Introduction to Ditch Riding for Beginners - Snowmobiling 101
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- čas přidán 30. 07. 2024
- ** This video is intended for beginners and rusty riders. There are advanced techniques that can be used as an alternative for those things I discuss in this video. Please try to avoid discussing these advanced techniques in the comments, because I’m trying to give new riders a chance to learn. **
The snowmobile community is seeing a surge in new riders, and riders who left the sport a long time ago and have returned. This is great!
I see a huge opportunity for more experienced snowmobilers to welcome these new people into the sport, and allow them to learn why we enjoy it so much. That means teaching them things we’ve learned.
This video isn’t meant to catalog all of the answers, but rather give new or rusty snowmobilers a few tips to help them have more fun.
Always know the laws and rules before you ride. Sometimes, it’s legal to ride on the inside bank of a ditch closest to the road and sometimes it’s not. Is it legal to cross a road at an angle or to ride into opposing traffic after dark? It’s your responsibility to know those things.
A couple of things I mentioned in the video, but wasn’t able to demonstrate very well (if at all):
1 - I mentioned “parabolic turns” or wide sweeping turns - what you saw me do is turns that were much more gradual and subtle than what I was trying to explain. The slower you go, the more perpendicular you should be to the inclined banks of the ditch. Going faster - as I did - allows you to make less drastic turns. It’s all about gravity, and you’ll feel when you don’t need to make the big turns.
2 - The big drifts can be a lot of fun. Start small, especially when you’re by yourself. Always go straight up or down those drifts, or you’ll end up rolling off the sled.
3 - For about 50% of this video, I was sinking into softer snow than I expected. This was mainly because of grass holding air pockets underneath the snow. You can’t see me sink, because I powered out. If you listen closely, you can hear the engine rev up and in many cases watch the snowmobile slow down at the same time.
4 - I actually ran over a culvert at one point and didn’t realize it. Did you see it? When approaching a driveway, always try to steer wide of the lowest point in the ditch. If you’re not sure where that is, then steer toward the corners (I prefer the opposite corner from the road, because then I don’t have to worry about traffic).
5 - When you’re first learning, follow other people’s tracks. This doesn’t mean they’re going to pick the safest route. What it does mean is that their mistakes will be easier to spot and you’ll be able to avoid them. Don’t assume that because you see a track, then someone else knew the safest way (many times, they don’t).
One other thing: Save reverse for level ground. Trying to back up in a ditch is almost always futile, or at least counter productive. Learn to use power as a tool to get you out of tough spots and leave reverse for your driveway.
Have fun, be safe, be respectful and above all else:
MANAGE THE RISK. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Ditch riding became a lot more enjoyable with the advent of IFS!
7:04 culverts for sure is the most dangerous.
Great video…thanks for this!
The area of Canada I live in, sometimes the ditches are the only area with significant snow. Be safe! Remember to keep an eye out for culverts.
My experience with this type of riding is your better to take it easy on the way out because sometimes you will hit stumps rocks old fence wire and other obstacles buried under the drifts. If you hit those at 20MPH its not going to do much damage to the sled if any or injure you, on the way back you can ride faster because you know what to expect, where the deep snow is for bigger jumping and where to slow down to go around the obstacles like guy wires on telephone poles and hidden holes.
Excellent advice!
4:20 yep although if there is a field next to the ditch with no fence, unless you have been told no or there is signs it's usually acceptable to ride in the edge of the field
This video makes me feel so lucky we have mountains and don’t have to ride the side of roads
Must be nice!
thanks for the advice
Gotta watch out for those ditch kids! 😬
always take the safest way even if it's illegal. safety if more important than doing something illegal. and try not to 45 angle anything. and always have you tether connected. I fallen into snow holes where only the tail light showing. and if you do get stuck lift the back end up and drop it in 3 different spots then power your way out till you back on hard pack!!!
My thoughts, exactly. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Great Video and Tips. I'm up in the Northeast and all of our riding are trails. I wish we had the opportunity to ride in these type of areas.
Thank you!
Hahaha
Number one wait for a little more snow
I grew up riding the trails and frozen lakes, nowadays I like to ride the Mountains. We don't have too many places like this available to ride in Ohio.
I’d be in them ditches side hilling all day with my ggb can
Awesome! :D
Lol
Same
What is the best injection oil for ditch-banging? Blend, or full-synthetic? How tight should your track be?
I always use whatever oil is recommended by the snowmobile manufacturer, but there are many more good ones out there. The main thing is to be sure the oil is designed for injection (assuming you’re using oil injection). As far as track tension, I generally believe that looser is better, as long as it doesn’t ratchet under acceleration. The owner’s manual or shop manual will have the procedure for setting track tension, and I use that as a starting point.
Nice sled
Kids playing in the ditch!😂😂😂😂
that aint ditch banging haha
Yeah, I was trying to teach some basic principles, but the real fun comes when you can get creative! 😀
Bro why you riding in the farmers plants
Well... yes. I used what footage I had, which wasn't the best footage. It's never a good idea to trespass, even when it's corn stubble. However, there are several corn fields that I have permission to deviate onto, and that's what you saw there. There's no way for a viewer to know that I have permission, which is what makes it a bad choice for the video. I've debated about re-releasing the audio with different - better - video footage, but haven't gotten around to it yet. In case someone might not realize, unlike wheat and a few other crops, corn dies off in the fall and must be replanted. That's why I have permission to ride on it.
The issue you bring up is one worth repeating: Never trespass, always get permission before you ride, never assume it's okay to ride on someone else's property (even if it's public land). Always check first.
Trail riders have a pathetic amount of skill compared to ditch riders.
Sometimes simple things are intimidating to new riders, and I think ditch riding is one of them.
Skill is learned. There are suddenly a lot of people trying snowmobiling for the first time and they need to start at the beginning, not the end. Most CZcams videos show off skills learned and never explain how to start the learning process. If we all took time to welcome new riders with patience and the generosity of knowledge, maybe we could reverse the dying trend of our wonderful sport.
Ditch riding is huge fun, once you get used to it, and that’s what I was trying to introduce new snowmobilers to by making this video. I know there was nothing challenging about what I did, and that was on purpose. I hope people take this video as just the very first step in developing a new skill, and not as an example of the pinnacle of skill.
@@ponycarfan hey I am 35. Ridden quads my whole life but just bought my first snowmobile. I really appreciate this video. I dont want to do anything stupid and damage myself or my sled.
@@Erix7810 Thank you! I just posted a trail riding video, that also might be helpful. Start slow, and pick up speed as you get used to the machine. With your experience, it won’t take long!