Beat my Bête noire

Levi_501

Yesterday I went over/down my bête noire.

It is the first (more difficult) entry on to the Corkscrew at Swinley Forest. Approx, two foot vertical drop off a root, before a fairly steep short decent.

About a month ago I went over it and paniced half way down, pulled the brakes, you know the rest.

Since then, I have been up to the edge twice and not been able to face it. Yesterday full o'beans I went for it, and guess what ? it really was not that bad.

I know not massive news for you guys, but I am as happy as a pig in shat for doing it.

Funniest thing, I then got cocky and went for it again, and nearly stacked it :roll:

Levi_501

Not a huge prob for some of you, but we all have to start.

Anonymous

i have no idea what a bete noire is but 2 things:

1 well done for taking a picture, it looks pretty cool
2 i know where you are coming from with tackling things you normally avoid, it is very satisfying indeed so good work fella.

if i could be so bold as to offer a word of advice, that entry would feel even better if you moved your weight backwards a couple of inches so you are kind of behind your saddle more, it will move you centre of gravity backwards and make it near impossible to flip over the bars.

feel free to disregard the advice, you clearly got through it fine so coolio

matt748

Levi_501 wrote:

It is the first (more difficult) entry on to the Corkscrew at Swinley Forest. Approx, two foot vertical drop off a root, before a fairly steep short decent.

Nice one, and good pic as well.
Where abouts is this? I ride at Swinley and would like to find it. A location from the 'Lookout Map' would be great.

Thanks

Matt

Levi_501

Thanks Sheep, duly noted. I have only been doing this 2/3 months, so tips accepted

Matt, the Corkscrew is near the Quarry, sort of opposite end to Labarynth. Not sure if this helps!

P.S. Note the new brakes, Formula The One

MountainPete

I know it well! I love that bit of trail :-)

Anonymous

it was a whole lot longer than 2 or 3 months before i would takle stuf like that so looks lke you're doing well!

matt748

[quote="Levi_501"

Matt, the Corkscrew is near the Quarry, sort of opposite end to Labarynth. Not sure if this helps!

:[/quote]

Errm, not really mate. I know where the Labarynth is, but not the quarry. Where on the map (if you have one)

Thanks

dave_hill

sheepsteeth wrote:

i have no idea what a bete noire is

Clearly you didn't have a French teacher who didn't wear knickers... :shock: Perhaps you might have taken more notice if you did!!!

It means "black beast" - anything which gets you going, stops you from progressing or is a bit of a hangup is your "bete noire".

Dancake

I landed on my shoulder a few months back after being taken by surprise by a jump. (wasnt even a big one)

It freaked me out so much, I havnt been able to tackle any jump- however tiny -since...

Today, I actually tackled a small bombhole with a small jump the other side and I was whooping like an idiot afterwards.
I know exactly where you are coming from

Joe_Pineapples

You're not alone, everyone has a demon to face.
I've been riding at Glentress for years now and there's one particular point that always fazes me. It's not even that difficult to be honest. It's off to the left, bit of a drop off through a rock garden, black graded, but I've never managed to just ride it . . . until yesterday.

First day out on a new bike and I was determined to roll it.
Lyriks, they're amazing!

Levi_501

Thanks for the support guys, and weldone to the others who beat theirs yesterday !

supersonic

You are quite high on the bike there - I would get a bit lower and further behind the saddle.

Whytepeak

supersonic wrote:

You are quite high on the bike there - I would get a bit lower and further behind the saddle.

Agreed in this instance, but there is no need to be 'behind the saddle' on most stuff.

You should aim to maintain a centre of balance acroos the terrain, not just hang off the back at every opportunity.

Willrideforcake

Everyone has one of those sections - mine is at CYB - I did a superman over the bars on the snap crackle and pop section about six years ago, and I've not been able to ride it since! One day though.... and soon.... 8)

Levi_501

Thanks for the advice, as said relative novice (2/3 months) so tips welcome.

I agree with what you are say; just how do I actually do it ? The saddle is in the way ???

The rear of the saddle would be against my lower abdoman (below the six pack )

Zeroman_IR

Bête noire? You mean like this? It's a far steeper gradient than it looks in the video and the steps are pretty big at the top. Despite that, I'm convinced that I'm psyching myself out of it. You can see me glance slightly at one of the steps before I fall, and where does the bike get hung up? Right on that step...and over I go.

I walk that all the time now, the lake is about 30 feet down on the side I fell off, hence my grab for a root. I've fallen the other way twice too and really bust my elbow open the second time, right in front of some tourists.

Never made it up it yet. Bête noire? You bet it is.

J55TTC

matt748 wrote:

[quote="Levi_501"

Matt, the Corkscrew is near the Quarry, sort of opposite end to Labarynth. Not sure if this helps!

