Trail Rider Magazine

Flashback! March 2026 5 As woods riders, we're all too familiar with the occasional get-off. It's just the nature of the game. S ll, there's always that one guy, the guy who bites it on a regular basis, really wadding up on occasion, resul ng in very expensive heli- copter rides and mountains of hospital bills. As we grow older, we try to limit these ground-hugging face plants to a minimum. Is there a recipe for riding rela vely injury-free? Well, in fact, there just might be, possibly in the form of proper setup for your applica- on, weight, and riding style. Let's take a look. This guy's maniacal on bike set-up. As one who really enjoys shop me, nkering with bikes as much as actu- ally riding, I've found spending some hard-earned cash on a few select components can actually save untold amounts of money in the long run. Injuries can be astronomical in cost, and there's no arguing that si ng around banged up while your buds are tex ng pics of roos ng chocolate cake just plain sucks. Here's what works for me. It's my personal recipe for limi ng forest meet face me. 1) Tire selec on. There's nothing more frustra ng than res that don't work for your terrain. What works well in the sands of Florida probably won't work well in the rocks/roots of Maine. Being New England-based, we've found Bridgestone's X31 (front and rear) to be magic. It works great in the rocks, but amazingly, it s cks well in varied terrain. To be honest, in 50-plus years of woods riding, I've yet to find a be er rear re for all-around New England condi ons. I've also found that Bridgestone's Ba lecross E50 EXTREME rear re, with its gummy compound, coupled with the Nitromousse 5150 system, works wonders on steep, rocky climbs. For those who complain that "gummy" res don't last and are too expensive, no doubt they're con- sumables, but buying a few sets of res a season sure is a lot less costly than even one hospital visit. Good trac on keeps one upright. 2) Suspension sprung and valved for your own weight, ability, and applica on. Most new bikes are sprung and valved for a 15-year-old middleweight. Most of us woods riders are older, larger dudes requiring heavi- er springs. If you've bought a new bike, do yourself a favor, check and set the sag. If undersprung, you'll be deeper into the stroke, deeper into firmer valving. This is most apparent on non-linkage bikes such as KTM's PDS. It can be tough to grasp, but on this type of suspension system, s ffer springs will yield a so er ride as the deeper into the stroke, the firmer the valving. So springs can actually deliver a very harsh ride. As for buying a used bike, don't be fooled or pay extra for someone else's set-up. Just because you're new to you ride had been valved and sprung by "Five Star Suspension Guru's." Most o en it doesn't add any value to you personally. Just because it was valved and sprung by a well-known and respected tuner, it doesn't mean it's going to work for you personally. There's a much bigger chance it's going to be far from what you'll need. Proper suspension set-up has to be for the current rider of that bike; if not, there's a good chance you'll be ea ng dirt sooner than later. As for us, Drew Smith at Works Enduro Rider has delivered nothing but fantas c results over the years, as few understand the dynamics and needs for those of us who crave rocks and roots. 3) Steering Stabilizer/Damper. There's always going to be an argument about whether a damper is needed or not. As for myself, I consider it an insurance policy. There will always be that sharp-edged rock hidden along the trail just wai ng to rip the bars right out of your hands, or the occasional tree that catches your hand guard, deflec ng you off into the woods. Running a stabilizer greatly reduces your chance of ea ng it. Sco s Performance is my choice, as they only dampen away from center. I set them up with the slow speed se ng backed all the way off so it can't be felt sawing the bars through the trees, and rely on the high-speed damp- ing circuit to handle the hard, jarring hits. Also, as an added bonus, running a damper can greatly reduce arm pump, as once you get used to a damper, and more importantly, trus ng it, you'll find yourself riding with a much lighter grip on the bars, greatly reducing fa gue. In closing, that's the basics of this guy's recipe. Proper res, suspension sprung and valved for yourself, and a steering damper, can keep your mug in the mud at a minimum!

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