Riding Whoops - a few tips

[Crawdaddy 96]

Go here for some motocross riding tips that can be carried over to the terrain we rode in this past weekend (beyond the obvious tip/suggestion - get in shape/toughen up!)

Whoops riding tips

Sand Corners

Flat Corners

[sandiegoland 0]

Here's from a noob's perspective. I haven't gotten very far in my whoop technique, other than to realize I need stiffer springs in the front... but I did make a little progress at the dash... Ride-Orange gave me some quick pointers this weekend. Here's what I have so far (experienced riders please correct me).

1. Gently rolling over each whoop. Not good. Your compressing in the softest part where all the soft sand collects. It's actually quite fatiguing. Also with your speed lower you are more likely to roll off a whoop without being straight. If you aren't straight and are going slow enough to plow-in you are in trouble.

2. Start by try to skip the "bottom" of every other whoop. Look to see if you can find a pattern in the whoops. Every other one will be smaller - or not. Pick the bigger whoop if there is one and roll up that one with enough speed to hit the next one near the top. If you hit it right you can use that one to bounce back up and skip the next bottom. If you overshoot the 2nd whoop, just roll down and use the net whoop to launch again. If you fall short and hit a whoop too low -- well that is why you need to be straight, have a properly set up suspension, and have your wrists straight and elbows even with the bars (attack position).

3. Not there yet. Getting more appropriate fork springs for my weight. Probably finding that rhythm to avoid the bottom of every whoop (or use all the highway bailouts!! )