Everyone has a place they like to take their bike for a ride, a ride where they can go a little quicker than usual or just have fun. A good road somewhere full of curves and turns, or maybe it's just a big straight line. It's different for everyone, and that's cool. I take my bikes to Koumala range. It's tight with lots of turns, a nice road surface, and it's not fast, no long straights, it's all about getting the bike to turn. That's the sort of riding I enjoy. You could, if you wanted to, ride this place fast, but it's a long way from help, and sometimes riding fast can end in you needing help.
My golden rule, above all else, is I do this ride ALONE. Strictly alone.
I’ve found that riding with others tends to trick you into riding at their limits, not your own. I’m getting better at avoiding this trick; I’m usually very good at not trying to keep up. I ride this place alone because I don’t want anybody trying to keep up with me. Not because I’m some kind of professional, but because there are some riders who try extra hard when they see a one-armed rider doing what they do with two - especially if I’m doing it better than them. If you find yourself in a group of riders pushing their limits and feel unsafe, just pull over and offer to take photos. It's tempting, I get it, to push yourself, and I don’t want to stop you; I just want to give you an “out” if you need one.
If you have that “place” where you ride, to maybe slowly push a limit, or get a good buzz, try going there alone and just enjoying the ride yourself with as few influences as you can. You might enjoy it more.
Getting wet without the tech.
If it's raining, I purposefully take my old TRX 850 to Koumala range. The wetter the better on that old tank. For those who dont know, the TRX has no ABS or traction control. No tech. Just you and the meat between your ears to keep the bike on the road. This is not for everyone, and that's fine. My TRX has GOOD tyres, and I give the bike a more thorough-than-usual pre-ride check, ensuring tyre pressures, brakes, and suspension are all 100% ready. Every bike is different. Heck, every bike of the exact same make and model can be different - different enough to make a big difference in a situation where a little difference puts an end to a fun ride. TLDR; set YOUR bike up so it's right for you and how and where you ride.
The first few runs, in the wet on the Rex (TRX), are still tense, you’re fighting all those fears of riding in the wet - accelerating slowly, tentatively, and braking oh so gently into turns, afraid you’ll lose the front. But the more time I spent on the bike in those conditions, the more my confidence built. You start to relax, the power comes on earlier and earlier, the braking becomes harder and harder, and the braking distances start to shrink and shrink. Before you know it, it's like the water isn't even there.
Conversely, eventually your confidence curve and the performance curves of the tyres intersect, and you’re given a gentle reminder it's time to go home when the rear drifts a little too wide, or the front starts to fold under brakes. But, by then, your pants are starting to soak through, and you’re keen to get dry anyway.
It all sounds spooky or reckless, but I see it as controlled exposure therapy. And, if I could choose the message here, it would be preparation, preparation for riding in adverse conditions isn't optional. Check your bike, maintain those skills, and keep your confidence levels honest and accurate.
Neutral runs - no brakes, one arm
This is just for me here. Dont try this at home. Once I’ve gotten settled and have ridden the range a few times, I do what I call a “neutral run” - at the top of the range, I build enough speed, then put the bike into neutral and roll all the way down.... but, I do it without using the brakes. Sounds terrifying, doesn't it? But, in reality, it isn't, as the speeds on the way down (just rolling) at their peak are quite slow.
For me, this is about building confidence in how well I steer the bike and how well the bike lets me steer. There are no other influences; just you, the bike and gravity. That whole “looking where you want to go” thing becomes a little easier to dial in; your body position and how you move on the bike soon become more fluid and natural. Above all, you learn to trust the bike.
Once I’ve done a few good, clean, smooth neutral runs, I’ll do more than a few using just one arm - my prosthetic arm alone. This is to improve the connection and feedback between me and the arm, build strength in the little muscle I do have, and dial in the arm's settings. The neutral runs down, using only the prosthetic forces, has me USE the arm to load it up and get comfortable with the forces and feedback involved in steering the bike. That fancy Float shock in the arm has knobs and dials to fiddle with, and these runs really help to get those settlings right.
Why these rides matter to me
Koumala Range is where I go to:
refine my skills
maintain my confidence
maintain my physical capability
test and tune my prosthetic arm
push myself without ego
ride without comparison
learn without pressure
To blow off some steam (leak a little bit of stupid) because I am still very human
It’s where I go to stay sharp. To stay honest. To stay connected to the rider I’ve become, not the rider I used to be.
Every run up and down that range is a reminder that riding isn’t just about speed or skill.
It’s about self‑awareness, discipline, and deliberate practice.
And for me, it’s about proving — quietly and privately — that I can still do this.
Not for anyone else. Just for me.
