Wow!!!!!! CampVC never fails to deliver. What a great weekend. Super cool to meet up with so many riders who were with us at previous Camps and to meet new riders. Everyone threw themselves into the enduro school sessions we put on over the 3 days and they all went away with new skills and a love of riding off road motorcycles.

2024 saw the 10th Edition of the incomparable Malle Mile. Set in the grounds of the beautiful Grimsthorpe Castle this is a one of a kind event. Inappropriate motorcycles being raced across the castle lawns and down the castle driveway, with fire eaters, world renowned wall of death show, art exhibition, live music, fire works, moto polo and 1500 motorcycles on a scramble around the grounds each morning. Harry yet again spending a weekend mainly on the back wheel of one of our Beta enduro bikes, all in the name of his role as Marshal of course.

This event just keeps getting bigger and better. For 2024 there were 17,500 attendees. Motorcycle manufacturers managed 10,000 test rides on the latest adventure bikes. We were delighted to have been invited again to host the daily trail briefings, giving riders essential tips and hints as to how to safely ride the trails.

As part of the all new Desert Rose Ebike Xperience we have a fleet of the new EM Escape XR motorcycles. Designed with a specific goal in mind, this motorcycle offers limitless riding possibilities and ease of handling for all levels and riding styles. Equipped with a hydraulic diaphragm clutch, this version is more cross-country oriented than ever, able of welcoming new riders to the world of hard enduro, as well as providing plenty of satisfaction for more experienced riders. With 700NM of torque, the Escape XR is the most powerful motorcycle in the EM range, so you’re sitting on the ultimate in power-to-weight ratio. To make the pleasure last, the Escape XR is also equipped with our latest 3.5 kWh battery. Made in France, the Escape X comes with the very latest EM technology: TFT screen, EM Connect, TKO, Anti Reverse, FRB (Fixed Regenerative Brake).

So good to be back at Tobacco Dock, London for the 2024 BikeShed Show. Great to meet up with old friends and talk to new riders about getting to ride off road. We had a selection of bikes with us, one of the academy’s enduro bikes, an OSET from our junior Ebike Xperience along with an EM Escape XR, one of our own built customer rallye bikes, Vanessa Ruck’s KTM rallye bike and one of Two Wheels for Life Yamaha AGs.

We are delighted to be able to announce that following the launch of the new OSET range of electric off road bikes, our all new eBike Experience will be kick started once again. Aimed at junior riders we are looking at the future right here. Desert Rose have been working in partnership with OSET for nearly 10 years. Want to experience the fun and exhilaration of riding an electric dirt bike through the woods, over obstacles and around purpose built trails then look no further, the Desert Rose OSET eBike Experience has you covered. Using the latest range of OSET electric dirt bikes our team of experienced coaches will help you get the most from your session. With Green, Blue and Red Trails to master, there’s something for everyone. Get a taste of the action here

At Desert Rose we love the trails out in Portugal. We have been hosting groups of riders out there for many years. Endless trails, beautiful scenery, steep hill climbs, river crossings, some heart in the mouth descents and a coastline for those dramatic shots we all love.

Morocco has always drawn adventurers and overlanders to its heart. For Desert Rose, it is a home from home, with Patsy first travelling across it over 25 years ago. Being part of the route of the famous Paris-Dakar rallye of the late 70s and early 80s it is surely on most motorcyclists’ bucket list. For 2024 we have something completely new and we believe quite unique. We have built an event which enables both off road riders and on road riders to experience Morocco at its very best, however you choose to travel through it. With 7 days riding, we will cover some 1500km, starting in the hustle and bustle of Marrakech and finishing in Fes, Morocco’s oldest city, having dropped down to Merzouga to see first-hand the majestic dunes and desert vistas. Staying in quality accommodation and having a night under the stars at a desert bivouac this is an event that will make memories to last a lifetime. All in the knowledge that you are riding with the full support of the experienced Desert Rose Team there to back you up.

As part of the ongoing feasibility review of the British Army’s potential use of motorcycles in an operational capacity, Desert Rose Off Riding Academy were delighted to host a cohort of future riders and instructors from the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. It has been over a decade since motorcycles were used to any large extent by the British Military but clearly their light weight, manoeuvrability, single track footprint and ease of deployment has huge operational benefits. With the advances being made in electric motorcycles, it seems obvious that their use should be considered. Desert Rose were chosen as the training partner for the Paras due to our experience in both taking part in and supporting some of the toughest rallies in the world, along with our established training credentials.

The team at Desert Rose just love Morocco. The sun, the temperature, the people, the food and of course the riding. Mile after mile of open flowing desert piste, the sand dunes of Ouzina and Merzouga, with the 600 metre plus Cathedral dune being our absolute favourite.

