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THROWBACK THURSDAY – MY FIRST RACE SEASON, WHEN THE PASSION STARTED Some people assume I have been riding and racing my entire life but that is incorrect. My dad and brother have always been in it, not really racing but a lot of playing around on dirt bikes. Not me though, for the longest time I was a school sports kind of gal, basketball and softball. I really enjoyed both but it did not ignite a spark in me. My first dirt bike was a Honda 100. I got it when I was 14. I would occasionally ride it around the yard but the bug still had not bitten me. 2011 was the first year of MORE (Midwest Off Road Events). My mom competed in a few rounds that year and continued to do so the following year. My family and many others in the community kept stating how good the atmosphere was and the trails were a lot easier than a few other series were known for. On a beautiful May race weekend, I gave in. I signed up to race the second round of the 2012 MORE series. In general, I am a super competitive person, very strong-willed. I lined up with 5 other ladies. I was excited and so nervous. I ended up finishing 2nd! That literally, hooked me. I wanted more. I wanted to win! It felt way more rewarding than any softball or basketball game ever felt. The third round was in Lockwood, MO. I just got a TTR 125 and felt super comfortable on it. Stephanie Pratt (Steve Leivan’s sister) signed up to race. Which made me excited. I wanted to beat her! I don’t remember if it was because I hadn’t gotten to race her yet or if it was the fact the previous season, she lapped my mom like three times. These days I bet my mom could give Stephanie a run for her money, maybe even some lapping going on…Yes, this is the Bonecutter’s calling Stephanie out and to get that dirt bike dusted! Anyways, off the start she ended up in front of me but I stayed right on her. Stephanie let me by. Guess what happened next! I got super eager and ended up in a tree, a fat lip and probably a meltdown, I got back on the bike and proceeded. That day I ended up 3rd but I was stoked to lead for part of a lap. I don’t really remember much from the next two rounds. Of course, I was still enjoying the heck out of it! Round six was interesting to say the least. I might have been showing off or might have been ultra-excited. At this time, the MORE series had live engine starts. The flag dropped and I popped the biggest wheelie of my life. I fell off the end of the bike but still hanging on to the bars. I never let go. Got it under control but heading out to right field instead of going around the first corner. Guess what! I popped another huge wheelie. By this time, almost all the ladies were near the woods. I needed to chill out, lol. I somehow managed to get myself and the bike under control and finished 3rd out of 7! This round I also decided to do my first ever short course race, which is a bit more technical than I was used to. I needed lots of help and finishing the race was like survival. I ended up 3rd out of 5! The final round was at Zink Ranch in Otterville. This became one of my favorite race locations! Off the start, I was in third. My biggest competition all season was Madison Kenworthy. She was ahead of me. I was right on her. On lap three, I made my first really good and legit pass crossing a ditch and up a hill, side by side racing. I was officially in first. I stayed focused this time and led the rest of the race. This was my very first time winning a race! I was excited but sad the season was over. I finished 2nd for the year. The atmosphere of the MORE series and having an excellent program for ladies’ racers (STILL DO) hooked me into the sport. 2012 was a big year for me, changing a lot of my life and habits. But most importantly, I met a ton of rad people, made friendships that’ll last forever, and found what lights me up… DIRT BIKES AND RACING! More Posts Back To Blog Page

Ever feel like the dirt bike is riding you? Ever feel like your dirt bike is riding you instead of you riding the bike with control? This could be related to your overall fitness abilities, strength and endurance. Anyone can ride a dirt bike but balance and multi-tasking are necessary to keep it moving forward on two wheels. Increasing overall fitness will make it a lot easier. Improving fitness abilities depends on your goals. If you want to be the fastest one in your group, you need to be able to withstand high intensity for long periods along with strength. If you are the weekend warrior looking to improve your skills and not get so tired, increasing your fitness abilities will make a huge difference. RIDE YOUR DIRT BIKE For starters, ride the dirt bike as much as you possibly can. No workout will be better than time on the bike. So, ride, ride, and ride some more! Make sure your form is good. Stand on your toes, bend at the hips, use your legs to grip and maneuver the bike, lighten the grip in your hands. The more you ride the more your abilities increase. Cross training serves a large purpose in all sports. All athletes do some form of cross training. For dirt bikes, you need endurance and strength. Most bikes weigh around 230lbs, you need to be strong enough to pick it up