Hi Steemit!
This weekend I was lucky enough to have some off road fun with my husband in Kent with True Grip. I have never been off road before or ridden quads, so combining the two was gonna be a whole new experience. I have to say I was bricking it at the thought of going on a quad bike, let alone going off road with it as well!
Courtesy of True Grip
To begin with we met our instructor. His name was Guy and what a nice ’Guy’ he was. He told us he was ex military. He definitely made me feel like I was in safe hands. He talked us what we were going to be doing throughout the day. Firstly it was going to be the 4x4 Experience and then in the afternoon would be Quad Biking. I had to pick out a helmet and gloves. My husband was already prepared with his motocross helmet, boots and gloves. He looked the business.
4x4 Experience and Off Road
Guy had driven us to the site in a Toyota Hilux Pick-Up. I had never driven a Pick-Up before. So again this was going to be something new. The site appeared to be on a clay ground. There were so many hills, peaks and troughs. Some of them were so steep! I started to feel apprehensive, but at the same time, I couldn’t wait to get started. I got in the drivers seat and Guy was talking me about the gears and how to approach the hills. He said he would be with us every step of the way and he knew the route like the back of his hand. He also said the women tend to do better as men come across like they have a point to prove and women take their time. He said it’s all about control, not speed. He was talking about moving the vehicle when it was ticking over and not using any acceleration. At some points, he said not to use brakes either as this would increase the speed of the Pick-Up and it would lose control. There was a lot to take in. I started to move the vehicle round the track, getting used to the feel of it. Then Guy took me over some little bumps. So far, so good. I felt really comfortable. As the drive went on we went over some much bigger hills. I really had to keep my nerves in. Was I really doing this? I sure was!
Courtesy of True Grip
As my husband rides motocross, Guy took him over some of the biggest hills on the track. It was quite scary being in the back of the vehicle. He said as my husband has a lot more experience of jumps and control, he was going to push him to his limits! "Right! The competition is on!” I said. There was no way I was going to let my husband have the upper hand. I do have a competitive streak. Even though I knew I was going to be pooping my pants, I just couldn’t go on small hills all the time. I had to grow a pair of balls! Oh yes, I grew them alright!
Courtesy of True Grip
Guy said I was going very well for a beginner and as I progressed, he took me on the same hills he did with my husband. He said I had come a long way and he was impressed with how I was doing. We approached the big hill. It was sooooo steep and at the bottom was a massive mud puddle. I had to drive down it with no brakes. Are you sure?? Hey ho, here goes! It was well scared. The vehicle moved so fast and when I got to the bottom, the water splashed up the side of the Pick-Up. I was glad I made it to the bottom in one piece. Then I had to drive up it. He said "You have to give the vehicle lots of power to get up the hill… and another thing, you won’t be able to see the track, only sky.” "No way!!!” I replied. I took a deep breath and put my foot on the accelerator. Oh… my… God! Yep, all I could see was sky. Also, I had stalled the vehicle up the hill. He talked me through the reasons why and what to do to get down. Basically, I had to roll the vehicle down the hill when I couldn’t see a thing. I just stared out of the windscreen and hoped for the best. The vehicle picked up speed as it rolled backwards. I was still staring out of the windscreen. Then I was horizontal. I had made it! Then I had to give it another go. I wasn’t going to let his hill beat me. I set my lines up and I looked at the hill. ‘You’re not going to beat me!!!!’ I thought to myself. I put the vehicle in gear, set my sights and I floored it! Up she went! All in one go! I was so proud of myself. Guy said that was one of the hardest hills on the track. We then followed the track round. Ok, this time it was on a bank. As I started to go, the vehicle felt like it was going to topple over. My door seemed almost parallel to the ground. I had done it! Yes, I was full of confidence now. We approached another hill on the track, this one was up hill with a sharp left turn with an immediate drop. You could only see the cliffs as you went up the hill, then when you reached the top, you could just about see the sharp bend and then the vehicle had a steep downhill descent.
Courtesy of True Grip
Afterwards, I then drove the Pick-Up out of the site and onto the fields. It was time for some proper off road action. There were 3500 acres of pure land on the site. It was so green, full of trees and sheep. Yes, you had to watch out for the sheep. They sat lolling around, some just walked on the dirt track without a care in the world. Well to be honest, it was their home. I had to keep slowing down to get the sheep out of the way. Oh yeah, and the birds! There were hundreds of Pheasants running around too! It was lovely to see the countryside at its best. There was so much wet, squelchy mud. You really had to take it slow and not touch the brakes! There were some straight bits when you could increase speed as well. Guy took me to some proper off road hills. You could see how deep the tyre tracks were. Oh yes, and of course they were steep! I loved it! It was so scary as I thought I was going to plough into a tree because it was so slippery, but it was so much fun!
