do i need to just mtfu

im first to die

i have been riding for about 9 months now and am good on the up hill sections 2nd to the top out of the 10 of us that ride together but am allways last to the botom is it skill or nerve i need :oops:

phoebian

I'm generally quite fit and can manage hills and even enjoy them some what, but as I have only been mountain biking twice, I lack the skills for speeding down the trails. I go at them with some speed, but compared to others I'd look slower lol. Maybe you need to push yourself a little bit more, step up your game. If you have nine months of hills under your belt, you must have nine months of descents under your belt also.

If you fall, pick yourself up and try again!

im first to die

at 34 i am not getting any younger have commitments work/morgage etc am scared of falling off ond hurting my self

im first to die

just read thet back
going tomorrow to get my Kn*b cut off and buy my first dress i think i am a girl

phoebian

hehe, I understand. I wouldn't worry about everyone else being faster, just go out there and enjoy yourself!

Maybe buy some pads?

Cheshley

I rode with Phoebian in the Peaks last Sunday, he's better at the DH bits than I am and I've been riding off-road on and off for about 12 years!!!!!

I used to ride any downhill section you pointed me at but since having a couple of years off the bike I have lost all confidence. I don't like downhill sections, especially rocky or loose surfaces as I think I'm going to lose the front end.

Start small, increase gradually or do what I'm going to do and book a place on a skills course. Tell the instructor what you need help with and they will try to concentrate on what you need (depending on who else is on the course and what they need)

Pads are also a good suggestion. I used to wear them all the time, never needed them but always felt better for having them on. I bought new ones a couple of weeks ago.

biff55

double portion of MTFU for that man !
pain is just weakness leaving the body.
suck it up and go for glory.

Briggo

I do downhills blindfolded with no brakes.

Thats how real men do it.

Jedi

mtfu only leads to pain!

learn to relax , make sure your bike is set up right too.

tlw1

just get out & ride - remember that while its wet the speeds are slower & the ground is softer when you land on it!

stumpyjon

^ listen to the master (no really he's an MTB skills coach). It's something I've been wrestling with for the last few years. I know I'm getting better and fitter (there's stuff now I don't even think about that would have had me off and pushing 18 months ago) but everyone still seems to be better than me. Look, as long as you get a thrill (not a scare) out of it you're doing well, not everyone can be a downhill hero. One of the joys of mountain biking (for me anyway) is that it's a non-competitive sport, I only really try to compete with myself if that makes senses.

Anyway the key as Jedi says is to relax, you'll be amazed at what you can ride if you stay relaxed. Last year I had a really bad moment at Lee Quarry after not concentrating, went completely off piste, piles of rocks, barbed wire fence, huge drop off to the left, you get the picture. I remember thinking at the time, I have two choices here, I can try to stop and guarantee to crash or try and stay loose and pray the bike will get me over and it did. I would never ride what I did intentionally but sailed over it in the end.

The thing about work the following day etc. is not silly, it's very valid. Pads are a good idea too, elbows and knees take the brunt of most crashes and can be difficult to fix. If you do spend money on pads don't skimp, if they're uncomfortable you won't wear them which makes them pointless. I've got some 661 Kyle Strait knee pads, comfortable enough to wear for 3 or 4 hours (really good in the winter as knee warmers) and I've recently come by a set of 661 Evo elbow pads, very pricey (about £70 unless you know someone who works for the UK importer 8) ) but worth the money.

Oh and anyone who tells you to MTFU is more likely to be 14 than 34. If it helps I'm 38 and want to still be riding when I'm 68 so I'm going to need my knees to continue functionning

Briggo

stumpyjon wrote:

Oh and anyone who tells you to MTFU is more likely to be 14 than 34.

Or they could just be having, you know, whats that thing called?... oh yeah... a laugh.

stubs

What sort of bike have you got. If you have a quick steering racey hardtail that could be holding you back. Borrowed my mates 80mm forked HardTail last week while he had a go on my Commencal bouncer and nearly weed myself. I thought it was pure skill that meant I had a breather at the bottom of every technical descent.

A nice bit of squidgy suspension wide bars and fat tyres boost your skill and bottle levels no end

+1 on the padding got half way down a really rocky bit a few weeks ago when I realised my pads were in the car :shock:

im first to die

i have a gt force with 5" travel front and rear i am starting to think its all in my head need to stop thinking about crashing and start to have some fun on the downs plus if i remove my brakes i cant have them on all the way down

captainfly

Body armour and a full face helmet do wonders for confidence in fact I even use them in lew of skill

CraigXXL

im first to die wrote:

at 34 i am not getting any younger have commitments work/morgage etc am scared of falling off ond hurting my self

Lack of confindence will enure you crash just as much as lack of skills. If you have the skills then you need to trust in them to get you to the bottom safely.

frogstomp

I prescribe a more optimistic user name!

Jedi

guys confuse skills for technique

there are both physical and mental skills that need developing

handful

im first to die wrote:

i have a gt force with 5" travel front and rear i am starting to think its all in my head need to stop thinking about crashing and start to have some fun on the downs plus if i remove my brakes i cant have them on all the way down

As mentioned above by another poster, make sure the bike is set up right, makes a huge difference. My I-Drive scared the sh1t out me for a few rides and I was beginning to think it was just not as quick as my old Avalanche on the downs. I gradually reduced the air and slowed the rebound on the Recons and increased the sag on the RP2 and have now started to regain confidence. I have the opposite problem to you, I;m rubbish on the hills but tend to catch people on the descents.....but then again I'm 47 so I have a good excuse

I tend not to worry about getting hurt though, apart from when I did get hurt last year, only bad bruising luckily though.

clodhoppa74

im first to die wrote:

i have a gt force with 5" travel front and rear i am starting to think its all in my head need to stop thinking about crashing and start to have some fun on the downs plus if i remove my brakes i cant have them on all the way down

there's a lot of it in the mindset. if you think 'oh there's a sharp rock, i'd better avoid it, you're already doing two things that don't help: 1)focusing on it, rather than say the 3 ft of trail next to it, which is where you're going, and 2) if you look at it, you're likely to head towards it.

as others have said, i've ridden stuff i thought impossible by just relaxing and remembering that if it's a built trail, it's rideable, if it's got tyre tracks, it's rideable etc.

and as others have said again, it's about enjoying yourself, not comparing yourself to steve peat!