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Strong Core = Better Rider

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Strong Core = Better Rider Y’all have heard me stress over and over the importance of having strong legs. Another overlooked area would be your core. It’s not just the abdominal muscles but every muscle excluding the legs and arms. Your core supports your body. It helps resist outside forces. Think about all the different forces we face on a dirt bike; it could be sandy whoops, rocks, boulders, logs, roots, etc.. All of these apply force to your body in different ways. The stronger the core muscles, the better control you will have on the bike. As a rider, you have to move the bike to correct it not just by moving the bars. You will also have to be able to resist rotation. A strong core will also help you be able to stand up while riding longer and be more efficient. Basically, where I am getting at, the stronger the core, the better, faster, and safer rider you will be. Did you know, if you suffer from lower back pain, it could be three things? Underactive glutes Weak core Tight muscles What exercises should you be doing? As mentioned above, it’s not only about abs. Compound movements such as deadlifts, squats, lunges performed correctly and engaging the correct muscles will target the core muscles. Be sure to include those into your riding fitness routine. Dead bugs! They strengthen and stabilize your core, spine, and back muscles. This improves your posture and helps relieve and prevent low back pain. You’ll also improve balance and coordination. Bird dogs! They help improves stability, encourages a neutral spine, and relieves low back pain. It strengthens your core, hips, and back muscles. It also promotes proper posture and increases range of motion. Planks Side planks Commandoes Russian twist (if able to, use a weight) Sit ups (if able to, use a weight) Lying leg raises with ball Hanging leg raises Froggers Wall Slams V-Ups Hollow Rock Hold Remember, just like any exercise, keep good form and push yourself. Don’t fall into the habit of this is hard but gets easy and not doing anything to make it harder again. To gain muscle, you have to push yourself! If you need help developing a dirt bike rider/racer program, let me know! More Posts Back To Blog Page

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Talent makes you good, grit makes you great

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Talent makes you good, grit makes you great When I was in Tech School, I had an English writing assignment to choose a noun and write about this noun. I thought about it and chose grit. I knew I could easily write on this subject and tie dirt bikes into it. Every paper I wrote that year was about dirt bikes and my teacher loved it. *“ Grit – firmness of mind or spirit : unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger” By Marriam Webster Dictionary* Grit is the willingness to peruse one’s goal’s no matter how long it takes. To keep going when it gets hard. To keep chasing it when things go backwards. To fall down and get back up. To have passion for long term achievements. To keep moving forward. Grit is not needing instant gratification. Grit is to keep working when no one is cheering or watching. Grit is becoming stronger when you get knocked down. Grit is knowing when bad things happen, it is an opportunity to get better and not letting it happen. Grit is learning from an injury and comeback stronger than before. Grit is when you want to quit, you don’t. When you’ve wrecked a billon times and zapped all of your energy, you dig deep and find more to keep going. Grit is flipping upside down on a log and getting back up and doing it again. And again, until it’s easy. Grit is to keep going when every ride or race is hard, knowing at some point, it will get easier. Grit is riding or racing when its +90 degrees or 30 degrees. Grit is showing up to the race when conditions are shitty and race anyway. Grit is facing your fears. Grit is a combination of determination and passion and what it take’s to reach your goals. Talent makes you good, grit makes you great. More Posts Back To Blog Page

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Routine Check Up on Your Dirt Bike

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Routine Check Up on Your Dirt Bike The number one way to keep a bike in good condition, is to clean it, check it, and perform maintenance. Just like how to keep yourself in good condition. Here is a list of our top things to check after a ride or race: Oil – Is it dirty? Is it low? Keeping fresh oil in a bike will make the engine components last a lot longer. Dirty oil makes everything else in the engine dirty. Air Filter – Does it need to be cleaned and serviced? Keeping a clean filter helps it not get clogged or dirt to accidently escape into the air boot. Brakes – Do you have brake pads left? Another tip, if you are hard on brakes, get into the habit of bleeding your brakes + good high temp fluid after every race. Bearings – Are your wheel bearings, linkage bearings, and swingarm bearings all in good shape? Tires – Is it time to replace or get another ride? If you run tubes, check PSI and make sure the valve stem is not rusty. Bolts – Are you missing bolts? Make sure everything is tight. Spokes – Make sure none or are broken. DO NOT overtighten, that will cause them to break more easily. Cables – Check over the condition of all cables. Chain, Master Link, and Sprockets – Most chain issues can be prevented. Make sure the master link is in good condition. The sprockets will start curling when it is time to replace. Coolant – Make sure it is full Bottom line, these are all small check overs that will help your bike last longer and allow you to ride it more often with less issues. Get into this habit and log everything you do. It’s worth it in the end. A mechanical DNF stinks and missing out on epic adventures does too! More Posts Back To Blog Page

