07/31/2025
Invest in riding lessons.
I learned how to ride from my buddy in elementary school on his YZ80. He showed me where the controls were, I put on his helmet, crashed several times and eventually got the hang of getting from one place to another. I hate to admit it but I think that’s how I continued to progress. I would ride with guys who were ‘fast’ and I would either ask them what they were doing or watch, try, crash or get the hang of it. Looking back, it’s kind of an insane way to learn but I think it’s really how most people ‘learn to ride’.
I took my first riding lessons when I decided to work with dirt bike riders. I knew that I needed to know correct riding form if I was going to help people get into the correct positions.
It took some humility to admit that maybe I didn’t know how to ride. And it felt like a waste of money to pay someone to teach me something I ‘already knew’.
I pushed through those thoughts and booked my first riding lesson with Ryan Wells of Arizona Dirtbike Training.
My bike fell off my bumper on the way there (one of many things Ryan would teach me was how to secure my bike using a bumper carrier).
I will just say that learning from Ryan was a blast. He taught me the foundation of riding correctly. The bike was way more predictable, I wasn’t as tired and I was way faster. The little kid in me was very happy.
I have since taken many more lessons. I have taken lessons from Drake Hacker (through Az Dirtbike Training), Max Gerston, and even Graham Jarvis.
I think riding lessons are the best use of your money and time if you are interested in riding or improving your riding. I think it’s important that you have good chemistry with the instructor because you need to be able to ask questions etc. Max Gerston and Ryan Wells both offer rental bikes etc if you are interested in riding but not ready to make the purchase of a bike etc.
I hope this helps!
Riding is an amazing experience
