Why has every rider got great bike handling skills?

Johnny Napalm

I've never been a great rider, and skills (even the simple ones) have always seemed to be very difficult to gain.

Just about every rider I see flying down the trails seem to do it with effortless ease, and always leave me in their dust. I'm not new to mountain biking, but it appears that no matter how hard I try I never seem to improve on descents.

I've always been pretty decent at climbing, and more often than not I'm usually the first to the top (if I ride with anyone or pass other riders when alone)...no matter how tough it is. I refuse to get off and push, and will grind it out to the end. I do like the fitness aspect.

So here's my dilemma -

While I have the mental fortitude to climb, and not give in, it seems to be the opposite going in the other direction. I generally ride solo, which could be one of the isssues, but I have picked up a few useful tips from books, 'net etc. (such as attack position, chest over handlebars to help traction, shifting weight), which has helped me ride a bit better, but I still seem to be light years behind anyone esle I encounter.

I've always loved cycling, and I couldn't imagine not doing it anymore, but I want to flow like everyone else appears to do. I tend to only get out Sat/Sun every week due to work and family commitments, but many other people are the same and they still ride well.

I'm actually having doubts nowadays, and prefer not to ride with anyone else because I just think that they'll always be waiting for me to catch up. Perhaps I'm just in a bit of a funk lately, but everywhere I looked others seem to have it nailed.

Bit of a whine, I suppose, and perhaps I shouldn't let it bother me, but if I'm honest it does.

bigpee

Don't worry about it - if you're having fun it doesn't matter if you're not good as someone else. I'm in much the same boat - I have a good level of fitness and normally nail it up a climb. Coming down I'm very nervous and people are always waiting for me at the bottom of a trail. No one ever seems to mind though and it'd be boring if everyone was equal .

My solution - to save for a nice full sus (looking at the best Canyon Nerve XC I can afford) to replace my HT at the end of the year. In all honesty it'll be no substitute for skill but at least I'll look the part .

warm18

best advice is ride with people faster than you. by following them you can pick up a lot and gain confidence

stubs

You sound like your stuck in a rut. You might need to do something a bit different try a riding skills course or possibly a new more downhill oriented bike. If your flying up hills maybe you could carry a few extra pounds in the bike dept.

I got stuck in a rut a couple of years back after a bad off resulting in bust ribs and monster bruising to the body and ego. A new bouncy bike helped but I still needed to break the mental block that was holding me back. It finally clicked on a night ride I couldnt see what I was riding over and I suddenly found myself flying down a scary rock garden that I would never have attempted during the day. I am still no more than an average rider but I certainly attempt things that would have had me off the bike and walking.

I would try ride with other people you will do things you would never do on your own because other people push you, you will always go faster. Dont worry about holding up other riders everyone I ride with doesnt mind a breather waiting for stragglers we all do better on different types of riding. Anyone who wont wait for you or gives you grief is a c0ck and should be ignored.

Keep on riding mate it will come to you.

thel33ter

warm18 wrote:

best advice is ride with people faster than you. by following them you can pick up a lot and gain confidence

This makes a big difference, and a few simple techniques can unlock a huge a huge amount of speed.

I'm not an expert, but there are a few skillsets which help lots.

Weight balance, seems simple but many people, especially those on XC bikes seem to ignore.

Footwork, dropping your heels helps on steep trails, drops and stuff, also corner with the outside pedal down, as it increases grip and reduces the chance of catching your pedals. For the rest of the time keep the pedals parallel to the ground.

Push to unweight, seems silly at first, but instead of just pulling on the bars, pushing down and then leaning back to unweight the front wheel gives you a lot more control.

Body position, keep your body low, it makes the bike more stable, drop your elbows, and stay loose on the bike, move around on the bike.

Finally, practise, find a local trail that you can do over and over that has some nice technical bits, and ride it 5-10 times, each time working out where to brake, where you can pedal to add speed, better lines ect. After doing this on a few trails, these skills will be usable almost anywhere.


