Why do adventure riders always stand while riding? It looks ridiculous. Are your bikes that uncomfortable, or are you just looking for attention?
If you ride dirt, chances are you’ve heard a version of that comment. My favourite response comes from adventure rider Henri du Toit: “We stand because we can.”
Du Toit, founder of the Proudly Meerkat riding group, had heard enough of the mockery and decided to proudly own it. The name comes from that upright, alert posture, like a meerkat scanning the horizon, ready for whatever the terrain throws at you.
“I founded the Proudly Meerkatte in 2014 to encourage adventure bike owners to actually use their machines for what they are built for,” he says. “These bikes can go almost anywhere, yet many riders never experience the thrill of leaving the tar.”
Why do we stand?
I wasn’t born an adventurer, neither am I a sportsman. My first bike was the legendary Yamaha XT500, bought to commute with as a student and simply because a friend had one. I knew nothing about bikes except that biking looked like fun.
What followed was a steep learning curve. Plenty of falls, a bruised ego (more than body, thankfully), and a lot of trial and error. There were no riding academies back then – just dust, determination, and the occasional bad decision.
We had a weekend route that included a particularly nasty climb (loose rock, sand, deep ruts, and a narrow crest at the top); it used to be the wall of a large farm dam. We tried everything. Speed, brute force, blind optimism, but nothing worked. That hill beat us every time. Sliding down to the bottom each time almost had us give up in despair.
Then one weekend we went and watched a motocross race, and it clicked. Those riders weren’t sitting down. They were standing, almost all the time.
The next day we tried it. Same obstacle, same bikes, but different technique and different outcome.
We conquered the impossible. At the time, we didn’t understand the mechanics behind it, we just knew it worked. Looking back, it makes perfect sense.
When you stand on the pegs:
- your centre of gravity shifts and stabilises;
- the bike can move freely beneath you;
- your legs act as suspension;
- you gain better balance and control.
Suddenly, rocks, ruts and sand become manageable instead of intimidating. The bike dances underneath you while you stay balanced above it. It’s not just more effective, it’s a lot more fun. Standing transforms riding from a fight into a flow.
Three golden rules of dirt
In their book Dirt Busters (Ridders van die Grondpad), Deon Meyer and Adriaan Oosthuizen sum it up very neatly with what they call the ‘Three Commandments’ of dirt riding:
- stand up;
- look up;
- power up.
It sounds simple, and it is, but it’s also incredibly effective. When things start to feel shaky on gravel, these three steps can make all the difference.
Dirt riding is a skill you feel, not just something you understand.
If you’re serious about improving – and staying safe – consider doing a proper training course. South Africa has some excellent off-road riding academies that cater for everything from beginners to seasoned riders.
Most welcome all bike brands, and the focus is always the same: control, confidence, and safety, so it’s worth finding one close to home.
More than just technique
Standing on the pegs might look odd to the untrained eye, but it’s one of the most fundamental skills in off- road riding. It opens up terrain that would otherwise feel intimidating and gives you the confidence to explore beyond the obvious.
In the meantime, ride safe, and enjoy the adventure.
