Maybe DH isnt for me?

merc-blue

Likes Bikes and Dirt
So heres the lowdown, rode buller for the first time yesterday and got quite frustrated with the massively rutted out sections on ABOM, there are quite a few sections that i stopped and looked at and decided the only way to deal with them is hang off the back and cop the hits.
there are also some great sections that you can get though heaps faster just by selecting better lines.
International was better while gnarly and rocky its pretty much all intentional.
I really enjoyed some of the fast rough/rocks/root sections.
on the trip home had abit of a whinge and got abit of a harden up rutted out rough track is what DH is.

My favorite places to ride have been more flowing berms and hits. with a few rough sections.
EG Cressys at youyangs.
top section of kingas.
valley run at maldon. or the run off the back of the mountain which i dont know what its called.
melon track - mt major

Should I then packup the DH rig in favor of a mid travel AM/FR bike? eg a bottlerocket, spec. pitch. GT distortion.
allowing me to ride both the mountain stuff i enjoy and able to take the wife out on some single track.

Or stick to the DH bike knowing eventually Im going to get my flow on and ride the super rutted and rough stuff fast.
 

---Matt---

Likes Bikes and Dirt
What exactly don't you like about it? Is it just too rough for you? If that's the case then a couple servings of HTFU might help ;)

ABOM is a long, rough track that never really lets up and it can be frustrating, however you get used to it and it becomes part of the challenge of going fast on it. That and making it around some of the tight corners without coming to a standstill.
Once you find the lines and hit the corners with some speed it feels pretty damn satisfying.

International is completely different in how it's layed out because it's effectively in sections and you can split it up. It never feels quite as tough on the body because it's a lower speed track generally so you're not hitting the holes quite as hard.

It's obvious from your list of tracks that you prefer the smoother tracks that flow better, but that doesn't mean you should rule out any tracks that might be rough. As for the bike question, I'd stick with the DH bike. I think you'd regret selling it if you ever went to a proper DH track again (Mt Buller or Barjarg for example).
 

indica

Serial flasher
I was there yesterday and had a blast.
I found ABOM to be really good. What were you riding? I was on the Fury.
Not much of ABOM was overly rutted although I found a few corners with breaking bumps but nothing unusual.
The key is to ride faster and lighter, allow the bike to skip over some of the stuff if you can. My last few runs were the most enjoyable as I was hitting my groove and felt I was going faster.
 

dunndog

Eats Squid
Learning to make adjustments, even small ones, to suit different trails helps too. Not every trail you ride, but if 2 trails are worlds apart then some tweaks to your setup might help bridge the gap. you'll probably find that abom is one of the rougher tracks you'll ride in vic atleast in terms of ruts and bumps, also given the short opening season it probably cops a lot of traffic in a short period of time..
I'd keep the DH rig, but saying that, if you do prefer the smoother trails, plenty of good all mtn/freeride bikes out there that will smash those trails to pieces and still be more than enough to handle some more aggressive dh trails here and there..
And don't let my old demo hear you talking like this, she's a good girl and you'll break her heart!:)
 

merc-blue

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I was there yesterday and had a blast.
I found ABOM to be really good. What were you riding? I was on the Fury.
Not much of ABOM was overly rutted although I found a few corners with breaking bumps but nothing unusual.
The key is to ride faster and lighter, allow the bike to skip over some of the stuff if you can. My last few runs were the most enjoyable as I was hitting my groove and felt I was going faster.
Hey mate,
I was the dude who chatted to you abit about how you found the fury,
I was on a socom.

I think there was a few sections that I really didnt like. comming into the right hand rocky berm just was homo. my last run I cramped really bad comming into it just made it around and sorta dropped the bike and fell into the bushes.. much to the amusement of people riding up on the lifts.
there was another right hand berm 1/2-3/4 of the way down that was just massive brake bumps all the way into and around.

I think it was more frustrating that there was nothing i could do about it, I also fatigued really quickly and so lost the quality from my riding. my second times down both ABOM and International were by far my best, but by my 5th run for the day I kept cramping.
Possibly I need to change my riding style to give my legs abit of a break. I also have been running my front way to stiff causing me to stiffen the rear (instead of soften the front)
a few setup changes over lunch helped abit, but i think i was so tired by that stage i was starting to get grumpy.

I also had poor brakes so my fingers were very very sore
 

muskimo

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I was there yesterday and had a blast.
I found ABOM to be really good. What were you riding? I was on the Fury.
Not much of ABOM was overly rutted although I found a few corners with breaking bumps but nothing unusual.
The key is to ride faster and lighter, allow the bike to skip over some of the stuff if you can. My last few runs were the most enjoyable as I was hitting my groove and felt I was going faster.
we were parked next to you, red ute and subi wagon. we were on the raw socom, chumba, green old shape glory and i was on the canfield.
 

zen zen

Likes Dirt
I would say as you progress in your riding you will get better at the technical side of downhill and start to have more fun at it. So i would say just work on your skill on a bike sode of things and this type of riding will start to get more fun.
 

dunndog

Eats Squid
Just read my post. what a sook.
maybe a fair dose of harden up is in order?
Yep. you should have been forced to ride down klingsporn to finish your day off as punishment.. you'll be right. they are fairly long trails too by comparison to most, add the bumpy factor and it's a bit of hard work on the bits of you that get pumped. 100 squats every night before bed.
 

indica

Serial flasher
Ok.
You guys did look like you were doing it a bit tough ... one had the big over the bar off?