off the ground and to be in total control of it. INCREASE ENDURANCE Endurance is the ability of one to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time as well as oneself ability to resist, withstand, and recover from fatigue. Doesn’t sound too fun does it? It is extremely important to choose an endurance exercise that you actually enjoy! Running, swimming, mountain biking, road cycling, HIIT, are all examples of endurance workouts. When working on increasing endurance, be sure to incorporate both low intensity and high intensity. An example of low intensity would be a steady state heart rate (not pushing to the max and can still talk) for 30-45 minutes. High intensity consists of higher heart rates. For best results, incorporate both. Both have a purpose. WEIGHT TRAINING Next up is weight training. Lots of opinions and different beliefs on this. Number 1 thing is do not over complicate it and have proper form. My personal opinion is I love the feeling of lifting heavy weights and have never had an arm pump problem. So, that is what I do, mainly in the winter months. Most dirt bike riders are unknowingly in a calorie deficit so getting super buff will be almost impossible. Lift the weights, build your muscles. My workouts vary depending on what I feel like I am lacking. Sometimes it’s heavy weight less reps, low weight high reps, climbing weight sets, and decreasing weight sets. It is important to work your legs! They control the dirt bike. Recommended exercises are squats, deadlifts, leg raises, leg extensions, lunges, wall sits, and calf raises. Being a woman, I feel like my upper body strength is just as important as my leg strength. My favorite upper body exercises are different variances of rows, shoulder presses, pull-ups, push-ups, and bench press. Don’t neglect your core strength! Dirt bike riding requires core and stability so it is extremely important. I work mine every other day and no more than four times a week. YOGA & STRETCHING Lastly, more important than everything else above, do your yoga and stretching. Yoga stretches your muscles, works on your focus ability, and balance. Sounds easy but it can be very difficult but extremely worth it. Simple stretching helps too, keeping your muscles loose and flexible. Both help relieve soreness and tightness. Recover faster, feel better! Pairing all these together with proper nutrition and hydration and you will be set! I know it sounds like a lot but take the time to know what your goals are. Want that championship? Want to not feel like you got hit by train after a day of riding/racing? Do the work and ride your bike! My abilities on a dirt bike increased when I started working out and riding more than a few times a month. Agree or disagree this is what I have learned over the years from highly rewarded rider’s/racer’s and my own personal experience. What works for me might not work for you. Knowledge is power and that is why I spent the time to share. Cover Photo and Action Photo Credits: Lemons Photography More Posts Back To Blog Page

2020 Beta 250 Race Edition First Ride Review It was a fun weekend breaking in the Beta 250! At home there is still snow on the ground so I made the trip to St Joe State Park. I played in the sand box and spent most of my day on one of the harder sand tracks this place has. The grueling challenge and extremely demanding, makes me smile. This bike’s performance matches the looks. Simply, AMAZING! Super smooth, crisp, good handling, and easily the best bike I’ve ever rode (not a biased opinion). It is also extremely quiet. Before taking off, I listened to the bike run while it was warming up. It sounded quite a bit different than my 2018. A nice, crisp sound. After the bike was warmed up, in the first 5 feet, I knew this bike was going to be amazing. I am mind blown at how smooth it was. I have ridden many bikes and many different brands of bikes and nothing compares to this 2020 Beta 250 Race Edition. For 2020, Beta added the counter-balancer to the 250 and 300 2T models. This reduced vibration significantly. This is super nice for those long days on the bike. The power is smooth all the way through. It is easy to manage but has plenty there. With a redesigned frame, the bike seems to be a lot more balanced. It does not feel heavy. Beta shaved some weight coming in at 228 lbs weight wet no fuel. At first, I struggled to adjust to the frame being narrower from the seat down to the pegs. Being a smaller rider, this change will work well in my favor. New for 2020, the Beta Race Editions come with KYB forks and a Sachs rear shock. I had Shock Zone Suspension lower it and put the proper springs in for my weight. I feel like my set up will work really well for me but I am still in the new bike stiffness stage. I currently have 3 hours on it and in the next 5-10 hours, I should be able to get a much better feel.   To sum it up, Beta took an already great bike, fine-tuned it and made it even better!! If you are on the fence about buying a 2020 Beta, RR, Race Edition, RR-S, or Xtrainer, you shouldn’t be! Beta stepped up their game this year. Have more questions? We, Bonecutter Off Road, are happy to help and guide you to the right direction. More Posts Back To Blog Page