Quite possibly the newest member of the dirt biking family, Kristin Baylis has jumped about as head first as you can get into the dirt biking scene. I met Kristin and at our most recent ladies Only coaching course and was blown away by her enthusiasm after only being on the bike for a few weeks. I had to find out more about this Hawkes Bay resident.

Name: Kristin Baylis
Location: Napier
Bike: Honda CRF250F
Been riding for how long? 10 weeks (since 16th July 2021)

TD: How did you get into riding dirt bikes?

KB: Growing up in South Australia, I'd always wanted a dirt bike (I always remember thinking I wanted a green one, and I'd even made it my mission to match the brand names with the colours). Unfortunately my family were very 'suburban', and not the kind to be interested in hobbies like that. My siblings and I were encouraged more in the direction of sports like netball and swimming. However, I moved to New Zealand at the end of 2006 and got into horses, but it wasn't until the middle of this year (July 2021) that I ran into someone who is heavily into motorbikes, and who got me hooked on the Hard Enduro series and videos on YouTube. My fascination with dirt bikes reignited and it all kicked off from there.

Tell us all about your first bike - how did you get it and why?

My first bike (and current bike) is a kind of random story. It wasn't an intentional buy at all! I went to the Lakes Honda dealership in Rotorua with a mate who was picking up a small starter bike for their kid. This was the first time I ever stepped foot in a motorbike dealership and it was a little intimidating to see all the bikes lined up and not having a clue what was what. So while my friend was in the office signing papers, I stayed out on the floor and chatted with the dealer. I mentioned that I'd always wanted a bike but had never even sat on one before. Of course, the dealer was shocked and pushed a bike out for me to sit on.

Honestly, as soon as I swung my leg over and put my hands on the grips, that was the moment I knew I was a goner. My immediate thought was, 'I want one!' and I grinned as he showed me how to turn the bike on. We talked about what bikes would be good for a beginner, and, as I'm really tall, we ended up with me sitting on the CRF250F. His daughter had taken it on three trail rides that winter as a demo bike, and they were both impressed with what a good bike for starter trail riders it was. I remember asking with a rueful smile, 'Okay sure, but what about for someone who has never even sat on a bike before? Will it be too much for me?' But they explained all about the bike and why, even though it was a 250, that they thought it would suit me.

Eventually, when my friend finished up their deal, I thanked the guys, they put the bike away and I left. I'd probably only been gone from the store for ten minutes when I'd convinced myself it was now or never, and I wanted to give it a try. I'm a pretty spontaneous person, so within another half hour I was back to buy the bike! I signed the papers, they helped me load it up and showed me how to tie it down, and I took it home. When I tell you that my friends and family were shocked, it's a little bit of an understatement. Most asked with confusion, 'But, what? Why?' I couldn't stop laughing! Why not? Zero regrets.

What was the first thing you learned when you started riding?

The first thing I learned was clutch control. I figured out pretty quickly that a lot of mistakes could be forgiven with the throttle, if I remembered to grab the clutch. I can't explain to you exactly how it felt learning to make the bike move under me for the very first time, but it was like a mixture of fear and excitement and 'what the fork have you gotten yourself into this time Kristin?!' I'm 37, and I'm well aware I don't bounce so well anymore haha! The other thing I realised pretty quick was I was going to have to learn a whole set of new fine motor skills and coordination.

What was the first thing you wish you knew/someone had told you before you started riding?

I wish someone had told me how addictive it is and how much money I was going to spend on parts and accessories. This seems like a very important oversight, and shame on everyone for not mentioning it haha! Seriously though, there's not really anything I wish I'd really known beforehand, I just find it all fascinating and spend hours reading articles and watching videos, and I wish I'd gotten into it years ago.

What did you initially find easy about riding dirt bikes?

