The Best ATV Trails: One Man's
Trash is Another Man's Treasure
Next time you hear about a great riding spot, you
might want to ask a few questions before you pack
up to go ride there. Although all ATVs are
designed for fun, they aren't all set up for
having fun on the same terrain, and a trail that
is great for some people might be a complete bore
or be impassable for others.
Twenty years ago most ATV's were fairly similar.
Three wheels were a lot more common than four, and
they all had a utilitarian feel to them. Today
there is a huge variety of ATV's that are
specifically designed to meet the needs of nearly
any rider. Most ATV's have become very specialized
and are designed for mud, rocks, work, or just
plain speed. However, because ATV's are so
specialized, certain trails are much more suited
to different types of ATV's. ATV's fall into two
categories, sport and utility, and each type of
ATV performs extremely well in a certain
conditions.
For rock crawling and other extremely rough
terrain, a large four wheel drive utility quad is
the best, but skid plates are highly recommended.
Four wheel drive is crucial for rock crawls since
it's not uncommon to get a front or back wheel off
the ground in order to get from one rock to
another. Although it is possible to prod a two
wheel drive sport bike over some crazy rocks,
you'd better take the right line through the rocks
the first time since most sport bikes don't have a
reverse. The suspension setups in sport bikes also
make them much more difficult to get across big
rocks; this is because the suspension is much more
rigid, and many of them lack independent
suspension. In many utility quads, it seems like
the tires reach down and grab the rocks.
When it comes to mud pits, the utility quads,
especially those with four wheel drive are right
at home. The extra weight of these monsters, along
with locking differentials, let the tires sling
anything out of the way that it can't grab onto.
Sport bikes can be plenty of fun in the mud, but
they are not the first choice for deep mud holes.
Anytime you are crossing mud, speed is your
friend, especially if you're on a sport bike
designed for speed and acceleration, not the low
end torque need to push through a wall of mud and
water. However, stopping any quad in the middle of
a mud pit, four wheel drive or not, can mean
getting out the tow cable or winch.
Another unexpected trail obstacle that can mean
trouble is sand, especially the type of sand that
is found close to creek beds. Typically you can
get some decent traction on dunes, but unpacked
sand is a problem for most quads, unless handled
properly. In loose sand, a sport bike has the
advantage over heavy utility quad. A sport bike's
light weight allows it to keep moving over sand,
while most utility bikes are designed to dig
deeper into terrain to get traction. Regardless of
what kind of quad you have, speed is the best way
to overcome sand without getting stuck.
The biggest issue that comes up when talking about
great riding trails is what makes that trail
great. Some people will say that mostly level
trails with a few hills and ditches are great
riding; they just want to get away from everything
and enjoy the great outdoors for a few hours.
Although there are many people that enjoy this
type of ATV ride, it just won't cut it if you're
in the mood to sling some mud, catch some air, or
crawl up bluffs. Whatever kind of riding you
enjoy, you might be very disappointed if you
unload at a spot and find that the terrain brings
out your quad's weaknesses instead of its
strengths. |