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Why strength training your legs is important for a dirt bike rider/racer

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Why strength training your legs is important for a dirt bike rider/racer If you have ridden a dirt bike, you understand that it is very physical demanding. It is not simply a motorized two-wheel machine that is a breeze to ride. It requires an individual to be able to control it. To be able to control it well, a person needs to be physically fit, strong, and have endurance. The fitter you are, the faster you can go. It’s no fluke that after I started cross training along with 5-10 hours of seat time a week, that my skill level significantly increased. I started as a trail rider surviving the course to a competitive racer, moving up through the ranks, landing in A class. To me, overall strength is crucial but having a solid lower body is the most important. It absorbs force and delivers force back while maintaining position on it. The bike is controlled with your legs. The stronger the legs are, the more control. Take a minute to think about how many times in a lap, you sit and stand up. If not conditioned correctly, that is very tiring ultimately resulting in bad form, more wrecks, and slowing down. Let that sink in.. Bad form and more wrecks could potentially result in more injuries. Joints not supported with good muscle strength, results in a higher risk of injury. Slowing down means you get beat. Our sport is risky but a lot of injuries can be prevented by having and maintaining proper form on the bike and having muscles supporting your joints. One thing to help you as a rider, is to start training legs. If you are a beginner, start with body weight or light weight dumbbells and make sure form is correct. As you progress, don’t be afraid of the barbell and adding weight. The load your bike puts you through is large, so push the weight and go through full range of motion! Do not ignore muscles imbalances or things that seem very hard for you. If you keep working at it and working on the problem, it will get better. If you ignore it, your progress will be hindered. My top pick leg workouts: Barbell Back Squat ROM Barbell Dead Lift Bulgarian Split Squat Single Leg Dumbbell Dead Lift Raised Front Foot Forward Lunge Reverse Lunge Barbell Hip Thrust Single Leg Calf Raises Stability Ball Hamstring Curl If you do not know where to start, I am happy to help! Not only do I sell dirt bikes and parts, I offer personal training to help fellow dirt bikers meet their health, fitness, and riding goals! More Posts Back To Blog Page

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Tayler’s Collection – 2019 Beta 125 Race Ed

