Posts: 101
Joined: 6/20/2017
Location: San Diego, CA USA
I live about 1-1:30 from several tracks. I'm 31 and my work/life lends to me having more time to ride them my friends that I ride with. I was curious how many of you go to track solo, and how you manage it. I've always been very apprehensive about going to the track solo on the off chance I get hurt, and really in that situation it's more about how is my truck/bike going to get home then it is about my safety.
Posts: 1504
Joined: 7/27/2016
Location: Snohomish, WA USA
Never been a fan. I’ve gone a few times and always rode like crap because I spent the whole time worrying about getting hurt.
I did have one place where I was friends with the owner/promoter and knew they’d take care of my stuff/calling family etc. That was ok.
Posts: 2302
Joined: 8/26/2006
Location: Clayton, DE USA
I did once. Landed on my head and got choppered out from what I've been told. Haven't been the same since. I wouldn't recommend it.
From dirt bikes to dirty strikes! Bowl on PBA tour @wozbowls. Oh...and I'm MXPTV.
Posts: 9646
Joined: 8/16/2006
Location: CO, USA
I have been going to the track on my own as long as I have been riding but I never worry about what might happen. You can go ride and enjoy life or you can worry about every little thing. May not be the smartest way to live but I sure enjoy the things I do even when I have to go alone because my friends cant make it they day. 
Ed Johnson
Posts: 522
Joined: 12/26/2014
Location: Fruita, CO USA
I did it for years and most of the time to tracks in the middle of nowhere and there was nobody out there. It was probably a dumb thing to do, but I wanted to ride and I didn't worry about it at the time.
I would think that any track you are going to in SoCal is going to have people around, if not EMS. Go for it man, you might as well enjoy riding if you have the time! If you stack up bad enough that you have to leave your stuff, I am sure that a good citizen will take care of you.
Posts: 689
Joined: 5/2/2017
Location: Oregon City, OR USA
I’ve done it a couple times and I always felt kinda sketchy, didn’t wanna ride like how I normally do so I don’t get hurt, and it’s not as fun. But riding is always fun regardless if you’re alone or not.
What I always do is leave my ID in my driver seat, Incase of emergency. And I always make sure my GF or parents know exactly what track I’m at, when I get there and when I leave. Totally unnecessary but atleast they know what I’m doing and where I’m at in case of emergency also.
I’m in the same situation as you, I get off work a little earlier in the day so I have time to ride when my buddies don’t, just play it safe and you should be okay.
Posts: 1048
Joined: 4/20/2010
Location: Temecula, CA USA
Terrible decision in my opinion.
With that being said, if you are going to go solo, I suggest you make friends with the truck next to you and go “hey, just Incase something happens, my phone is in my goggle bag. Please call the Mrs if I cant”
99.99999% of people would be more than willing to oblige I am sure
shit'll buff out
Posts: 9646
Joined: 8/16/2006
Location: CO, USA
Matt Wozney wrote:I did once. Landed on my head and got choppered out from what I've been told. Haven't been the same since. I wouldn't ...more
So you would NOT have still landed on your head and been choppered out if your friends would have been there ? .........................Interesting
Ed Johnson
Posts: 9350
Joined: 7/6/2015
Location: So Cal, CA USA
I've only done it once and didn't like it at all. Luckily I ended up seeing a guy I had met a time or two before that, so it wasn't as bad.
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Posts: 6731
Joined: 6/8/2012
Location: State College, PA USA
Edited Date/Time:
Just make sure you tell your significant other, parent, friend etc when you're going. If you plan to do 20 minute motos tell them you'll shoot them a text every 20 minutes to let them know you're okay. If they don't hear from you within say a half hour then they should come looking for you.
Edit: are we talking going to a track where there's other riders or you being alone? If there's other people there I don't see an issue at all. I thought you meant you were going to a track totally alone.
Posts: 29600
Joined: 3/26/2015
Location: Ontario, CAN
Moderator
Do a search on the topic. Quite a few threads on the subject that popped up over the years.
