MTB skills - are you happy with your riding ability?
- Thread starter gradeAfailure
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always look forward, never look back. progression goes in a spiral, you get better the more you ride, fitter and more competent. You dont always feel better but im sure most who ride regular are better than they think they are, or at least fitter. Skills on ups and downs vary loads on what you ride, my local loops are fairly tame but i ride the peaks a fair whack so you get used to proper rocky boulder droppy trails..............and rain
personally i dont feel i do bad for my age, fitness level and can hang out enough on the jumps in them there alps to be confident most the time etc
but i might also be shit, old and slow haha
personally i dont feel i do bad for my age, fitness level and can hang out enough on the jumps in them there alps to be confident most the time etc
but i might also be shit, old and slow haha
Good topic, good question.
I am happy with my ability but I know I have a lot to improve. Mayhem showed that without the pressure of other riders around me, I'm a much better rider. I really don't like knowing there are others in front or behind me: those slower or faster!
I think it all stems from concentration and being able to focus on me and not f7ck up my lines. So, that's the part of my riding that I really need to improve; concentration. Because when it's broken my riding goes to pot, literally, even the simplest of lines or tasks become an ordeal.
I think that stems from how I ride now and how I rode as a teenager: on my own with a map! It's a personal, insular thing. Don't get me wrong, I like cycling with others without any pressure but I don't like to hang around either. I'd rather be the slowest in a quick group than the fastest in a slow group.
Oh and downhill. I'm too much of a pussy sometimes because I fear a dreaded handlebar swing dented tube moment. But of course, to avoid those moments, you have to give it some beans and be brave. I'm better than I was but there's significant room for improvement.
I am happy with my ability but I know I have a lot to improve. Mayhem showed that without the pressure of other riders around me, I'm a much better rider. I really don't like knowing there are others in front or behind me: those slower or faster!
I think it all stems from concentration and being able to focus on me and not f7ck up my lines. So, that's the part of my riding that I really need to improve; concentration. Because when it's broken my riding goes to pot, literally, even the simplest of lines or tasks become an ordeal.
I think that stems from how I ride now and how I rode as a teenager: on my own with a map! It's a personal, insular thing. Don't get me wrong, I like cycling with others without any pressure but I don't like to hang around either. I'd rather be the slowest in a quick group than the fastest in a slow group.
Oh and downhill. I'm too much of a pussy sometimes because I fear a dreaded handlebar swing dented tube moment. But of course, to avoid those moments, you have to give it some beans and be brave. I'm better than I was but there's significant room for improvement.
jango
Senior Retro Guru
Re:
No, this was brought into sharp relief a couple of weekends ago when I rode the Fat Tyre Challenge at Coed y brenin.
I've ridden it 20 years ago with no problem (we'll ignore the uphill bits, I've never been good at them) but jumping back on a Retro DBR that I probably haven't ridden in a couple of years and throwing myself down there was a bit of an eye opener in how much less confident I feel now knowing that if it goes wrong it's going to hurt and continue hurting for a long time...
But I will go back soon and take a modern with 4 inches of ineptitude filtration and see how I get on, may get some confidence back!
No, this was brought into sharp relief a couple of weekends ago when I rode the Fat Tyre Challenge at Coed y brenin.
I've ridden it 20 years ago with no problem (we'll ignore the uphill bits, I've never been good at them) but jumping back on a Retro DBR that I probably haven't ridden in a couple of years and throwing myself down there was a bit of an eye opener in how much less confident I feel now knowing that if it goes wrong it's going to hurt and continue hurting for a long time...
But I will go back soon and take a modern with 4 inches of ineptitude filtration and see how I get on, may get some confidence back!
gradeAfailure
Senior Retro Guru
Re:
I have to say that getting a modern long travel FS was one of the best things I did - it gave me the confidence to hit lines faster and harder than I ever would have before, and now when I ride the rigid singlespeed I'm faster not slower. Then I try and ride that smoother and faster, so when I'm back on the FS I'm faster again. I love a virtuous cycle!
