TRAIL TIPS
BIG LOGS
BIG LOGS
Get comfortable riding over logs and your
trail riding becomes just that bit better.
STORY SHANE BOOTH PHOTOGRAPHY MATT BERNARDAPPROACH
Get this right and everything has a chance of
following correctly; get it wrong and you’ll be on
struggle street before you even start. You need to
approach the log square on, and if the log is damp
and slick then this is even more critical. If you have
any sort of angle then there is a very good chance the
rear wheel will just slide along. You should also take
note of what traction you think is available before the
log — this is important so you can judge the control
use to get the front wheel up off the ground.BODY POSITION
Attack a log like this in the standing position. Grip
the bike tightly with your legs to help it stay straight
and discourage the rear end of the bike from
skipping sideways. Stay strong on the bike so you
don’t collapse or fold down on impact with the log.COMMIT TO IT
As spectacular as this looks, it’s actually the best
way to deal with a log of this size. Lifting the front
wheel as high as it is in this shot really helps —
you can see that by the time the rear wheel hits
the log and forces the front wheel to come down,
the frame rails and engine cases have cleared
the log. If your wheelie isn’t quite high enough,
your frame rails will hit the log and most likely
cause the bike to come to a stop and throw your
weight forward. For this run through, as the rear
wheel has impacted the log I have added some
throttle to keep the front from pitching forward;
essentially, I’m jumping off the log here. You can
also wheelie the log and pull the clutch in to let
the front wheel drop, but this works better on
smaller logs. If I did that here the frame would hit
and I would have gone over the ‘bars.PREPARE YOUR LINE
If you are unsure about a log and the only option
is to continue, you can always pack some smaller
branches or even rocks to build a bit of a ramp
up and do the same on the backside of the log as
well. If all else fails, get your mate to help you lift
the bike over and then return the favour.ROCK OVER IT
This is one way you can get over a log, especially
if it’s on the larger side and you are unsure about
it. Approach the log slowly and pop the front wheel
over it, allowing the frame rails to land on top of the
log. At this point, pull the clutch in and let the bike
balance there like it’s on a centre stand. From that
point you can rock the bike forward over the log and
keep everything under control. If you feel like the
bike may fl ip over forward from this point, you can
also get off your bike and drag it off the log.