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Tayler’s Collection – 2019 Beta 125 Race Ed Beta released a 125 two stoke in 2018. I finally got to ride one about a month ago. I instantly thought it was fun and I MUST have one. I decided to be patient and wait for a good used one to come up. It lucks out being a dealer, I got the opportunity to purchase the one from the Beta USA Demo Tour. Perfect. First off, let’s talk set up. This is a used bike so I find it important to give it a good looksee. Similar to what a person would do after a race. Inspect ALL and look at what might fail next ride. For safe measures, a top end kit and clutch was installed. Since I bought this bike to play on, setup is not as “extreme” as my 250’s. In a way keeping it basic kind of excites me. BUT I am a princess and know what I like! Prior to working on the bike, I rode it to see what it was like. As in checking to see if it ran kinda doggy. Which it did. So, we decided to jet it. We changed the main jet to 178 and the pilot jet to 52. At this time, the stock power valve spring is in but I will most likely be buying the kit and changing that out. I got lucky and the stock spring rates are the exact same as what I already run in my 250, .40 in the front, and 4.8 in the rear. The thermostat was removed and if I keep the bike awhile, I will buy the aftermarket hose kit, Samco or Boano Racing. ODI Emig grips were an absolute must! I have not put Fasst Co Flexx bars on yet but I can see that happening in the near future along with ARC folding levers! Handguards were mounted so I can attempt to ride it in the woods. For now, the last thing I plan to change is TIRES!! I find a dire need to have a Bridgestone M59 on the front and a Dunlop MX33 on the rear! First impressions from the first real ride, “Wow, I have to think A LOT and why am I so short??!!?.” FYI, I am 5’2 on a non-lowered Beta 125 which means no E-start. I have been riding and racing for 7 years, in that time, me being the princess I am, I have only had to kickstart a bike like twice so this is an eye opener! Halfway falling off the bike trying to kick it on uneven ground is quite the experience. The bike runs extremely well after the jetting changes. It almost is a little sketchy, a 125 can run if you let it. Like, you are absolutely letting it sing then you realize the throttle is all the way open and it’s time to shift AGAIN then you do that same thing all over again! It is tiring but the clutch lever feels 50lbs lighter than my 2018 250 so that helps a lot. The original plan for the bike was to ride it in open stuff not really woods or single track. But my first real ride on the bike was on fairly fresh cut trail that had a little bit of everything, hills, rocks, off cambered slopes, big logs, small logs, and good dirt, so a true test at not the easiest trail out there. Before hitting the woods, my biggest concern was killing the bike. One, the 125 likes to be revved up and two, my 250’s have Rekluse clutches. I know how to use a clutch but I figured I’d be slightly rusty. Surprisingly, my biggest problem was getting attacked by bee’s while trying to kick the bike on uneven ground and almost falling off. It was quite the sight. The next biggest problem was HILLS!! The first time around, I almost did not make it up one. On a 250, sometimes I have to shift down but most of the time I can just commit and go. The 125, if it is not screaming before going up, the tire will spin and you will not be going anywhere. I found that hard and required a lot of thinking. All in all the bike runs great and the more time I spend on it the easier it will get. Plus, the second ride on the bike went a lot better than the first. When I finish dialing in the setup it will be a fun riding bike! A few more thoughts… I could not wait to ride the bike so the tires have not been switched to my preferred. That also means, tubes are still in it. I have ran bibs for the last 4 years and did not even think about checking the air pressure before riding it. Definitely a rookie move. Air pressure was well above 10, around 15 PSI. I feel like if the bike was setup close to my normal setup, it would be easier for me to ride. I know what I like and that can make a difference, even if it is just in my head. Stay tuned… there is a strong chance I will race the Beta 125 in the near future More Posts Back To Blog Page

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Wrench Tip Wednesday: Short Legs + Tall Bike

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Wrench Tip Wednesday: Short Legs + Tall Bike When I moved up from a little TTR 125 to a full size 250, it was a shocker! My balance was bad and all I wanted to do was touch the ground. There are somethings a person can do to make it better but at my height 5’2, being able to touch flat footed on both sides is not going to happen. So, what do you do? ADAPT! You can lower the bike. It is recommended to lower it through the suspension instead of other options. 1 inch seems to be the most common. My current race bike, 2018 Beta 250 Race Edition is lowered 1 inch and I am personally glad I did it. It does help me in technical areas where I absolutely need to dab a foot. That much lowered only allows me tippy toes. Another option that many riders do is buy a Seat Concepts low seat. It does make you feel lower to the ground. BALANCE is key! The better your balance, the less you will have to rely on needing to touch the ground. I recommend doing balance drills on and off the bike often. It makes the difference. Pay attention! Don’t just stop and put your foot down. That will bite you more times than not, I know from experience. Plus, when riding with a group and you randomly fall over from not being able to touch is embarrassing. Try to spot places that are more even ground when you want to stop. Another thing that used to bite me often, not keeping my feet on the pegs when in motion! It was always in my head; I need to touch the ground for more balance but that is wrong. It led to many unnecessary wrecks. It took many times of being told, “Keep your feet on the pegs, your short little legs will not be able to touch anyway.” Being short, a big bike might be intimating and seem heavy to balance. Use your legs! Ryan Hughes posted a great video the other day and explained this well! “The weight of the bike is low centered not up by the handlebars so that means your control of the bike should also be low, your legs.” There is a lot more strength in your legs than your upper body, use it as much as you can. Lastly, be confident. Know you have the ability to ride a full-size bike. If you believe it, you can do it! More Posts Back To Blog Page