The Greek Odyssey is always one of the last events in our busy rallye, rallye raid calendar. This year didn’t disappoint. Although the weather and temperature at the start was a little damp and cold, as we headed south, through Romania and Bulgaria and into Greece we were treated to incredible weather and simply stunning scenery. By the time we got to the coast in Kamena Vourla we had sunshine and 25 degrees. This continued down to Athens where all 21 riders got to the finish line. Once again partnering with our friends at BikeShed Moto Co this event is just going to get bigger and better every year.

Who would have thought we would have to search out some shade in Mid September. Our popular Stage 1 course saw a dozen riders join us in the Autumn Sunshine down in East Sussex. Working through the foundations of off road riding techniques we covered bike handling, body positioning, braking techniques and we tackled ascents and descents. Everyone threw themselves at the exercises enthusiastically and there were smiles all round.

The Goodwood Revival is an annual homage to racing from yesteryear. Hosted at the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex the weekend sees a glorious mix of motorsport, fashion and music. Crowds of up to 100,000 flock to the circuit to immerse themselves in 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s motorsport culture. The Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy sees 1960’s motorcycles race wheel to wheel, with the bikes’ owners along with current and past professional racers put the bikes through their paces.

Early September saw a small group join us on a ladies only day, for a day of off road riding at our East Sussex venue. We were lucky enough to have some sunshine and even had to seek the shade of the trees for a while. With the coaching based on our Stage 1 syllabus, the ladies had to get to grips with body positioning and bike handling techniques, learnt the importance of clutch control, tackled braking exercises, took on a couple of hills and of course some dreaded ruts. As the group were progressing so well, we even threw in some on bike yoga, helping them improve their balance and bike handling. The girls all rose the challenges we posed and came away more confident riders.

As the summer draws to an end we have put on a few midweek, afternoon/evening enduro practice sessions. With an all new 2 1/2 mile lap, taking in some tight single track and faster flowing twisty sections through the fields, along with 2 or 3 “special sections” there was something to challenge everyone.

For the last 20 plus years the August Bank Holiday weekend sees the madness that is Dawn to Dusk enduro take place at Walters Arena in South Wales. 4,000 acres of disused open cast coal mine and forestry tracks. This year some 800 riders took part, with youth races, a 6 hour race, 12 hour race and of course the marathon 24 hour race. The weather was changeable to say the least, with rain and drizzle being more or less a constant, it made for interesting tracks which led to challenging riding conditions.

Wow, what a weekend. The ABR Festival has grown over the years into one of the best motorcycle events in the UK and probably Europe. With some 12,500 people attending for the weekend, which actually starts on Thursday afternoon we are always kept busy. This year we were invited to host Trail Briefings each morning on the Tenere Stage, giving riders some basic hints and tips about the trails and importantly the riding techniques that would keep them safe. We ran numerous taster sessions of our Stage 1 training courses to give festival goers an idea of how we go about delivering our training courses. Hearing people telling us later in the weekend that they used our training to properly enjoy the trails gives us a real buzz.

At Desert Rose we love taking to the trails and there are few places better than the Spanish Pyrenees. Beautiful trails, stunning views and great company. Basing ourselves at the Cal Petite hotel, an exclusive Pyrenean hotel set in a prime location on the doorstep of Lleida’s Pyrenees..

May Bank Holiday Weekend is set in the Desert Rose Calendar. BikeShed Show at London’s Tobacco Dock is the benchmark for how motorcycle events should be run. A weekend open to the whole motorcycle community and beyond. So whether you ride a Harley or a Triumph, a custom bike, a retro custom, a sports bike, a rallye bike, an enduro bike or you don’t ride at all, this event has something for everyone. Desert Rose were proud to have one of Patsy’s Dakar bikes on display, the KTM 660 from 2005 sat alongside Vanessa Ruck’s 2022 KTM Factory Rallye bike she used in this year’s Morocco Desert Challenge. We also ran a rallye bike build during the show, taking a stock Beta 480 RR Racing and building it up to a rallye spec bike with long range tank, rallye navigation tower, new Michelin tyres and a set of BikeShed rallye team graphics.

Late April and the sun was out in East Sussex. We had the pleasure of hosting a day for a group who have an epic adventure planned. In just under 2 months’ time, the lads will be riding unsupported across some of the highest passes of the Himalayas. The trip has been planned for well over a year and as part of the training the group wanted to improve their off road riding skills. Between the 10 riders there was a wide range of motorcycle experience, from 40 plus years to less than 4 hours!

The bluebells are out and the sun is shinning, so there is nothing else for it, let’s ride off road motorcycles. That’s exactly what a group of friends decided to do in mid April. Joining us at one of our training venues the girls signed up for a day of off road riding instruction, with exercises including body positioning, bike handling, up hills and down hills, we even had them taking part in some on bike yoga, culminating in those Titanic moments.

With the 2023 rallye season well underway we took the opportunity to host another Rallye Evaluation Day down in East Sussex. The weather had been very very wet in the weeks before, so although there was no rain, the ground was very slippy and the gullies and ditches water logged. Nothing for it then we decided to build in some team building exercise, take look here.

