Dirt riding tends to be a team sport.
It just isn't the same if you don't have a pile of riding buddies laugh at you when you crash.
But some riders do go out by themselves.
Maybe no one else is available.
Or you might like the solitude, freedom and independence that comes with solo riding.
But of course it can go wrong...
badly.
I know a guy who went for a quick midweek ride in the nearby state forest.
He was only 30 minutes from his house when he broke his pelvis and couldn't move.
No water.
No food.
No phone reception in this valley.
No one knew he was riding.
After three days someone finally rode down this obscure dirt road and found him.
The doctors say he would have been dead within the next 24 hours.
Another local rider ran off the side of the mountain
and his body wasn't found until six weeks later.
This was only 15 minutes from the city limits.
Nasty stuff.
So what can we do to make solo rides safer and less stressful?
The most obvious tip?
If it's remote riding, be like a pilot and lodge a flight plan!
Tell someone where you are going, and when you expect to be back.
If you deviate from the plan, text them to let them know.
It's best to start early and finish early.
Next? Stay within your comfort zone.
Prevention is better than cure.
Our resident paramedic, the Vanilla Gorilla, says ride well within your limits when alone.
Ride hard when you have riding buddies to get your bleeding carcass to the hospital.
The next most obvious tip?
Your bike!
Keep it well maintained.
Research the known issues about your model.
Ride something you can lift by yourself.
New to dirt riding?
Start on something lighter and lower powered.
This is all self explanatory.
A good tool kit.
How much you carry depends on how remote you will be.
If you google 'adventure riding tool kits', you will get some really good detailed info
from solo riders who really know their stuff.
Get into it.
A first aid kit.
Basic first aid kits are usually fine for a day ride.
The longer and more remote it gets, you might want an advanced kit.
But you will probably need to do a first aid course to know how to use the advanced stuff.
Here are some basic suggestions.
Check out suggestions on the advrider forum,
riders who are paramedics have some very detailed info for serious solo riders.
Protective gear!
Riding solo means you really want the best gear possible.
Personally I wear the bests motocross botos possible when riding alone just
to minimize the chance foot and leg fractures.
Consider some type of armor for your chest.
Research shows thoracic injuries are quite high for us older riders over 40 years of age.
Consider putting next of kin details and allergies printed on your helmet.
Wear ear plugs, you'll be less fatigued and more alert.
Think about bright colours that are easily seen by search and rescue teams.
Heaps of useful info out there, just google it.
See our vid "How to choose good protective gear and armour?"
Food, water and accommodation.
When riding solo, you want to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
If you crashed off the track and can't move
and there's no phone reception, how long can you survive?
Always carry a decent amount of water and possibly some energy bars too.
How bad could the weather potentially get?
A space blanket can keep you warm and keep the rain off you.
If it could get really cold, consider thermal underwear.
Think about water purification tablets and insect repellent in your first aid kit.
Electronics to the rescue!
Thankfully there's all sorts of stuff to prevent us being stranded for days without help.
Your cell phone.
Pick a decent phone and plan with the widest possible coverage.
Install GPS and tracker apps so that someone can see where you are as long as there is coverage.
Also have a dedicated GPS unit on your bike, just have the phone as a backup.
If you are getting really remote,
check out personal locator beacons and emergency transmitters like EPIRB and SPOT.
You can get satellite communicators for communication anywhere on the planet.
Remember to keep your device accessible.
For example, if you can only move one arm
you probably can't get your backpack off to make contact.
Make sure you can keep your devices charged via a USB outlet on your bike.
This is a huge area, do your research.
Riding tips when stuck.
Some guys carry a pair of sneakers so they can walk home if they are miles from anywhere.
Carry a tow rope.
Consider a pulley system or mini winch to drag your bike
out of a mud hole or back up onto the road.
Can't get traction?
Drop your rear tyre pressure down very low for a big footprint and heaps of traction.
See our training vid, 'Riding tips when stuck'.
Have you got extra tips?
Let us know and we'll add them to the list.
It can be a real downer looking through this list
because adventure riding is meant to be about fun and chilling.
But remember a lot of this stuff assumes you'll be on multi day rides in very remote areas, so just
pick and choose the stuff that works for your situation.
It really makes sense to hope for the best, prepare for the worst!