DH help

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jado_94

Likes Bikes
Hi i was just seaking advice for a problem.
the other day i was riding downhill on my 07 sasquatch and my feet kept slipping off the pedals when it got a bit rocky and bumpy. i dont know if this is standard for hardtails on DH or not. i obviously know its not as smooth as a dually but i just wanted some advice to have a bit more of a smoother ride
 
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driftking

Wheel size expert
possibley new pedals or longer pins in them may be something to look at, mabey if your game enough you can get clips, also a decent pair of riding shoes, if you already have these then only thing i can think of is you will probably have to use your body and legs more to absorb the bumps of the track, keep wieght on your feet and absorb the track using your body particulary arms and legs.stay light over the bike so it absorbs and flaots more over bump but while keeping wieght on the pedals, as weird as that sounds.
mabey look at your lines on tracks.

edit: as NSR said below you should be prepared to take some shin beatings, so mabey long pants or gaurds might be something you want to look at.
 
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NSR

NSR

Likes Dirt
get new pedals with bigger pins, but be prepared to get some cuts and stuff on your shins!
EDIT: driftking beat me to it...
 
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jado_94

Likes Bikes
umm pedals are Wellgo LU-313, boron axles
and as for riding shoes well i just started getting into riding and just ride with watever shoes i have in me cupboard.
and do u mean just not be tense when riding over bumps so the bike will float over them more? and use my legs to absorb the impact ?
 
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driftking

Wheel size expert
jado_94 said:
umm pedals are Wellgo LU-313, boron axles
and as for riding shoes well i just started getting into riding and just ride with watever shoes i have in me cupboard.
and do u mean just not be tense when riding over bumps so the bike will float over them more? and use my legs to absorb the impact ?
Click to expand...
you need to try to stay loose when you ride but in control its quite hard to explain, but you will understand the more you ride, when you ride you need to act as your body not only controls the bike but that they act like another suspension system on the bike. instead of hitting rocks hard try let the bike stay a bit looser and alow your arms and legs to act as suspension.
i dont really know how to give a good explaination of this mabey someone else will know how better, but riding it basically all about flow, been loose, and riding with the track and the bike as a flowing force not against each other.

remember loose but incontrol so help the bike guide over the rocks and know where thebike is at all times, you dont want to go out there and be so loose yoru out of control you will end up falling off, so you need to find that netural position between loose and control.

as for the shoes get some 5.10's your shoes will feel like there glued to the pedals.

loose is basically dont ride tense and just try stay relaxed and allow you to ride with the forces instead of against them, this should allow for a smoother ride and ussually ends up in a faster time.
 
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mic9754

mic9754

Likes Dirt
If you want to keep your fleet planted to the pedals, but do not want cleated pedals/shoes then this is the ONLY option to consider
 
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driftking

Wheel size expert
jado_94 said:
thanks alot so stay loose relaxed and in control thanks alot mate
Click to expand...
yeah, the more you ride the more you will understand what this means. if you watch riding videos and watch how the pros adapt to the track and how they ride over certain terain it will might give you a good idea as well.
i find watching sam hill back on his ironhorse is a great example of staying loose but still in control.
he seems to hit stuff with such speed and just sorta floats across the top and lets the bike and his body work to absorb while still very stable and incontrol

good luck with it all mate.
 
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J@se

J@se

Breezeway Bandit
jado_94 said:
thats wat the spec list says y ?
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I just had a look at the Wellgo website and they indeed spec them with "Boron" axles (not that I didn't believe you, just that Boron is an interesting substance for a pedal spindle). They must be Metal Boride coated to increase hardness.

Anyway, that has nothing to do with your thread, sorry for the derail. Enjoy your riding. Cheers.
 
fairy1

fairy1

Banned
Not that you can yet, but you should ride your bike like you would drive a car in the rain, make sure you brake before the corner as there is always heaps of cornering grip as long as you are off the brakes. So slow in fast out is the go in any sport involving any sort of vehicle.
 
Wikid Z

Wikid Z

Likes Dirt
I had a similar problem and getting a pair of 5-10's has solved my problems of slipping off the pedals.
 
Davo94

Davo94

Likes Dirt
Possibly try lower pressure's in your tyre's so they absorb more of the little stuff. What PSI you currently using?
 
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