Also very important. When things get really rough, I always stand on the pegs and let my legs take up a lot of the rough terrain. Trust me it works great. I also do that on the highway after 40 miles of sitting on the 2X4 that they call a seat.

 

I second DEEJ on standing up ... I ride in NW Jersey and it's ALL rocks. For me it's a non-decision .... standing up with weight properly positioned the bike feels well balanced and just floats through everything. Check out Rich Lafferty's site (www.rlafferty.com) and his instructional videos ... good stuff. Also, I find that the faster you can go over rocky sections, the smoother ... within the limits of your ability of course!

 

Standing on the factory footpeds for me is a problem, especially on the left because it is inset more then the right. I do stand on the footpegs though when I go down some of our streets because they make a washboard road look smooth.