Jump to content
IGNORED

What is the next skill...


TheX

Recommended Posts

5 hours ago, natas1321 said:

along with looking farther down the trail when riding

There's some neuroscience to this, or at least some teaching mountain bike skills in the past thought so, and it has to do with not activating the amygdala, the fear center of the brain.  It manifests as a drama queen element for me, You are so gonna die! but not in a way that has appropriate perspective. 

Like this weekend when I was on grass and riding onto a sidewalk that was about 2".  I looked at it a second too long and...stopped.  I was on my commuter bike, but SRSLY?  I was aware at the moment what was happening.  Had I shifted my vision to where I was going, it would have been, literally, a non event. 

"Look where you want to go rather than what you want to avoid" is also in this category. 

Of course, there's the scenario where you really might die, so it's not like that part of your brain isn't useful.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, natas1321 said:

 looking farther down the trail when riding and not focusing on what's 20 feet in front of me.

Over 100 track days on sportbikes helped teach me how to do that. It's still a challenge though. There are fewer hazards on the race track.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can manual a bit, but it's really only useful to be able to manual for a few feet. anything beyond that is just showing off, which is also fun.

I want to get stronger and better at up-ledge stuff. I've attempted to ride up staircases a few times and I just bash my rim into the square edges and stall. riding up stuff like that is very useful around here. there are a few such natural features in SATN but most of the ones that haunt me are in BCGB. City Park is probably the best place to get lots of practice. I punctured by 2.4" tubeless tire on this one in SATN. I think that loud "clack" is my rim making contact:

Edited by mack_turtle
Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

I can manual a bit, but it's really only useful to be able to manual for a few feet. anything beyond that is just showing off, which is also fun.

I want to get stronger and better at up-ledge stuff. I've attempted to ride up staircases a few times and I just bash my rim into the square edges and stall. riding up stuff like that is very useful around here. there are a few such natural features in SATN but most of the ones that haunt me are in BCGB. City Park is probably the best place to get lots of practice. I punctured by 2.4" tubeless tire on this one in SATN. I think that loud "clack" is my rim making contact:

 

Video is too long. Didn't watch to the end. What happens?

  • Like 2
  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, mack_turtle said:

I can manual a bit, but it's really only useful to be able to manual for a few feet. anything beyond that is just showing off, which is also fun.

This is very true. There's a spot on 1/4 Notch at Brushy Creek where there's a small log inserted across the trail on a fast, flat section. While you can simply roll over it at virtually any speed, I like to come in hot and either bunny hop over it or use it as a bump jump. Yesterday I decided to manual over it and then tried to hold the manual coming off. Miraculously I managed to hold it for around 10ft or so but in the process lost my side to side balance. I dabbed my left foot to keep from falling, and quickly realized I hadn't dropped my saddle all the way down. Took a mild blow to the nads but it was worth it for that moment of exhilaration. Probably something I could get much better at if I practiced consistently, but I prefer riding over practicing. 

10 hours ago, natas1321 said:

Manuals for me along with looking farther down the trail when riding and not focusing on what's 20 feet in front of me.

Haha I thought 20ft was looking farther down the trail. 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Over 100 track days on sportbikes helped teach me how to do that. It's still a challenge though. There are fewer hazards on the race track.
I understand and had no problem when I was on any motorcycle, but mountain bikes are a different issue, but I'm working on it.

Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, TheX said:

You want/need to learn?

For me, it's getting good at manuals. So many things I struggle with would be better if I took the time to learn how to do them properly.

Manuals arent really that useful. Many people think drops are done with manuals, this isnt true (though you can). In austin, track standing is probably the best skill.  Alternately for drops row/anti-row. 

Edited by crazyt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, natas1321 said:

<snip>...looking farther down the trail when riding and not focusing on what's 20 feet in front of me.

Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk
 

I've been riding mountain bikes for 28 years and still need improvement on this.  I think I was better before I lost an eye in 2004, but now I should have no excuses.  :-/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm pretty horrible at manuals on my mtb but I was sessioning the pump track and used my brothers 24" and felt like a new manualling man...until I manualed to my back off a jump and have some skinned elbow scars from it ...I haven't tried much since ..

Track stands I feel would be pretty helpful but its not just stands but coming from a stop to dynamic movement that's the hard part for me on the trail

Sent from my SM-A115AZ using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Manuals are high on my list as well. Mostly because I think they look cool as hell, but I do think they have a purpose as well. It might not be something you encounter that often, but manualing over a series of rollers allows you to keep up your momentum better than just rolling them (assuming you can't - or don't want to - jump them). When you see someone who has mastered the manual, they seem to "use" it a lot. Again, some of it is for show, but if you watch Jeff Kendall Weed, he uses the manual to unweight the front wheel completely and he just rides the trail differently than anyone with both wheels on the ground. The newest section of trail at Spider Mtn (Centipede) has a couple of big rollers followed by about 4 or 5 smaller rollers. I'd love to be able to manual through those last small rollers (and maybe gap the last 2) to keep my speed through that section. As it is now, I have to scrub some speed to avoid accidentally getting airborne.

The other one for me is the whip. I've gotten pretty comfortable jumping, but I'd like to add a little style. I want the Steeze but so far I just have the eeze...

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think any skill that a rider wants to learn is important. It at a minimum boosts confidence, and thats just as critical as anything when it comes to MTB. Timid riding will get you just as hurt as being reckless.  IMHO, any time you can push your neuroplasticity it staves off some of the pitfalls of getting older. My wife's mom died from dementia at 72 so she really looks at MTB, and learning new skills a whole different way than I did. 

Also funny how things stick with you. I hadn't ridden a skateboard in over two decades and within a half hour was able to ollie and do tricks I learned 30 years ago. My ankles also made it known I was no longer a youngster the next day 🤣

Edited by ATXZJ
  • Like 5
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...