Better Riding: Off-road riding makes for better road riders
By Michael Mann
BikeSocial Managing Editor
17.12.2025
You don’t have to swap tarmac for trails forever to reap the benefits of off‑road riding but spend a few sessions in the dirt and it’s distinctly possible to see how quickly your road riding becomes calmer, more precise and, crucially, safer. We look at why off‑road experience builds the kind of instinctive control and mental resilience that roadcraft alone can’t deliver, and how to bring those wins back to the road, step by step.
Drawing on coaching insights from experienced rider coach, Mark McVeigh (www.motorbikecoach.com), we turn principles into practical drills you can do this weekend whether you have an adventure bike, a 125 commuter, or just a mountain bike gathering dust in the shed. Read on for an overview of the accompanying video or watch it in detail here:
Better Riding: Does Off-Road Riding Make Better Road Riders?
Learn about the benefits of off-road riding for road safety and control
Whether you’re a new rider or have been riding for fifty years, there’s always more to learn. That’s the focus of our Better Riding series, created in partnership with Honda Motorcycle UK.
Look at the stats for motorcycle crashes where no other vehicle was involved… that means the rider and/or road surface was at fault.
Why Off‑Road Matters for Road Riders
Most single‑vehicle road crashes happen when grip changes suddenly mid‑corner dust, a wet painted line, diesel, leaf mulch, polished over‑banding. On the road, you encounter these surprises sparingly. Off‑road, you meet them constantly: loose gravel, clay, ruts, roots, cambers and surfaces that morph with the weather. That frequency has two advantages:
Normalises micro‑slides.
Instead of panicking at the first twitch, you learn to let the bike wriggle underneath you without clamping the bars or grabbing the front brake. Your inputs become smoother and more modular - throttle, clutch, rear brake - so recovery is a reflex, not a guess.Turns feedback volume up.
The bars are alive off‑road. You develop a feel for tyre load and steering torque that is subtler (but still present) on tarmac. When the road gets sketchy, your hands already know what the front is telling you.
That’s why riders who’ve spent time in the dirt often look immediately more composed on the road. As Mark puts it, “They’re not fighting the bike. When the surface changes, when the tyre slips, they already know what to do, intuitively.”
The Three Pillars: Skill, Craft and Mind
This Better Riding series often refers to the three-pillar framework Mark teaches, and off‑road riding strengthens all three:
Skill (Machine Control)
Balance, body position, clutch/throttle finesse, brake modulation, weight transfer, and using your core to keep your arms loose.Craft (Road Craft)
Vision, scanning, vanishing points and line choice. Off‑road is a daily lesson in picking your route - look where you want to go, not at what you’re trying to avoid.Mind (Attitude & Resilience)
You fail more, pick the bike up more, and try again. That builds calm, problem‑solving and grit - exactly what you need for wet commutes, side winds, or busy A‑roads.
Think of off‑road as pressure‑testing your fundamentals in a controlled, lower‑speed environment. It’s aviation thinking; pilots don’t rise to the occasion - they fall back to the level of their training. If you rehearse instability often, your default reaction becomes composed.
Body Position & Core Engagement: The Engine of Stability
Watch any experienced enduro rider and you’ll see two key patterns that translate perfectly to the road:
Loose arms and engaged core.
Grip the bike with your lower body focusing on ankles, calf muscles, knees, inner thighs - not your hands. If your torso is supported by your core (and sometimes aided by accessories like ‘steg pegz’ on dirt bikes), your arms can stay relaxed to allow the front to track and self‑correct. On the road, this reduces bar input over bumps, painted lines and mid‑corner undulations.Place your centre of mass deliberately.
You are roughly one‑third of the combined bike‑and‑rider mass. Small shifts of your body have big effects. Forward to load the front, back to settle the rear, outside foot weighted to help the bike turn. Even seated, micro‑adjustments change tyre load enough to stabilise the bike across imperfect surfaces.
Try This (Road Drill):
On a quiet, open stretch at 30 - 40mph, ride with your elbows slightly bent and shoulders ‘soft’. Lift your chest (don’t hunch), engage your core and feel how the bars settle. Pick a few gentle bends and focus on lower‑body grip while keeping your hands light. The bike will feel less twitchy, especially over surface changes.
Clutch/Throttle Finesse: The Friction‑Zone Superpower
Off‑road riders live in the friction zone - the narrow range of clutch engagement that lets you meter power precisely at walking pace and beyond. This translates to smooth U‑turns, tight urban manoeuvres and calm control in stop‑start traffic.
Slow‑Speed Triangle:
Clutch in the friction zone (not fully out, not fully pulled).
Steady, minimal throttle to keep the engine ‘alive.’
Feather the rear brake to stabilise and set speed without pitching the bike.
Try This (Car Park Drill):
Mark two cones 7 - 8 metres apart. Ride slow figure‑eights using only friction zone, a fraction of throttle and gentle rear brake. Keep your head up, look across to the next cone before you reach the first, and breathe. If the bike becomes snatchy, you’re too far out of the friction zone or blipping the throttle.
Look up, Mann. Lift your head!
Vision & Line Choice: Look Up, Scan Early, Commit Smoothly
Trails change every day. Stare at the rock and you’ll hit it; look past it and the bike glides through. The same is true on tarmac. Your vanishing point - where the road edges converge - guides corner speed. Off‑road trains you to scan wide, plan early and commit to lines that avoid hazards rather than fixate on them.
