Improving my "woods" skills

[CampX]

Originally Posted by bowhunter007

Rereading a bit of this thread...thought I'd make a final notation. I still find it hard to swallow, that in Oct. 2011, I bought a beat up 2t bike and went riding. Riding quad trails(not much over idle in 2nd gear) scared the crap out of me. As of late, I took up a bit of racing...I'm hooked! I took a beating last week, and can't wait for the next round. Many people have helped me along the way...in person and by way of dirtbike forums. Thanks to all! I've come along from a timid beginning casual trail rider, to racing with the B class guys. Not bad for a guy who decided to take up dirtbikes at 42.

Man, thats scary similar to my story. Bought my first dirtbike, an '05 EC300, last spring, at 40 years of old. Could barely keep control on fire-roads. Had some really bad habits from years of riding quads, as in the left and right levers on a quad don't work the same as a dirtbike, go figure....a couple trips over the handlebars cured me of that. Now I ride with a couple buddies who race, and push me really hard, thats the only way to truly learn, to ride on the ragged-ass edge of scared/too fast/super fun. Arm pump and shaky legs have replaced a sore butt from sitting-down riding, lol!