Not been off-road? Now’s your chance…
Total novice to dirt-riding aficionado after two days of expert tuition
It’s something I say to myself 50 times as I approach the brow of the rock-strewn, gravelly hill, ready for the descent: ‘Whatever you do, don’t touch the brakes.’
Tipping past the point of no return, the BMW R1250GS’s engine braking saves me from an expensive and almost certainly painful fall. Ignoring the loose cobbles and crevices, I force myself to look at the horizon. Then, with the ground levelling out, I apply some gentle throttle before snicking second, blasting up the track and roosting any onlookers, with a beaming smile on my face. Just 24 hours earlier I’d swung my leg over the R1250GS for the first time, trembling at the prospect of what was before me. I’m in Ystradgynlais, just south of the Brecon Beacons, for the Level One course at BMW Off Road Skills. Run by former Dakar rider, Simon Pavey, the school offers training to riders of all skill levels on everything from the G310GS, middleweight F850GS and the R1250GS.
At just 5ft 6in, I’m on a lowered 1250, for fear I’d struggle with the full-sized machine. My off-road experience consists of one petrifying wobble through half-a-mile of gravel aboard a Moto Guzzi V85TT and, while I’m keen to learn, I feel out of my depth. After brief formalities, the 40-strong convoy of riders on all of today’s courses snakes to the local fuel station, before a brief road ride to the school’s playground: the 4000 acres of Walters Arena.
The majority of our first day is spent on an open patch of gravel. Here we learn the basics of off-road riding, including the art of picking up 249kg 1250GS on your own. Then comes balance exercises, which begin with learning how to hold the bike upright off the stand using just one hand, then just one finger. From here, we’re told to move around the bike with the stand up, with the first to make it around the bike without touching it earning a free beer that evening. Next, we’re instructed how to get on and off the bike from either side, with the stand up. Getting on from the right feels perverse, however it’s important to get it nailed now, as a fall on a trail could mean getting on the bike from either side and on less even ground. Then comes riding control exercises, including slaloms and locking both wheels. Almost all
‘We learn to balance a bike with one finger’ ‘I make it through with all limbs intact’
these lessons contradict normal road craft but they give you a greater appreciation of what you and the bike beneath are capable of. Day One ends with our first trail ride. Our eight-strong group follows instructor Jenny from flat ground to dusty tracks taking in gentle inclines, open turns and a few dirt roads. I’m now confident on gravel and, despite the bike moving around, feel secure enough to apply what I’ve learned earlier in the day. It’s worlds away from my earlier anxiety and can’t wait for the second full day of trails to follow.
“Fifteen years ago I started as a pupil in Level One and 10 years ago I did my Level Two training,” my instructor Jenny Huntley says. “It’s a huge achievement for novice riders in one day. The instructors are all very professional and it’s not about showing what I can do. It’s only showing what I can do so you can see what’s achievable.
“I love that there’s so many levels to this. I’m still challenged on a bike daily. That keeps me happy. This is my passion and I’m happy to pass it on to my fellow riders.”
After a night in the Abercrave
Inn alongside our instructors, Day Two brings rocky descents, water crossings and some of the biggest rock-scarred hills I’ve ever seen (let alone ridden up). It’s a challenging obstacle course designed to push our abilities to the max. But with each comes greater confidence and by the end my lowered GS begins to become a barrier to success, with its pegs dragging and causing a tumble. Yet I make it through with all limbs intact and a smile still on my face. I’m not about to give up my trackday-biased lifestyle, but I’ve achieved much more than I thought myself and the bike were capable of. Sign me up for Level Two!