I found the balancing side pretty easy. I rode horses for quite a few years and had always had good balance – and it turned out that gave me a little bit of a head start in keeping the bike centred underneath me. I also found shifting up and down gears pretty easy – I'm assuming due to having always driven a manual vehicle – so I found the concept of a clutch an easy one to grasp.

What do you still struggle with when out on the Track/ trail?

I've only been on three trail rides so far now (Berm Buster, Burt's Trail Ride and Pongakawa Trail) in the last couple weeks. So I've got heaps to learn still. My biggest weaknesses on the trail so far though is sorting out my gear shifts up or down hills (I still hit neutral sometimes for heck knows what reason at the most inconvenient times), picking the right lines through mud or ruts and remembering to keep my elbows. Luckily I've been riding with some really cool people who have given me tips and helpful reminders along the way – all of which have been invaluable – and I'm slowly improving and getting more confident. The other thing I'm trying to remember is to use my back brake more – I rely too much on my front and forget all about my back when I get into trouble.

Who else in the family rides dirt bikes?

No one at all! My dad said when he was working on a sheep station in Australia way back when he was a teen he rode a farm bike and loved it - but that's about it. I think my family all think I'm a bit mad – or having a midlife crisis or something haha – but they're also really supportive from all the way in Aus. I send a lot of photos and videos back to them, it's how we stay in touch. I'm not sure mum has forgiven me yet for buying a bike though as dad still secretly texts me asking excitedly how it's going - haha! I admit I kept the bike a secret from mum for a couple weeks until I knew I wasn't going to kill myself at least.

Don't judge me, she's still scary. No one send this interview to her either!

Where/who do you get your inspiration/advice/tips/ tricks from?

It's a real mix! Of course there's YouTube – some of the major dirt bike channels are mega helpful, and I google most things I don't know, but I have since met a really great network of people in the motorbike world who I connect with over social media. One of the best things I ever did was go to Chris Power's ladies beginner coaching clinic – since then, I estimate around 70% of all the advice, tips, tricks and inspiration I have gotten has been from either Chris, or the awesome chicks I met at the clinic. The other 30% is from YouTube or the people I've met along the way at rides – gaining in-person riding experience is definitely the biggest help for me. I tend to ask a lot of questions. Social media is also great for inspo and I follow a lot of dirt bike pages and riders on Instagram, too.

What is the best tip/trick/piece of advice you have had over your short riding career?

How to pick up my bike! I learned that at Chris's beginner clinic, and since you (AKA: me) spend a lot of time coming off my bike when learning, the best trick I learned was how to pick my 120kg bike up off the ground. The latest cool pieces of advice I learned just last weekend was to gas it in the sand which stops the wobbles, and to sponge (feather) the clutch a little on the uphills – Pongakawa Trail the other weekend was wet and slick, and it wasn't until the very last hill I did that I figured out how to apply this concept – and it worked a treat! That was buzzy. Another of my fave tips that I still grin at when I think about it, is from a fellow rider: 'Don't do T-Rex arms when riding' haha! It always reminds me to keep my elbows out and up, instead of dropping them down and in, which keeps my front tyre much steadier.

My new riding pal Clare recently told me to keep a diary of my rides, what I did, what worked and what didn't, and I've added bike damage/maintenance/oil changes/upgrades etc into it as well which is really helpful I reckon.

What do you like most about the bike you have?

You can't stuff up too much on the 250F or really get yourself into a dangerous situation! If anything it'll just stall out. It's very forgiving and gotta love that electric start. It also just tractors up almost anything as it's really good in the low range! I initially really liked that both my feet were flat on the ground either side of it (since I'm so tall) because it helped give me confidence that I could easily touch the ground if I needed to. But that leads me to your next question...

What would be the one thing you could change about your current bike - if anything?

I wish it was taller/bigger now! Being so tall (I'm 5'9"), I really struggled initially with throttle control as when I stand up on the pegs I hunch over the bars a lot more and more of my weight came down onto my hands. Also my knees are quite high up when I do have to sit on the seat. I've figured it all out now that I've gotten used to it, otherwise, it's literally the coolest bike to learn on and I totally recommend it to beginners.

