Never been so scared - kind of fun too

teulk
teulk Posts: 557
edited April 2009 in MTB general
Today to start with i went down a bank that was so steep i coudnt ride back up it, the narrow track was kind of made up of dirt with loose rocks of about 2" all over it. The first thing i noticed was my bike was all over the place due to sliding off the rocks and secondly i couldnt really brake, i was doing about 20mph and was well out of my comfort zone.
The thing that really scared me on the second hill/track i went down was when i went through an underpass at around 25mph and it was like someone turned out the lights, i couldnt see a thing after going from sunlight to darkness and my bike was jumping around all over the place - i can honestly say i have never been so scared as i hadnt a clue what was on the ground in front of me and there was no way i could brake.

Whats the best way to tackle really stoney fast tracks at speed?
Boardman Team 09 HT
Orbea Aqua TTG CT 2010
Specialized Secteur Elite 2011

Comments

  • Dirtydog11
    Dirtydog11 Posts: 1,621
    With caution????
    Kinesis Maxlight XC

    Orange 5 AM Custom
  • gbrnole
    gbrnole Posts: 395
    Half the stuff i ride down i could barely climb back up let alone ride!
    Ibis Mojo SL-r
  • tompug
    tompug Posts: 227
    This may sound daft, but don't brake, at least not on the descent. Braking will unbalance the bike, try to wein off your speed before you drop into the descent. As for dark tunnels, it's a hope and pray exercise, use the force!
    Doncaster mtb
  • actsolutions
    actsolutions Posts: 94
    Never grab a brake when the going get's really steep thats when you hit the ground and at 25Mph you will get hurt even with safety kit. Unless you are a good crasher.
    It's tempting to lean right over the back wheel when it's really steep but don't go back to far otherwise you will un-weight the front wheel making to difficult to control the front end over roots and rocks. No your limits and ride within them. Keep doing the bombholes and it will become easy with time.

    Ride on!
  • littleandy0410
    littleandy0410 Posts: 631
    Make sure you keep your elbows and knees loose, use them as suspension. Also, don't go "white-knuckle" tight on your grips. Obviously hold on well, but not too tight. Let the bike move around under you.
    Boardman Road Comp '08
    Spesh FSR XC Expert '08
  • Banned!
    Banned! Posts: 34
    i tend to attack stony stuff head on. if you feel that the bike is getting away from you either

    a) hunker down and use the combined wieght of the bike and your body to push into the ground. this will speed you up a little, but as your centre of gravity will be lower you will be more balanced.

    b) look for somewhere to get a little air, even a few inches up for a few feet, then, when you land, stomp the landing and use method A as described above.

    the main thing is to relax and not tense up.

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