A day out with your mates riding enduro bikes? Learn a bit along the way, try out 2026 KTM Enduro model range (and Adventure bikes coming soon) and NOT have to jet wash the bikes afterwards? Why wouldn’t you want to spend a day at the Alex Snow KTM Off-Road Experience?

Signing yourself up for some self-assessment always feels like a wake-up call. Getting ourselves to Devon in the UK and the Alex Snow KTM Off-Road Experience for a day of enduro and trails on the 2026 EXC range felt like a wake-up moment for us and for KTM.

Things have been a bit quiet lately from the orange brigade, not just since last year’s issues in the accounts department but things have been notable by their absence in terms of testing KTM enduro models, so we took this day at a new off-road training school as a great day out it promised to be but also a first ride on a full batch of 2026 KTM EXC and EXC-F enduro models.

What is it?

Alex Snow’s training school has been around for a while now. The former British Enduro Champion, ISDE Trophy team rider and EnduroGP racer has been helping groups and on one-to-one basis, to improve their skills no matter what level. It’s as much a place for high-level enduro race training as it is to discover what riding KTM off-road or Adventure bikes is all about.

The school caters for everyone and aims to be a go-to for enduro, trail, adventure training as well as catering for groups who just want a ride out like we essentially did.

Having run the official school with GASGAS UK for a couple of years, Snowy is now backed by KTM and 2026 sees the birth of the Alex Snow KTM Off-Road Experience.

The school has a full fleet of KTM bikes on the books including every enduro model which means: 125 and 250 XC-W, plus 300 EXC (last one standing) two-strokes, 250, 350, 450 and 500 EXC-F. One reason alone to come here is to try before you buy, surely?

alex_snow_ktm_experience_cwr25624

Why do training?

To get better, right? Sometimes it can be as simple spending a day out with your mates to relax and go with the flow for a day on the pegs with no other reason than enjoying the ride.

A massive reason to book yourself on a course like this is the simple pleasure of riding an enduro bike without the constraints of a race of a competition, planning and the jet-washing the bike afterwards.

Honestly it was the best thing about this day for us: riding around with a bunch of mates and having a laugh riding dirt bikes.

ktm_off-road_experience_alex_snow_cwr15766

Mixed abilities

In any group of riders, you are bound to have mixed levels of experience, and it was the case on our day. But it mades no difference and when you’re having a laugh, being led by people who are looking out for everyone and keeping it varied, time went by without a care.

Where is it?

The all-new Alex Snow Off-Road KTM Experience is based in Devon, South-West England and is soon to be branching out further into an Adventure bike school approximately in the same part of the South-West UK.

They head to other locations in the UK but also internationally with tours including Italy and Portugal.

As an example, here’s what’s included in a “Train N Trail” two-day course:

  • 1 day’s professional training
  • 1 day’s guided trail riding
  • Bike hire & fuel
  • All clothing and protection
  • Lunch both days
  • Hot and cold drinks
  • Goodie bag and T-shirt
  • No motorcycle licence needed
  • Group Size (10 riders max)

Check here for all the different Enduro and Off-Road Experience days on offer.

ktm_off-road_experience_alex_snow_cwr15509

4000 acres to play in

The location for our day was on a 4000-acre private estate filled with rolling hills and woods, tracks, trails and unpaved rights of way, with only a couple of stretches of road riding to get to a different wood – although worth pointing out it can all be self-contained to cater for those without a bike license.

They can cater for anyone, essentially and while it’s true we all followed the same lead most the day, the option was always there to go around or duck out of anything too tricky if anyone didn’t fancy it (or wanted to video the crashes).

That meant everybody on our day got loads out of it and frankly what more can you ask for? We rode from just after 9am to late afternoon, could swap between the different KTM enduro models and all rode until we’d had more than enough.

Our riding split for a while in the afternoon allowing some to have an easier ride while we tackled some of the British Enduro Championship tests hidden in these woods.

ktm_off-road_experience_alex_snow_cwr27426

Take advice or just ride

The wake-up call for any rider rocking up for some training is the simple fact most of us ride as our own critics most of the time. Usually, a mate or two can be relied upon to bring a bit of constructive criticism but basically our riding goes unchecked by everything other than the clock, some rocks, slippery logs or a snotty hillclimb or our fitness.

A training school is a chance to have a set of expert eyes looking at what you’re doing, how you’re doing it and giving you some pointers to help the progress.

Though our riding day was simply about having fun and without too much actual instruction, the option was always there and at the point of booking you can make that more or less of a priority.

A great bit of instruction for our group came in riding over logs with valuable lessons in body position, clutch and throttle control, where to place wheels and when not to use the gas.

ktm_off-road_experience_alex_snow_cwr17332

KTM’s Enduro range tested

The chance to finally test a 2026 KTM enduro bike was no small part of this day for us too and we made a point of jumping across all the bikes on offer. They haven’t changed since the last major update but the fact this school has a full fleet is reason enough to get over, to try them across a long riding day.

Favourite? The 300 EXC is the last EXC standing (for now – we’re waiting on news of the 350 two-stroke model coming out) so it was good to get on that. But take away some of its raw torque, and heavier clutch, and once again we settle on the 250 two-stroke as a favourite. It’s easier to ride.

Heavier and beast-like, the 500 EXC-F never disappoints either and though it was a bit of a handful between the tight trees, on the more open trails the “big mamma” is a glorious thing.  

ktm_off-road_experience_alex_snow_cwr26882

 

More information: www.alexsnowoffroad.com

 

Photo Credit: Chippy Wood