Trails Newbie - Getting into greenlaning, help!

Trails Newbie - Getting into greenlaning, help!

Author
Discussion

Bordtea

Original Poster:

362 posts

145 months

Tuesday 30th January 2018
quotequote all
Evening all,

So one of many itches to scratch is to try a bit of greenlaning and I've decided that this year I'll give it a go. I've been riding on the road for around 6 years, currently own a 5vy Yamaha R1. Never ridden off road before.

So anyway to commit myself to getting on with it I've bought myself a dual sport helmet (Shark Explore-R) but that's about as far as I've got. I'm going to need new boots presumably (recommendations please!), but what about jacket/trousers? I have an Alpinestars Andes Drystar textile suit, will this do, or is there something more 'off-roady'?

Bike wise I've been looking at the Honda CRF250L as I want something lightweight, and you can pick them up a couple of years old for around 3k. This would be my max budget, open to any other suggestions. Don't fancy a 125! I envisage keeping this for 2-3 years then maybe look at some of the adventure touring range (ala Africa Twin) for a longer trip somewhere south.

Finally, is the TRF the organisation to join for group ride outs etc? Not really got any local mates who do this so would be on my own for the most part.

Really, any tips advice etc would be much appreciated!

Cheers!

tldr; new to greenlaning. what kit do I get, what bike do I get, where do I go for rideouts?

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 30th January 2018
quotequote all
TRF is made up of 50% really nice people and 50% of people with huge issues and chips on their shoulder.

I hope you meet the former.

And not to worry you but the first time I did it I broke my shoulder.

Came off (not unusual), landed Ok, then the bike hit me. Had to ride home - think I had about 8 solpadeine to help me make it. Not recommended.

Fleegle

16,688 posts

175 months

Tuesday 30th January 2018
quotequote all
keirik said:
TRF is made up of 50% really nice people and 50% of people with huge issues and chips on their shoulder.
Prior to joining the TRF, I thought it was made up of miserable old farts who went only marginally faster than miserable old ramblers. Fortunately I was proved wrong and pleased to say that the Surrey mob warmly welcome new members and are very active in having regular runs at all levels

Bordtea

Original Poster:

362 posts

145 months

Tuesday 30th January 2018
quotequote all
Fleegle said:
keirik said:
TRF is made up of 50% really nice people and 50% of people with huge issues and chips on their shoulder.
Prior to joining the TRF, I thought it was made up of miserable old farts who went only marginally faster than miserable old ramblers. Fortunately I was proved wrong and pleased to say that the Surrey mob warmly welcome new members and are very active in having regular runs at all levels
That's good to hear. Are there any other groups of the sort? I'm Bristol based at present.

As for the crashing, suppose I better get used to it!!

Fleegle

16,688 posts

175 months

Tuesday 30th January 2018
quotequote all
How big is Bristol? It appears that you have two branches there

Bordtea

Original Poster:

362 posts

145 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
Fleegle said:
How big is Bristol? It appears that you have two branches there
Yeah I noticed that - does seem strange. Only 500k people so hardly huge!

MotorsportTom

3,318 posts

160 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
Green lanes are fun but being Bristol way keep an eye out for Track N Trail events.

Usually a 3-5 mile course anywhere between Devon, Gloucester and Dorset. You pay £40-45 IIRC for the day and you do as much as you want, there are harder and easier options usually but generally great fun with massively mixed ability but after all, it's only a practice day.

I find lanes are fun but it's only a track with mud.... Track N Trails have uphills, down hills, water crossings, open stubble fields, small jumps and obstacles which make it much more interesting.

I need an off-road bike again!

Blackpuddin

16,411 posts

204 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
Massively recommend the Yamaha Off-Road Experience in Wales.
http://www.yamaha-offroad-experience.co.uk/

Charger500

252 posts

253 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
I've been doing loads of Green Laning over last few years... I prefer Enduro but I had some midweek time on my hands and found getting out for a blat on the lanes was good fun... sometimes frustrating but generally OK.

