28 Trail Rider
www.TrailRider.com
There are thousand little battles that are waged during a trail
ride or race, and I am not talking battles with your fellow riders,
either. I am talking about battling the terrain and inner doubt. I
had a sticker on my old KX 80 that exclaimed When in Doubt,
Gas It! It was always a favorite decal and seemed to show up
on every new-to-me bike that I got. Though I wouldn't have
framed it in such a way as a kid, I always thought of the "Gas It"
slogan as little more than macho bravado. Only someone with
little to live for would gas it when the outcome is in doubt. I also
considered the phrase more appropriate for motocross where
familiarity with the terrain provides an understanding of what
lies ahead.
Looking back on it, I think I took the phrase too literally and
should now consider toning the phrase down to "when in
doubt, gas it - wisely." After all, the decal never specified the
degree to which one ought to gas it. There are many scenarios
where gassing it wisely can pull your chestnuts out of the fire.
The obvious example is mud. Last month we discussed how an
aggressive approach (gassing it) is the best way to deal with
WHeN INDoUBt
GAS It !
Story and photo By Kevin novello
photo By Art pepin
Brad Bakken knows just when to gas it.