Try This (Vanishing Point Drill):
On a familiar B‑road, pick a safe pace and keep your eyes moving: vanishing point, mirrors, near/medium/far, repeat. If the vanishing point moves closer, the bend tightens (or your speed is too high). If it moves away, the bend opens. Aim to be decisive but smooth with any speed adjustment - no mid‑corner grabs.
Use the engine braking and body position, and don’t be scared of a little speed
Downhill Control: Why Engine Braking Beats Panic Braking
Dirt teaches that hammering the rear brake downhill just locks the tyre and slides you faster; grabbing the front makes the bike stand up and skate. The lesson for the road? Use engine braking and gentle, progressive inputs to keep weight and grip where you need it.
Try This (Gradient Drill):
Find a mild downhill. Approach in a gear that gives useful engine braking (usually one down from flat-road choice). Cover the front brake, apply it progressively while maintaining a light rear brake to steady the chassis. Keep your eyes far down the hill and avoid fixating on imperfections.
The Dave Thorpe Honda Off-Road Adventure Centre
Off‑road is a workout. Increased strength and cardio don’t just make you faster; they give you headroom - mental capacity to process hazards, maintain patience in traffic and avoid errors born of fatigue. Fitter riders make fewer panicked inputs.
Getting Started: Accessible Paths into Off‑Road
You don’t need a rally‑raid budget to begin. Here are a few progressive options:
Mountain Bike (MTB):
Cheapest, easiest, and brilliant for vision, balance, and reading terrain. You’ll learn body position, scanning and line choice with low stakes.Hire or School Day:
A Honda Off‑Road Centre day (e.g., Dave Thorpe’s team) or a local training school gives you a controlled environment, coaching, and kit guidance. You’ll gain more in one day than a month of solo guessing. We have plenty of off-road or adventure centres listed on our BikeSocial membership page, with plenty of discounts to be enjoyed.Green Lanes / Easy Trails:
If you have an adventure bike, start on well‑known mellow routes in good weather. Focus on skills, not speed. Practice standing, low‑speed control and stopping/starting on inclines.Flat‑Track / Trials Taster:
Trials riding is essentially a masterclass in balance and micro‑control at walking pace. Flat‑track sharpens rear‑tyre feel and throttle finesse.
Off-Roading Kit & Setup: Comfort Breeds Control
Tyres:
On the road, choose a quality sport‑touring or adventure tyre suited to UK weather. Off‑road days may require more aggressive tread; ask the school—don’t guess.Controls:
Ensure lever reach suits your hands. Slightly lower levers help when standing off‑road; on the road, set them where your wrists and elbows remain neutral.Ergonomics:
Stand‑up off‑road: relax wrists, bend knees, hinge at hips, shoulders over bars with soft elbows. Seated road: engage core, light hands, drop shoulders.Protection:
Off‑road: proper boots, knee/hip protection, gloves and a well‑vented jacket. Road: keep wet‑weather performance in mind - grip changes are magnified when cold and damp.
Common Off-Roading Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Death‑grip on the bars
Fix: Lower‑body grip + core engagement. Shake out your hands at stops. “Soft hands, strong core.”Chasing speed, not skill
Fix: Set skill goals (e.g., clean figure‑eights, smooth hill starts) before chasing lap times or fast group rides.Braking late and hard when grip is uncertain
Fix: See early, adjust early. Use progressive front brake; keep rear as a stabiliser, not a speed control.Staring at the hazard
Fix: Train your eyes. Verbalise on approach: “Path, not problem.” It’s amazing how saying it out loud rewires the habit.Ignoring fatigue
Fix: Take breaks and hydrate. If your shoulders ache or your grip tightens, skill retention drops. Reset before you continue.
The Bottom Line: Off‑Road Enhances, It Doesn’t Replace
UK road craft rightly emphasises observation and planning. Off‑road adds machine fluency and calm under pressure. With stronger control skills, you gain more headspace for road craft: look up earlier, move smoother, and carry confidence into the places road riding is most demanding.
When the tyre whispers or the surface goes shiny, your reaction won’t be a guess. It’ll be trained.
Further Learning & Useful Links
Better Riding Playlist on our YouTube channel
Bennetts BikeClub: Connect with riders and experts, ask questions, share routes.
Facebook Group – Bennetts BikeSocial: Private community of ~10,000 riders.
Honda Motorcycles – Engine Room: Safety insights, technology and training articles.
Off‑Road Schools: Look for reputable centres (e.g., Dave Thorpe’s Honda Off‑Road Centre) for structured, friendly guidance.
This Better Riding series is brought to you in partnership with Honda Motorcycles UK whose goal: zero traffic fatalities involving Honda mobility products worldwide by 2050. Better Riding is a collection of self-help videos and written guides packed with practical tips, expert advice, and simple yet effective exercises. Designed for riders of all levels, it aims to boost confidence, improve machine control, and complement traditional post-test training. Because when your skills improve, so does the fun.
Top Tip: I often commentate while riding. It helps to remind myself of hazards and what my responses are to avoid danger. If you don’t already, why not try it? Afterall, nobody can hear you.
If you have an action camera (here’s a link to our reviews of the most recent 14 options), record your ride and review it afterwards looking at possible areas to improve. You can always ask specific question over at BikeClub or on our private Facebook Group, or tune in to the other episodes in this series on our YouTube channel.
