Beating the fear

[racerm]

Hi all,
Just wanting to get some advice on how to get over the fear of crashing when I approach rocky drop off sections. Every time I get near them i feel like "there no way" I can make it without crashing... Any advice on how I can practice these or any where that is good to go around Melbourne for some basic stuff..

Have mainly been riding at the You Yangs and was wanting to try some of the stuff at the Junction track between Stocktards and Kurrajong...

Cheers!

 

[outtacontrol]

Educate yourself on the techniques required like body position (getting your weight back), not overbraking and allowing the bike to roll through without stalling, and line choice.

Then practice on things that are not too technical, making sure you have the techniques right. Then when you feel you are more confident, follow someone who you trust through the section, using his speed and line choice as a guide.

I find once I have conquered a section that worried me, I always make sure I go back and do it a few times. If you can do it a few times in a row, you won't even think about it next time you come across it.

 

[indica]

Crash so often it no longer hurts.... no issue then.

Best way is to ride with others that can do the section, follow their speed and approach and line,

 

[Moggio]

If you are by yourself and its a rollable section get of your bike and walk it down it and notice that usually there aren't too many problems for the bike.. it may bounce a bit but should easily roll over most of it. You may note one or two obstructions that you may have to work yourself over. Also look at the line from below and it usually looks much less extreme.

Then the trick is to visualise riding down it, give it a go and session it.

 

[Mtb1speed]

Outacontrol and moggie both give good advice, start small practice practice practice. Watch guys and gals that can do it and don't be ashamed to walk the bike through ten times to look at what it does. One problem I see with newbies are they get nervous like you say and don't get themselves far enough off the back of the seat. If you don't get you weight back the bike will feel like and may actually pitch forward. My other golden rule is, if I try three times and baulk each time, give it up and come back another day.

 

[outtacontrol]

One problem I see with newbies are they get nervous like you say and don't get themselves far enough off the back of the seat. If you don't get you weight back the bike will feel like and may actually pitch forward.

Exactly!!

I was riding with a new guy recently on a technical section and he watched as I went down. He thought he had been getting his weight back, but in actual fact was only shifting a couple of inches.

He was amazed that you could get right back behind the seat.

 

[racerm]

Thanks all, sound advice indeed!

 

[haltz]

do it nude slowly a couple times, then when you hit it all geared up youll feel invincible

 

[nathzander]

Awhile ago I was lucky enough to have a summer in Whistler, Canada (1.5 actually...plus a winter...memories...?), the craziest thing I did on a mtb before then was to roll down some stairs playful, after throwing myself completely, way too

far into the deepest of the deep ends (Whistler double black diamond, second ever down hill ride, pffft, idiot!) all the advice above is exactly what helped me out (except Haltz's, spewin, that definitely would've made my improvement go

exponential! ) but what helped me the most were: following better riders (good motivation to have a good rider behind too, stops you slowing down too much), doing the same run multiple times (cement the lesson/s from the last run),

find a way to drown out the voice in your head telling you to slow down (I heard nothing but pounding heart for the first few months) AND relax and have fun!

 

[RICOCHET]

Hit everything with speed, no brakes...can't stop don't want too....

 

[Nautonier]

Hi all,
Just wanting to get some advice on how to get over the fear of crashing when I approach rocky drop off sections. Every time I get near them i feel like "there no way" I can make it without crashing... Any advice on how I can practice these or any where that is good to go around Melbourne for some basic stuff..

Have mainly been riding at the You Yangs and was wanting to try some of the stuff at the Junction track between Stocktards and Kurrajong...

Cheers!

What kind of bike are you on and do you wear any armour at all? If you're talking about the junction track I'm guessing you're on either an XC or AM bike, hopefully a dually. In my opinion there's really 2 main things (aside from what others have mentioned above) that will give you the confidence to nail that track. Apologies if they are obvious:

1. Wear some knee pads and elbow pads. If you do come off the knees and elbows are usually what will cop a beating, and to not have to worry about that is definitely confidence inspiring.

2. Put your seat down. Hopefully you're doing that already, but if not you really need to try it. I am always amazed by how many XC riders crash on the most basic stuff (usually always over the bars) because they can't get their weight far enough back over the bike due to having the seat as high as it would be on a road bike... Really good riders who want to win races are able to ride steep tech sections with the seat up, but for your average rider it's not only way less fun, but makes the chance of an over-the-bars incident far more likely. We're already seeing top level Super D riders with dropper posts, it's only a matter of time until they become standard in XC riding/racing as well.

 

[racerm]

Thanks everyone for all the great advice, can say that I put some into practice over the weekend with some good results...

 

[willsy01]

do it nude slowly a couple times, then when you hit it all geared up youll feel invincible

Don't go too far over the back wheel if you take this approach......the sight, smell and sound of a Minion hitting ball bag is not something you forget in a hurry.

 

[pretendingtoride]

I'm a noob to mountain biking too... And this was exactly what i was talking to a mate about this weekend and talking about exactly the same section of track!! So it's great to get some feedback from people out there.

This is my second life mountain biking, had a giant reign when I lived in oz in 06/07 and managed to get over those rocky bits at the youyangs and progressed pretty well... I've got a hard tail (xtc1 29er at the min) but have just bought a fisher hifi pro, so I'm hoping going back to a dully will help me, but my mates advice was to stop being a pussy and do exactly what's been posted here... Will be giving it a go this weekend... Another thing that concerns me is that I ride alone (no other mtb'ing mates) so if I stack then I'm alone!

 

[BrendoDC]

I am also a big old noob!
I have been riding with a lot of guys at a similar level, some slightly above and some slightly below. This has been really advantageous, we all seem to keep pushing each other slightly harder each ride, do jumps and drops that we haven't been brave enough to do and hit trails with more pace. Really worth hooking up with some people around the same level if possible!
I have also learnt that whatever you are about to tackle, do it with confidence and pace. The minute you start to questions yourself you end up on the ground.

Nice to see other people suffering from the same things that I am!!

 

[mytxr8]

Be calm, keep cool, be slow get you basics down,try hooking up with some riders more experincedthan yoursel, watch, learn and listen the same as any new learning curve, be good