We believe every rider benefits from exposure to a variety of off-road riding disciplines, and Motocross (MX) is one of those disciplines that really delivers when it comes to training, fitness and progression.

This is why we always have a motocross-focused event in our women’s off-road riding events series, not only to cater to women who already ride Motocross, but to introduce woods, trail and dual sport riders to the benefits of riding MX.

Read on to learn more about 5 key benefits of riding Motocross.

First things first, what is motocross?

Sometimes people casually use the word ‘Motocross’ to mean “riding a dirt bike”’. Some people don’t understand the difference between motocross bikes and other off-road bikes; and, some don’t know the difference between Motocross and Supercross. So, let’s just cover a few basics first:

Motocross (not MotoRcross) is a type of off-road riding that takes place on an outdoor course or track with turns, jumps, whoops and/or other types of terrain challenges. A Motocross bike is a dirt bike, but not all dirt bikes are Motocross bikes.

A Motocross bike is built to prioritize speed, with taller and stiffer suspension for jumping, sharper turning, among other things. They’re typically tuned to run at higher speeds out in the open, as opposed to bikes that are ridden at slow speeds in thick brush, woods or trails. This doesn’t mean you can only ride a motocross bike on a Motocross track and vice versa; It means it’s not the ideal vehicle for the task at hand.

A non-MX dirt or trail bike doesn’t have the suspension built for jumping. They can bottom out when landing, and not hold turns and corners as well. Riding an MX bike where you’d usually ride an enduro or trail bike (at slower speeds in tight, technical conditions) can be cumbersome with such a stiff suspension, and can cause the bike to overheat because there’s less air passing to cool it off.

Motocross races occur outdoors on larger, more widespread pieces of land, covering greater distance, variety of terrain and change in elevation, while Supercross is the sport reconfigured to fit into the close quarters of stadiums. Check out the images below to compare a National Motocross track like Red Bud and a European MXGP track like Matterley Basin to the Supercross track at Anaheim Stadium:

5 Benefits of Motocross

A blend of physical demand, mental strength, technique and repetition, motocross at its peak level is one of the toughest sports on Earth. And while one can find joy, adventure and challenge in many types of off-road riding, Motocross is a key component of having well-rounded off-road experience and training. Here’s why…

1. MX Techniques Are Core Techniques

For any and every sport, FORM comes first, and speed follows. Everything we learn and excel at starts with the basic building blocks of form, and then we grow from there.

Motocross teaches you ideal body position for riding, turning, accelerating, braking, jumping and everything in between. If you learn proper form and riding techniques on a Motocross track, you can learn to ride anywhere.

Riders going out on trails, racing hare scrambles or hitting local dirt roads will more or less be implementing these very same techniques in other ways as the landscape changes - as curves arise, as bumps in the road appear, or as a rogue rut pulls your tire in a sideways direction - but without the repetition that helps them more quickly master the technique. This is where MX can give you an advantage.

2. MX Lets You Ride With Repetition

Getting repetition in off-road riding and training delivers a huge boost to one’s riding abilities. Repetition lets you dial in technique, make progress fast, build muscle memory, and recover faster after an unfortunate spill. When you’re only riding ever-changing terrain out in the wilderness, you don’t get as much repetition in a short amount of time, which is why cross-training with MX is so valuable.

Repetition is crucial to building confidence. One of the best tips for riding again after a crash or accident is to ride with repetition, slowly expanding your comfort zone until you can ride with mental clarity again.

Aside from improving one’s skills and mental state, repetition is also great for dialing in adjustable elements on your bike, such as suspension. Suspension clickers are very sensitive and repetition is helpful to evaluate the subtle differences you feel when making new adjustments.

3. MX Helps You Get ‘Up To Speed’

Nothing helps prepare you for speed like speed itself. You literally have to experience speed in order to handle it well. Your eyes and brain have to adapt to speed, and your nerves and muscles need to adapt to feeling what the bike feels like at speed.

Pro racers do specialized drills just to work on their eye-sight, mental interpretation and muscle reaction in racing situations, and any rider can benefit from practicing a similar concept. Repetition on a track can help you get better and faster at making sense of shapes of tracks, ruts or rocks in whatever soil, loam or sand you’re riding in; or, the exact shape and slope of jumps as they come toward you.

4. MX Is Great For Crossover Fitness Training

Motocross riders are some of the most physically fit and mentally tough athletes on the planet. Core strength, flexibility, mobility, recovery and repetition are all essential in Motocross, making it a sport ripe for crossover training and direct skill transfer to other sports if not overall fitness level.

Motocross can be a non-stop, full-body, high-heart rate workout, as well as an exercise in muscle strength and aerobic endurance as busting through soil and ruts alone can knock you around and tire you out.

Athletes from many other sports, like downhill Mountain Biking, also use motocross for additional training and fitness. Just like cycling, motocross can help you build a base, and strengthen your aerobic energy system. Doing even a 15-minute moto consistently in your riding practice can give you benefits other riding styles cannot.

5. MX Is As Gnarly As You Want It To Be

When MX or any kind of off-road riding is new territory for a rider, they’re surely going to have some nervousness about it. Most images of Motocross show experienced riders in-action, shredding berms, soaring through the sky, and blasting through whoops. It can be intimidating.

But, those images are the top moments of skilled riders. You can ride an MX track without jumping, and just roll over all the features on it. Or you can go over a tabletop jump adding just a tiny bit of speed at a time. You can and should always ride within your means and work your way up, taking lessons from trusted coaches along the way.

Everyone starts somewhere, so whether it means rolling over jumps with your wheels never leaving the ground or hauling ass and hitting a big tabletop wide open, you can ride and progress at your own pace.

Motocross tracks can often be busy, noisy places that can feel chaotic until you get used to it, which is why we also secure entirely private track access for our events. Over And Out takes over land with amazing options for all levels: where novice riders can safely ride and make progress, and experienced riders can come riiiiiip, and where everyone has a blast TOGETHER!