known member
Trust the front ski... that's what took me the longest to accept coming from a sled. If you have the new wide ski you don't have to worry about washing out. I usually drag my uphill leg for some added stability and cut as hard or steep as I can. The hill has to be extremely steep for the track to wash out. Remember that locking up the brake causes the track to slide when turning downhill, so when the hill is really steep keep that track slowly moving forward and it will stick to the mountain much much better.
I'd say you have some great advice. The bike will surprise you and them, and you will easily have them wishing you didn't take certain lines as they follow you thinking they can do it too. Avoid the groomed/icy trails as much as possible. If you do have groomed stuff, the straight up and down sides can be easily ridden up and onto. The sooner you realize that the groomed sucks (even with the new ski), the sooner you will realize just how fun the snowbike is.
If you have to endure a long drawn out section of hardpack, I would attempt to ride as close to new snow as possible. Going in gentle S turns seems to stabilize the bike quite a bit.
If you have to endure a long drawn out section of hardpack, I would attempt to ride as close to new snow as possible. Going in gentle S turns seems to stabilize the bike quite a bit.
M
mtn.missle
New member
As stated the quicker you get off the trail the better, I went out for my first ride with a friend just after christmas and while enduring the painful miles of the trail I thought I may never want to go again. As soon as we turned off the trail it didn't take long to feel at home, I would think anyone who has ridden both bike & sled could have a blast on the horse. The ride back to the truck was much better after I realized you only need strip as wide as the ski along the trail to ride on. Keep us posted on how many you convert.
A
aadougie
Well-known member
Motocross stuff, eyes up elbows out, don't ever look down in a corner, weight the out side, when in doubt can it
Think of it like motocross in deep sand...more gas, weight further back than the full "attack" position, and flow with the bike. Momentum is your friend.
All great advice, thanks. When I took the sledding class with Dan Adams the first thing he said after a short ride was "you ride dirt bike don't you". That's why I liked my pro rmk so much than others cause it rode the most like a bike.
That's what I was thinking as well, just need to find a safe place to play on my own where I won't get into trouble. Still waitnig on the new ski, might show up before the weekend.