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Old Lady on a Sherco with New Skills

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Old Lady on a Sherco with New Skills Here is my mom’s (Missy Bonecutter) race/weekend report from the Lead Belt National Enduro. “While this old lady has been racing dirt bikes for about 7 years now, it was her first time at trying the NEPG circuit. Was not sure what to expect as I have never even ridden at Park Hills. So, I had the brilliant idea to walk one of the sections. I filled my water pack, grabbed my phone, and off I went walking test 3. The trail was plenty wide with lots of up and down hills, but I just wasn’t seeing anything that I thought would be above my skill level. Before I knew it, I was 3 ½ miles in. Having only raced the local races I was just sure I was going to pop up out of the woods any time. Sure enough, in a couple more miles I came to a black topped walking path, but do you turn left or right. Afraid of getting lost I thought I better keep following the orange arrows. Now 6.4 miles down the trail, legs shaking and just a sprinkle of water left I am beginning to wonder if I should call for a rescue. I have been saved! A few guys and a couple of UTV’s were sitting at the top of the next hill. PLEASE, don’t move – wait till I get up there. Sure enough my prayers were answered. I explained I thought I was a bit lost, but they assured me I was still in Missouri. They said as the crow flies, I was only a couple miles from camp, but you know in the woods you don’t fly like a crow. These young men were kind enough to offer me a ride back. I certainly did not turn down that offer and in about 15 minutes they had me back to civilization! Moral of the story is I got plenty of good exercise and felt comfortable with the lay of the land. Off to the sign-up trailer to get registered. Most people are smart and pre-register the month before, but for the last-minute decision makers, you will get the back of the pack. This particular National had 110 rows available with 5 riders in each row. By the time I signed up I was placed on row 103, which was not a bad thing for me because there were only about 15 riders behind me that got around me pretty quickly and then I was just out there riding alone. No STRESS, No PRESSURE, No WORRIES! I cruised along on test one with only one mistake. Tried to tackle a tree a little bigger than thought and totally destroyed a bark buster. I wasn’t sure at all how this test stuff worked, but there was a group of people at what I believed to be the end of test one writing down numbers. I was told to keep following the orange arrows to the next test start. Got there with 3 minutes to spare before my row was to take off! Test two was a little scarier than test one. A lot of off camber hills and a lake that appeared to nearly swallow the trail in a few spots. My fear obviously caused me to go even slower than normal. I was late to the next test by 7 minutes. Between test 2 and 3 I should have been able to take a quick break & fuel up, but did neither and darted off to test 3. I made decent time on test three and came in with 2 minutes spare before having to taking off on test 4. My time on test four says it all – nearly 70 minutes for just 1 test that was 11.5 miles. I noticed my fuel light came on with about 1 ½ miles left of the test. I let a sweep rider know and he was kind enough to ride behind me to the finish just in case I ran out of gas. My total combined time was 3 hours and 24 minutes of straight riding. I know I am slow and do not have a lot of skill, but am still proud to say I FINISHED my race! I have learned you are never too old to try something new and out of your comfort zone. In the long run you will be a stronger person. I also have to say I love my SHERCO!! Just give him a little throttle and he would climb the hill. Thank you Steve Bonecutter for getting me all set up and continuing to keep my Sherco in top running condition.” More Posts Back To Blog Page

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4th Annual Girls Ride Weekend

