How to get your partner into adventure riding
Sick of feeling like you have to choose between quality time with your partner, or riding? And ever thought how good it would be to combine them but struggling to get your partner interested? I’ll chat through some of the tips and tricks my partner did that got me into adventure riding. Everyone’s different, so this is of course not a one size fits all, but hopefully a tip or two helps some of you out to maximise your riding time.
So how did he get me into riding - first off, patience. Second, more patience. Sorry team but it’s probably the biggest thing. Drop in little hints here and there, watch YouTube or get them following people like Lyndon Poskitt, ItchyBoots or Pikipiki Overlanding. Sell the dream bit by bit. Camping in remote locations, seeing beautiful sunsets and roaming to your own itinerary. This is the where the delicate balance of subtle encouragement comes in, you need to plant the seed and keep it watered, but don’t drown it otherwise it’s all over! Get them their own helmet, some gloves and maybe some pants – need them to feel as safe as they can. For me, the fear of sliding out even as a pillion made me go out and buy some motorbike pants quickly. Take them on short tiki tours as a pillion, and go slow. Remember it takes a lot of good experiences to make up for one bad one! I went as a pillion on a group ride with my partner. Turns out, not my thing at all, I hated it! I said at the end, if I was to tag along again, I’d be on my own bike! For some couples, they love being a pillion/taking a pillion, and I take my hat off to them. But I wanted to be in control of my own bike, see what was coming my way, and I also wanted my partner to be able to blat off and do his own thing without me being absolutely shit scared on the back for 8 hrs solid.
If you’ve managed to get that seed sprouting, your partner will be looking for their own bike. Be prepared for a million questions, and also try to listen to anything that’s important for them, like the look, colour, being able to touch the ground etc. It’s important, everyone has to love their bike! Starting with a very non- intimidating bike is crucial, my partner suggested the following bikes for me to look at;
Royal Enfield Himalayan
KTM390 Adventure
Honda CRF300 rally
Suzuki DR250
For me, the Himalayan really stood out, the old school look is right up my alley and I just didn’t gel as much with the look of the others which are much more modern looking, albeit better spec’d. We went to a dealership and I sat on a Himalayan and a KTM390. The Himalayan has a very comfy seat – big bonus, it also felt slightly lower and easier to stand firmly on the ground for me - helpful when building confidence learning to ride. So I have started on a Himalayan, and I love it! No threat of whisky throttling here!
Now comes the riding part. Patience team and a lot of enthusiasm. This is where your partner might start feeling guilty as they feel like they are holding you back, and that you’re not having any fun with them, as you have to rein it in and go really slowly. Also, where patience on their part might get really short – expect those toys to get thrown out the cot a lot (well at least this is the case for me). Remember the long game here team, and keep that enthusiasm high and reassure them that you are loving it, even if you’re not! Don’t have the patience? Then get someone else in to do this training, work smarter not harder right! This is where you can get some coaching lessons either as a team or just for them, watch training/skills sessions on YouTube, and/or purchase some training videos. Wian has been extremely patient with me, and we are loving the journey – or at least he’s nailing the game face! We have been using the Cardo Packtalk system, and this has been revolutionary for my learning for a couple of key reasons;
I get tips and real time feedback on my posture, weight transfer, picking lines etc
On narrow roads and gravel roads, I get early warning of oncoming traffic which limits the surprises, and helps to make me feel safer and more confident on the bike.
Now apart from getting to explore this beautiful country on two wheels and the buzz of riding on different terrains, the other huge part of what makes adventure riding so epic is the community! Building those connections and making new friends is an awesome part of this adventure and you can help your partner feel part of this community quickly by bringing them along to group rides – ride with them until they are feeling good, help find groups for them and organised group rides and before you know it, they might be out on a ride without you! RemoteAdv.nz puts up Ladies only rides so keep an eye out for that.
With the combination of YouTube, the PackTalk system and Wian coaching me, I have managed to take on the 42 Traverse, Rainbow Road, Akatarawa Forest, Odlins Track, and a multitude of gravel and dirt tracks around over the last three months and building my skills and confidence. Loose gravel roads are still my nemesis, but hoping to start attempting power sliding soon! I personally love the more technical offroad riding the most, albeit I have fallen a lot! Now that doesn’t float everyone’s boat, so make sure to get out and explore the different types of adventure riding, and weave in those other activities that you both like, grab a nice coffee or brunch on your ride, take a picnic and your togs, and get amongst! Hope to see you guys out there!
Elyse Armstrong
