What are your bike skills like? Honestly......

cooldad

The Beginner wrote:

Below average (at least with the people I ride with) on skill, was above average on fitness until I caught a nasty virus last April, only just getting over it, pain hurts, but my body still seems to seek ways of proving it.

46 and a 1/2.

Belated happy Birthday Cooldad!

Thank you. I took the day off (should be made a public holiday like jesus and the queen's birthdays), kept the curtains closed, slept in and got thoroughly depressed.
Copious application of bacons helped a bit.

Plyphon

Here is a video of myself riding my BMX a few years ago (really need to film something new)
http://youtu.be/9ezIQ9dC8BQ

However, on a MTB I am super rubbish.

snoopsmydogg

probably below average, ride fast enough to scare myself I don't mind small drops (1-2') and technical riding, red routes are fine but not totally confident on the black runs.

35 and a 1/2

cooldad

I ride mainly with people a lot younger, fitter and braver than me. I'm happy to pootle along at a comfortable speed, spectate when they want to do something stupid, and if people grouch about waiting for me at the top of hills, they just lose the pleasure of my company in future.

FWIW njee20 has sensibly resisted all temptation to ride with us - we often see his lycra clad upmarket racing snake mob in Surrey Hills carparks. They don't speak to us because some of our motley crew ride Specializeds.

milko9000

Got a lot better with a ukbikeskills session.

Only comparing to my riding buddies...

I'm reasonably fit so tend to do well on the climbs
I go pretty damn quick on the flattish stuff, flowy or techy
Not so hot as the descent gets properly steeper if its rough, too much brake (working on MTFU and it's getting there)
Not bad on dropoffs, at least up to six feet anyway I've been ok to have a go since the Jedi training. Less so when they're in the middle of a run rather than something I can size up and have a proper look at first.
Getting there with jumps too but still find gaps more intimidating than I should so sometimes go around them when I really can do them.

Both jumps and drops I'd like to do more of so I can make them less of a thing, it's just difficult finding the right time and place to do it.

Oh age yeah, 34.

mcnultycop

I'm a bit better than I was, after a half day session with Ed Oxley before Christmas. I can get round places, but not with style, and know that if I hit some of the rocky stuff faster (i.e. I allow the wheels to rotate) I'd be a lot better off, but somehow my brain doesn't connect with my braking fingers.

Aforementioned skills training (Stop Crashing Level 1) has definitely helped with bermy bits and I'm now pedalling less after bends and pumping a bit more on XC type runs, but I don't like drops much bigger than about half a metre or so, basically if it is bigger than rollable. I've been getting my wheels in the air more (love the first part of Cragg Quarry for that) but what feels like flying is probably about 0.3 of a second in the air, about 10cm off the ground. Still, it's something.

I'd be happier if I was more confident to speed up on the rocky stuff and the steep downhills, but I'm getting better. I tend to ride alone which doesn't help - no one to a) imitate or b) pick me up/phone an ambulance. Going to do Stop Crashing Level 2 in Spring, that should help.

35 and 3/4.

lawman

I used to be alot better than I am now, fitness wise anyway! Since coming to uni I've not ridden any where close to how much I used too, which has had a knock on effect really, as I've lost fitness I've lost motivation to ride, but this year I'm aiming to ride alot more and boy do I need to for the CCCC2CCCCC ride!

When I started uni I was one of the quicker riders in the club, both up and down, especially if it was rough and rocky, I put a fair distance on people on the last decent at the ClimachX trail, just one of those trails that suits my style, likewise if I ride in the peaks, but confidence is low lately for some reason and recently switching to spd's hasn't helped but hopefully once I'm used to them and have ridden alot more, I'll be back to my old level and hopefully do some racing again next year.

dusk

I'm fairly quick and my all round skills are better than average, jumps and drops don't worry me but I don't go too big! I used to ride a lot when I was younger which is where my skill has come from, problem is now I'm slightly older and my balls have shrunk so I don't feel I am progressing even though my technique is probably up to the task of going faster than I do (I always ride within myself).

