Looking for good sand practice areas, meetup.
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Sand Practice meetup
- Thread starter stephensatt
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woodsguy
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As you posted in another thread SHNF, problem is most of the sand there is also whoops, lol. What are you riding?
So have talked about this in the past but I am looking to do some Sand Practice. I am thinking Xtreme Off Road Park and Beach in Crosby. I have been there only one time but it has acres of just pure deep sand and wide wide trails like 100ft wide all along the San Jacinto river there, so you can just go straight through the sand until you get the hang of it. Obviously my problem is I am going to slow but when I am following people its better for me just to duck walk it, and at least sorta keep up vs eating it and really holding up everyone. The problem in general with practicing on sand is that if its a trail with sand is staying on the trail without eating it. With this place you can just point it through the sand until you get the hang of the sand without having to worry about staying on a trail since there really isn't one on the beach so you are not really gonna shoot off the trail or hit anything. Last I did this there a couple years ago, I didn't have knobby tires. I had the factory 80/20 tire which were slicks with soft rubber compound, USELESS in sand, so I gave up but the sand there is so deep and soft that if you fall over, your bike just stays upright, and you won't wreck your bike there, like I said, nothing to hit.
I am setup correct now. Versys - X 300 with Continental TKC80 on front and Shinko Big Block on the back. It was only because they didn't have the TKC80 size for the rear I needed for the bike on short notice before a trip, so I had to go with the Shinko 805 Big Block, its really really close in the same pattern. Night and day difference on trails versus the factory. Bike weighs 380lb wet.
Standing >>> duck walking in the sand IMO. Letting the bike do it's thing under you is better then staying aboard and fighting it. Loose grip on the handle bars and the front wheel will help keep you up. I hadn't thought of going to Xtreme on my 790, but I may just have to do that one day......
WFO75080
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The bigger the bike the tougher sand is.
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Agreed.
And the heavier it is, the more you have to maintain speed in order to have stability...
Thus lies the problem of course. Going faster on a big, heavy, bike takes more confidence and skill than a small, light, bike...but it's hard to build confidence when it's so much harder to ride.
It's like learning to swim in the ocean, you can do it, but it's easier in a pool.
And the heavier it is, the more you have to maintain speed in order to have stability...
Thus lies the problem of course. Going faster on a big, heavy, bike takes more confidence and skill than a small, light, bike...but it's hard to build confidence when it's so much harder to ride.
It's like learning to swim in the ocean, you can do it, but it's easier in a pool.
WFO75080
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I'll take rocks and roots over sand anyday. I can ride it but its just not enjoyable if its just deep sand. Never liked it on the dirt bike either. Now, wet sand with Traction,....Yee Hawwww.. I need to learn how to keep up with you and Mac on the street. I AM going to get there!!!
woodsguy
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We're on the same page!!!! Except for chasing @MacDaddy on the street, not for me. Deep sand demands too much attention instead of enjoying the ride. I deal with it and move on.
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Jarrett
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Couple track days and you'll be on their tail.
woodsguy
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Speaking of track days before you sell the 450 come try out Cycleland!! It'll have you loving single track.
MacDaddy
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Deep sand in the tight going is absolutely no fun! Deep sand out where it’s a little more open and with whoops can be a lot of fun. It hurts a lot less going over the bars and landing in deep sand than it does something hard for sure. LOL. Also, sand takes twice the energy for the same amount of time spent riding.
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J
Jarrett
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Where is that one?Speaking of track days before you sell the 450 come try out Cycleland!! It'll have you loving single track.
sandman
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3 Palms on a weekday would be an option too. Let me know ... my Drz400 with bald tires would be handful but really good practice - dual sport guys ride together as a group on the tracks.
Today I will be on my YZ with sand tires —— almost like cheating.
Today I will be on my YZ with sand tires —— almost like cheating.
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New Mexico has some great sand sections!!! Check out the video below, starting at about 5:30. I love sand riding, I am a big fan of giving the bike its freedom to wag front or back, but this was intense. I kept trying to find a better line, but never did. Edwin is the guy in front of me and did a great job of bead blasting my new face shield. We were in the 50 to 60 MPH zone.
(783) GH010588 - YouTube
(783) GH010588 - YouTube
WFO75080
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Sounds like this is coming from an old TCCRA racer (ex P-3) kinda guy.
woodsguy
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Nacogdoches, just messing, doubt you would enjoy it. Should try the forest tho, plus roads to explore. You can day trip from where you are, long day, but you can!!
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Agree it's not my favorite and I won't really pursue a ride that is just tons of sand.
However, if there is sand in the route I want to do, I'm not going around either. Part of the Adventure is tackling things that are a bit challenging.
Of course...there's a fine line between fun but challenging and just not fun. That line seems to move to the not fun stage after about the 3rd drop in a big sand section or whenever you start getting so hot or tired that you just want to be done. It's even worse if your around a few guys that don't seem to have problems and you're the only guy that keeps slowing down the group.
WFO75080
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Doing this type of sand all day is what I'm Not interested in.
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Agree. Definitely not all day and definitely not on a big bike.
5 miles of it on a 200 mile small bike route would be fine.
Lol...not by choice, but I did 20 miles of sugar sand / loose gravel roads on my Goldwing in 2018.
That sucked....a lot.
I rode 3 palms once in my DR650. I turned side heads with lights, mirrors, and (small) saddlebags! It was fun but exhausting. Still kinda abusive to the bike. Never did it again.
Now this is the kind of videos that give me sweaty palms. Twice I've crashed on sand it got as bad as there but I got scared, tried to slow down, and ate it.
This is NO Bueno on a big bike.
This pic right here. Thats what its going to look like at Extreme Off Road Park and Beach. Like I said, I went once, and its just big pits of sand all over this place like this pic, even bigger actually and there are roads going through it that are more packed. It going to be the absolute best place to let you get some speed and not have to worry about hitting anything. I did it once, and when the bike got stuck it just fell over about 1/4 way, and stayed upright sorta. I am sure once I get the "feel" of it down, it won't be a problem but I need to get over that because hitting these sand patches on these trails is greatly slowing me down, and I don't have time to practice that on a ride.