Finally, if you really want some extra speed, take a skills course, they are great for boosting confidence. This guy http://www.ukbikeskills.co.uk/ (Posts on here as Jedi) is supposed to be fantastic, I've never heard a bad word about him. A few of the guys I ride with have had courses with him and I've noticed a distinct improvement in their flow, confidence and overall speed.

Anonymous

Are you seated most of the time? You can gain a hell of a lot of speed on tight twisty singletrack by staying in the attack position, and leaning the BIKE into the bends, rather than leaning WITH the bike. It lets you change direction much faster.

The rest of it is a mental excercise really, just let the bike take the hits, and allow it to move underneath you. Don't focus on getting the bike to do exactly what you want, as long as you're making progress in the general direction, the bike can bounce and skip around like mad beneath you. When you start getting really fast, you only have a pretty loose connection and sense of control over the bike anyway.
Basically, don't fight it, let it mvoe.

Another thing is, to mentally get over that fear of speed. don't wory about being able to stop within the viewable trail ahead, just go FAST!

Anonymous

Hmm, that's an odd explanation. Here, take a look at this vid of Gee Atherton's world champs winning run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ2T0IIt ... 105727592D

Even though he is in control of the bike, he still has no direct control over the tiny little movements the bike is making under him, he's just "guiding" it over the line he wants. And on the rougher sections, it, say an angry rabbit, jumped out in front of him, it's going to take a LONG time to come to a halt.

cooldad

I wouldn't worry about it, the idea is to have fun.
I've had a couple of injuries over the past year and lost a lot of my nerve. I still ride with the same people, I just go slower. I take a while to heal now as well.
Try finding a fun bit of trail, ride down it taking it easy, but trying to be as smooth as possible. Look ahead to where you are going, not where you are, try to brake as little as possible, and only before a turn, never while you are turning.
Don't try and ride fast, just focus on smooth.
Then do it again, a little faster, and again, as soon as you feel ragged, slow it down.
You'll soon work out your natural speed. With practice you'll speed up, but not all of us are riding gods, and never will be.
And remember really good riders will make it look really easy. It isn't so no point in judging yourself against them, any more than you would expect to play like a Rooney or suchlike.

I watch the odd riding video, and can visualise myself doing backflips and all sorts of things, but it's never going to happen.

There are many aspects to riding, even just getting out into the wilds and getting away from civilisation for a few hours is special. I enjoy a good pootle.

cooldad

Took me a while to type that, see you had some heroic advice. I feel like a total wimp now.

Anonymous

cooldad wrote:

Took me a while to type that, see you had some heroic advice. I feel like a total wimp now.

It's all technique though, and most of it is something that can be learnt. Of course, to take it to the extremes requires balls of steel and a penchant for adrenaline too, but if you get the basics right, you can cover ground much faster.
I see a lot of riders being too stiff or rigid, and that means they just can't cope at speed.

On Saturday, I had the pleasure to ride with another very long-time Coed y Brenin area rider, and for the first time in what feels like years, I had someone to ride with who was also really fast over rough twisty trails.
He'd ridden rigids for years as well, and learnt to let the bike move under him, and the speed picked up from there. He "looked" totally different on the bike to most people I ride with.
Unfortunately, he's far fitter, so he completely pwned me on the climbs

Anonymous

Why has every rider got great bike handling skills?

If only that were true.

Almost certainly there are more out there that are of the same ability and fitness as you than there are über fit highly skilled. Just you aren't riding with those people or see them at the right time. They're probably just out at the weekends, Sundays in particular. People like me

Whilst riding with people who can push you can be good, it can also leave you not enjoying yourself and end up sitting on the sofa instead if they are so fit and obsessed they leave you for dead. Worse if they are the kind of people who don't wait for you, or when you finally catch them up, they don't wait for you to catch your breath and speed off again.

All depends what you want out of it though. Are you in it for ultimate fitness, or having fun?

If you wan't to hone your skills, you could try a skills course. Always good to throw in Jedi's name at this point. Still yet to get Jedi skills myself, but everyone I know who's done it has come back with glowing reports. http://www.ukbikeskills.co.uk/

Johnny Napalm

Sound advice from all of you, and it's probably advice that I'd give to someone else in the same postion. I do enjoy riding and I always will, but it does feel like I'm going backwards.