I went there first a few years ago, had fun but was destroyed by the altitude the bumps and arm pump.
I'm getting older and have started doing push ups and sit ups as well as riding my XC bike 4 times a week.
Dh is fucken hard work at times, but for me that is the fun, the challenge.
I had 11 runs which is not too bad for a 37 year old, could have got a few more in but my mate was a bit sore - his first ever time riding DH.

Get fitter, more exercise, bigger grips may help (I got OURY Lock-Ons just for the trip).
Persevere - if you like DH a bit you'll come to love it there.
 

DALE09

Likes Bikes
yeah dude i wouldnt say your not cut out for it i found the firsy time i did downhill on my norco 125 [yes a HT dj] at youies i had a ball but i got tired real quick so you needa have a break and get some food down ya and you should a bit better and it also helps if you are quite fit because then you'll find then arm pump less and less annoying as you progress so good luck mate just stick with it
 

merc-blue

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Ok.
You guys did look like you were doing it a bit tough ... one had the big over the bar off?

yeah thats us. he went to the ER later that night when he started forgetting things and repeating himself alot.

I have probly been riding DH for a year now.
last time i was at youies i think i put down 15 runs a combo of travs/creesy/track 10/bandages

I got 6 runs in at buller before deing, on a bike a good 3 or 4kgs lighter.

but nothing at youyangs is nearly as fatiguing as buller....
 

indica

Serial flasher
yeah thats us. he went to the ER later that night when he started forgetting things and repeating himself alot.
I hope he is okay.

I have probly been riding DH for a year now.
I have been riding DH for maybe 15 years.
A lot of it at Buller is the altitude, remember you are 1500m above sea level and there is less oxygen. First time I went there that killed me, I had 6 runs that time.

I was using all the travel on both ends too, were you?
 

Steve-0

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I felt the same way when i started downhilling. I just needed to adjust my style and learn to pick smoother lines. Some sections are tougher then others but practice makes perfect, just go watch how smooth elite riders are!

Abit of extra strength in some areas does wonders too, If you have a pull-up bar try doing overhand pull-ups or just hang from the bar for as long as you can... The more strength and fitness you have the easier it is to focus on what your doing and downhilling becomes so much better! Fatigue sucks. If your shuttling, try rotating the driver so your not riding so much.

Keep the bike, Look at the track differently and ride FAST!
 

muskimo

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I hope he is okay.
hes all good. bit of a shake up and buller tried to take his kidney.
i did almost the exact same thing the run before him, it was right at the top of abom, where the new double then triples are. for a green track they should not be there or modified so you can pump the quickly rather than hit them fast to jump them or go way too slow to roll them, otherwise you do what reuben did.

if you were anywhere near me when i did it, you would have heard me laughing half way down in surprise of how close it was.
 

driftking

Wheel size expert
I'd say deffinatly keep your bike, like any sport Dh takes some time to get used to. Your body will eventually be able to handle it a bit better, this can and should be helped with a at home routine of just basic things like squats, push ups etc you dont need to do too much if your just riding and not racing.
As you ride more you will learn how to pick better lines and your skill will develop, you will also find that you will loosen up alot on the bike and it is amazing how been loose on the bike will improve your riding. As you get fitter and stronger you will have more fun. Been stronger and fitter will allow you to focus on the riding and the fun rather than focusing on how buggered you are.
Walking the track and looking at sections from differant angles will do wonders, you will see things you wouldnt normally while riding, new lines, smoother lines, new entrances and exits to the sections, if you know whats coming up you can ride fast, the faster you ride the smoother and more fun you will have.
Also a big thing is dont look down at your front wheel look up and ahead of where you are going, the faster you ride the further ahead you need to look. A example I was told was lines on the road while driving, the further down the road you look the slower they come at you, same thing applies in Dh you will have more time to take in whats coming up which will let you ride alot faster.

Keep at it, when you hit a section smooth and fast the feeling is worth it and when you can link great sections to each other its awsome.
 
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indica

Serial flasher
for a green track they should not be there or modified so you can pump the quickly rather than hit them fast to jump them or go way too slow to roll them, otherwise you do what reuben did.
Yes, but you need to take responsibility for your own actions (not meaning to be harsh) as far as you have brakes so use them.
I managed to double the first but didn't have the confidence for the second so I didn't do it.
Did you see the "gravity camp" - they were talking about how to hit it... and they all managed.
 

muskimo

Likes Bikes and Dirt
i was watching a few of them do it, i had no dramas doing the first double, or the later couple of doubles a little further down, though that set of triples, i either tried to pop the front to hold better speed or slow right down. im back to work tomorrow so didnt want to break my self.
 

Syndicated

Likes Dirt
I would say as you progress in your riding you will get better at the technical side of downhill and start to have more fun at it. So i would say just work on your skill on a bike sode of things and this type of riding will start to get more fun.
+1

I agree
 
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