Quad-biking thrills

By Edgar R. Batte
Posted 


Sunday, December 27  

2015 at 

02:00

For a minute, you might not be sure if quad-biking is an adventure you want to take on. I could have opted for white water rafting but a friend, Brian Ssenyonga, convinced me that there was a lot more fun in riding the bikes.
Having gone water-rafting before, which is by the way worth every moment, I opted for the four-tyre sport.

My fear with biking is the fact that I have not ridden before. Not even a bicycle. My novice qualms are however arrested by a friendly and assuring team at All-Terrain Adventures.

The group of youthful trainers initially gave us a brief on the dos and don’ts. At that point, I also learnt that my fellow hosted buyers, harboured the same fears. The training crew was relentlessly assuring.

Then we were each asked to mount a bike. Before I got onto the heavy, strongly-coloured bikes, I was kind of intimidated by their size but when I got through with the initiation, I felt excited to be in charge.

To gain confidence
The initiation takes a short while, during which you are taught how to ignite the machine, handle speed, the breaks and engage gears. With that, you will be flagged off to a test drive.

For a start, you might exercise a lot of caution but when you gain confidence, you will be out to rush your adrenaline to an adventurous treat.

You will be given a helmet for your safety dressed in a khaki overall. Like that, you cannot fear getting dirty on the guided tour.
Quad-biking takes you on a trip in and around the rural setting and circuits of Jinja. You may slow down to respond to genuine smiles from excited children, and sometimes adults.
The sound of the bikes draws them from their homes and gardens to wave and shout in delight. Most folks will continue with their routine chores, of cooking, enjoying local brew on stools, or simply sitting by their houses. Some of these are grass-thatched or iron-roofed mud-wattles.

The roads are murrum and the terrain is both fairly smooth and extremely bumpy. For one hour, you will ride all the way to points where you can see the peaceful beds of the mighty River Nile.

When you are fully in control, ride away, fearless of getting dirty because you are in khaki overall and a helmet. If you can, carry a camera to capture some of these beautiful moments.
Be careful not to leave the main circuit though. I did, twice, as I went about enjoying photography. While I tried to negotiate one corner, I found myself on the ground.

Speeding earned me another fall because the road was bumpy and it became hard for me to control the bike. But what’s a lesson without some falls here and there? I would get back on, ride a little slower but still enjoy the thrill.

To take part…
At All-Terrain Adventures, children can enjoy quad-biking for between $10 and $15 while adults will pay between $50 and $120 depending on length of biking experience.