Chris Birch: How To Get Out Of A Jam

[advrider]

We’ve all been there. We’re riding off-road, and the day is going along most excellently, when what appears to be a simple task goes seriously sideways. Now, we’ve got to muscle the bike out of a bad situation, before something bad happens.

In this case, it’s ace enduro/off-road instructor Chris Birch in the jam, as he motors around Idaho (or is it Utah?) in the middle of his 2022 trip through the US (he’s offering adventure bike training in the States this year, for the first time ever). And, it’s a good lesson in how even the smallest of bad decisions can throw your day sideways, especially if those decisions are followed up by more bad decisions.

In this case, Birchy only makes the error of getting his KTM 890 Adventure R off the planned line during his run up the hill, putting him in “Now I need this bike not to cartwheel to the bottom!” mode.

From there, he very carefully coaxes the bike to a stable stop, eventually getting it turned around, having to lay it on the ground to do so. Well, Birch is mortal like the rest of us, and that is a preferable situation to seeing the bike careening down the slope. And then, the absolute mad-lad rides the bike down, and right back up, nailing it on the next shot.

Birch has two more US appearances on his training tour. Both sessions are in Utah; an advanced rider clinic runs September 28-29, priced at $1,000 per person. The final stop on his ’22 tour through the US is October 1-2, also in Utah, aimed at intermediate-skill riders. It’s priced at $1,200 per person; more details here.

If you think you might be interested, check out availability ASAP. Birch is one of the world’s most respected off-road riders and trainers, and there’s no word on when he might be back to the US for another go (he’s based in New Zealand, and travels the world for his sessions).

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