Back in the Spring of 2022 Vanessa Ruck, The Girl on Bike joined the Desert Rose Riding Academy to experience our Stage 1 and Stage 2 training courses. Although Vanessa herself is not new to riding off road, she threw herself into the exercises and drills to see how we deliver training for newer riders and those looking for the next challenge off road. Catching up with Patsy gave both girls plenty to talk about, having previously ridden the Qatar Baja together in 2021. Take a look at how Vanessa’s day panned out with us on her YouTube Channel here

Once again the Desert Rose team headed out to the Western Algarve for 3 weeks of trail riding. We had several groups of riders join us, from those who wanted to hone their own navigation skills and technical riding to those who wanted a guided trail ride. The guided trail ride group had opportunities for some coaching and tips from the Desert Rose instructors along the way, helping everyone improve their riding and build their confidence.

At Desert Rose Riding Academy we are focused on delivering rider training and coaching so that riders can get the most out of their riding experience. Whether it is through our Stage 1/2 courses getting riders taking those first steps off road, or coaching riders who plan to take part in hard/extreme enduro events, riders looking to take on a big desert rallye, owners of big adventure bikes who want to go off the tarmac occasionally our passion is helping riders enhance their off road riding skills. It is no surprise therefore that Sinnis Motorcycles asked us to deliver some off road rider training courses for riders of their 125 Terrain motorcycles. These small capacity motorcycles are proving to be popular with newer riders, as well as those returning to 2 wheels. The Sinnis Off Road Riding Academy in Partnership with Desert Rose can be seen in action here

Wow, wow, wow. What a year it’s been. From keeping warm round the fire pit in early January and Patsy’s warm up drill running across the fields, to the heat of the desert in Morocco in November. We have been lucky enough to see 100s of riders come through the Academy this year, we have become a BikeShed accredited partner, we have attended Camp VC for the first time, the Malle Mile and BikeShed show, we have spent the weekend at the ABR festival, taken groups of riders through trails in the western Algarve, we have hosted the Met Police BikeSafe Team, the Kent Fire and Rescue Service Biker Down Team, the Malle Marshals and we have helped the BSMC Rallye Team realise their dream and take part in their first rallye, over in Greece. We have partnered with the team at Sinnis to create an off road training school for learner and newer riders. We have seen riders attend our courses from ROSPA and IAM advanced rider groups as well as corporate days out for different companies.

After a long enforced wait, Desert Rose are finally back in the desert. It could be said that it is our spiritual home, with miles and miles of open flowing desert piste and sand dunes stretching as far as the eye can see it is the perfect location for our desert boot camps. We were lucky enough to be able to call on the experience of “Zippy” who many believe lives out here in the desert, along with Harry, to provide the important insights into tackling deep sand, sharp seemingly limitless and practically sheer faces of the bigger dunes.

Ever wanted to do some basic maintenance on your enduro bike? Whether you want to know how to change oil and air filters, change worn brake pads or put new tyres on your bike this short 1/2 day workshop will give you the confidence to know what you are capable of. We will talk about: Tyre Choice: Tubes – tubeless – tubeless – mousses Trail tools vs workshop tools Bike set up Know your bike – fuses, fuel, oil fill/drain plug, display, ignition/power lead, map switch/abs switch Levers – Bars – bar risers Daily/Pre Ride Checks Nuts and bolts Wheels/bearings Chain/sprockets Brakes Routine maintenance including Oil and filter change, brake pad change and tyre change.

Earlier this year the Desert Rose team took our training Academy to the Malle Mile, in the beautiful grounds of Grimsthorpe Castle. The weekend was one full of motorcycles, racing, glamping, motorcycle related art work, music and good vibes. The dedicated team of Marshals work hard in the run up to the event and all weekend to make sure riders and their guests have the best experience. Well this weekend it was the turn of the Malle Marshals to hang up their overalls for the day and get some off road riding under their belts. Using our late model fleet of Beta Enduro bikes the Marshals were put through their paces. Tackling some tight, single track routes through the trees and a couple of gentle hill ascents and descents.

The 12 Founder Members of the BSMC – Desert Rose Rallye Team entered the 2022 Edition of the Greek Odyssey Rally hoping for adventure. Well, they certainly had an adventure, riding in excess of 1500 km through truly breath taking scenery. Both the riders and the bikes were put through their paces, with some of the ascents and descents not for the faint hearted. The team spirit and camaraderie was evident throughout the week. To find out about BikeShed membership benefits head across to their website