Getting involved with your local TRF group will be the best way to go... go on a few rides with them and you'll either love riding with them or hate it. either way you'll usually find a splinter group that do TRF rides and do private stuff too. I hate riding with the TRF but was lucky I had a mate locally that was very social and he use to do loads of rides with local TRF, he would get information on routes and then I would ride with just him. I always disliked riding with groups, and whilst the majority of TRF people I came across were OK like any group you're gona find the odd muppet that can spoil your day.

TRF, you will get good advice, you will get organised rides, you will get information on routes and an understanding of how the by ways laws operate and some groups do riding skill courses.

The TRF is a funny organisation, the regional groups are usually pretty good, however the umbrella organisation quite often has lots of in fighting and over bearing control from the directors but to be fair they do a great job at fighting for the rights of ways etc. and are generally steering the organisation in the right direction.

I'd highly recommend getting a GPS, some people use phones etc. but I found a Garmin 600 GPS with a powered mount the best tool. This is the most common GPS used and will give you the ability to track routes for your own use at a later date, you'll also find lots of people to trade .gpx files with and the Garmin makes that pretty easy.

Kit, like everything buy the best you can afford, and keep an open mind that you may get more into it than you thought... everyone I introduced to Green laning ended up doing Enduro's within a year, so I'd buy kit accordingly... I'd ride in full Enduro/MX gear for Green Lanes, some of the Green lanes I rode were has difficult as an Enduro race

Here's what I would wear for a Green lane ride, there are obviously cheaper (or more expensive) options to all of this but just to give you an idea: -

Helmet - https://shop.1stmx.co.uk/motocross-protection/moto...

Goggles - http://ripnroll.co.uk/hybrid-goggles/fully-loaded-...

Body Armour - http://www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com/product/new-sp... - http://www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com/product/action...

Knee Braces - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Troy-Lee-Designs-Cataly...

Boots - https://www.dirtbikexpress.co.uk/boots/motocross_b...

Clothing - https://shop.1stmx.co.uk/motocross-gear/2018-fox-m...

Winter riding top - https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/klim-klimate-p... or https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/British-Military-Army-M...

Gloves, I would generally wear lightweight MX summer gloves year round (with knuckle protection), but in the depths of winter would need to switch to a warmer glove.

I tried a dual sport helmet a few times but if you are doing it right you'll be sweating your nuts off, I found an MX helmet worked best for me...

I'd also get decent hand protection - https://www.dirtbikexpress.co.uk/bike_parts/motocr...

I would be very cautious of riding on your own until you are comfortable with it all... last year alone I think I had to help 4 people get back to civilisation after a fall and a break.

One last thing to consider... whilst some TRF people seem to enjoy breaking down and changing punctures etc. at the side of the road for me this is a nightmare, and it would piss me off no end waiting around for people to do this... everyone I rode with used Mousses... Mousses are like a solid (but soft) inner tube, so you can't get punctures. There are debates that will go one until the end of time about pros and cons of them but in 10 years I never had to stop to fix a puncture!!!







Blackpuddin

16,411 posts

204 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
That is a brilliant post.

Harry H

3,379 posts

155 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
TRF every day. The leaders know all the local lanes inside out and the best way of linking them altogehter to make a great day out. Yes there are some Walts among them but you soon get to know who's who's' and can avoid them.

I spend around 4 years with the TRF and went all over the shop including some great weekends in Wales etc.

You will fall off loads, you will get bruised and possibly broken, bits of bike will get left behind on the trails but it's bloody good fun.

You want a bike as light as possible. Hauling 100kg's out of a bog is bloody hard work. I'd always go for electric start. Kicking over a warm refusing to start stalled bike half way up a slippy slope is no fun.

When riding, stand up as much as possible and focus on where you want to go not the ground immediately in front of you are my two main tips.

Enjoy the mud, at least its' soft when you hit it.

Fleegle

16,688 posts

175 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all

+1 for Mousses. Save's a lot of hassle, one less thing to worry about

Blackpuddin

16,411 posts

204 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
Harry H said:
TRF every day. The leaders know all the local lanes inside out and the best way of linking them altogehter to make a great day out. Yes there are some Walts among them but you soon get to know who's who's' and can avoid them.