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4th Annual Girls Ride Weekend The 4th annual girls riding weekend held at Hardwood Hills Ranch was this past weekend. Over the years this event has created many lifelong friendships. The first year four girls participated, the second year it grew to nine girls, last year it exploded, carrying momentum into the fourth year, bringing new faces! This event is designed for all ages and skill levels with hopes of improving confidence on a dirt bike. I was a tad bit bummed to not be able to ride when everyone else got to. I made the best of the situation and offered some of my knowledge from my experiences on the bike. It was a great feeling being able to help other ladies and seeing their smiles when they tried new things, they did not think they were capable of. Confidence is key but so is good, quality practice. To get better, work is required, learning better techniques and the “proper way”. I stressed the importance of balance, standing on your toes, and using your legs. I am not a big talker and a bit on the shy side so it was fun to get out of my comfort zone to help these ladies get outside of theirs. I was only able to be there Saturday but what I have seen everyone had a great time. Between night rides with Task Racing Lights, more giveaways, and all-around fun! This year, WPS/Fly Racing were huge supporters. They ensured every lady got to go home with a giveaway. They also provided a large item up for grabs, a fancy Fly Racing gear bag! To keep it fair, we had a rock – paper – scissors war. The overall winner, Kaley Lewis, got the gear bag. It worked out well because she did not own a gear bag prior! Western Power Sports is a great company to deal with plus Fly Racing is the best gear out there! If you are a lady, I strongly recommend the women’s lite gear, the pants straight up feel like yoga pants. If you are a male, my favorite “uni-sex” gear is the Lite Hydrogen, it’s soft, silky, and comfy! Thank you WPS! This event would not be possible for everyone who helps us do it! Other giveaways were provided by local shops, Bonecutter Off Road, Moto Europa, and Marionville Power Sports. When you can, shop local. It really helps the shops out. Jim at Shock Zone Suspension donated a tire. Jim is a great guy and he does a lot for my family and I. The Bonecutter’s highly recommend him for your suspension needs. Just Ride Customs designed and made our event shirts! They turned out really great. I stumbled across this cool shop by watching Supercross and the Makeup2Mud segment came on. I am all for supporting small businesses and ladies who ride. Lastly, Hardwood Hills Ranch has supported this event for the last 4 years. We are lucky and very thankful to have a fun place to ride and camp! More Posts Back To Blog Page

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Hot & Hydrated

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Hot & Hydrated Welcome to the dog days of summer! I try to not complain about the heat since I am anti-winter and 50 degrees is too cold but it does make riding dirt bikes a tad bit more difficult. Here are some tips to survive the baking sun. HYDRATE! Lay off the beer and soda the week before a race. Try to consume lots of water throughout the day even if you are not outside in the heat. Hydrating for a race starts before the weekend. On race/riding weekend drink plenty of water before starting. Camelback is not a bad idea either. It is important to have a “sports drink” that has electrolytes along with some complex carbohydrates in it to replenish nutrients loss over excessive riding in the heat. Avoid all sugary drinks. Ryno Power Hydration Fuel fits into this category and is safe for kids. NUTRITION! This all depends on the type of person you are and what your body handles. In the heat, I work better with smaller meals and snacks. Fruit is a must! Of course, there’s more but I won’t bore you with what my diet/nutrition plan looks like. LIGHT GEAR! Lots of companies release summer gear that is a lot more vented. I like to use Fly Kinetic Mesh when it is steamy out. If it is not a race and just a riding adventure, start the days EARLY, get up with the sun! I promise, it is a lot cooler outside before 9 AM. Plus, the views are worth it! Along with the feeling of accomplishment before most people are awake. WATCH YOURSELF AND OTHERS! Pay attention to how you feel. If you are experiencing symptoms of dehydration and other heat related issues, get help, go to a cool place. Lookout for the people around you, they may not know what is going on. REPLINISH! & REPLINISH SOME MORE! I cannot stress this enough. I like to be ready to get back to normal training practices as soon as possible! The muscles in your body cannot heal without replenishing what was lost in sweat and activity. After racing or a hard ride, I follow up with a protein shake and carbohydrates. So, it is protein powder, Ryno Power Carbo Fuel, water, and ICE. This helps the body know it is time to start healing the muscles. You can be the fittest person out there or work in the heat all the time but that does not eliminate the heat related risks. STAY HYRDATED & HAVE FUN! More Posts Back To Blog Page