I've personally have never gone to the track alone. Always went with someone whether they also rode or not. Just a comfort thing in the event that I got hurt. Real glad I wasn't alone when I got hurt. Gave me peace of mind that my brother and father were there and that they were up to date on the news. Also glad my mother got the news from them and not a total stranger or some doctor.
"Sorry Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower."
Posts: 254
Joined: 1/30/2017
Location: Midlothian, TX USA
Couple tracks here will take down an emergency contact. There’s a track about fifteen minutes away I’ll go to solo if it’s a last minute thing or something freed up for me to go but 95% of the time there’s usually atleast four of us. Going by myself doesn’t stop me from going, but I’d rather not. I did the solo thing quite a bit a couple years ago.
Posts: 363
Joined: 1/17/2018
Location: Central, NJ USA
I go to practice days alone. I have my emergency contact info, medical info, name, etc. on a sticker i had made stuck to the inside of my visor. Fortunately never had to use it.
Posts: 6473
Joined: 4/27/2007
Location: Corona, CA USA
Probably 99% of my riding for years was done solo at the track on a weekly basis......if shit happens you're usually surrounded by people who will make sure your shit is taken care of. I've had to have random people load my bike for me a couple of times I got hurt and was still have to drive myself home or to the hospital and they were totally cool with it. The couple of times I was alone and taken out in an ambulance I made sure to let a track worker know where my truck was and they took care of it and all of my stuff until I was able to have someone get it for me.
Posts: 1381
Joined: 9/17/2010
Location: MP, USA
I’ve only done it a couple times in the 27 years that I’ve been riding and racing. There’s a certain peace of mind knowing you’ll have someone you trust looking out for your best interests if you’re physically not able to.
Posts: 6650
Joined: 5/5/2011
Location: Santa Clarita, CA USA
I do it all the time. But I generally know people at the tracks I ride, once I get there. If nothing else, print out a piece of paper and maybe laminate it, with your info on it, just in case something were to go wrong.
I've been knocked out before and taken a trip to the hospital a few times, but I was with someone during those crashes. Whatever you do, do NOT go out on a motocross track and think about "what if" !! It's just not a good way to spend your day.
if nothing else, post where you're riding and see if anyone from the forum is heading that way. You'd be surprised how many people are in your same position. There's another forum board I go on that has regular posts about where everyone's headed and you'll end up making some new friends to ride with. Lots of good dudes that are all local So Cal guys, I would sign up and start posting once in awhile. www.proride.com ~ Shaun
Posts: 354
Joined: 1/4/2007
Location: Oahu "West side", HI USA
Been doing it for years when my boy stopped riding. I see that your in So Cal. Might want to hit up ProRide as there is always groups meeting at different tracks during the week and weekends also.
Posts: 1558
Joined: 3/25/2014
Location: VA, USA
I do it every now and then. Sometimes I have a day off during the week and don’t want to sit around when I could ride. Plus it’s great to send your buddies messages from the track to rub it in their faces while they work. Always write down emergency contact info and let whoever I’m pitted next to know about the piece of paper should anything happen.
Posts: 6148
Joined: 10/16/2014
Location: Buda, TX USA
I do it all the time too. Would rather meet people there, everybody has different schedules and goes different directions after the track so it's often hard to coordinate. This sport does a bad job of bringing folks together socially, Vital is good but not for local meet up stuff. Facebook posting on the track's page when you intend to go is a pretty good way to meet up with like minded riders and get to know people.
Posts: 1631
Joined: 10/19/2015
Location: Edinboro, PA USA
I used too skip school when I was 16/17 and lie about my age on the waivers by myself all the time.
Drove home once with a concussion.
Drove home with sprained ankles/wrists a lot of times.
Stupid, but it was fun....
Posts: 3019
Joined: 8/16/2006
Location: WLF
It's not good and is a huge pet peeve of anyone who has been involved in running a track.