What kind of riding do you enjoy doing the most?

Trails and technical things for sure. I enjoy riding at home and practicing certain skills over and over – front and back brake exercises, slow riding, clutch control, cornering drills etc. I love the challenge of unexpected things on a trail and figuring out how to get through it and trying to learn techniques and apply it for the next time. I really enjoy that side of it, and at the moment I get a real buzz when I do something new – even if I don't win! I want to learn how to pop small wheelies next so I can tackle logs and obstacles.

What else do you get up to besides being a badass chick on a dirt bike?

I mostly am either hiking local trails with my dogs or working on my lifestyle block, but I absolutely love camping and 4WD – I grew up camping all over Australia in school holidays with my family. I think that's why dirt bikes appeal to me so much, it just feels like another natural progression of getting out in the bush on trails. I've also played classical piano since I was 7 and like to draw/sketch and recently found I'm not too bad at painting either.

Tell us a little bit about your work life?

I have my own little graphic and web design business which I've been running for the last 15+ years, and I'm lucky enough to work from home. I do all kinds of work, but I specialise in UX/UI design and often get called in to do complex web and mobile app designs for companies or agencies in the USA and Australia. I'm also the Art Director here in NZ for the regional lifestyle magazine LIVING Hawke's Bay which is a quarterly publication. I enjoy working with startups’s and do a lot of branding work and run a handful of national social media accounts. I love my job and my clients, but I do spend a lot of time in front of my computer – which is why my hobbies are always outdoorsy ones! Finding a work-life balance is pretty necessary when you work from home.

Tell us a little bit about your home life?

I am fortunate enough to have 5 acres in Napier which I built a small cottage on 2 years ago. I spent nearly 15 months living on my own in a caravan on my land, hired an office in town and project managed the house build to boot too, which was quite the challenge! I have four chooks, a horse and two dogs. I spend as little time inside as absolutely possible, and I love working on my property and gardening/landscaping. I'm that person who is always known for doing something new or starting another project as soon as the last one is finished – and in that vain, I am currently building a mini endurocross course in my back paddock to practice on! I'm sure my neighbours think I'm crazy! They sometimes stop me for a chat on the roadside and ask what I'm up to this time haha. I don't have any family living in New Zealand, they're all back home in Aussie, but I love living here on my own and have great mates – I just hope I can go back to visit soon when the pandemic settles down a little.

What is one piece of advice that you would give other girls thinking about getting into dirt bikes?

Go do a coaching clinic with Chris Power! His ladies beginner coaching day was the single best thing I did when starting riding that set me 100% on the right path. Even if you don't know anyone else who rides, don't let that put you off – if you want to give it a go, just do it! I must admit, it was fairly intimidating rocking up at a clinic when I'd only ridden a bike for 3 weeks, barely had my basics sorted and didn't know a single person – it seemed like everyone knew roughly what they were doing except me!

But if I can give other girls thinking about it an inside tip – it's that almost all these chicks are super cool and mega supportive. If you want to start a fun new hobby, meet some neat women that really support each other, get into it. Then get onto Facebook (I hadn't been on it in a few years) and join the ladies dirt riding groups and network it up. Find rides to go on and people to ride with – be open to meeting new people and don't be afraid to ask questions. And remember to ride for you – don't get too caught up in what other people are doing on the trails, or how fast they're going – just do you and have fun! That's what I'm doing anyway.

Located in the Hawkes Bay, Kristen is always looking for awesome people to go riding with that live in the same area. Having said that she is not one to shy away from a road trip and will be found riding all over the Waikato.

And if we can pull one specific from almost all of our interviews, it’s that getting coaching is probably the number 1 thing you can do to improve your riding. There area heaps of coaches out there all over NZ. Get in touch and get into it.

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