Early September saw Desert Rose hold an adventure bike day across 2 of our East Sussex venues. Starting the day with breakfast at Route 1066 Cafe it was good to see riders on a range of big adventure bikes getting comfortable taking the bikes off the tarmac. We had Yamaha Teneres, Triumph Tigers and a KTM 990 Adventure in Dakar trim. With dual purpose tyres on the bikes, once the important matter of breakfast was finished we took a short ride to our first private venue, some 40 acres of open meadow and woodland. Tyre pressures were dropped a little, where possible rider modes switched to off road and surplus gear stowed in the summer house. Now we could focus on the core principles of body positioning and bike handling exercises, all geared to build riders’ confidence when taking these big adventure bikes off road. Mid morning tea meant breaking out the jet boil and then we took a couple of final loops of the woodland before heading off to our second private venue, just 10 minutes up the road. This second venue is some 80 plus acres, mixed between rutted fields, tight single track woodland, short but quite steep hills and a couple of clearings where we have developed skills training areas. The morning’s body positioning and bike handling exercises certainly helped when faced with tight single track sections through the tress.

At Desert Rose our passion is helping riders get the most from their off road riding. Whether they are completely new to riding, have been riding for years, but need some more confidence when heading off the beaten track or are looking to improve their enduro results, our instruction and coaching programmes are designed to help. Feedback from a recent course, included that fantastic line: “I started the day trying to avoid obstacles, I ended it looking for them” Sure enough, the log pile was no longer an obstacle to be avoided.

Camp VC is a women’s motorcycle festival, which for 2022 was run at the Sweet Lamb Rally Complex in Wales. The weekend offered a multitude of activities for attendees, from welding and mechanics lessons, through to experiencing a rally car lap of a rally course. Desert Rose were invited to bring our enduro motorcycles along, so that we could give beginners lessons for riders who wanted to venture off road and maybe get involved in trail riding, or even their first enduro event. Patsy made sure the support lorry was fully loaded and the team made their way from East Sussex to the stunning hills of Wales. Arriving to set up on Thursday, we were met by unusual weather for Wales, it was dry and sunny and this continued on into Friday. With Saturday and Sunday, normal service resumed as far as Welsh weather is concerned and there was a combination of mist, drizzle and horizontal rain.

Once again Desert Rose were invited to join the weekend motorcycle festival like no other. Up at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire the 2022 edition of the Malle Mile was run, with upwards of 1000 motorcycles. Billed as the most inappropriate motorcycle race & festival in the country, the Malle Mile is a celebration of the motorcycle in all its forms. Racing taking the form of a sprint, a hill climb, a dash and the Malle 100 the engines roared and dust was flying. Having said that, some engines didn’t roar as there were plenty of electric motorcycles whizzing and whirring across the finish line.

Looking to take your adventure bike off the tarmac? Thinking of taking in some local green lanes or maybe even tackling parts of the TET? Join us on Saturday 10th September. At Desert Rose we have years of experience from events and trips across the world. From helping riders take their first tentative steps off road, leading trail rides in the UK, Portugal, the Pyrenees, holding boot camps in the dunes of Morocco, supporting riders take on rallies across Europe, Africa, the USA and of course getting to the finish line of the Dakar at Lac Rose. The Desert Rose Riding Academy can help you take on that next adventure. At our private off road training venue in the heart of East Sussex we can help you build your confidence and skills using your own adventure bike.

Desert Rose are delighted to have become a BikeShed Approved Partner. Since 2011, the Bike Shed has been a place of common ground, where people from all walks of life come together to share their passion for two-wheels, whether they ride a motorcycle or not. BikeShed offers their community an escape from the shallow, virtual, digital world into a space offering an authentic analogue experience, centred around motorcycle culture. Visitors leave their differences at the door to enjoy an inclusive, welcoming space, whoever they are and wherever they come from. In 2022 BikeShed launched their LA operation

The 2022 ABR Festival was bigger than ever. 10,000 adventure bike riders came to the beautiful Ragley Hall in Warwickshire to spend a long weekend immersed in all things adventure. The Desert Rose Team were there with a selection of the Beta Enduro Bikes used at the Academy, as well as some of our rallye prepped bikes, just returned from Tunisia Desert Challenge, Hellas Rallye and Illyria Rallye. We were able to give people a chance to get a taste of what we deliver at the Desert Rose Riding Academy, with Harry running through a few basic body positioning and bike handling drills. Meanwhile Patsy and Joe were busy taking people through the various options we offer for rallye support and assistance packages. This annual event is now the go to event for adventure bike riders and the range of bikes on show, test rides, kit and experiences available is mind blowing. The queues for our riding academy taster sessions started forming before 6am,

In early June MCN sent one of their team down to our East Sussex training ground to take part in one of our training courses and of course to catch up with Patsy. MCN’s latest issue has a feature pull out supplement focusing on women in motorcycling. With Patsy’s Dakar history and 20 plus years’ supporting other riders fulfill their dreams her top 10 off road riding tips were ideal content. Patsy was running a Stage 1 course at the Desert Rose Riding Academy and Saffron from MCN joined in all the exercises, from body positioning and bike handling, to braking on uneven surfaces, even moving on to a little stream crossing.

