Watching your mates crawling towards the ridge only to become stuck right near the top does bring a few laughs.
But the merriment turns to boredom, and then to anger, as you wait for them to get out of the way and let you have a crack at the hill.
To make matters worse, the idiot stuck in the rut is digging the trench deeper with each blip of the throttle. But, there is an easy solution to unsticking yourself from this rut some call life!
1 SIT DOWN, SHUT UP
When your bike gets stuck in a rut and you can’t climb another inch, don’t panic. Get off the throttle and find neutral. Feel free to sit and smell the roses.
2 LEGS OUT FOR THE BOYS
Unlike most riding tricks, you actually need your feet on the ground for this one as being in this position will help you paddle the bike through the rut and over whatever obstacle is causing you to be hung up.
Keep the bike running and have both hands on the ’grips, covering the brake and clutch levers with your index fingers.
3 GEAR UP
If you’ve found neutral, pull the clutch in and select first gear. With your eyes looking ahead of the rut where you want to go, slide your arse back a little so that it is over the rear wheel and you are able to apply downward pressure on the back tyre.
4 SIT ON IT
This step requires perfect timing. You want to simultaneously blip the throttle, push down on the rear-end and release
the clutch.
This should cause the bike to lunge forward, but don’t throttle on too hard or you will just wheelie.
5 OFF YOUR ARSE
As you feel the rear wheel hit the tree root or rock in the rut, start to unweight the seat by standing up with your feet still on the ground. Typically, ruts are deeper than your ’pegs so you should have plenty of leg room. Do not hold the throttle wide open.
6 THAT FRICTION POINT
As the rear wheel begins to climb up the obstacle, keep the clutch on its friction point. This will help the wheel to climb rather than spin. Covering the rear brake with your right boot, hold yourself above the seat with your left leg. Once you feel the rear wheel has climbed the obstacle, get back on the ’pegs with both feet and crawl out of that sucker. Editor Mitch Lees
Quick Tips
You’ve all got one … that mate with riding attire that’s as scrappy as his riding style, which means if he’s stuck in a rut he’ll be standing over the bike with one hand in the air digging trenches as he yahoos! Don’t be that guy.
Taking weight off the rear wheel and standing over the front while you valve bounce your way over the obstacle is a good way to boil a bike and make it worse for the next person. Precise throttle and clutch use, while remaining calm, is the best way to attempt an obstacle like this.