Stuck in a rut is a good way of putting it, Stubs, and is most likely a correct assumption. It could also be that I'm whining unneccessarily, and should just shut up and enjoy my riding, which is something that is not a bad idea.

Cooldad has hit upon a word I should've included initially, which is 'smooth'...I never feel smooth when on descents, but when I watch others they all appear to be just that. I've kind of got the idea of leaning the bike, Yeehaa, but I think what frustrates me is that I constantly have to think about these things rather than it being second nature.

All the advice is much appreciated - practice, technique, ride with others etc., and of course, fun are all key and it's always good to hear other peoples' views and ideas.

Cheers for all the positive help.

Northwind

I think everyone feels like this sometimes... I ride from time to time with people who're ludicrously better than I am, and it's good but it can be a bit dispiriting. But then I know there's plenty of people who'd probably feel the same about me. Unless you're Sam Hill, someone out there is better than you (even f you're Sam Hill, you probably still have lingering concerns that Tomac or Nico would have been better than you if they'd been in their prime now, or that some new boy's about to destroy you.)

So don't stress. Riding should be fun first, some of us want to get better, others couldn't care less.

cooldad

Smooth comes with relaxing. As Yeehaa said, let the bike do the work, you just guide it, as gently as possible, where you want it to go. Your body is a spring, not rigid.

Anonymous

My body goes rigid when I think of you though, CD.

themanfromdelmonte

Have you thought of trying some bigger, more aggressively treaded, softer(stickier) tyres? Adding a bit of weight & rolling resistance for a while can be a worthwhile sacrifice. If having some gnar rubber on gives you the confidence to push and still be relaxed enough to stay smooth.

It's certainly cheaper than going for a new bouncier steed.

cooldad

yeehaamcgee wrote:

My body goes rigid when I think of you though, CD.

Be honest, that's only an insignificantly small part of your body.

Anonymous

cooldad wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

My body goes rigid when I think of you though, CD.

Be honest, that's only an insignificantly small part of your body.

erm, yes. As is normal, otherwise I'd pass out every time I thought of you.

cee

it could also just be that you notice the better riders being so much better, then you notice the no so comfortable riders being no so comfortable....

perception and all that.

as others have said...riding with others...you do pick up loads without even thinking about it...

and stay loose.

Panicking and grabbing the brakes etc, always feels much rougher than letting the bike do the work...

then...skills course...maybe there are simple position/mind adjustments you can make that a coach will easily spot.

I don't think i have spoken to anyone who has done a skills course and not come out a better rider than they went in.

Anonymous

Another thing worth mentioning is that it might be worthwhile asking people at trailcentres for tips. Most people are really friendly, and would be glad to offer some advice.

Eyon

Johnny, I can feel your issues here, I am in the same boat. I was getting confident with the MTB until I had a big off with the road bike, now its like being back at square one. I was trying to go around berms this weekend, and I could do ones going left slowly, but the right hand ones which dropped a few feet, I couldnt do it to the point id get off and walk them. I was hugely embarrassed, but at the end of the day I walked home in on piece.

Its a mental block however, you can do it, the bike can do it, its just needing to loose that last bit of regard and give it your all.

As said above, get some people to ride with who are faster, and look into a skills course.

I am going to book a skills course to get over my fear of corners and how to nail those techniques. Also going to stick flats on on the technical stuff, the idea of getting a foot off, even if not needed I think gives you a little more confidence. You spend thousands on a bike, that £100 isnt a lit to learn how to enjoy it the most rather than be terrified.

Best of luck though, it will be worth it when you finally nail those downhills.

Ian

Shaggy_Dog

It's all in the mind, tell yourself that you are fast downhill and you will be. When I'm riding in mud I tell myself that my tyres will find grip when they're sliding, and they do, most of the time...