Ever wondered what a rallye is like? Well, a group of mates decided to do more than just wonder, they threw themselves into the rallye world by entering the 2022 Edition of the Hellas Rallye in Greece with Desert Rose Racing. Once they had signed up, the lads took the event really seriously and booked a number of training days with Desert Rose Riding Academy, working through our Stage 1 and 2 courses, through our rallye evaluation day , a road book training day in East Sussex and a couple of them even managed to get in some road book training with us out in Portugal.

Wow! What an amazing weekend. Desert Rose were invited to attend the 2022 BikeShed show at Tobacco Dock, London. 2022 was the return of the show, the pandemic having stopped it in it’s tracks in 2020 and there was a huge amount of anticipation and expectation. It was billed as Europe’s best independent motorcycle show and it didn’t disappoint. We took along Patsy’s KTM 660 from her 2004/2005 Dakar entry, as well as one of customer’s rallye prepped enduro bikes, fresh from completing the grueling Tunisia Desert Challenge. In addition we had a selection of our Riding Academy fleet of Beta enduro bikes, from the 200cc Alp, the 300cc 2 stroke X Trainer, a 300cc RR racing edition 2 stroke and a 390 RR racing edition 4 stroke. Patsy’s Dakar bike sat in between Sam Sunderland’s Red Bull Factory KTM 450 rallye bike and Matthias Walkner’s Red Bull Factory KTM rallye bike. Both Sam and Matthius have won Dakar, Sam in 2017 and 2022 and Matthius in 2018.

On a fairly damp Friday morning in May, Desert Rose hosted a day’s off road riding instruction that had been donated to the motorcycle/healthcare charity Two Wheels for Life at a charity auction at the Malle Mile. Money raised through the auction will support Two Wheels for Life fund raising efforts and help provide much needed healthcare to some of Africa’s remotest communities. The successful bidders came down to East Sussex and it is fair to say they threw themselves into the exercises with enthusiasm. Huge thanks to the lads for supporting such a worthwhile charity.

Desert Rose’s Patsy Quick was invited to visit ESAM, East Sussex Advanced Motorcyclists for one of their regular club nights. Patsy was asked to talk about her Dakar history, the world of rallye support/assistance and the courses run at Desert Rose Riding Academy. There was a really good turnout and Patsy gave a great insight into what it takes to even get to the start line of an event as big as The Dakar. Attendees heard all about the the attempts in 2003, 2004, 2005 and the ultimate dream finish in 2006, when Patsy became the first British woman to finish what many still believe to be the world’s toughest motor-sport event.

The Kent Fire Bike Team came down to East Sussex for a day of off road instruction a couple of weeks ago. Jim and Lol threw themselves at the exercises and had a great day out. Well this week it was 2 of the Desert Rose instructors who became the students, attending a BikerDown course at Rochester Fire Station. Harry and Paul made the trip to Rochester to take part in the training course which is geared towards accident scene management, first aid for motorcyclists and the issue of helmet removal. Whilst we hope never to have to put the skills into practice it is always good to understand the importance of responding appropriately when accidents do happen.

The Desert Rose Team were delighted to host the Metropolitan Police BikeSafe Team at our East Sussex training venue. More used to riding fully loaded and marked up Police Service BMW R1250RTs and F750GSs, the team were put through a range of exercises from our Stage 1 and Stage 2 off road rider training courses. Yes of course we put them through the stream! It’s fair to say they all threw themselves at the exercises with enthusiasm and judging by the smiles on their faces at the end of the day all enjoyed the course. Metropolitan Police Service motorcyclists are put through extensive on road training, including blue light response training, which makes them some of the best trained motorcyclists on our roads. It was great to hear their views on how mastering a number of off road riding skills would transfer well into helping to make all motorcyclists safer and more complete motorcyclists.

Vanessa Ruck, The Girl on a Bike, was with the Desert Rose Team this week delivering her kit for the upcoming Tunisia Desert Challenge which she is competing in, on a Desert Rose supplied, Beta rallye bike. The bike has been prepared by Desert Rose Dirt Tech and is now ready for some custom graphics to be applied. The Tunisia Desert Challenge is an 8 stage rallye, taking in infinite dune sections of the mythical El Borma to iconic Star Wars sites in Tunisia’s seemingly endless desert. To find out how Desert Rose Racing can help you achieve your rally goals, contact them here

We were delighted to welcome Lawrence and Jim from Kent Fire and Rescue Service to a Stage 2 course on a bright if somewhat chilly April day. Lawrence and Jim are part of the Kent Fire Bike Team and Biker Down initiative, which champions accident prevention and first aid skills for motorcyclists. While there are very clear differences in some of the riding techniques, the bike handling exercises and the importance of proper vision while riding off road, over uneven terrain, are skills that transfer well into safe on road riding.

