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Ice Riding 101

This past weekend I went riding on the ice for the first time. It was a blast and definitely a new experience/completely different style of riding for me. A good buddy of mine Justin Fleming (who you'll see at the Grattan events this year watching, hanging out and hopefully getting the itch to try roadracing) put on the show – plowing a pretty impressive road course with the help of his dad Rick, and good friend George Black. The track had both left and right turns believe it or not – as opposed to your typical oval track, stemming from the roots of dirt track.

We all ran on our fifties with tires studded up specifically for the ice. Studding itself is an art. There's a specific way to do it and always someone who has the inside line on what way is best. The guys my dad and I commonly ride fifties with are from the dirt in one regard or another. Whether it's MX or flat track, these guys can all throw a leg over both big and little bikes and ride; whether it's off-road, on-road, or on ice. With the wealth of experience (and a few AMA pro-licenses) between everyone, the way we can all ride is great - it always sets the bar high which I love.

The coolest part for me was learning to steer the bike with the throttle. The studs provide great traction – more so than I thought. As a roadracer, I found myself up close with the ice on several occasions, trying to carry too much corner speed with the front tire. The trick seemed to be to get into the turn, then break the rear loose and get out with the throttle. The rear end would grip so well that you had to try and break it loose and let it slide; which was where the most speed could be found - controlling the slide and keeping the throttle on. Of course I wasn't nearly as good at this as most, in my first time out, but I definitely became comfortable with it as I got more laps in. And with a 10hp fifty, there's more than enough power to get around the track in a hurry. Perhaps the funniest part to everyone else was seeing a knee-dragger sticking his leg out. It was a first for me.

Overall, it was a great time and with a great group of guys who have all become good friends over the past several years. As the day ended, we found that our bike had lost some screws and actually ripped some knobs physically off the tire – proof right there how much traction you can actually get on the ice – even with a little fifty.

Thursday, March 13th, 2008 | POSTED AT: 1:23 PM
FILED UNDER: General