"Noise is our No. 1 enemy, everywhere in the world," said Ed Alder, president of the 蜜桃视频appDirt Bike Association (SDBA), referring to the notorious noise associated with dirt bikes.
But it doesn't have to be that way, he continued. Silencers can be re-packed and bikes will run better and quieter. Gathered around a stationary dirt bike just off the road to Cat Lake, north of Squamish, a dozen riders listened intently as expert instructors from the British Columbia Off-Road Motorcycle Association (BCORMA) offered up their advice on the art of dirt biking on Saturday (Aug. 27).
The off-road dirt bike riding school is the first of its kind for Squamish, said association secretary Juliane Knoll, and it's about promoting dirt biking and respect for the trails.
"It's all about stewardship," she said. "It's an inherent part of any sport."
Knoll emphasized that SDBA is keen to prevent further degradation to the existing trails, which cover about 40 kilometres in the 蜜桃视频apparea. A percentage of the money collected from BCORMA trail passes goes back to the local clubs, which uses it to perform trail maintenance work, including building bridges over sensitive habitat and fish-bearing streams.
Instructors Mike Fetterer and Karl Dempsey were happy to share their knowledge with the group.
"It's a chance for people to ask some veteran riders who've been around the block," said Fetterer.
Focusing on bike set-up, body positioning, braking, cornering, hill climbs and descents, the riding school consisted of a novice class in the morning followed by an advanced class in the afternoon.
Fetterer has been involved with dirt bike racing for more than 25 years and is busy touring dirt bike clubs in B.C., which number about 30.
"I was asked to spearhead it on a provincial level," he said, adding that he's going to clubs with the base format, so that instructors from each club can then host their own clinics in the future.
"We think it's a valuable chance to educate people on proper etiquette making sure they're riding in the right areas. Some people think they can buy a bike and just ride wherever they want but they need to learn not to ride through creeks and to watch out for sensitive areas. It's important," Fetterer said.
Alder's key advice to the clinic participants was to "avoid mud."
"Trails get muddy and then they can't be sustained," he said, adding that people should choose other trails instead and avoid creating ruts in the trails or making new trails.
After the on-the-ground session, riders fired up their dirt bikes and worked on honing their braking, body positioning and cornering skills. One by one, they practiced the vital skills for safe dirt biking and were coached by the instructors.
Knoll said her love for the dirt bike stems from "the fast-paced fun when the opportunity arises, the mental and physical challenges... and the freedom to travel long distances on backcountry roads... without burning much fuel."
Also an avid mountain biker, she said endurance, core strength and balance are similar in both sports. "However, my dirt bike is 230 pounds heavier than my mountain bike."
It's clear that it is a sport than appeals to young and old and organizers are anxious to shake off its reputation of being environmentally damaging. As Alder put it, "We'd prefer you to ride here and there but obviously we can't control people. We can only try to educate them."
His 17-year-old son David agreed and said he loves to come out to work on trail maintenance. "I come out often to work on trails there's a good time to be had."
Next up for SDBA is the Cat Scratch Fever Hare Scrambles race on Sept. 11. Visit www.squamishdirtbikeassociation.com for more details on the race.
