There’s something about riding off-road that captures the imagination. Maybe it’s the idea of exploring places you can’t reach on the tarmac. Maybe it’s watching riders effortlessly gliding along gravel roads or tackling mountain trails and thinking, I’d love to give that a go someday.
That first step is often the hardest. Off-road riding can look intimidating, especially if all you’ve ever known is riding on the road. But everyone starts somewhere, and nobody’s first ride looks like a Dakar stage.
Here at JUSTRIDE, we’re all at different stages of that journey ourselves. Some of us have been riding off-road for several years now, while others had their very first taste of it just last month at ABR Festival. Wherever we are on that journey, one thing is true across the whole team: we loved it. Every new skill you learn opens up more places to explore, and that’s something we’d love more riders to experience.
The good news is that you don’t need to head into the mountains or tackle technical trails to get started. A quiet gravel car park, an open grassy field where you have permission to ride, or an off-road practice area is all you need to start building confidence.
Before you begin, make sure you’re riding somewhere you’re legally allowed to be and where there’s plenty of space away from traffic, pedestrians and other riders. Keep your speed low. These exercises are all about building confidence and feeling what the bike is doing, not about going fast.
The first thing most road riders notice is how different the bike feels on gravel. The surface moves beneath the tyres, the bike feels less planted, and that can be a little unsettling at first.
Start by riding in a straight line at walking pace and gently applying the brakes. Repeat the exercise several times, gradually increasing the braking pressure so you begin to understand how your bike responds on a loose surface.
If your motorcycle has an Off-road ABS mode, this is a great opportunity to learn how it behaves. If it doesn’t, check your owner’s manual to see what options your bike offers before changing any settings. Every motorcycle is different, and understanding how yours reacts will build confidence much faster than simply reading about it.
Don’t rush this exercise. The goal isn’t to stop as quickly as possible; it’s to become comfortable with the feeling of the tyres moving underneath you.
Standing on the footpegs is one of the biggest differences between road and off-road riding, and it takes a little getting used to. Start by riding slowly in a straight line while standing. Relax your arms, make sure not to lock your knees, and let the bike move beneath you instead of trying to fight every little movement.
Once you’re comfortable, start playing with the controls. Feather the clutch, gently accelerate and slow down, and move your weight forwards and backwards to feel how the bike responds. It’s surprising how much you can influence the motorcycle simply by shifting your body position.
When that starts to feel natural, try shifting gears, and repeat the braking exercise while standing. You’ll quickly notice how much more balanced and stable the bike feels once you’re comfortable on the pegs.
Off-road riding isn’t about turning the handlebars. Your body position becomes a much bigger part of how the bike changes direction. A great way to experience this is by setting up a simple slalom using cones, water bottles or anything else you have lying around.
Ride through the slalom at walking pace while standing on the pegs. Look ahead to the next marker – where you’re going – rather than the one directly in front of you, and start experimenting with shifting your weight through your feet instead of relying on the handlebars.
As your confidence grows, move on to figure-eights. They’re one of the best exercises for learning slow-speed balance and introducing counterbalancing, where you allow the bike to lean beneath you while keeping your own body a little more upright. It might feel strange at first, but it’s a fundamental off-road skill that quickly starts to make sense with practice. Llell from Brake Magazine explains it clearly in this video.
If you spend enough time riding off-road, your bike is going to end up on its side at some point. Usally it’s at lower speed and not a big deal. It happens because you stopped on uneven ground or lost your balance making a tight turn. And almost always, it feels much more dramatic than it actually was.
Dropping the bike is simply part of learning, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you’ll stop worrying about it.
It’s also worth practising how to pick your bike up again. There are several techniques, from lifting with your back towards the motorcycle to methods where you face the bike. Which works best depends on the terrain, the motorcycle and your own height and strength. Watch a few demonstrations online, then try them at home in a controlled environment. It’s much nicer figuring it out there than halfway up a muddy trail.
Practising these exercises will give you a first feel for things, but if you really want to accelerate your learning, book an off-road training day.
Good instructors won’t just teach you techniques. They’ll help you understand why the bike behaves the way it does, correct bad habits before they become routine, and give you the confidence to tackle terrain that might have seemed intimidating before.
If you’ve been thinking about giving it a go, take this as your sign. Call a couple of mates and spend an afternoon practising these exercises, or better yet, sign up for an off-road training day together. Before long, you’ll be wondering why you didn’t try it sooner.
And once you’re ready to explore beyond the pavement, that’s exactly where JUSTRIDE comes in. We’re currently preparing to launch, and we’re building the app to help riders discover new routes, plan adventures together and stay connected, whether you’re on the road or seeing where that gravel track disappears to.
If you’d like to be among the first to try it, you can pre-register and we’ll let you know as soon as the app goes live.