The end of March saw our inaugural Rallye Evaluation Days, held in collaboration with @bikeshedmotoco they were a chance for riders to start to get a practical understanding of the rallye/raid world. Building on the presentation that we gave back in January at The BikeShed London these 2 days gave riders the opportunity to ride, ask questions about road books, GPS, bike options, bike gear, nutrition, personal fitness, become part of a team and of course to ride with Patsy Quick and Harry Michael. Throwing in some rallye themed riding exercises, including bike to bike towing, stream crossings, man handling of bikes across streams and mechanical breakdown diagnosis made the days truly memorable. This wasn’t a qualifying event for upcoming rallies, but aimed at helping riders understand what is required to get the most out of any rally, whether that’s a non competitive raid or one of the world’s toughest rallyes.

Desert Rose attended the Ace Cafe’s Overland and Adventure Bike Day, a chance to catch up with old friends, chat about bikes, share stories about adventures and plan the next trip, course or ride out. It was great to see such a range of bikes in attendance. We were delighted to share the car park with big adventure bikes, GSs, Africa Twins, Harleys, Trikes, sports bikes, R1s, GSXRs, Triumphs old and new, a couple of side car outfits, supermotos and of course a couple of C90s. Everyone we spoke to was interested in the Desert Rose Riding Academy and the idea of learning to ride off road, or improving existing off road skills.

We were delighted that Warren from RUSTSPORTS was able to join us on our recent trip to Portugal. Warren rode with different groups during his 4 days with us and observed that one of the best things about the whole experience was the community of riders. There was a load of laughter and shared stories, but the kindness and support shown towards each other was lovely to see. To read Warren’s full article and subscribe free to rust follow this link.

Our second group of riders to join us out in Portugal for some trail riding included some mid sized adventure bikes. A Yamaha T7, a KTM 690 and a brace of Husqvarna 701s took on some tight single tracks, steep hill climbs and somehow even steeper hill descents alongside our Academy fleet bikes. We brought out a selection of bikes, including Beta 430 RRs, 390 RRs and 2 of our 250 2 stroke bikes.

Having come out to Portugal late last year for some road book training and GPS trail riding we couldn’t resist coming out again. We have not been disappointed. From stunning sea views, tight single track, forest trails, flowing gravel roads and a warm welcome from everyone we have met. Naturally we have found a few water crossings, it just wouldn’t be the same without the water splash shots.

The Girl On A Bike, Vanessa Ruck will be joining up with Patsy and Harry to host a number of rider courses in early April. Based on our Stage 1 and Stage 2 core training content and taking place at one of our private venues in East Sussex we can tackle everything from the basics of body positioning and bike handling off road, through to hill ascents and descents, braking techniques, ruts, obstacles, off cambers and we may even move on to dropping in and out of streams and river crossings. The Desert Rose Riding Academy use our fleet of late model Beta enduro bikes and we have a full supply of off road riding gear for you to use, so once signed up all you have to do is turn up and ride. Places are limited, so sign up today

Yes, we started the day with tea and coffee round the fire pit. The first of our Stage 1 Plus courses of the year was run over a Friday and Saturday mid February. The 2 day syllabus gives riders the chance to put the basic building blocks of off road riding into place and get plenty of time on the bike. From body positioning and bike handling, through braking on the flat and downhill, to riding off camber and even tackling the first stream crossing there was a lot to take on board.

Having booked to take part in the Hellas Rallye in late May 2022 with our sister company Desert Rose Racing, 4 riders joined us at the Riding Academy to start their preparation in earnest. None of the riders were new to off road riding, but this would be the first rallye they have taken part in. One of the distinctions between a rallye and a raid is that the rallye is a competitive, timed race where podium positions are up for grabs. Having opted for a rallye, the riders knew that their riding would need to be dialed in, so that they could concentrate on navigation, using road books for the very first time. Riding skills were honed through the day with all 4 tackling everything from body positioning exercises, bike handling, hill ascents, stream crossings and everyone’s favourite titanic moment, not for the faint hearted, followed by a little towing exercise.

Skills development days are a great way to get more time on the bike, tackling a variety of obstacles and terrain. Our focus is on individual riders and helping them get the most out of the day, whether it is getting to grips with pre load techniques to pop the font wheel over obstacles, or pivot turns to help pick your way through gnarly single track and tight turns. Everyone threw themselves into the exercises with a mixture of trepidation and enthusiasm. Before long, logs and fallen trees were no longer being avoided but actively searched out. Rock strewn gullies were tackled in the afternoon. Take a look at how some of the riders got on here

A cold, slightly damp late January morning and Harry takes the opportunity to recce a few trails for some upcoming rides. The Husqvarna 701 was chosen from the Desert Rose fleet, mainly as Harry had a fairly long liaison stage at the start of his ride from the South Coast to the Kent countryside. Harry had a set of marked up maps, identifying the byways and green lanes accessible to motorcycles to explore and was tasked with locating the best coffee stops and cafe’s for future rides.

