Today I’ll share with you experience on what you should have already got before jumping into all this Enduro stuff and what are the basic exercises we recommend regardless of beginner or intermediate rider you are.

It’s always funny to watch all those crazy Enduro and Hard Enduro fails videos on Youtube, but don’t forget that it’s funny until nobody gets hurt, or at least until somebody else does. But those fails are fails, and we want to ride not to fail. We don’t want to screw our knees or necks, we don’t want to launch or sink the bikes, because it costs a lot of money and time.

So:

• Don’t watch Enduro fails vids on Youtube, watch Enduro riding educational vids instead
• Quit smoking, quit alcohol (beer is ok after good riding day), quit fast food – you don’t need extra weight on the knees and bike, you need the money saved from bad habits
• It’s better to be in good physical condition because if you want to learn something, you’ll have to train and ride a lot. You’ll have to work hardly on the bike
• Purchase all riding gear – boots, knee protection, body armor, helmet, neck protection, googles, gloves, pants.. If it’s all new, spend some time to get used – walk, jump, squat..
• While choosing the trainer or school, pay attention to place they use, type of bikes, who is the coach, what is the reputation. Maybe you will have to change few of them until find the one that fits you most.
• Things to pay attention at coach:
  • he checks all the riding gear you use;
  • he has to watch your riding and training process all the time;
  • if he often stops you after few laps on some exercise and tell you what should be corrected – that’s good;
  • he has to show you proper way of doing every exercise, every move and position by himself;
  • first few training sessions he’ll not force to open throttle more;
  • he is persistent in teaching you some technique;
  • he rides next to you, he rides in front of you showing the proper way of doing something;
  • he gives you enough time to rest;
  • he is not upset if you brake some plastics
  • if you fell down he lets you to picks up bike by yourself
  • if you feel that you are winner at least once per training – that’s it.
• Try to manage your time the way to have at least two trainings per week. Firstly, riding is best way to release stress; second, you will not forget the knowledge obtained on previous training.
• If you’re going to be taught on rented/school bikes, it is important that they are in good condition, we recommend that they are sport Enduro, not motocross bikes, that they have electric starter, tires are 70% and better. This generally means – no Chinese bikes, no old CRs, RMZs, KXFs or similar.
• As for the engines – no big difference between new models of 2 and 4 strokes for the beginner. The whiskey throttle is more likely to happen on, for example, 350 4 stroke, instead of 250 2 stroke. New Enduro 2 strokes do not response on throttle (in the first half of revs) such immediately and explosively like 4 strokes. Beginners or intermediate riders who have never tried 2 strokes before usually think quite the opposite.
• The goal of beginners course is to teach you
  • Proper position on bike
  • Moving on the bike while accelerating, braking and turning
  • Proper hands position and moving
  • Using rear brake
  • Cornering
  • Why you got to lean the bike if you want to turn
  • Where to look while ride
• Beginners course is usually been held at some flat place without uphills, downhills, logs, rocks and everything that actually makes Enduro. So, if you are slower that classmates, it doesn’t mean anything. Enduro is all about clever using bike and men’s power J

Already written an article about what influence has Enduro riding on road and especially Adv riding and maybe it’s useful to read it somehow https://sectorenduro.com/big-adventure-bikes-skill-improvement/

It was few years ago, and now we got more experience in coaching and teaching people off road and Hard Enduro riding. Things I’m sure stayed same are:

• Off road riding hardly can be taught on one’s own
• Enduro and especially Hard Enduro significantly extends riding geography
• Learning it properly means safe and enjoyable riding
• Off road riding improves your riding generally – adv and road
• It’s fun, and even more than any other kind of riding

So, as I promised, here is short list of “must know” things when coming to Enduro riding:

• No matter how good you are, there is always something you’ll learn
• Finding a good Enduro coach sometimes can be whole project and you got to be patient – chose the one you like more even if he is farther than the one next to home
• Be sure that good one is going to start from beginning – position on the bike..
• Few first sets of exercises can be boring but they gonna make you get used to bike
• Intensive training means 1,5 to 2 hours of riding for the group of 3 to 6 riders
• Even if you were bad in physics and still don’t like it, some things you’ll have to learn and remember – it will help you to trust bike more J
• Best places for beginners Enduro Training ground are fields, ravines, clear places in the woods without extraneous thing like concrete blocks, metal stuff, holes..
• Easy start means few lessons on low speed but with lots of explanations and “how tos” by the coach
• Easy start means you more relaxed, more got used to bike and class mates and hence – safe learning process
• Those trainings will be the only place where you will feel and understand what balancing on the bike really means and how important it is
• Same for clutch work, rear brake, moving on the bike and lot more (equally applicable for any kind of riding)
• As long as you’re riding wrong technique you’ll suffer arm pump or pain in lower back
• Coach will rise tracks difficulty gradually to make you confident by applying the knowledge and having a good time
• Good coach is worth every cent you pay – believe, it’s much, much cheaper than any injury or damage you may suffer somewhere far from home
• Basic knowledge can be learnt on almost any kind of off road bikes, but if you want to grow up you’ll have to switch to real sport Enduro bikes like KTM EXC, Betta RR, Sherco, Husqvarna..

99% of beginner level riders coming to ride with us understand lot of things listed above and they like the schedule we offer – every day trainings and every day learning something new.

So if you’re entering this exciting and tough world, just take a look at all this. Most interesting thing to come J