Courtesy of True Grip
My husband and I have a 4x4 and now I had the feel to take his baby off road!! However, I don’t see that happening for the foreseeable future. Spoil sport!
Dirt Bike Experience and Off Road
It was now time for the quad bikes. This is where I was most afraid. I didn’t know if it had gears or was it just stop start. So Guy talked us through the controls. He talked about the front and the back brakes on the handlebars and then about the footbrake that also controlled the gears. He showed us the ignition key, the electric start, the accelerator and the gears. He talked to us about the lights on the bike as well and what they mean. So long as the bike had a green light, then you were good to go.
Courtesy of True Grip
We started off slowly round the clay track. As I had never ridden a quad before, he made me to large figures of 8. Then we moved onto the little hills as we did before with the Pick-Up. I saw what he meant about the bikes having a mind of their own. They constantly drift to follow the direction of the ground. I’m only little so it took its toll on my arms and I had to learn to move my bodyweight from one side of the bike to another. Afterwards he took us to the fields where they were nice and flat. This was easy! I really wanted to go a lot faster. Then he took us further into the fields and they do bank an awful lot. A couple of times I had to stop and sound the horn because I was going deep into a valley if I didn’t stop. The quad bike just ‘ran off’ to the left. I was pooping it. I’m so glad I stopped when I did. Maybe this wasn’t as easy as I first thought. I really had to shift my bum from one side of the bike to another.
Courtesy of True Grip
Afterwards I got my confidence back and we went deep into the woods. There were logs to get over and winding in and out of the trees. This really made my arm have a good work out! Then we went down some muddy tracks and up and over the hills. Guy asked me to wait at the bottom of these two hills as he wanted to take my husband down them. I wanted to do them as well. Guy said they are steep and scary and he didn’t think I was capable of doing it. I said I wanted to do it. He seemed a little unsure of letting me do them, but he said if I want to, he will take me. So up we went to the top of the hills. I looked down the first one, I had already been down it with the Pick-Up. I said I can do this! So I waited for Guy to go first and then afterwards I followed. I was scared but I took it slowly. It was steep, but I knew what to expect. I had made it!! Wooh!!! I was so chuffed that I said I wanted to go for the bigger one. Guy said it was a lot steeper and scarier than the one I just did. I didn’t care. I said ”At least let me look at it”. So we drove back round to the drops and I looked down it. Yep, it was different alright. I had already grown my big pair of balls from before, so I was definitely up for the challenge. I eased forward and I was basically facing the ground. Oh boy, what have I let myself in for? Too late, there was no going back now! I rolled down the hill and I got to the end. I had done it! But, I had got stuck at the bottom. The mud was so wet and sticky and I was ‘stuck in the mud’. I revved the quad and it was not going anywhere. All that happened was a lot of wheel spin and I got covered in mud! Nice!!! Guy said I had to reverse it out up a bit of the hill and then floor it, because that’s why I got stuck. I had gone too slow coming out the other end. He asked if I wanted to give it another go. I said yes. So off I went round the track, got into position and went. I was approaching the bottom of the hill. I knew I had to floor it and I did! It was immense fun. I felt the adrenalin pump as I really thought I would go skidding off somewhere! I had done good ’n’ proper! I was well chuffed! We drove around some more through the woods, over more logs. I had to reverse over one of the logs as I got stuck and wheel span again. I was really muddy at this point. I then floored it over the log to pass it. I caught up with Guy. He said ”What you did took balls!” I was so elated! I had never ridden a quad before and now I felt amazing like I could achieve anything. I told him how amazed I was with how far I had come. He said I have done brilliantly well and he was happy with my new found confidence.
Courtesy of True Grip
We drove back to the clay track and he took us around the big hills. There was one final thing he wanted us to do. There is a hill that is one of their steepest. He said he wanted us to drive down it. No brakes! I was speechless. "Really??” I asked. ”Yes, Really” He replied. I set myself up. I looked straight ahead and off I went. I went down it shrieking! I went off to the side as I got down the bottom. Guy asked me to come up again and re do it. He said to keep the handlebars straight so I won’t veer off. I did it again, shrieking!!! Guy was vey happy with that attempt. He said both my husband and I were really good sports and he throughly enjoyed pushing our limits.
Courtesy of True Grip
So that was it. The day had come to an end. I didn’t want it to come to an end. I was having too much fun and I wanted to push myself further. I have to say Guy was brilliant. He turned me from a complete novice to almost feeling like a pro! I couldn’t have asked for a better instructor. I joked with my husband that I will be riding his motocross bike next! He said ”We’ll see”. There’s hope for me yet! Now just have to book myself an ‘off road’ holiday! I can’t wait to do it all again!