24 & 11/12ths

PashleyRider

Coming from a BMX and Street Trials background I am very happy doing technical sections and my balance is pretty good however I do lack the ability to maintain uber control when going fast, so No DH racing for me...

WindyG

42 & 1/2
I can be fairly quick on the fast technical sections on Red and Blacks, getting better at short climbs, seem to still have quick reactions which has saved me from a few spills. In XC races I get left behind on long flat sections especially wet grass.

spongtastic

Can't jump, can't wheelie, can't hop and can't manual. Always seem to get my position on the bike wrong for stupid stuff - I can drop down steep inclines and ride up the side of a 45 degree sea wall but a foot deep ditch can have me over the bars.

Basically I'm sh*t.

38.

punkatron1

I ride a ht in the Peak District and am therefore obviously awesome!

In all seriousness, when at Coed Y Brenan over new year someone in the car park was genuinely surprised that I took my 456 round the MBR. Swapping back to a ht has made me a better rider. Need to plan further ahead and pick out better lines. Still love riding my fs too though.

32

DCR00

The more riding i do, the more i realise that i have loads to learn. Watching kids shred the DH tracks at FOD reminds you of 1. your age (38 in one month) and 2. my skill level.

I can ride Red and Black trail stuff comfortably. I can usually start to shred a descent after 1-2 practice runs, but i tend to avoid jumping any significant height. I'm currently working on cornering technique as i think this tends to separate the quick riders from the fast riders. Not ar*ed about wheelies and manuals (mainly cause i cant do em)

Also starting to dip toes in DH as well. My trip to Antur was a real eye-opener in terms of my skill level. Even negotiating the Blue run slowly was a step up from trail riding.

Stu Coops

45yrs old and awesome at everything, ask anyone :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

mattbarnes

I've found that the older I've become, the more conscious I've become of what terrain I tackle. In my youth I'd have a go at anything albeit with varying degrees of success.

At 37, I feel I have a lot more to lose with a broken finger/arm/leg/spine as, like may others here I suspect, I have a job to commit to and bills to pay, a wife and kids who depend on me (financially) etc. I also think that the older I get, the longer injuries take to heal and I'm also finding that those injuries sustained in my youth are coming back to haunt me.

I have a long travel hardtail for days in the trail centres and I'll happily takle any black route and I've got a carbon XC machine for occasions where getting my wheels off the ground isn't necessary - I usually end up landing on the ground like a traquilized giraffe anyway.

I'd describe my riding skills as 'absolutely average' ...and proud of it.

bobs bikes

well im 33 and 2/3rds. i have slowed down a bit since bmx-ing in the 80's.
i was a goalkeeper in my teens/ twenties, so i balance well but after breaking my back, jumping and landing takes its toll. also, i tend to not panic and just go for it, and i usually come out ok.
skills wise, im pretty good still, with fast decents and flowing tracks im happy. but im also more xc now and will hapilly do a good few miles. last year, mull to hull! 491 tobe precise!

The Spiderman

UK bikeskills was mentioned fsomewhere further back in this thread. I haven`t done a skills day for about 5 years,and have been thinking about doing another one. Just thinking out aloud here but would any of the SE based forum peeps fancy making up a group to be jedied? :idea:

cat_with_no_tail

Richie63 wrote:

As fast as the young uns especially rocky descents.

50 in may ( so i want a pressie)

I only just realized that you're *exactly* 20yrs older than me.

True story.

Briggo

You know Danny macaskill yeah? Well he's better than me, only a little though.

