Some Time to Think.

We've all been down one of these trails before. Woods zipping by in a flash, sun beaming down through the foliage, and there's nothing around but you, your quad, and your thoughts.

These are the kind of trails that facilitate random thought, focusing on something other than the riding situation. The trail retains the same straightaway for miles, no turns, no jumps, no whoops, no riding skill to concentrate on. What body english should I use here? How far back should I lean on this jump? Nope, my mind starts to wander and I'm sure everyone else's does too. Since I have no helmet walkie-talkies to talk to my riding partners I start thinking about all kinds of non-quad related things. In no particular order this is just an example of things that pop through my head:

• The next Simpsons episode
• I can't wait to play video games again
• Captain Morgan
• I wonder what that chick at the gas station looks like naked
• This trail is fast becoming boring. Let's see some action here

And then it all goes away in an instant because I start to not pay attention to my surroundings and the next thing I know I'm almost ass packing the rider in front of me because I didn't hit the brakes in time for the 90 degree turn that came out of nowhere. Oops. Oh well, it's all in the name of fun.

More Riding in Michigan.

40+ places to ride.

I've lived in Michigan my entire life, have ridden ATV's for over 15 years, and had no idea that even half of these sites existed. Thanks Dirtwheels for doing a piece on my state. My new goal is to hit up every one of these locations at least once. It's nice to see Michigan get some love once and awhile, instead of the usual doom and gloom from Detroit.

Road Legal in Michigan! For the Most Part.

I never thought I would see the day, but here we are in 2012 and OHV's have been legalized for on-road use (sort of). In a time where the public keeps getting more laws and restrictions to stop us from having fun, it's nice to see the government and EPA lighten up a bit. In Emmett county and Cheboygan county of northern lower Michigan, all non-highway, county roads have been opened up for OHV use. For those unfamiliar check the map below:

That's one step close to total road legality; we can finally stop being jealous of the motorcycle crew and their on-road adventures. The basic rules are: non-highway roads with a max speed limit of 45, an ORV sticker must be present, follow all basic turn signal gestures, you must be on the shoulder except when crossing, and no acting like a moron, ie, me back in highschool. The Catastrophe Lads made a trip up there to ride around with our newfound freedom, and here are just some of the places that main roads will take you to:

There are literally thousands of miles of trails to hit, that branch off the thousands of miles of roadways to ride on. For more information click here. We will be making a more in depth trip up there now that we know how far we can go. I hope I get my saddle bags in soon, this is going to be a long ride. Pics and vids as soon as we can.

We're Back!

After a ridiculous five year long hiatus, the Catastrophe Lads are back! (No, we didn't die in an ATV accident, we were just noobin'). And there's no better way to kick off the new year than with the 2012 Yamaha Raptor SE. One of these days we'll be rich enough to afford one, but until then all we can do is stare at the screen and drool. PayPal donations anyone?? Coming soon: Project fix up old rotten '91 Yamaha Blaster. Pics soon.