Late January in South Wales sees the tough Valleys Xtreme Enduro come to Walters Arena. Billed as the UK’s toughest enduro, this year’s event attracted a top class field, including hard enduro supremo Paul Bolton and 5 times world enduro champion, David Knight. Desert Rose’s Patsy Quick and Harry Michael made the trip down to Wales to put themselves and their Beta RR Racing bikes to the test.

The Desert Rose Racing team were invited to London’s BikeShed Motorcycle Club to talk to members and their guests about all things rallye and rallye raid. Since taking part in 4 Dakar Rallyes and becoming the first British woman to complete the world’s toughest race, Patsy Quick and her team at Desert Rose Racing have dedicated themselves to supporting other riders reach their own goals in the rallye world.

Patsy put a group of ladies through their paces on a chilly and damp January morning. Tackling everything from body positioning and bike handling through to braking techniques in the morning, with the afternoon seeing the riders getting to grips with braking on hill descents and techniques for dealing with ruts. It is fair to say that everyone threw themselves enthusiastically at the exercises and even when Patsy had everyone jogging across the field to warm up there were plenty of smiles. The fire pit was a welcome sight during breaks in the day’s training.

The start of January brings a crisp start to the riding season for us at Desert Rose Riding Academy. It’s not long though before riders are warmed up after a welcome brew round the fire pit and a few body positioning exercises, who needs heated clothing. Our private training venues provide the variety of terrain we need to help riders get the most out of the day. You can choose to use your own bike, or make use of one of our late model Beta enduro bikes.

This time of year always brings back memories of Dakar for Patsy. Although the event is no longer held in the Western Sahara and is literally thousands of miles from Dakar itself, the grueling event has lost none of its mystique. Back in 2006 Patsy became the first British woman to complete this ultimate challenge, arguably the hardest motorsport race in the world.

Desert Rose are delighted to be able to offer all serving and past members of the emergency services a discount on any of our progressive Stage 1, Stage 1 Plus, Stage 2, Skills Development and Ladies Day courses. Whether you work or have worked for the Police, the Fire and Rescue Service, The Ambulance Service, The NHS, or Blood Bike Volunteers you are welcome to take advantage of this offer.

Desert Rose DirtTech, sister company to Desert Rose Riding Academy and part of the Desert Rose Network have just finished a bespoke bike build for a customer. This 2022 model Beta 300 RR Racing will be taking part in hard and extreme enduro events. Professional suspension set up along with top notch bike protection modifications are key elements to to getting this bike ready for the start line. Take a look at the progress

Desert Rose Racing announce support packages for 2022 edition of the Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro. Desert Rose have been attending the event for many years now, both as an assistance team, and as competitors ourselves, enabling us to give you the very best support, from the moment you sign up to when you cross the finish line! In 2020 both Patsy and Harry entered as competitors and completed this grueling and testing event.

Patsy and the Desert Rose team were invited to the Members’ Christmas Party at The BikeShed in Shoreditch. The evening included a live hook up with Vikki and Dutch out in LA, giving members a glimpse into the opening plans for this next exciting chapter in BikeShed history. Having worked with the BSMC team throughout 2021 on running their ever popular scrambles, hosting them on one of our courses and planning future adventures further afield, it was great for the Desert Rose Team to have the chance to get to know a few more of the members and talk all things dirt bike and rallye.

Desert Rose Riding Academy laid on some GPS led trail riding in Portugal’s Western Algarve. The GPS routes were loaded onto Garmin Montana units which gave riders the opportunity to put their navigation skills to the test, while experiencing some of the regions endless trails and tracks. From some tight single track, to flowing fire roads and coastal paths, there really was something for everyone.

Desert Rose Riding Academy hosted a Road Book Experience for some of our rallye customers on a recent trip to the Western Algarve. This part of Portugal offers miles and miles of off road trails, tracks, fire roads, single track and steep ascents and descents. The weather was an improvement on the UK and while the factor 50 wasn’t needed there was no need for heated jackets and wet weather gear either.

Desert Rose Racing, part of the Desert Rose Network have confirmed their 2022 Rallye Calendar. Desert Rose Racing have been providing rallye assistance packages for some of the best known rallies across Europe and in Africa for over 15 years. Desert Rose Racing take pride in offering their customers a friendly, honest and open approach. No matter whether you’re a seasoned Rallye veteran looking for an assistance service for your next big event, or are just getting started out in off-road motorcycling. We have the skills, experience and dedication necessary to further your off-road riding career

A slightly damp Saturday in late November saw a mixed group attend a Skills Development Day. Some riders opted to use their own bikes with others on Academy fleet bikes. These days are intended to offer riders who have attended our Stage 1 & 2 courses further coaching on skills they want to develop. The group tackled some open flowing farm tracks, muddy ruts, deep “bomb holes” and a range of obstacles.

