Discovering enduro cross-training skills for adventure riding.

Pain, sweat and fear — just a few of the physical and emotional battles I experienced while tackling a five-day stretch at Traction eRag’s XTADV cross-training enduro camp. Like most (but not all) adventure riders, I have slowly developed my experience riding off-road, mostly through trial and error and picking up pointers and hacks from fellow riders. 

I wasn’t blessed to have grown up with dirt bikes, and I often wish I had formed that foundation when I was younger and nimbler because, as many road riders can attest, skills that are applicable to the asphalt and high traction environments don’t translate well to the dirt. It’s a well-known fact that it’s necessary to unlearn much of the road-biased rider techniques once you leave the tarmac. Without a doubt, my adventure-riding exploits have made my bike and my body suffer needlessly. 

One evening I was perusing one of my go-to social media influencers on YouTube, a common practice of mine while I stave off rider despair as the cold and ice blankets my neighbourhood. “Dork in the Road” has a loyal and impressive following and, serendipitously, on this one episode he was raving about his unforgettable experience at XTADV, hosted by Traction eRag. 

Ben Sell (a.k.a. “the Dork”) is based in Oregon, so I assumed the training camp was located south of the line, but when he referenced the high country near Kamloops, B.C., it obviously caught my attention. I was intrigued, and within five minutes of watching the piece I jumped on the computer to learn more about Traction eRag and check training dates on their website for the upcoming riding season.

Small Beginnings,
Expanding Future

Traction eRag had its origins as a digital magazine and producer of videos that dove into stories about what Dallas Shannon, eRag’s grand fromage, calls “the everyday hero” — riders who focus on “experiencing great adventure and uncertainty in their own backyard.” This foundation evolved into the eRag team hosting group riding events, such as extended dirt focused trips into the wilds of British Columbia, embellished with tantalizing descriptors such as The Outlaw Run, The Recon Run, and Big Rock-Candy Mountain. 

Complementing the menu are off-road training opportunities, such as XTADV, with a specialized focus on adventure riders who make up a vast component of motorcyclists today (many of whom are riding bloated 180-to-225-kg steeds back at home), that are seeking to improve their skills and confidence in an off-road environment. 

From Near and Far 

Of the 10 participants in the XTADV course that I attended, I was the only local boy. For me, it was…