:

Errm, not really mate. I know where the Labarynth is, but not the quarry. Where on the map (if you have one)

Thanks[/quote]

If you come out of the bombholes onto the firebreak (sandy in colour) - looking left goes downhill and theres a junction about 100 meters down (grey gravel). - Looking right goes uphill (away from the junction) If you go uphill (only a slight gradient) for about 30-40 meters - maybe 50 theres a trail on the left hand side going off at about 90 degrees. Ride that for a fairly short distance and youll come to the drop off pictured. Just dont use brakes after youre over the top and youll be OK

Dazzza

supersonic wrote:

You are quite high on the bike there - I would get a bit lower and further behind the saddle.

Was then going to say the same myself, though saying that i have my saddle jacked up like that as i ride my best with a long pedal stroke but i don't do many hijinks because of it, that and i don't want to break my bike anyway.

Zeroman, nice video but looks to me like you lost momentum, methinks if you tried spinning instead of grinding a larger gear you would have been fine, that and you sounded knackered, big ride i take it?

Bit of a comedy moment for sure, i tend not to do such things nowadays as with having spd's i fly off the bike at the slightest hint of it going pear shaped.

I however once unclip on one side to stop only to fall off the other side when stationary. :oops:

RealMan

Sounds like you've almost mastered it now. Will be expecting a picture of you back flipping off it asap.

BigStu2

No ones seemed to pick up on this so I'll give it my two cents worth, You look like a fairly big lad but your bike looks rather cramped especially the handlebars, if you can buy or borrow a set of wider bars 660- 680mm with a 1" rise I think you'll find many parts of your local trails so much easier and enjoyable to ride and you'll be able to manual (wheelie) off the top of that drop with ease.

Raymondavalon

I know that area of Swinley quite well.
I recall the first time I pointed my bike down a steep descent, the doubt can be a killer, but conquer it once and that's the fight 99% won! Every other descent will be doable now. Well done and great photo.

paul.skibum

Well done for beating the problem - I agree with others though - high and a bit forward for that roll in - stand up on the pedals slide back off the saddle and drop behind the seat post - rear of saddle in front of navel - that would be highly exagerated for that roll in but worth practicing.

I know Swinley pretty well and thought I knew the Corkscrew but that doesn't look like what I can the corkscrew at all (I also dont know the quarry!) But the corkscrew I know is a wicked little swoopy run that follows a gully

Zeroman_IR

Dazzza wrote:

supersonic wrote:

Zeroman, nice video but looks to me like you lost momentum, methinks if you tried spinning instead of grinding a larger gear you would have been fine, that and you sounded knackered, big ride i take it?

Bit of a comedy moment for sure, i tend not to do such things nowadays as with having spd's i fly off the bike at the slightest hint of it going pear shaped.

I however once unclip on one side to stop only to fall off the other side when stationary. :oops:

Only about 30 minutes in actually. I wasn't tired, I've a bit of a Kerry accent though which can slur the speech a bit at times :oops:

I think the clipless pedals didn't help, I usually hop off just before things go beyond the point of no return too but I was still putting pressure on the pedals in this case so the pins on the Mallets held my shoes preventing me from twisting my foot.

I'll try spinning it sometime soon, only thing is that it's steep enough that spinning in the granny tends to torque the wheels enough that you spin out so a higher gear is better but that often gets you hung up on the steps near the top. I was in the middle ring on front, largest ring out back for that attempt.

I'm open to any other suggestions.

Dazzza

Well ideally you want to spin light but not so fast that your legs flail everywhere, just enough to put some power down if you need to, climb over not through is what i tend to think if that makes sense.

But the mallets don't help, they will slow your spinning down anyway, could try some candy sl or even the eggbeaters, i prefer shimano spd but each to their own i found the engagement of the candy's too vague especially when it turned to mush.

Zeroman_IR

Cheers, will try that. Walked it again today, the testicles well and truly shrivel up approaching it now.

How would the Mallets slow my spinning? Would they not be the same as any other clipless pedal in that sense?

Dazzza

The fact they're a platform pedal means it will control your footing a bit more making it not a whole lot harder just awkward, least that's what i found in the past when i ran them.

matt748

Finally found The Corkscrew area Levi!! (With a little help from Berks on Bikes MBC)
Good fun round there.

joolsburger

Good work for gettting over the fear. If I were you I'd practice pulling wheelies off kerbs so you land on the back or both wheels when that's sorted you could do the same thing off that at speed.

benneally

not that i know the terrain or route at all, but if you hit that lip with some speed you could lift the front wheel off the top and clear that route that is 2ft beneath the lip.....

....if of course there is enough space after to land and control speed, looks it.

just what i would consider doing