When do consider you are a new skill level

Graeme_aberdeen

Hi all

Ok so have levels of skill such as:
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced

etc.. etc.. and those small areas in between, but am wondering... I've been biking for a while on and off, mostly off, and still consider myself a beginner.

When do you progress, what markers show this, from beginner to intermediate to skilled and so on and so on....?

Just wondering, passing the time.....

Cheers

G

weeksy59

i think it's relative to who you're comparing yourself to and what particular field of MTBing.

e.g Compared to a top XC racer, i'm bloody uselss, compared to most people i see out i am a superstar...

Then comparing myself to a DJ rider, i'm a disgrace...

So it's relative..

miss notax

I never know what 'level' to describe myself as..... :?

There's always some stuff I can't ride, and lots of stuff I can... Sometimes I blast past everyone else and other times i'm the wheezing old fart who can't make it up an easy hill in granny ring. Meh

One thing I have learnt though, there is nothing else so guarenteed to set the scene for a fabulous off than declaring that you're an 'expert' mountain biker

chrischris1315

Compared to the people I ride with I would say I'm a capable rider but if when I go else where e.g. trail centres and try new features I am defiantly slower than the people who ride it regularly. I've joined a local group and they ride the legs of me and are twice my age, but I'm training now and often beat them up and down the hills on my old broken hardtail.
But I am no expert they are much better technically.

Tis is swings and round abouts.

nozzac

Someone who has never ridden before is a beginner. Steve Peat is advanced. Anything in between is anyone's guess.

Beardface

When you can 360 superman backflip off a kerb, then you're getting close to my skill level. :P

I jest, I struggle to stay upright most of the time!!

supersonic

I'm just happy ;-)

97th choice

When I can keep up or go faster than my mates I'm an expert, when I'm slower I'm a beginner.

timpop

Some days are better than others (not like yesterday) but generally I'd say your skill level depends on what terrain you can ride and how well (and quickly) you ride it. How you measure that is the relative part (as seen above), but generally I'd say don't worry about it too much, have fun and mostly measure against yourself. Set goals and learn about taking a good line etc. Work on your technique and if you get the chance go on a skills course and pick up some tips.
Or:
Beginner - you're a beginner
Intermediate - you're a lot better than you used to be and can ride quite a lot of varied terrain comfortably
Advanced - you can ride anything, your technique is obviously dialled and you're a smooth, fast rider
Expert - you ride everything very well, quickly but you're not racing
Pro - you get paid

MattJWL

e.g Compared to a top XC racer, i'm bloody uselss, compared to most people i see out i am a superstar...

Then comparing myself to a DJ rider, i'm a disgrace...

Haha.. yes know the feeling.

Honestly, I don't think it matters as long as you enjoy yourself & you can accomplish on the bike the things you want to do. I always describe myself as a 'keen' mountain biker. that way I have an excuse when someone is faster/better/more adept than me; I never said I was good....

sunnrider

When you find yourself trying to huck your gf´s fixie off 4ft steps then maybe its time to move up a level...(i was bored...the bike survived it)

Mental Mickey

I consider Mountain Biking a constant learning experience, the fact I hurt myself quite badly not long ago served as a reminder.

cee

I hope to improve with every ride. sometimes this happens, other times its not so obvious....

but even the pro's are always talking about getting better....so i don't think it ever stops....

just ride...and have fun.

Northwind

How I know I've progressed to a new level is, every so often there's a sort of chiming noise and my character sheet pops up on screen. (hmm, must remember to allocate some points to Charisma next time instead of putting them all into Masturbation)

saprkzz

I think it depends on why and for what you need the classification for?. Riding with your mates i always consider myself to be one of the faster riders up & downhill in the club so call my self advanced, but if I was riding with people i dont know, I am intermediate, and if i am enetering a race its "fun" catorgory all the way

cooldad

Beginner - you still have training wheels.
Advanced - you get paid to ride.
Intermediate - everything in between.

phz

When I ride something new, or something that I've always bottled before, or something that has technically beaten me previously, or ride something familiar faster or smoother then I know i have got better in some way.

Been riding for long enough now to no longer feel like a Beginner, so i guess I am Intermediate but that label seems to cover an awful lot of ground...

slainte :oops: rob

Raymondavalon

cooldad wrote:

Beginner - you still have training wheels.
Advanced - you get paid to ride.
Intermediate - everything in between.

^^This^^....

Northwind

Crawford Carrick-Anderson doesn't get paid to ride, he gets paid to make signs. But definately advanced. Lots more like him out there...

Missy Giove doesn't get paid to ride bikes, she gets paid to smuggle drugs

Buckled_Rims

cooldad wrote:

Beginner - you still have training wheels.
Advanced - you get paid to ride.
Intermediate - everything in between.

Trying to think of something better then this, but I can't.

Briggo

I agree with what the OP is getting at, for example the recent edition of MBUK included a UK trail centre guide booklet and rated the various centres with ratings out of 3 but having seperate ratings for beginner / intermediate / advanced.

How the fook can you look at those ratings e.g. advanced 2/3 and think, yeah I can ride that as I fit that scenario...

Duki

I'm crap but I enjoy myself.

cooldad

Duki wrote:

I'm crap but I enjoy myself.

I think I'm intermediate crap.

clamps81

I only started properly a few weeks ago. Having a made with a bit more of a clue helps, but it's mostly physics and confidence. Stuff that looks horrid is mostly solved by looking far enough ahead and hitting it at a reasonable angle and speed.

I'm more concerned with fitness than technique - I hate holding people up too much much, but everyone I've seen at trail centres so far have been friendly enough. So long as you're not riding way beyond your ability and your having fun, whats the point stressing? With trail centres especially you're never going to be totally stuck or anything so throw yourself into it.

Anonymous

Duki wrote:

I crap myself.

timpop

sunnrider wrote:

When you find yourself trying to huck your gf´s fixie off 4ft steps then maybe its time to move up a level...(i was bored...the bike survived it)

Why is that not on YouTube?

Duki

I crap myself.


Yes I do sometimes! Especially on new black bits I've never seen before. When I attempted the Drop Shore at LLandegla for the first time a couple of weeks ago I felt the ole bum twitch.