I have been thinking about doing a skills day, probably with Tony "Jedi" Doyle at UK Bike Skills, to get myself more comfortable with bigger jumps and drops. I also don't tend to ride as much over the winter so my wet-weather skillset is lacking somewhat; something I intend to remedy this year.
I have to say that getting a modern long travel FS was one of the best things I did - it gave me the confidence to hit lines faster and harder than I ever would have before, and now when I ride the rigid singlespeed I'm faster not slower. Then I try and ride that smoother and faster, so when I'm back on the FS I'm faster again. I love a virtuous cycle!
I have been thinking about doing a skills day, probably with Tony "Jedi" Doyle at UK Bike Skills, to get myself more comfortable with bigger jumps and drops. I also don't tend to ride as much over the winter so my wet-weather skillset is lacking somewhat; something I intend to remedy this year.
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The thing is, I have no ultimate need to go faster. It would just mean I am home earlier, which defeats the point.
I just go as fast as I feel like it and never see the need or wish I had done it faster.
I just go as fast as I feel like it and never see the need or wish I had done it faster.
gradeAfailure
Senior Retro Guru
Re:
Being a better rider isn't necessarily always about being faster per se - it's often just a by-product of riding smoother, picking better lines, not stalling or dabbing on climbs, riding a main trail line instead of a chicken run, etc.
Some people are perfectly happy at the skill level they're at; nothing wrong with that! Others, like me, enjoy improving - it's all good! I enjoy gradually increasing the size of my comfort zone to make myself less likely to crash, not more.
Being a better rider isn't necessarily always about being faster per se - it's often just a by-product of riding smoother, picking better lines, not stalling or dabbing on climbs, riding a main trail line instead of a chicken run, etc.
Some people are perfectly happy at the skill level they're at; nothing wrong with that! Others, like me, enjoy improving - it's all good! I enjoy gradually increasing the size of my comfort zone to make myself less likely to crash, not more.
gradeAfailure
Senior Retro Guru
Had a good ride out today with some good improvements; cleaned a steep-ish short climb covered in pine needles (so very little grip) first time by getting my weight shifting/balance spot on - something I've been working on. Finally managed to nail a 3' drop-off that I've had a mental block about riding for nearly five years simply because it's into a downward slope and had a little lip on it, so very pleased with that! Also managed to ride a short DH section smoother than I ever have - it's gotten a bit rougher and cut-up over the last year or so, with more roots and braking bumps, but by upping my speed and pre-jumping a few sections it felt not only faster, but easier too.
Next up are the 8' gap jumps in the mini jump gully at Tunnel Hill; they're a few feet bigger than ones I've been able to manage in the last couple of rides, so I've been working on getting my technique dialled on the smaller ones first.
How's everyone else doing?
Next up are the 8' gap jumps in the mini jump gully at Tunnel Hill; they're a few feet bigger than ones I've been able to manage in the last couple of rides, so I've been working on getting my technique dialled on the smaller ones first.
How's everyone else doing?
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Improved my confidence no end with a dropper post.
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Took the commuter out in the dark on our weekly ride, 42T front ring and road cassette made it interesting. Apparently it quite a bit harder to ride using that and the cruising it's set up for.
Still Flat pedal are crap for off road, we have small cogs for a reason and very steep section on well ridden chalk is not doable with that gearing and my legs and shite flats.
Still everything else was just harder work, that is all.
Today (on a proper bike)
I intend to improve my ability to get to the front of the queue at the mid-ride pub stop at the top of Blakey Ridge today and see if I can select the largest flapjack at the first cafe stop before that.
Still Flat pedal are crap for off road, we have small cogs for a reason and very steep section on well ridden chalk is not doable with that gearing and my legs and shite flats.
Still everything else was just harder work, that is all.
Today (on a proper bike)
I intend to improve my ability to get to the front of the queue at the mid-ride pub stop at the top of Blakey Ridge today and see if I can select the largest flapjack at the first cafe stop before that.