TheNorthernTrain

I still have to use stabilisers!

bartimaeus

I can keep scottfitz in sight on the way up... but I'm not even remotely able to keep up on the downhill sections. In the only race I have ever done I came last. Thanks to Jedi I can do small jumps and drops, and when I do, I feel like a riding god. To be honest I've no great skills yet... and I'm rubbish at berms and anything off-camber. But I'm new-ish to this Mountain Bilking thing (<3 years) and still young (50), so there is still hope.

jairaj

I'm happy riding most stuff at trail centres and the classic Lakes and Peak district routes. Fine with drops but can't jump very well as I've never really tried to learn. I'm happy to ride a technical trails flat out but stick a jump on an easy trail and I get freaked out. Keep telling my self to get some coaching maybe this might be the year.

Sometimes I go faster than my skills can keep up with. I've had 5 breakages in the last 4 years so while I don't ride as hard and do crazy stuff as I used too I've tried to learn from each experience and I think I'm a much better rider than I used to be. Didn't get out and ride much last year so fitness is terrible but been riding more and hitting the gym to try and sort that out.

oh and I'm 27

Northwind

I'm not bad (officially "competent" according to Dirtschool ). There's not that much I won't ride, usually place somewhere in the middle in races, got into the top 40 in the endurance downhill at fort william... But I'm generally solid/safe rather than fast, too old and fragile to be brave. (34 and osteoperosis!) I think I've pushed competent to the max without showing any signs of becoming excellent.

Not a good jumper though- never put any effort into learning really, I can do jumps-in-normal-trails fine and I'm not really interested in big-jumps-for-the-sake-of-jumping. It's a waste of good ground, that. And I kind of lack accuracy- totally happy throwing my trail bike down fort william etc but give me a 4 inch wide rut to ride along and it all goes a bit wrong.

Richie63

Cat With No Tail wrote:

Richie63 wrote:

As fast as the young uns especially rocky descents.

50 in may ( so i want a pressie)

I only just realized that you're *exactly* 20yrs older than me.

True story.

This is True

scottfitz

I can keep scottfitz in sight on the way up...

most of the time
You are better that you think going down, we will have a mini session when the trails dry out. You need to trust your bike and carry your speed.

peter413

I do alright, better at some things than others. Normally place somewhere in the middle of Junior at races but I definitely excel when it gets dark. Pretty useless at really stop starty type things but as soon as it's just rough, rocky and rutted i seem to be able to hold my own, just hammer down it but somehow manage to stay fairly accurate. I do push it slightly too far though so I crash a fair bit on harder trails but somehow usually manage to avoid injury, apart from the broken leg, sprained wrist and countless cuts and bruises, not bad considering the amount I crash on rocks and hardpack. Once it gets really steep though I start to loose a bit of confidence.

Take a look at my Roots and Rain if you want.

I seem to be one of the youngest here at just 17.

Proutster

Richie63 wrote:

As fast as the young uns especially rocky descents.

50 in may ( so i want a pressie)

I'm 47 and can keep up with most people that I ride with except him ^^^ but (in my mind) that's because I have the "fear" gene. When I'm following him and I tell myself to let off the brakes then I start to catch him, but then my general wussiness comes back into play...

Had a nice OTB trying to keep up with him last night too :oops:

ali4390

Been riding bikes all my life, motor and mountain, so my balance etc is pretty good, can wheelie all day long, manuals have vastly improved recently, trackstands are all good and so on.

In terms of when pointing down, as another person said I can do the fast, flowing bits when it's all on instinct and I don't have to think. The problem comes more when I have to think about something, for exmaple if there was a big jump up ahead and I studied it, I would probably bottle it. Although saying that I tend to go for things anyway because 'what's the worse that can happen' and my luck is still holding out.

Might look skillful, doesn't always feel it though and I know I'm going to get bitten hard soon! But only 22 so plenty of time to heal

stubs

Usually last to the top because even when I am fit I am still shit at technical climbs. Usually in the middle of the pack on technical descents and always at or near the front on pure flat out non technical descents like you get at a trail centre. Hate anything made out of timber and bottle out of anything that requires both wheels off the ground.

jairaj

Where are all the Kool Kidz with their mad skillz!?? Everyone is being far too reasonable and modest :-)