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MORE Hoot Owl Ridge 2019

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MORE Hoot Owl Ridge 2019 Round 3 of the MORE took place this past weekend in Hughesville, MO! Things have finally started to dry out in Missouri and less rain storms going on which mean two things; the dirt was primo or dusty. Let’s just say the dirt was way more on the primo side! Temperatures were a little hotter than any of the other races yet this year, highs in the 90’s and heat index into the 100’s. Staying hydrated before hand and during the weekend was key. Saturday the trail was roughly 4 miles with a little bit of everything in it, long creek section, rocks, hero dirt, itty bitty logs, hills. It was a great combo and kept ya on your toes. In the sportsman race, I got off to a not so great start. For the first 3 laps, we were in a group of four us constantly going back and forth. I finally made the pass on two of the guys and got back up to the next place guy. We might of bumped in the field so I had in my head I was going to pass this dude. We came up to a short creek section with three lines to enter. He took the middle and I took the by far fastest line and jumped into the creek ahead of him. Since I knew the pass was a done deal with no contact, I roosted the shit out of him to return the bumping favor earlier. My heart rate was extremely high the entire race with an average of 174! That’s nuts. I finished 5th in Sportsman Intermediate. The Ladies A race was on a 2 mile course that involved the faster and easier sections from the sportsman race. I recently purchased a Beta 125 with no intent to race it but to play on. I took it out on practice and had a blast. So, I decided to put my big girl panties on and race it. I was a little nervous about the start, I have never done a dead engine start on a kick start only bike. Like I don’t even know what to do lol. Anyways, it started first kick and I pulled the holeshot. I focused on having fun and trying to make the bike sound good. I did not wreck or kill the bike the entire time but my clutching hand felt like it was going to fall off! I finished in 1st place and felt good on the 125. Some people stated, I definitely looked faster on it in the open stuff than on my 250 but need to dial in the more technical, slower riding. If you read my last blog post about the 125, it is crazy what a good set of tires can do to one’s confidence in a bike! After Saturday’s races, I was wore out and exhausted from the heat! Sunday, the course was a little different than Saturdays, another section added in and ran the long creek section the opposite way. I had a better start than on Saturday but someone slid out in front of me so I fell further back in the pack. We had another train of us going for majority of the first lap but made a pass and it spaced us out a little. The second and third lap, there was three of us all together. I finally made a pass on a hill and caught back up to the guy’s that were in 3rd and 4th. I trailed him for awhile until I started to get tired and making more mistakes. I finished 5th in B long. It was a hot, brutal race both days and I looked forward to splashing in the creek every lap for a short lived cool down! Great job to all the Bonecutter Off Road riders! Saturday: Sportsman Expert – Colton Pratt 3rd (Sherco)Sportsman Expert – Chris Cassil 5th (Sherco) Sportsman Expert – Steve Bonecutter 6th (Beta) Sportsman Intermediate – Tayler Bonecutter 5th (Beta) Sportsman Amateur – Chase Rothganger 8th (Beta) Sportsman Amateur +40 – Philip Burger 4th (Beta)Sportsman Amateur +40 – Steve Summers 8th (Beta)Sportsman Amateur +40 – Mike Rothganger 9th (Beta)Sportsman Amateur +40 – Rob Steele 12th (Beta)Sportsman Amateur +40 – Randy Mittman 13th (Beta) Ladies A – Tayler Bonecutter 1st (Beta)Ladies B – Missy Bonecutter 2nd (Sherco) Sunday: Pro – Broc French 3rd (Beta)A – Colton Pratt 1st (Sherco) A – Steve Bonecutter 4th (Beta)A – Chris Cassil 6th (Sherco)B – Tayler Bonecutter 5th (Beta) B+50 – Roger Mackay 2nd (Beta) C – Chase Rothganger 9th (Beta) C+40 – Travis Opie 5th (Sherco) C+40 – Mike Rothganger 7th (Beta) C+50 – Philip Burger 1st (Beta) C+50 – Steve Summers 7th (Beta)C+50 – Rob Steele 13th (Beta)Ladies – Missy Bonecutter 2nd (Beta) More Posts Back To Blog Page

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