I spend around 4 years with the TRF and went all over the shop including some great weekends in Wales etc.

You will fall off loads, you will get bruised and possibly broken, bits of bike will get left behind on the trails but it's bloody good fun.

You want a bike as light as possible. Hauling 100kg's out of a bog is bloody hard work. I'd always go for electric start. Kicking over a warm refusing to start stalled bike half way up a slippy slope is no fun.

When riding, stand up as much as possible and focus on where you want to go not the ground immediately in front of you are my two main tips.

Enjoy the mud, at least its' soft when you hit it.
Another great post. Oh no, I can feel the hunger coming on...
Yamaha Trail Experience thing has WR250s which are gobsmacking (and electric start). So easy to ride. Not cheap to buy though.

Edited by Blackpuddin on Wednesday 31st January 10:28

Charger500

252 posts

253 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
Charger500 said:
Just realised this is a bit misleading as its the wrong body armour jacket... make sure what ever you get has not only great back protector but also chest protector... similar to this - http://www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com/product/pro-sh... there are lots of different brands and options but having chest protection for me is a must for multi discipline... Green Lanes same as Enduro or MX track you will get pelted by stones when following someone...

Bordtea

Original Poster:

362 posts

145 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
Charger500 said:
I've been doing loads of Green Laning over last few years... I prefer Enduro but I had some midweek time on my hands and found getting out for a blat on the lanes was good fun... sometimes frustrating but generally OK.

Getting involved with your local TRF group will be the best way to go... go on a few rides with them and you'll either love riding with them or hate it. either way you'll usually find a splinter group that do TRF rides and do private stuff too. I hate riding with the TRF but was lucky I had a mate locally that was very social and he use to do loads of rides with local TRF, he would get information on routes and then I would ride with just him. I always disliked riding with groups, and whilst the majority of TRF people I came across were OK like any group you're gona find the odd muppet that can spoil your day.

TRF, you will get good advice, you will get organised rides, you will get information on routes and an understanding of how the by ways laws operate and some groups do riding skill courses.

The TRF is a funny organisation, the regional groups are usually pretty good, however the umbrella organisation quite often has lots of in fighting and over bearing control from the directors but to be fair they do a great job at fighting for the rights of ways etc. and are generally steering the organisation in the right direction.

I'd highly recommend getting a GPS, some people use phones etc. but I found a Garmin 600 GPS with a powered mount the best tool. This is the most common GPS used and will give you the ability to track routes for your own use at a later date, you'll also find lots of people to trade .gpx files with and the Garmin makes that pretty easy.

Kit, like everything buy the best you can afford, and keep an open mind that you may get more into it than you thought... everyone I introduced to Green laning ended up doing Enduro's within a year, so I'd buy kit accordingly... I'd ride in full Enduro/MX gear for Green Lanes, some of the Green lanes I rode were has difficult as an Enduro race

Here's what I would wear for a Green lane ride, there are obviously cheaper (or more expensive) options to all of this but just to give you an idea: -

Helmet - https://shop.1stmx.co.uk/motocross-protection/moto...

Goggles - http://ripnroll.co.uk/hybrid-goggles/fully-loaded-...

Body Armour - http://www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com/product/new-sp... - http://www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com/product/action...

Knee Braces - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Troy-Lee-Designs-Cataly...

Boots - https://www.dirtbikexpress.co.uk/boots/motocross_b...

Clothing - https://shop.1stmx.co.uk/motocross-gear/2018-fox-m...

Winter riding top - https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/klim-klimate-p... or https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/British-Military-Army-M...

Gloves, I would generally wear lightweight MX summer gloves year round (with knuckle protection), but in the depths of winter would need to switch to a warmer glove.

I tried a dual sport helmet a few times but if you are doing it right you'll be sweating your nuts off, I found an MX helmet worked best for me...

I'd also get decent hand protection - https://www.dirtbikexpress.co.uk/bike_parts/motocr...