I know it sounds daft but it really does work, the more awesome you beleive you are, the more awesome you will become. It sounds like you have confidence in your fitness, apply it to your descending, you'll be amazed at the results. Instead of thinking "crap, rock garde, brake!" think "rock garden, pah, easy" and attack it.

joshtp

go to a local spot with lot's of techie but short run's... (if one is available, if not just go to the local woods and clear out a few lines down the hill, not trails so much as winding routes down through the trees..) and spend a few afternoon's just riding them over and over... try and get a corner perfect... or set a new fast time... or hit a jump just right... if there's other people around tag onto them... just keep pushing up and going again... if it's wet try and slide, if it's dry go as fast as you dare... wear armour and dont be afraid to fall off.

I got stuck in a rut... but I found doing this has really helped... you build confidence and skills better than anything else... if possible ride with a mate on a similar lever... you will egg each other on to do and try stuff you would not normally.

most of all have a laff... you learn when you are having fun... not when you are cold wet and miserable and stressed about being a crap rider...

if it continues try a skills course... lots of people love them.


Finaly, try a new type of riding... I have a mate who has really progressed since starting to do a uplift day at cwmcarn once a month... and I've really improved since starting Trials...

and dont be afraid to ask for tips!

Anonymous

Trials? Oh man, Trials is so difficult that it almost made me hate riding
Never got the hang of it. Just as I was starting to get the hang of hopping forwards on the back wheel, I snapped the chain and a chainring, ended up kneeing my stem, nearly skewering myself on the handlebars, and faceplanting into a bench

joshtp

oooh, and I almost forgot...

what's the most important upgrade available for your bike?

GOGOGO! technology... developed by me and a mate when trying to ride a bombhole with some super gnarly run in's.. basically you just block everything out, and say out loud (or in your head if your around other people) GO! GO! GO! it's amazing what you can ride if you have the confidence... but often finding the confidence is very hard... so use GoGoGo! technology to try something that your whole body is telling you not to do... I find forcing my fingers to stay off the brakes so I cannot stop and just rolling towards a feature using GOGOGO tech to do something the first time is awesome.


sorry if that's not clear... but you get what I mean?

Anonymous

Me and Will used to do the same with big uphills.
We'd just sing (well, scream)
BIG HILL NUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUH BIG HILL NUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUHNUH

Over and over, on the brink of hysterics, and before you know it, we were at the top of the hill!

ride_whenever

I get like this sometimes, you need to block out all thoughts that you're descending, instead think that you're climbing but downhill...

Adrenaline can be processed as either anxiety and excitement; when you get anxious, you get opposing muscle contractions which make you stiffer and weaker. When you process as excitement you stay looser and get much more power. The problem is it is much easier to go from excited -> anxious than the other way round.

So you want to go and ride your local part as others have said, but start deliberately slow, don't try and go mad straight away, just aim for a little bit more every time you repeat until you can nail it. Once you switch to anxious go home/do some climbing to clear your head, then come back another day and keep repeating until you can absolutely blast your little run. Then repeat with somewhere else, and eventually it'll become a natural process.

Anonymous

Ooh, on the anxiety front... Consciously make sure your mouth is wet, or moist at least.
When we're scared, our mouths dry out, but weirdly, there is a bit of a feedback effect, if you can moisten it, with a gob of water from your camelbak or something, you will feel less scared.
Strange, but true!

Thewaylander

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Ooh, on the anxiety front... Consciously make sure your mouth is wet, or moist at least.
When we're scared, our mouths dry out, but weirdly, there is a bit of a feedback effect, if you can moisten it, with a gob of water from your camelbak or something, you will feel less scared.
Strange, but true!

we should carry out a scientific test on this.. Cos I actually reckon you maybe a little right lol.

But as for the rest find someone who kicks your butt all over on the downs, then ride with them as much as you can. it's the best way

welshkev

or just ride way beyond youer limits as fast as you can and fall off regulary like i do. hurts at first but you soon get used to it

or you cold just start off slown and small and work up to big and fast

blablablacksheep

maybe they have better bike?

I know its a bad excuse but it does play a huge roll, i see many people out and about easly pushing 13-16+ stone bombing around a lot faster in places than myself, purely due to them having a far better bike.

other thing could be like i said above weight, if you too heavy or unfit it doesnt help.

climbs on bikes really need goof fitness to not only push up hill but to carry on though the top and over, this is where the pros can push hard uphill then change up a gear on the top of hill and attack though