Autumn sunshine and a slight chill in the air saw a group attend our Stage 1 course at our exclusive, private, Broad Oak venue. Getting to grips with body positioning and bike handling skills, the chill was soon forgotten as the riders were put through a number of exercises.

We have been lucky enough to have some very talented photographers join us on a number of our hosted events and on our courses this year. They always seems to have that knack of finding the shot that gets to the heart of the event and the spirit of the motorcycle. This summer Roberto joined us on a BikeShed Moto Club scramble and on one of our Stage 1 courses. We are delighted that as well as taking some super shots and drone footage, he was able to pick up a few off road riding skills.

Ian G has been riding motorbikes a long time. Fast approaching 60 he thought he was beyond learning new skills and techniques to improve his riding. He spent a day with us at a Stage 2 course, having previously completed Stage 1. Ian started riding dirt bikes over fields and ditches 40 odd years ago. Since then he’s ridden all round Europe, through all manner of boggy trails in the UK and Southern Ireland, and even ridden through sand and over rocks in Zambia.  “Harry has helped me improve my skills level so that I can now tackle obstacles that previously I would have tried to work round or struggle over …. with lots of sweat and curses.”

Talented photographer Drew Irvine joined us in late summer when BikeShed Moto Club brought their members and guests down to East Sussex to get a taste of an old school “scramble”. No racing, no time cards, no stop watches in sight, this was just riding on the dirt for the sheer fun of it. The Desert Rose Team had prepared a route with harder and easier options available, tight gnarly single track through the woods, faster open sections across the fields, everyone had a blast.

September 2021 – The desert is calling. Desert Rose were invited by the organisers of the 2021 Qatar Baja to put together a team of riders for this important international FIM rallye. 10 bikes had to be prepared for the challenging conditions of the desert and shipped out to Qatar in double quick time. This 3 day event saw riders competing in super hot and arid desert with temperatures at points, creeping above 50 degrees!

Desert Rose have hosted a number of company/corporate away days/team building events through 2021. Not a flip chart or Power Presentation in sight, these days break down barriers, build team spirit, help employee engagement, improve problem solving skills and can be run safely without resorting to Zoom!

The Desert Rose Team are delighted to have been asked to host a number of Scrambles for the BikeShed Motorcycle Club.  BSMC members and guests made their way down to one of our private East Sussex venues, bringing with them a range of bikes.  Some chose to hire from our rental fleet, while others rode their own bikes; from custom scramblers, old school dirt bikes, rally reps, modern scramblers and everything in between.  125cc A1 friendly entry level motorcycles could be seen on the same tracks and trails as current enduro bikes and 1250cc 300+Kg fully loaded BMW GSs. 

In mid summer Harry had the chance to try out the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE. Triumph claim the bike is the real deal and can handle off road terrain usually reserved for rally bikes, adventure bikes and enduro bikes. Harry took the bike round a small section of the enduro track at Desert Rose’s East Sussex venue. He was pleasantly surprised. Check out how it went here

Desert Rose were invited to take part in the 2021 Malle Mile at Grimsthorpe Castle in late July. Set in the stunning grounds of the Castle this was an amazing, exhilarating and truly unique few days. Billed as and living up to its reputation as the most inappropriate festival of motorcycles and art, the Malle Mile is truly a unique event. Bringing together like minded individuals, there were races for customs, for electric bikes, for scramblers, for cruisers. What a weekend, it really was something special.

Early August saw Desert Rose hosting not 1, but 2 Dans. BikeShed’s membership supremo Dan was joined by cameraman Dan, down in East Sussex. Hoping to get a flavour of what BSMC members could experience, they both threw themselves into the course with aplomb. Dan beat Dan in the slow control “race”, so bragging rights went to Dan on this occasion.

Desert Rose are proud of the fact that so many groups choose us for private group riding days. In the summer of 2021 we hosted several groups of lady motorcyclists. We have included snippets of the feedback in our rider reviews. We also feel it worth sharing one of the lady’s stories here. Charlotte joined a Desert Rose Riding Academy course in the summer of 2021 and had an absolute blast. She has ridden in many countries, from the West Coast of the USA on a 1978 XS650 chopper, through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece and into Turkey on a little 125cc monkey bike.

During the summer of 2021, Desert Rose played host to The TRF (Trail Riders Fellowship) for their 2021 AGM. This was a weekend event, running from Friday evening to Sunday. TRF members attended the formal AGM, with presentations from the committee members on all things green lane and trail riding. Once the formalities were done time for some riding.

Henry Crew, who in 2018 became the youngest person to ride solo around the world by motorcycle, joined us on one of courses in the summer of 2021.

Late June saw the Desert Rose team head up to Ragley Hall in Warwickshire for the Adventure Bike Rider Festival. The Desert Rose Racing Rally Support Truck and new exhibition trailer made the journey, along with some of our fleet of Beta Enduro bikes and even a couple of the more extreme rallye prepped bikes were on show.