I would be very cautious of riding on your own until you are comfortable with it all... last year alone I think I had to help 4 people get back to civilisation after a fall and a break.

One last thing to consider... whilst some TRF people seem to enjoy breaking down and changing punctures etc. at the side of the road for me this is a nightmare, and it would piss me off no end waiting around for people to do this... everyone I rode with used Mousses... Mousses are like a solid (but soft) inner tube, so you can't get punctures. There are debates that will go one until the end of time about pros and cons of them but in 10 years I never had to stop to fix a puncture!!!
Wow excellent, thank you! Really comprehensively covers much of what I was looking for! The forcefield armour range does look good, I'll check it out. Have also been recommended elbow protection so I'll see if I can get one that includes all that.

Good tip on the mousses, will investigate those!

Thanks to everyone else as well - I really know nothing about this stuff so all info is good info!

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
Some great info on this thread, very dangerous!

Charger500 said:
The TRF is a funny organisation, the regional groups are usually pretty good, however the umbrella organisation quite often has lots of in fighting and over bearing control from the directors but to be fair they do a great job at fighting for the rights of ways etc. and are generally steering the organisation in the right direction.
Isn't that true of all hobby organisations that end up going national? Totally different, but the beer Geralds of CAMRA are exactly the same - every AGM is full of rubbish, loads of politics etc.

At a local level you quickly find out the people who are sensible/normal and the total fruitloops.

bennyboysvuk

3,491 posts

247 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
If you're just trying it out and trying to get some thoughts together, I'd recommend going on an Ady Smith KTM day. Not only is it utterly brilliant, but you'll get the opportunity to ride all the bikes from the 125 to the 500, learn some new skills and also push your own boundaries as far as you want.

http://www.adysmith.co.uk/

Charger500

252 posts

253 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
Bordtea said:
Wow excellent, thank you! Really comprehensively covers much of what I was looking for! The forcefield armour range does look good, I'll check it out. Have also been recommended elbow protection so I'll see if I can get one that includes all that.

Good tip on the mousses, will investigate those!

Thanks to everyone else as well - I really know nothing about this stuff so all info is good info!
From my experience I'd get "everything" protection... some people don't bother with too much protection and do just fine, I'm carrying years of injuries so I wrap myself in bubble wrap and there's no doubt it has extended my riding ability... Here you go, this is the all in one jacket I have... https://www.infinitymotorcycles.com/product/forcef... I've used separates and external skeleton body armour which is good but settled on the body armour jackets. Only complaint is you can get pretty hot in them in the summer, but I suffered it for the comfort..

I'd go with all the other points of view too, all the courses mentioned above will all be beneficial, get as much seat time as you can and soak up as much experience as you can from those that know... it's like everything, it's a timed served skill, so have as much fun as possible whilst you gain your experience...

In fear of me waffling on about running before you can walk when you want more info shout, I'll happily give you my over opinionated view on Mousse / Tyre set up, I tired lots of manufactures and combinations and eventually found my set up which I stick to for all uses, Green lanes, Enduro etc. also did a lot of suspension set up too and would recommend not ignoring this, even as a beginner, its all pretty simple to do and doesn't break the bank either...

Blackpuddin

16,411 posts

204 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
bennyboysvuk said:
If you're just trying it out and trying to get some thoughts together, I'd recommend going on an Ady Smith KTM day. Not only is it utterly brilliant, but you'll get the opportunity to ride all the bikes from the 125 to the 500, learn some new skills and also push your own boundaries as far as you want.

http://www.adysmith.co.uk/
That looks awesome, thanks for posting.

Bordtea

Original Poster:

362 posts

145 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
Blackpuddin said:
bennyboysvuk said:
If you're just trying it out and trying to get some thoughts together, I'd recommend going on an Ady Smith KTM day. Not only is it utterly brilliant, but you'll get the opportunity to ride all the bikes from the 125 to the 500, learn some new skills and also push your own boundaries as far as you want.

http://www.adysmith.co.uk/
That looks awesome, thanks for posting.
Will check that out. Thanks!