Basically, it becomes everyone else's problem to deal with you and your shit if something bad happens.
Which it easily can. It's motocross.
Make some friends already.
Posts: 1612
Joined: 3/14/2010
Location: Carlsbad, CA USA
If I waited for somebody every time I wanted to ride throughout my life I would have done a lot of waiting and not much riding.
Posts: 6836
Joined: 6/24/2010
Location: North Tonawanda, NY USA
Buy some dog tags , i wear them when i run in the morning . Simple stuff like name ,contact , doctors name. My dad wears a necklace on his long runs that has a SD card in it with his whole medical history on it.
Posts: 2114
Joined: 11/8/2009
Location: Steamboat Springs, CO USA
Edited Date/Time:
Buddy up with someone when you get there and make sure you have a phone with service....otherwise it's a little sketchy. I once broke my tibial plateau and dislocated my shoulder.....and I was the absolute only rider at Perris on that weekday afternoon. Thank goodness one of the, if not the only, park employees was watching me and was able to quickly call an ambulance. My brother had to find a ride to the park to pick up my bike and truck and meet me at the hospital. It's important to be prepared for the ride....but more important to be prepared for the crash! If it's a weekend and there's lots of people there, it doesn't matter if you know them personally, someone will be able to pick you up and call an ambulance. If it's a weekday and you're all alone except for the money collector at the gate....don't do sketchy doubles immediately following a tight turn! Just my 2 cents from experience...
Posts: 567
Joined: 3/24/2018
Location: Bakersfield, CA USA
Been riding midday on a track that’s secluded and maintained by the Forestry Service, have onl met 2 other riders in almost 2 years. Hit a kicker I have know about and bam, over handlebars and 3 broken ribs, then a young teenager on a beat up 125 pulls up and looks down and says “that was knarly dude”. The kid didn’t have a vehicle or anything, just happened to show up. Needless to say after I got my breath back and could stand up I asked if he could help me load my bike up and help me to my truck. Had a hour drive home and to this day my ribs give me jabs of pain to remind me. Could of broke my neck and I never got the kids name, but I left my ice chest of water & beer there for him. My guardian angel with pimples
“If you don’t crash alot, you just ain’t going fast enough” Chandler
Posts: 386
Joined: 5/21/2016
Location: Chandler, AZ USA
Posts: 909
Joined: 7/13/2016
Location: Saint Marys, PA USA
hahahhaha!!
Basically all of my riding from the age of 21 on was by myself. The motocross scene in my area dried up so all the tracks closed and nobody rode anymore. There was this private track out in the woods I used to ride at by myself all the time. I knew the owner and he didn't care if I was up there and told me that nobody rides there anymore. Track was super sketchy and all the jumps were do or die as they didn't want to waste dirt when it was first built. There was this really cool double, double, triple section along the woods line. Thinking back, it was pretty risky to be riding there by myself but man, it was such good mental therapy to just be out on my bike. I always remember loading up and leaving that track feeling like a million bucks.
Posts: 2098
Joined: 7/31/2010
Location: Merritt Island, FL USA
I do, but I let the track personnel know I'm alone and I leave a note in my truck "Please Contact In Case Of An Emergency".... Include numbers for parents, friends, my Dr...
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Posts: 6050
Joined: 7/29/2015
Location: Plano, TX USA
Not a big deal going to track alone as long as other folks are there. Terrible terrible idea to ride anywhere where you are truly alone.
Posts: 211
Joined: 7/30/2015
Location: CAN
I go alone all the time... However, if there is nobody there I won't ride.
My local track is always the same people, we have one or two nights/days a week that it's open so there are always people there.
The other track I frequent, there's always someone riding there, and I always seem to know someone there.
Maybe it's a Canadian moto scene thing, or maybe I'm just good at making friends, but it doesn't take long to know people, and someone is always willing to help for anything.
I always let someone know where I'm going and when I'll be back. This applies to MX, going out for trail rides, out fishing or when I'm out duck hunting.
