Get Ready To Ride A Side by Side
Riding a UTV, also called a side by side because of the bench-style seating, is exciting and sure to bring some adventure to your life. If you’ve never ridden one before, then you’re in for a great experience. You’ll want to make sure that you’re fully prepared before your first side by side journey, though, and that’s where Woods Fun Center comes in. We’ve made this guide to riding a side by side to help you gear up and ride your UTV safely. We’re located in Austin, Texas, so if you have any questions about UTVs, bring them straight to us!
Be Prepared To Get Dirty
It’s dirty business to ride a UTV because of the conditions they’re so frequently ridden in: mud, puddles, dust, sand and debris are all likely to be kicked up by your side by side as you ride. You’ll invariably get splashed by some of this, so don’t wear nice clothes. Make sure to protect any delicate equipment you have with you; stow your phones and cameras in storage compartments or water-resistant bags to avoid water or debris from damaging them.
Acquire The Right Safety Gear
Riding a UTV presents some challenges to your safety, so it’s important that you’re equipped to deal with that. The most important piece of safety equipment you need is a well-fitting helmet that’s rated for extreme riding conditions. Motorcycle helmets with their full face masks can work for this, but might be hot and heavy for general UTV riding. A motocross helmet with a pair of goggles will be much lighter in weight while still giving you great protection against impacts and debris.
The rest of your gear only needs to be protective, but not specialized. Pants, long sleeves, gloves and boots that go to your ankle will keep you from getting too dirty, scratched or sunburnt while riding on trails or through the woods. Make sure you also carry both a repair kit with tire patches for your UTV and a first aid kit with medications and bandages to address minor illnesses and wounds while you’re far from home.
Follow Your Leader
When you’re taking your first journey on your UTV, it can be helpful to have a more experienced rider to follow because they can show you good riding practices and lead you over a safer path that avoids difficult obstacles or particularly hard terrain. Make sure to follow them at a safe distance that gives you time to stop if they have to brake suddenly. Don’t deviate from the path they show you, as you could hit something that they were trying to help you avoid!
Know Your UTV
Finally, you should get to know the specific UTV you’ll be riding before you climb aboard it. Learn where the controls are, how they work and take it for a ride over gentle terrain like an empty field so you can get a feel for how it handles at various speeds. Learn to turn, reverse and brake at slow speeds on this even terrain so that you aren’t overwhelmed or unable to do these things when they matter. Taking the time to figure out how your particular side by side works will help your ride to go more smoothly and ensure that you can focus more on having fun!
Now that you’ve got the knowledge, you’re ready to get your hands on a side by side of your own! Visit our showroom in Austin to see our full selection of new and used UTVs by all the top brands. Woods Fun Center proudly serves the cities of Round Rock, New Braunfels and San Marcos, Texas.