some of the safari stages will be run along beaches and through sand.
no surprise therefore that four of us went to ride on a beach in an undisclosed location not far from sydney. all legal access of course.
deep sand riding is a bit peculiar; it takes speed to get some stability into the bike. until the bike sort of swims on top of the sand the wheels are all over the place, but once at a certain speed it’s all good – until you have to slow down again. say for a corner.
ruts definitely help as well. the compressed sand gives a bit more traction. unfortunately the ruts are typically also quite narrow and staying in can be a bit tricky.
it is definitely good to get some practice. and fun too.
here is an important lesson, particularly on a rally: don’t take the wrong turn! in this case michael ended up nearly sliding his bike into the lake on the bottom of the dunes. it took four of us to pull her out – and during a race i’m not so sure i would count on anyone to stop and help push.
the other important lesson is that it is great to have a fantastic photographer as part of the team. thanks to ok for letting me use his pictures!